Awakening with the "Dream Police"

The intellectually elite ego adores the concepts of “non-duality” and "enlightenment." That’s because these concepts allow the ego to make compromises with its own personal constructs of 'reality.'

The ego compromises with truth by allowing itself to ‘realize’ only parts of the truth, while still embracing parts of the illusion. Now you need not awaken from the “dream” all at once and truth can be served up in convenient bite size slices; just take what you want and save the rest for later. It's all up to you.

The problem is that this denies the fact that it’s either all true or all not true. You can’t pick and choose what you want to be true since that merely makes it all not true. No one can make compromises with truth.

Except for the Dream Police who know how to compromise with truth and will teach you the skills needed to make anything "true."

So, when you awoke from the dream was your ‘self’ still affixed to a body that has needs? Well then, most likely you had a fantastic neurochemical whizbang - natural, no drugs - but no “awakening.”

But don’t fret, because the “Dream Police” are here to help. Here’s an email I received from Integral Life:

Dear friend,

I am excited to reach out to you since you listened last year to Ken Wilber and Bill Harris discuss Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. The Power of Now is a truly sensational book and in 2003 was the catalyst for my own spiritual awakening to what Ken spoke of as a "non-dual" state of consciousness. I walked around San Francisco for 3 days in a state of pure bliss and mystical union (which gradually diminished over the following 4 months) [funny how it always seems to “diminish”]. It was a profound and life-altering experience (and as a deeply rational entrepreneur, a bit of a surprise, to say the least).

Now, millions of others have heard the story of how Eckhart Tolle awakened to this same super-conscious state – a timeless, transcendental state that mystics maintain is the doorway to liberation. Although it is trite, accessing this state of presence is indeed about waking up. (Waking up to what? To what is real, to who you really are. A reality which you swim in every moment, now, and now, and now...)

But here's what's interesting: the mystics were only half-right.

Because even after my awakening, I still faced the challenge of tapping into my deepest passion. I kept wondering, how can I simultaneously be at peace and be fully engaged in my life with passion? The peace of being versus the passion of becoming. This paradox didn't make sense to me until I found Integral...

What I learned from Ken's integral map is that while a state of presence is a key spiritual teaching of major religious traditions and is a true doorway to liberation, there are actually two forms of enlightenment and only one has to do with my "state" of consciousness. The other has to do with my "stage" of consciousness, and how I interpret this liberating state of presence will be dictated by my stage of consciousness development.

You see, my state of consciousness has to do with my being, but my stage of consciousness has to do with becoming. And my life is a calling to do both simultaneously!

According to this 'awakened guy,' your reward for finally awakening to “truth,” is to learn how to become more "passionate" about the illusion, but only because you're "awakening" is a "non-dual state of consciousness." Now you can blissfully have your cake and eat it too, because there are two forms of "enlightenment" and "the mystics were only half right."

Stupid mystics!

Being is boring, but “becoming” is where it's at, yo!

Good grief, “Two forms of enlightenment”? Really!? I always thought enlightenment was about “awakening” from the illusion to realize truth - one and done!

But not for the “Dream Police.” In fact, for the Dream Police ('awakened guys') there are hundreds of enlightenment "forms." In fact, there are levels and degrees, stages, tiers, quadrants, states, etc, etc, etc, on and on, ad infinitum.

The Dream Police recognize that we live in a postmodern technological 'world' that thrives on conspicuous consumption and, as discriminating consumers, we should have as many “enlightenment” products that the 'dream' can offer...

...in order to awaken from the dream.

Yet, more importantly, the Dream Police know that egos don’t want to awaken to a 'truth' completely devoid of all illusion. Because, if the body is part of the illusion, when truth finally dawns on you, ‘poof’… the body’s gone. I mean, if it’s part of the illusion, how could it stay around when truth comes to town? But then, without the body, how will you enjoy great sex or decent glass of aged Bordeaux?

Nope. Not your “enlightenment”! But that's okay because, for the Dream Police, “special orders don’t upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way.”

The problem is that you think you know, but you don't have a clue and neither do the Dream Police. There is NO awakening to truth that "you" could even come close to comprehending. You can’t blissfully enjoy non-dualism, since there can be no “you” for which to experience “bliss" since you cannot experience anything that has an opposite.

If you're still ‘here,’ then you ain’t ‘there’ yet (and don’t give me that “I must stay and teach the ignorant masses” BS). But not to worry, because there is nowhere to 'get' and you’re right where you need to be.

The “Dream Police” feed your ego because it always needs 'something' and they aim to provide what it wants. They love to fill your head with ideas and they plan to teach your ego all they 'know.' They use words like “non-duality” “enlightenment” and “oneness,” as if such distinctions were necessary. But then they disclaim what they teach, by claiming they only "point" to truth but, as everybody knows, it's impolite to point.

The Dream Police want to teach you how to awaken from the 'dream.'

Unfortunately, they are part of it.

Beware the Dream Police!

The dream police, they live inside of my head.
The dream police, they come to me in my bed.
The dream police, they’re coming to arrest me, oh no.

You know that talk is cheap, and those rumors ain’t nice.
And when I fall asleep I don’t think Ill survive the night, the night.

Cause they’re waiting for me. They’re looking for me.

Every single night, they’re driving me insane.
Those men inside my brain.