Western interest in lucid dreaming is just the tip of the iceberg, according to American anthropologist Bruce Knauft. Tibetan Buddhism has a long-standing system of practices known as dream yoga, which allows one to become lucid within a dream and actively alter its content. This, according to the author, points to the need for a deeper exploration of the interconnectedness between Western and Eastern approaches to the study of consciousness.
A key concept in the Tibetan tradition is sambhogakaya—the enjoyment body—a level of reality that manifests in lucid dreams and reveals the relativity of our ordinary, waking perceptions. Within the sambhogakaya, the cultural and personal filters through which we view the world become obvious, presenting us with the possibility of transcending them.
The author suggests that studying the sambhogakaya through the practice of lucid dreaming can be a powerful tool for personal growth. It allows one to dismantle habitual mental schemas and reconstruct them into a more lucid and liberated perception of reality. The author calls for uniting scientific and spiritual approaches in the study of this state.
Are you a proponent of a scientific or spiritual approach to lucid dreaming practice?
The article was published in March 2025 in the book Dreaming and the Imagination.
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