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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
 Posted - May 28 2014 : 2:02:30 PM
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On a few occasions, I have stayed awake while falling asleep (hope that makes since). My body/mind dissolves, and I seem to just be a gray space. There's no bliss or energetics. There's absolutely nothing going on!
I haven't stayed conscious long enough to see dreams arise. I wake up, and I'm awareness and witness for a few days.
Anyone else had this experience or know what I'm talking about? |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2014 : 2:59:37 PM
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There's many ways to describe such states. It can be deep trance where the senses are dissociated away from the body, and where more alpha and theta brainwaves appear on an EEG. It is quite possible you were already in a dream state but without the dream having manifested, or in a non-REM phase in which case one sign is feeling as if having been deeply asleep upon waking. It is possible to have lapses in consciousness so that any transition effects might have been missed, such as onset of sleep paralysis and other hypnagogic sensory experiences, or for these very effects to have triggered your awareness while deep enough in the sleep state.
This does happen naturally at times, and can be practiced and induced more deliberately with a variety of methods. However, I still believe regular meditation and energy work establish the foundation which the methods themselves rely on and facilitate. Others disagree on this point, but it is more about one's perspective whether one has faith in a long term sadhana creating permanent changes in line with such abilities and more. There's no question that trance practice and related skills do eventually bring some results. |
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compassion
87 Posts |
Posted - May 30 2014 : 02:10:06 AM
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Hello lalow,
I have experienced what you describe, and this state seems to be linked to the rise of the inner witness. From the research I have done, this is witnessing of deep sleep, which is a deeper level of sleep than the dreaming state. It is otherwise known is yoga nidra or yogic sleep (although these terms seem to have been watered down somewhat, as a quick google search will show). It almost only ever happens when I am falling asleep on my back.
Interestingly, after some significant bhakti work of late, I was in what felt like a similar state last night, only with God filling the silence with light and bliss. Still not sure if it was the same state, but perhaps worth a mention of what can come of it upon acknowledging your nothingness to a higher power :) |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2014 : 8:54:31 PM
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Thank you both for your comments. I've had the onset of sleep paralysis and did not understand what was happening. I did not recognize it as normal sleep transition and in the past completely freaked out. If either of you can just witness through this, my hat's off to you. I get frightened and interpret that I'm dying and there's a creepy presence with me.
At the times when I dissolved to "the gray space", I am just on the edge of sleep paralysis. I roll on to my stomach, no sleep paralysis in that position that I'm aware of. I quickly dissolve. There's no me to see any lights. At least, I don't think so. It would be awesome, though. |
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compassion
87 Posts |
Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 2:49:26 PM
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I cannot speak for others, but at least for me often the first time something intense is experienced, there is a normal amount of freaking out or at least mental chatter. The first few times I experienced such deep calm, I thought I had died because I was so calm and I couldn't feel my heart beating. Then in meditation, I would experience my body suddenly falling asleep but I would be awake and able to maintain a sitting position. By the time I felt drawn to start falling asleep on my back (I used to fall asleep on my front), the silence was much more familiar.
It can be a leap of faith to trust that no harm comes from an unfamiliar experience, and I think meditation is a way of doing that one step at a time until we are ready :) |
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Sleep Transition
