An Open Window ― Dream As Everyman's Guide to the Spirit

Movement on the spiritual path necessarily involves taking light into the dark corners of our psyche, and it is there that dreams provide an open window into the inner reality. In the early years of the twentieth century, Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung proposed that, more often than not, dreams represent those thoughts and memories which are unbearably painful and have been relegated to the realm of the unconscious. Unlocking the meanings in these dreams can help people free their mind and feelings from irrational desires, fears and insecurities. This brief but profound book assails the 'conventional' understanding of dreams and their interpretation, drawing attention to a much-neglected aspect of dreams as a source of guidance to the spiritual aspirant. It uses the insights of psychology, but transcends it, to confront the inescapable questions most people should be driven by: What is the purpose of life, and does it all end with death? Laying bare dreams of childhood anxiety, traumas and sexuality?'cleaning the windows' to uncover the deeply buried material that blocks our efforts on the inner path?it then invites contention from 'materialists' in its discussion of subjects beyond psychology such as precognitive dreams, reincarnation, out-of-the-body experiences, death dreams, and numinous or 'big dreams"-'an open window' through which deeper, non-physical levels of reality can shine. Drawing on examples from real life, Sri Madhava Ashish teaches the 'language of dreams', ensuring a better understanding and awareness of the unconscious self, guiding the reader on the path to mental and spiritual freedom.

Sri Madhava Ashish (1920?97) is a spiritual teacher who sought to integrate time-honoured mystical truths with a modern rational approach. He was the head of a small and comparatively unusual ashram, Mirtola, near Almora in northern India. Born in Edinburgh, he was posted to India as an aircraft engineer during the Second World War. Instead of returning to England after the hostilities, he went to see the great sage Ramana Maharshi, an experience which confirmed his dedication to the spiritual quest. His search led him to Mirtola and to the man who was to become his guru: Sri Krishna Prem, an English professor who had become a Vaishnava monk. At Sri Krishna Prem’s death, Sri Madhava Ashish became the head of the ashram, attracting a growing number of friends and pupils. With his successor Sri Dev Ashish, he transformed the ashram farmland and forest into a model of environmentally sound rural development. Serving on several Planning Commission committees for hill development, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1992 for his pioneering work on environmental education. He wrote many articles for international publications as well as several revolutionary books containing entirely new perceptions to help our understanding of the physical world’s spiritual roots.