Sleep and Alternate States of Consciousness

Since a blog is a sort of a personal diary too, I just thought I should note down this experience I had this morning (Friday 8th January 2010) at around 4-5:00am. I awoke fully conscious, but decided to stay in bed, lying down. I could hear the sound of silence. Sometimes silence is really loud, like for example, if you're waiting in a car and you can hear a sort of light humming - the sound of silence. Similarly, the silence was very loud and I realised (because this has happened to me many times before) that if I were to concentrate on the silence, I can send myself into a trance state - also called deep hypnosis. Now, how is state of deep hypnosis or trance, any different to sleep? And how did I know it was an alternate state of consciousness? Well, firstly as I focussed on the silence and entered into the alternate state of consciousness, I realised I could not move but I was fully awake/aware. In fact, I think I might have even come out of my body a little as I tried to shout my brother's name who was on the top bunk (yes, we still sleep on bunk beds! lol) - I tried to shout but I couldn't! Just like one of those dreams where you try to call for help but your voice-box doesn't work? Well, this was the same, only I was fully awake/aware. Next, I tried to move, but no matter how hard I tried, I just could not move. So, the only thing I could do was to relax and wait for myself to come out of that state of consciousness, which happened after about 15-30 mins. In hypnosis terms, hypnosis is measured by three factors: lethargy is tiredness or sleepiness of the body, catalepsy is a ‘trance-like state with loss of voluntary motion and failure to react to stimuli’ including a stiffening (rigidity) or loosening (limpness) of the muscles in the limbs, and somnambulism is sleepwalking. Well in this case there was no somnambulism, but there was the other two. This experience has made me realise a few things:

• The state of consciousness was entered through the Third Eye - Agna Chakra - and if I can practice entering into this state there may be no need to sleep with dreams, because the state of consciousness is deeply rejuvenating but a very wakeful state at the same time
  
• This state creates activity in the temporal lobes of the brain which can result in seeing ghosts, other spirit beings and/or a feeling of remoteness from the body. In all cases, it is quite safe to leave the body or enter deeper into the silence, so long as the body is protected with a mantra like Aad Gurey Nameh, Jugad Gurey Nameh, Sat Gurey Nameh, Siri Gurudeveh Nameh
  
• People who know hypnosis can put other people into this state very quickly and easily (see this YouTube video on Instant and Rapid Hypnosis). This experience made me realise how dangerous the technology of hypnosis could be in the wrong hands, because no matter how much I tried I couldn't get out of the state! Additionally, in this state one becomes very suggestible, meaning that commands can be entered into the subconscious mind that can alter people's lives for the better (e.g. breaking habits) or for the worse (black magic, mind-control)

My next step, is to experiment with this state like a scientist, to find out how deep I can go into the silence, what its boundaries are and how it can be used in a positive way. It would also be interesting to know how common this experience is amongst other people. Well...at least there is something to look forward to tonight =)...

Sat Naam.