Converting sleep into meditation

[sohamfan11]

How to convert sleep into meditation?

[Unseeking Seeker]

By intent.

Before sleeping, switch off the phone, tv, playfully reflect on the day gone by, withdrawing into yourself energies left scattered and likewise releasing the energies in your auric field that diminish luminescence. Then release thoughts and in an aspect of trust and surrender slip into sleep, seeking nothing save unification of in-form consciousness with the vast void, both within and around.

Then let go.

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

By intent. . Then release thoughts and in an aspect of trust and surrender slip into sleep, seeking nothing save unification of in-form consciousness with the vast void, both within and around.
Then let go.

Preparation of sleep tends to elude many people. You’ll see tendencies where people fall into bed exhausted, are over stimulated right up to sleep time. Healthy activity tends to support better sleep all the same.

I wonder too, if the quality of sleep through all stages of one’s sleep is dependent upon an integration of those sleep rhythms? Also when you says ‘let go’ I imagine the ability to let go deep awake, would reflect how well one lets go into those deeper levels of sleep and rest and how peacefully they merge and meld together during the course of the night.

Personally if I’m in dream state too much, I’m tired upon waking. I might be in bed for nine hrs but recall much of the night dream wake periods over riding deep sleep.

Most of my dream landscape now is like a movie playing out but if I ‘wake up’ it’s usually the by product of awareness that is most important. I’d rather that in the day time personally. Let myself be rested deeper. Mainly because my work/life/living balance requires it.

There’s an awareness too that previously dreaming was my teacher of deeper unconscious stuff I needed to address at a conscious level. ‘Waking me up literally’ this was a very active period of growth.

Nowdays i notice I don’t need to keep myself awake tending to dreams as a conscious marker. But rather I’m developing a deeper level of observer which in time will serve a deeper rest beyond this.

Really my dreamer is me in every way I am. So tending to yourself in all ways of being awake would support more quality of sleep as I see it.

So in this view, becoming the meditation awake or asleep is waking up deeper and integrating a more unified field as one/as you.

A lot of people consciously wanting to access the unknown into knowing may naturally disrupt sleep rhythms with that need to know. The body activated by the minds desire.

[Justin Passing]

Originally Posted by JustBe

Personally if I’m in dream state too much, I’m tired upon waking. I might be in bed for nine hrs but recall much of the night dream wake periods over riding deep sleep.

Many people experience being "tired" when they get "too much sleep". I've always dismissed that as sleep debt, but I'm sure there are other reasons as well, like the ones you've pointed out. Still, I only wake up tired if I get too little sleep, or my sleep doesn't work due to anxiety or something.

As you become more aware of dreaming waking up can become a problem. What I've found that works is focusing on my memories. Normal dreaming has it's own set of memories. As you become aware you can focus on your dream memories to stay asleep or focus on your waking memories (real life) to wake up. It's simple to do, and it works, at least for me. In fact, I've even managed to go to sleep that way sometimes.

Making sure my sleep works is part of the reason why I refuse to "direct" the process. I trust my dreamer to take care of me. And while he does bring unconscious things to my attention from time to time, that's not his main job imo. His main job is guiding me. Helping me grow and taking me where I need to go. My "go with the flow" attitude leaves my waking life somewhat chaotic and unstructured, so doing my "real work" dreaming makes sense to me. In fact, from time to time, my dreamer will tell me to go to sleep, which I assume means I have work to do.

I worry that people trying to convert their sleep time into meditation time don't appreciate how important sleeping is. So many people feel like the time they spend sleeping is "wasted time" when nothing could be further from the truth. I think there's nothing wrong with meditating while asleep, but you do need to make sure you allow sleep to do it's job, so your meditation should be "allowing" rather than "controlling" imo.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 27 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Justin Passing

I worry that people trying to convert their sleep time into meditation time don't appreciate how important sleeping is. So many people feel like the time they spend sleeping is "wasted time" when nothing could be further from the truth. I think there's nothing wrong with meditating while asleep, but you do need to make sure you allow sleep to do it's job, so your meditation should be "allowing" rather than "controlling" imo.

I once met a yogi at the foothills of the Himalayas who practiced an extreme version of "chetan nidra" (conscious sleep). He was fully rested and alert as he lectured throughout the month that I observed him at the Khumba Mela in India, and did not "sleep" in the traditional supine position during the time that I observed him. His followers noted that he had not "slept" in the traditional supine position for years.

I tend to gravitate towards extraordinary beings. His silent glance and the two words "chetan nidra" spoke volumes. I understood.

[Justin Passing]

@Still_Waters - I'm sure that yogi was taking good care of himself. I've no doubt that can be done without sleeping in the traditional sense. It's all about balancing after all, and there are lots of ways to balance, repair, rejuvenate, energize, etc. But doing that isn't trivial. For most of us, sleep is essential, and we'll literally die without it.

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by Justin Passing

Many people experience being "tired" when they get "too much sleep". I've always dismissed that as sleep debt, but I'm sure there are other reasons as well, like the ones you've pointed out.
As you become more aware of dreaming waking up can become a problem. What I've found that works is focusing on "allowing" rather than "controlling" imo.

Yes, I see what your saying.

I’m wondering if the dream type determines the depth of sleep. As an example a processing dream where your involved in something awake, could well deem a restless night where deeper sleep is lacking. I’m so awake in my dreams, it’s like I need to turn the off switch off to them.. lol

I’m in a place I trust my dreamer can do what it needs, without too much attention in my part, but I’m just so aware and awake in those dreams it’s ridiculous lol.


Last night I dreamed, what felt like, all night. I was too aware of too much.

I want to be sleeping deeper than the awareness space of my dreamer..how to develop that?

[Justin Passing]

Originally Posted by JustBe

I want to be sleeping deeper than the awareness space of my dreamer..how to develop that?

Sounds like you'd rather just sleep - be less aware - and you can certainly do that. I've found that most of the navigation in dreams happens via attention and memory. Focus your attention on your dream. Sink into the memories of this dream (or another one - doesn't matter) - and your awareness will typically diminish as you get caught up in the "story". In other words, fall further asleep. Let go.

Honestly, it's analogous to focusing on something when you're awake. If you're bored you find something to do, like working in the garden or reading a book. You shift your attention - your focus - into that activity. You let that activity fill your attention and you sink into it. In sleep the "activities" are a bit different, but it's essentially the same thing.

[Uma]

Originally Posted by sohamfan11

How to convert sleep into meditation?

Whatever you keep in your mind during the day, whatever spiritual discipline you do during the day - if it's important enough to you and you put in the effort, it will become second nature and it will come up in dreams, because it's in your subconscious now. You've created a good habit and it will continue in your dreams.

To the extent to which you are aware of the dream of life in waking hours, you can be awake in the sleep state also. My teacher spoke about this very thing yesterday. Here's a clip (Day 22 Apr.17/22) while it lasts on YouTube.

The idea is not to live life in a dream state but to be awake in the dream (in every dimension).

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 3 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Uma

To the extent to which you are aware of the dream of life in waking hours, you can be awake in the sleep state also. My teacher spoke about this very thing yesterday.

The idea is not to live life in a dream state but to be awake in the dream (in every dimension).

Well said. If I understand you correctly, you are talking about the conscious sleep meditation during which one can remain aware in the three states (deep sleep, dream formation, and the so-called "waking state) as well as during the transitions between the three states. I have practiced this for many years and have found it to be very illuminating.

NOTE: I tried to view the video whose link you provided, but it was already "private" and "unavailable".