[Buddha-l] Natural lucidity for all, a Buddhist dream

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Joy Vriens schreef:

> "In 2004 [ Jayne Gackenbach] found that frequent video game players 
> have more "lucid dreams" (in which the dreamer is aware that they are 
> dreaming) than non-gamers. Often, the dreamer can even manipulate the 
> action or observe it in third-person, much like a video game.
>
> "On an intuitive level, it makes sense," said Gackenbach."If you're 
> spending a lot of time in a changeable virtual environment, it acts as 
> a sort of practice for another virtual reality, dreams."
>
> Gackenbach's research suggests the effects of video games on minds are 
> much more complex. She even goes as far to suggest that video gaming 
> may share some traits with deep meditation, in that both immerse the 
> mind in a singular, deeply focused activity.
>  
>  "Video games are changing how people's brains work, how they are 
> wired," she said."
>  
> http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=4991
>  
> I used to deplore the growing importance of virtuality reality in 
> various fields, of image and image management, branding, of spin in 
> the media etc., because I believed it would remove people even further 
> from the nitty grityy facts of "basic reality", earthy and 
> ordinary reality or what do you want to call it... But this article 
> gives me new hope. Perhaps the growing and constant confrontation with 
> virtual reality in various fields will change people's brains and 
> ultimately lead to spontaneous awakening.  

One lucid dream doesn't make nirvaa.na yet, but it may be a significant 
step in the practice of dreamyoga. I don't think that it has anything to 
do with the grey mass, and that the metaphore of wiring is misleading. 
Gamers just have developed specific mindhabits.  But even then it opens 
new possibilities and a new field in computer technology: Computer Aided 
Nirvaa.na. In stead of doing initiations we could let ourselvers become 
addicted to specific bodhigames.

Erik

www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
weblog http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950