Alan Watts: The Dream of Life and the Nature of Reality
Alan Watts, one of the most influential interpreters of Eastern philosophies for a Western audience, uses his characteristic blend of humor and depth to explore profound ideas about existence in this talk. He invites us to imagine the ultimate freedom: being a God capable of dreaming any dream we desire. Through this thought experiment, Watts masterfully conveys an understanding of life as a dynamic interplay between control and surrender, pleasure and suffering, reality and illusion.
In this chapter, we contextualize Watts’ ideas alongside the teachings of Osho and Jiddu Krishnamurti, focusing on their shared perspectives on freedom, self-discovery, and the limitations of the ego.
The Thought Experiment: Dreaming Any Dream
Watts begins by asking his audience to imagine themselves as gods with unlimited power, free to create any reality. Naturally, he suggests, one would start by fulfilling every wish—endless pleasure, adventure, and grandeur. But as the dream progresses, one might grow bored of predictability. To make life exciting, one would add challenges, uncertainty, and even suffering, culminating in the ultimate dare: to dream a life so real that one forgets it’s a dream.
This concept echoes the non-dual teachings of Advaita Vedanta and Mahayana Buddhism, which posit that the world as we experience it is a play of consciousness (Lila in Sanskrit) or a dream-like projection. Watts uses this analogy to challenge our perception of reality and to suggest that life, with all its joys and sorrows, is a self-created drama meant to be lived fully.
The Perspective of Osho: Life as a Leela (Play)
Osho’s teachings resonate deeply with Watts’ vision of life as a dream. Osho often described existence as a cosmic play—a divine drama in which each individual is both the actor and the audience. For Osho, life’s seeming contradictions—joy and suffering, control and chaos—exist to create depth and richness. He encouraged embracing every aspect of existence, not as something to escape but as something to celebrate.
Watts’ invitation to “spice up the dream” aligns with Osho’s idea that life thrives on contrasts. According to Osho, the challenges and struggles we face are not obstacles but essential elements of the game of life. He encouraged his followers to live authentically and experience life in its totality, for only then can one wake up to their true nature.
Krishnamurti: The Danger of Escaping into Illusion
Krishnamurti, while acknowledging the dream-like quality of life, approached the topic with a sharp focus on the pitfalls of escapism. He would caution against using ideas such as Watts’ dream analogy to evade the immediate reality of life. For Krishnamurti, understanding oneself and one’s conditioning was paramount. He would ask, “Why do you seek a different reality? Is it not because you are dissatisfied with what is?”
Krishnamurti’s emphasis on the now resonates with Watts’ idea of dreaming oneself into the present moment. Both thinkers argue that freedom lies not in avoiding life’s difficulties but in fully confronting them. While Watts uses the dream metaphor to inspire awe and curiosity, Krishnamurti warns that awakening is not a pleasant escape but a radical dismantling of illusions.
The Role of Suffering: A Shared Inquiry
Watts explores the necessity of suffering as part of the dream. By dreaming of poverty, disease, and agony, one creates the contrast that makes joy and peace meaningful. This aligns with Buddhist teachings on samsara (the cycle of suffering) and nirvana (liberation), which are often described as two sides of the same coin.
Osho and Krishnamurti would both agree with Watts that suffering is not to be avoided but understood. Osho would frame suffering as an opportunity for growth, while Krishnamurti would see it as a signal to examine one’s attachments and desires. Both would agree that true liberation comes not from manipulating the dream but from understanding its nature.
The Wake-Up Call: Is This a Dream?
Watts concludes his talk with a provocative twist: What if this life, with all its problems and complexities, is the very dream you chose to experience? This question is an invitation to reframe one’s perspective, to see challenges not as burdens but as elements of a larger, self-created story.
In Mahamudra, the Tibetan Buddhist practice of direct realization, this idea is mirrored in the understanding that all phenomena are inherently empty, yet vividly manifest. The practitioner is encouraged to see life as a dream—not to escape it but to engage with it fully, with the understanding that its reality is provisional.
Synthesis: Living the Dream with Awareness
Watts, Osho, and Krishnamurti offer complementary paths to awakening within the “dream” of life:
- Watts: Celebrate the play of existence. Embrace the richness of life, including its struggles, as part of the dream you’ve created.
- Osho: Dive deeply into life’s contrasts. Joy and suffering are part of a divine play meant to awaken you to the fullness of being.
- Krishnamurti: Question the dream. Understand your conditioning and free yourself from illusions by being fully present.
Together, their teachings invite us to live authentically, confront our conditioning, and recognize the profound mystery of existence, recognize who we really are.
Dream Boldly, Wake Fully
The dream analogy is not just a poetic metaphor but a tool for self-inquiry. It challenges us to ask: What am I doing with this dream of life? The answer lies not in avoiding life’s challenges but in meeting them with curiosity, courage, and awareness. Whether you resonate with Watts’ playfulness, Osho’s celebration, or Krishnamurti’s radical clarity, the ultimate invitation is the same: to wake up to the truth of who you are and to embrace the dream with open eyes. Shunyam Adhibhu
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