Falling Asleep During Meditation

[Joseph123]

When I meditate, I am always fully awake and in no way fatigued at the beginning. I ensure that I receive ample sleep each night. However, during meditation, I often find myself being jolted from sleep as my head falls forward onto my chest. Sometimes, I even discover my head resting on the arm rest of the chair in which I sit. As far as my posture, I sit in one of the very upright lawn chairs that we use in our apartment as dining chairs.

The fact that this happens causes me to be unable to focus on visualizing the chakras and so forth, which I think must be unideal. However, was I really sleeping? I usually emerge from what I conceive of as sleep with fresh memories of an extremely vivid dream (if it really were sleep) or otherwise, a vision. Is it possible that those are actually just deep trances?

Considering the fact that meditation is an inherently relaxing activity, how can sleep be impeded?

[Mr Interesting]

if i remember correctly this used to happen to me years ago as well and if i add to this the fact that i actually am getting into a meditative state before sleep, in that i stop thinking and focus on breathing, i'd suggest that eventually you'll get what you want by just keeping at it. i really have no idea what makes all this happen but it may have to do with the intention that rests behind our quieted mind so with enough practise getting to that point that intention will realise or promote the difference between wanting sleep and wanting meditation.

[running]

I go thru phases where I fall asleep. I feel as though I was still growing. It seemed to me that the energys were just working in ways that made me tired. Perhaps falling asleep was what the energys wanted me to do. So they can work there way into me better at that time. I have seen lots of people fall asleep while meditating near a teacher that has a lot of energy. Perhaps its normal thing at times

Yes, I fall asleep sometimes as well due to the overall relaxation. I’m new at it so I was wondering if I was just being lazy at meditating, lol. But when it does happen, I tend to enjoy all the pre-dream imagery or whatever it is I’m seeing :)

It's OK. The other thing if you meditate while sleeping and get half awake. You can see witches. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7101332AANdKv0

my advice would be to leave the chair - it seems to relaxed. good basic rule is: your knees must touch the ground. And yes I hate this rule by myself - but I found out it simply works to dont get dizzy or thinking that I would meditate but in fact I am not meditating but only experience some halfdreaming around - which is not exactly what you want when you want to "sit on the ground of your thoughts with stillness and clarity".