Awakened Dreams: Raji's Journeys with the Mirror Dede [Paperback]

Ahmet Hilmi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1999

Awakened Dreams was written in the early 1900s at the end of the Ottoman era by Ahmet Hilmi—humorist, revolutionary, and Sufi mystic.

Raji—a young man disillusioned with science, philosophy, religion, and with life as he knows it—meets a grandfather-like "madman" who lives in a cemetery and wears clothes patched with bits of mirrors. The Mirror Dede, though apparently mad, makes more sense than anyone Raji has ever met. From time to time they drink coffee together, and as the old man plays a reed flute, Raji's transformation is mirrored through a series of awakened dreams. He experiences changes of perception which show to him the limitations of our ordinary human faculties, and he encounters various prophets and holy beings who reveal to him the secret of his own existence.

This book has the charm of Hesse's Siddhartha, the wry humor of a Vonnegut novel, and the visionary wisdom of Castaneda's Don Juan series. It continues to be used as a vibrant teaching tale in many Sufi circles. Though a story of mythical dimensions, Awakened Dreams is not a fantasy but a transcription of the spiritual journey based on Hilmi's own experience.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Turkish

About the Author

Ahmet Hilmi (1865–1914) was born in an area that is now Bulgaria. While still a young man, Himli met the Mirror Dede, a "cosmic doctor" who was living in a local cemetery. Mirror Dede provided inspiration for Hilmi's spiritual transformation. Hilmi went on to become a Sufi teacher and the author of many books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (September 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939660458
• ISBN-13: 978-0939660452
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #908,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of a kind!, February 24, 2002

By 

Luciano (Salvador, Bahia Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakened Dreams: Raji's Journeys with the Mirror Dede (Paperback)

Most sufi books are either written by sufi sheikhs with a very symbolical discourse and thus, difficult to penetrate, or are written by academic researchers, who are not involved in sufi practices and therefore lack on mystical understanding. This book, however, is in a class of its own. By reporting his mystical journeys under ney-induced trance, the author gets his message through to that part of ourselves that understands without words, that can "feel" the message. My girlfriend even had a mystical experience while reading this book! I'm sure any sufi student will love it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Mystical Adventure, June 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Awakened Dreams: Raji's Journeys with the Mirror Dede (Paperback)

This spiritual classic begins in an engaging way, presenting the narrator in the nadir of the human condition; disillusioned with material existence and skeptical of theological arguments. The mirror Dede is a homeless guru Raji meets in a graveyard and from there the story progresses through a series of metaphoric dreams and events towards Raji's enlightenment.

I found Raji's conversion a bit less convincing than I would have desired, and the metaphors often seem less about making a strong case for a spiritual reality than about criticizing other philosophical systems; nevertheless this is an important work of spiritual philosophy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars book of insight and wisdom, November 30, 2009

By 

Patricia M. finkle (ann arbor, michigan) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Awakened Dreams: Raji's Journeys with the Mirror Dede (Paperback)

Awakened Dreams portrays a disillusioned man's awakening to reality through his gradual exposure to spiritual experiences depicted in the context of a Sufi revelation. The reader's journey proceeds across a cultural bridge through these revelations to arrive at a universal perspective on life's meaning. This book is highly recommended.