QUOTE 30 EXCERPT:
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Originally Posted by RedEmbers
Recently I heard that some forms of meditation rest the brain to the same degree that a good sleep can.
I'm not sure of the exact scientific thinking on this but I did notice that my own relationship to being in a concious awake and meditative state became more relaxed and restful after I heard this information.
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Since I have personally seen a yogi who does not sleep in the traditional supine unconscious position, I
know for a fact that "some forms of meditation rest the brain to the same degree that a good sleep can".
The key principle is that, when one can remain continuously thought-free for extended periods of time, that state is essentially very similar to the very-restful deep sleep state with the main difference being that one is not unconscious and can function quite well in that thought-free state.
A psychiatrist colleague once jokingly asked me if I had personally seen one of the well-documented cases of yogis who "don't sleep". When I answered in the affirmative, he asked if I understood the process. When I explained the process to him in detail, he stated that it was the only explanation that he had heard which made sense from a medical perspective.