Sleep hours as infants and then with ageing keeps varying. Ever occurred to review sleep patterns its duration and timings, what can influence a good sleep, conversation with mind as we take to sleep, what can be experienced in sleep, what is it to be awake after a sleep state etc.
Sleep is not just about simply closing one's eyelids; it is an active state of unconsciousness produced by the body. The brain is in a relative state of rest in which the consciousness is altered and sensory activity is inhibited to a certain extent. Those adults with 7 hours and plus sleeping hours, advocate sleep as the golden chain that ties body and health together. The spiritually awakened will not want 7-8hrs of sleep in 24hours, as that puts 1/3rd of life time spent in just sleep.
Science talks about theories that the psyche comprises of three aspects: Unconsciousness the (Achet Maan). Consciousness (Suchet Maan). Sub consciousness (Avchet Maan). The Purantan beliefs refer to a 4th state as the “Turiya” state and that is of pure consciousness, an absolute frame of mind, present in the form of a soul.
When awake it is the conscious state and while sleeping that’s our unconscious state. In sleep some are blessed to realize a time when conscious mind turns from the world of sense to seek its lover the subconscious self. The subconscious mind is super active going beyond learning new skills, involving in information processing affecting everything we think, say and do. Importantly it stores our beliefs and values, determines our memories and monitors the information all around us without you realizing, deciding what to send to the conscious mind and what to store for later.
Very often we are in a situation Oh my! How come I did this - but it happened. Day in day out what you say, your thoughts and actions are being recorded by the subconscious mind and one day makes you do it. The subconscious is very important and the wise advice we must take great care of it as with some it also communicates in dreams.
Some find sleep as an escape, there are those trying to go to sleep with a mind full of unsaid thoughts, surely sleep is going to be hard. It is not wrong to say that self is often the biggest enemy of one’s own sleep. A better mind state brings a good sleep state.
Scriptures and sakhis (accounts of religious historical events) in many religions are all assertive wanting us to stay connected with the divine all day, Every night communicate your gratitude to Lord before sleeping, seeking ‘Shamma’, ‘Shukrana’ ‘Nadar’ for self, forgive others and pray for ‘sarbat ka bhalla’. Sleep with a clean heart and make the subconscious more rewarding. A reality they state “Neend ek choti maut, maut ek badi neend’. (Sleep a short death – death a longer sleep”).
On questioning “what offering can we place before Him, by which we might see the Darbaar of His Court? What words can we speak to evoke His Love?” Bani replies “Amrit Vaylaa, the ambrosial hours before dawn, chant the True Name, and contemplate His Glorious Greatness. By the karma of past actions, the robe of this physical body is obtained. By His Grace, the Gate of Liberation is found”.
Making the sleep worthy one then realizes the saath dreams provide. What do blessed souls experience in dreams, how Divine blesses in dreams, the need to nurse subconscious and more in our next post.
Also on sleep a link to an earlier post. “Sleep Jhamela” https://www.blog-learningdiaryofdsc.com/post/sleep-jhamela-zzzz
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