the big sleep

Spiritually speaking, sleep is not what you think it is. In fact, like most things spiritual, it’s the opposite of what you think it is.

Sleep is not some pit stop to recharge your daytime engines. At least not in the way most think.

Deep sleep is actually a state much like the absolute when seen from the perspective of deep sleep, which means from the perspective of a non-state.

From that non-state of deep sleep, reality begins to descend toward the conceptual state we call the waking state, but which is actually the real sleeping state.

When the absolute recognizes itself, consciousness is born. In a similar vein, when deep sleep emerges from itself, a state of awareness, an awareness of awareness, is entered.

When consciousness recognizes itself, thought forms, appearances, are born. In a similar vein, when that early awareness emerges from itself, a state of dreams is entered.

When the state of appearances recognize itself, the manifest world is born. In a similar vein, when that state of dreams emerges from itself, the so-called waking state, that of the mind as we know it, is entered.

Reversing this order is the real awakening. When mind knows itself, understands its conceptual actuality, mind dissolves into a dream-like quality of appearances, which when in turn is understood, dissolves into the natural state of consciousness.

When consciousness, in turn, knows itself, understands itself, it dissolves into the pure awareness of the absolute.

In this way it is seen that non-state deep sleep, the absolute, is what I am and falling asleep is actually a return to source. And in waking from deep sleep, if the process is given experiential attention, and not just conceptual consideration, one can experience and understand manifestation, consciousness, and truly waken.