I did my sadhana nicely in the morning but felt again sleepy afterwards. I then had a brief dream where on person got strangled and killed by a big snake. We were on a small boat on a small river somewhere in a forest. Suddenly one very big snake fell into the water just beside us. We looked behind and could see how another snake was strangling one of our friends and was going to eat him. We tried to catch that snake but it was on a log in the river and was being pulled away by the current. When we eventually reached the log, the snake and our friend had both disappeared. 

Later in the afternoon, I got an email from a mailing list explaining that dream. The snake (or serpent) coils itself around its prey and makes a noose to kill it by blocking the prey’s blood circulation. Similarly the illusive force, Maya, may entangle and kill us. To free ourselves from it, we have to do spiritual practice.

The following quotes illustrate this:

“This binding force, this dangerous binding force with her dexterous hand created the serpentine noose. It is very difficult for ordinary human beings to free themselves from this serpentine noose, but people must not be disheartened or discouraged I am here to help you. Why am I here? These binding forces, these degenerating agencies are under Me; they have to obey Me. So although you may be an ordinary human being, if you take shelter in Me I am to help you.” (Subhasita Samgraha - 12, Trio in Spiritual Progress)

“What will be the fate of a person who directs all his psychic propensities towards crude materiality? He or she will be caught again and again in the serpentine noose of death.” (Subhasita Samgraha - 21, Dhruva and Adhruva)

“Human beings want to do many great things in life. But their individual abilities are extremely limited; they are tightly bound by human imperfection. They want to do many things but cannot. Because between microcosm and Parama Puruśa is the world of Máyá, the spell of Máyá, the serpentine noose of Máyá. Humans are totally powerless before it.” (Discourses on Krsna and the Giita, Svadharma and Paradharma – 3)

“This Operative Principle, the influence of Máyá, is just like a satanic chain, just like a serpentine noose, of afflictions and predicaments. One has to free oneself from this serpentine noose. And this is done through yogic sádhaná. When the yogi comes in close contact with the Supreme Father, the Lord says, “Oh, my child, it is very difficult for a person to overcome the influence of this Máyá. Máyá is insurmountable. But he or she who has taken shelter in Me, who has [ensconced] himself or herself in Me, who has taken shelter on My lap, will surely go beyond the influence of this Máyá.”

from: Subhasita Samgraha - 21, The God of Human Beings

(Although I am following His message better, the warning is still there.)