Taidi Pimeng Divine Incantation — The Taoist Spell to Banish Inauspicious Dreams
Paul Peng九天上帝，四门八灵。
七房二玄，三素元精。
太一桃康，上诣三清。
速告帝君，摄命黄宁。
速召七魄，校实神庭。
若有不祥，七尸鬼兵。
从呼双真，流烛链形。
太微大神，斩伐邪精。
三魂和柔，血尸沈零。
神归绝宅，触向利贞。
使我神仙，长保劫龄。
The Supreme Emperor of the Nine Heavens, the Eight Luminaries of the Four Gates.
The Seven Chambers and the Two Mysteries, the Three Primal Essences of Pure Origin.
Tai Yi and Tao Kang ascend to the Three Pure Ones.
Swiftly report to the Celestial Sovereign — summon and command the Yellow Tranquility.
Swiftly call forth the Seven Souls — inspect and verify the Divine Court.
If there be any inauspiciousness, let the Seven Corpse-Demons and Ghost Soldiers
Answer the call of the Twin Perfected Ones, flowing light to bind and purify the form.
The Great Deity of Taiwei — strike down and sever all evil spirits.
Let the Three Souls be harmonized and softened; let the blood-corpse sink and dissolve.
Let the spirit return to its dwelling; let all encounters turn toward righteous fortune.
Grant me the way of the immortals — long may I be preserved through all the kalpas.
In Taoist cosmology, the human spirit is composed of the Three Souls (三魂) and the Seven Corporeal Souls (七魄). During sleep, these subtle bodies may wander, become disordered, or be influenced by external spiritual forces. Taoism teaches that inauspicious dreams — particularly those involving conflict, restraint, or pursuit — are not random mental events but symptoms of spiritual imbalance: the seven corporeal souls have strayed, or wandering corpse-spirits have opened a passage for external ghosts to enter the dwelling.
This incantation belongs to the tradition of Taoist protective scripture recitation (神咒护持), a practice closely related to the broader system of the Eight Great Divine Incantations of Taoism. Its purpose is to invoke the authority of the Supreme Emperor of the Nine Heavens and the Great Deity of Taiwei to restore order among the Three Souls and Seven Corporeal Souls, dissolve the influence of corpse-demons, and seal the spiritual dwelling against further intrusion.
Taoism does not view nightmares as mere psychological phenomena. They are understood as evidence that the Seven Corporeal Souls (七魄) have become agitated or scattered — allowing the Seven Corpse-Demons (七尸), subtle entities believed to reside within the body, to stir and attract external ghost-soldiers. The incantation directly addresses this mechanism: it summons the souls back, commands the corpse-demons to stand down, and invokes the Great Deity of Taiwei to sever all malevolent spiritual connections.
The classical text prescribes a precise sequence of actions to be performed upon waking from an inauspicious dream. Each step is integral to the efficacy of the ritual:
Upon waking, lie flat on your back in a composed and upright manner. Place both hands folded over the chest, palms facing inward. Do not rise immediately.
Click the teeth together twenty-one times. In Taoist practice, tooth-clicking is a method of alerting the inner deities and gathering scattered spiritual energy. It signals the beginning of a sacred act.
Recite the incantation aloud or silently, with full concentration. Visualize the Nine Heavens opening above you, the Seven Souls returning to their proper stations, and the light of Taiwei severing all dark connections.
After completing the recitation, click the teeth again fourteen times, then swallow the saliva ten times. This seals the ritual: the Three Souls are harmonized, the Seven Corporeal Souls are brought under control, and the spiritual breath is purified.
Recite the full incantation three times in total. The classical text states: unless a divine response brings an auspicious sign, no further inauspicious dreams will occur. Any ghost or demon previously invoked by the dream will already be suffering punishment in the underworld.
This incantation is most effective when embedded within a broader Taoist cultivation practice. Practitioners who regularly work with Taoist meditation techniques — particularly those involving visualization of the inner deities and regulation of the Three Souls — will find that the Taidi Pimeng Incantation integrates naturally into their nightly and morning routines. The tooth-clicking and saliva-swallowing sequences are also foundational elements of Taoist inner cultivation (内功), connecting this protective ritual to the broader tradition of nourishing the spirit and refining the vital breath (炼气).
The incantation's invocation of Tai Yi (太一) — the Supreme Unity, the primordial cosmic principle — and the Three Pure Ones (三清) places it within the highest tier of Taoist theological authority. This is not a folk charm but a classical liturgical text rooted in the celestial hierarchy of orthodox Taoism.
After correct practice, the text promises: the Three Souls become harmonized and refined; the Seven Corporeal Souls are brought under control; the spirit becomes clear and the breath becomes pure; the turbid corpse-energy is extinguished and dissolved; and any ghost or demon that was previously active will already be receiving punishment in the underworld. Recited three times, no further inauspicious dreams will arise — unless a divine response brings an auspicious sign.
