To understand wet dreams we must look at them objectively, free from all the concepts, beliefs and popular superstitions that we have inculcated into our lives. Many men think that ejaculation of semen during sleep, called a wet dream or nocturnal emission, is undesirable and should be stopped because it is 'bad', 'dirty' or reduces your masculinity. Some people even feel it is a disease that should be cured. After having a wet dream, many men feel guilty or suffer psychological disturbances, and as a result feel a loss of energy. These people have been brought up to believe that the loss of their 'vital' fluid, even in the smallest amount, causes this energy loss. This belief is especially prevalent in India where the concept of brahmacharya has been ingrained into the culture. All of these ideas about wet dreams are incorrect and in themselves lead to bad health. It is not the emission of semen which causes weakness but the guilt which many people experience after such an event because of faulty upbringing, education and social beliefs.
The important point to remember is that nocturnal emission is not a bad thing; it can even be regarded as healthy because it releases stress. Your subjective attitude towards this objective phenomenon makes it 'good' or 'bad'. You may want to stop the process or continue it, but for the sake of psychological health and maturity it is important to face this phenomenon objectively and with an open mind, free of guilt and suppressions.
Sex is a natural instinct. At puberty the hormonal system becomes disturbed and unbalanced by the addition of sex hormones into the blood stream, causing all the other endocrine glands to readjust their function (as controlled by the master pituitary gland in the brain). At this point sexual activity enters our lives.
At night we dream, and sex plays its role in our dreams as much as during our waking hours. During the REM (rapid eye movements) phases of sleep, the penis becomes erect. This is caused by the parasympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system which is concerned with pleasure and relaxation, and may be associated with dreams. Occasionally semen is ejaculated and this is accompanied by a pleasurable sensation. The ejaculation is controlled by the sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system which regulates the body's reaction to stress.
The actual biological process that releases semen is natural and it has a relaxing effect on the nervous system, releasing many stored up tensions in both body and mind. When semen is released it is accompanied by a great deal of energy. When the body releases energy there must be a need for this release, or else it occurs because. it is not strong enough to contain the energy that builds up in the body. Energy build up usually occurs when there is an absence of sexual activity for some time. Dreams, which generally accompany nocturnal emission, are another means to release tensions and stresses accumulated throughout the day. The ejaculation of semen plus the dream release sexual tensions and suppressions, freeing energy that could otherwise have been channeled negatively through psychosomatic disease, emotional upset or psychological imbalance.
All yogic techniques awaken the will and control over the total body vehicle. To improve sexual life, remove suppressions and lead a relaxed life is an easy thing. Start to practice yoga and you will see. Relaxation and awareness remove tensions and the effects of stress so that the dreaming process changes to a more tranquil and pure state. Once you have learned through yoga to stop accumulating tension within the mind and nervous system, there is not such a great need to release tensions through dreams. This also reduces the occurrence of nocturnal emission. Even if you experience wet dreams, yogic understanding helps you direct your reactions in the desired course so that you can stop this process if you want to.
According to yoga the energy that is used in the sexual process is prana. It can be utilized to make the sexual act more enjoyable, powerful and effective, or it can be tapped and controlled so that the sexual functions stop and the energy is sublimated to higher and more subtle activities such as sadhana and meditation. Sexual energy is a very potent force which can work for us and help to make oar lives more vital, energetic and full. The sublimation of sexual energy creates ojas, spiritual energy. In this process, the energy that would normally flow downward into the genital organs is turned upward towards the brain, purifying and awakening its dormant centres. This practice requires the guidance of a spiritual master to attain the highest possibilities.
Once this control is gained, nocturnal emission usually ceases. However, this control must extend beyond the conscious level because conscious control is usually based on suppression in a disguised form. Subconscious and unconscious control which have become an integral part of the personality and awareness are required, and this takes time. We cannot stop the sexual process as simply as turning off a tap; the whole body-mind complex must be changed.
Sublimation of sexual energy into ojas involves a new outlook and lifestyle for most people. Firstly, diet is changed to pure vegetarian foods, free from toxins and poisons which create subtle stress on our nerves and brain. Then we begin the process of changing the subtle structure of the body by the appropriate practices and a more regular yogic lifestyle such as one might live in an ashram.
All yogic techniques are a means to sublimate energy. However, the following practices efficiently influence the genital area helping us to control our sexual function: dwi pada kandharasana, padaangushthasana, brahmacharyasana and moolabandhasana. (Please refer to Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, a BSY publication.) Vajroli mudra is a powerful method to help convert sexual energy into ojas. Japa and meditation calm the brain-mind, preventing excessive stimulation of the genitalia and libido. Siddhasana enhances these practices which sublimates sexual energy sending it to the brain.
Siddhasana, also known as the 'adept's pose', can easily be learned by most people alter they have developed a fair degree of flexibility in the legs. It is considered to be the best meditation posture for swamis and aspirants devoted to raising their consciousness to the highest level. The word siddha means accomplished, fulfilled, ed, perfected, inspired sage; one who has attained the highest. It usually refers to a person of purity and holiness (wholeness) who possesses great psychic and spiritual powers called siddhis. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (1: 37-41) it states: Press firmly the heel of the left foot against the perineum, and place the right foot above the male organ. With the chin pressing on the chest (in jalandhara bandha) one should sit with restrained senses and gaze steadily at the space between the eyebrows. This is called siddhasana, the opener of the 'door of salvation'.
Just as moderation in food is first among the yamas, and non-violence among the niyamas, so is siddhasana called by the adepts the chief of all asanas. Out of the 84 asanas siddhasana should always be practiced because it cleanses the impurities of the 72,000 nadis. In siddhasana the position of the heels directly stimulates mooladhara chakra. The legs being firmly locked in a symmetrical position with both knees touching the ground balances ida and pingala nadis, thereby stimulating the sushumna nadi to function. Once sushumna is activated, meditation comes spontaneously and easily. The mind becomes ordered, relaxed, strong, peaceful, and takes on the form of siddha, master of psychic forces.
Apart from aiding meditation, siddhasana is a powerful technique in itself, conferring many unique benefits on its practitioner. Regular practice of this pose is one of the best ways to prevent nocturnal emission. It is also an efficient technique to help in family planning as it exerts an effect similar to vasectomy, ligation of the vas deferens in men.
In siddhasana the urogenital system is firmly blocked by the feet. This has the following effects on the body:
The conservation of such a force has very powerful effects on the body. Testosterone, which is responsible for the emotional makeup of males, and pituitary stimulating hormones are conserved as they do not have to maintain a fast turnover of sperm. Frequent ejaculation utilizes more stimulating hormones and thus the energy to manufacture them.
In siddhasana, vajra nadi is blocked so that the energy has no choice but to flow upward vitalising all body organs and stimulating the chakras. It then passes into the brain turning on vital centres and rebalancing neural circuits. Areas of the brain that have lain dormant and outside the field of conscious awareness are brought within our control. In vasectomy, however, the vajra nadi remains patent so that energy is free to flow downward and escape through this route via wet dreams and so on.
Thus siddhasana not only stands as an effective means to stop nocturnal emission, but it also provides a means to control family growth and world population. To achieve these goals, however, takes time. Most people would require two to five years of regular practice to achieve them. Eventually when the aspirant has concentrated and channeled his energies to such a degree that his mind is like a powerful laser beam which he is capable of directing at will for the welfare of all, he becomes a siddha.
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