# 52 Spiritual Sleeping

Concentrate on the state where sleep has not fully appeared, but the external world has disappeared. In that state, the Supreme Goddess is revealed.

Verse 75

Four States of Consciousness

There are four states of consciousness.

• Waking state (jagrat),
• Dream state (Swapna),
• Deep sleep (sushupta),
• Full awareness (turiya).

The dream state is a state of sleep. It is a state of sleep when we are sleeping and dreaming. The sleeping state has two categories – when we are dreaming (Swapna), and when we are in deep sleep (sushupt1). Turiya is the fourth state. It is a state of unbroken awareness and enlightenment. Between the first two states, there is a gap or junction. There is a gap between the waking state and the sleeping state. It is in that gap that one will gain access to the fourth state of enlightenment or full awareness.

How to do this technique

• This practice is focussing on the gap between the waking state and the sleeping state. It is a very subtle moment that passes quickly.
• Concentrate on the state where sleep has not fully appeared, but the external world has disappeared.
• You are not yet asleep, but the external world, the images, the thoughts have stopped.
• You have to be aware, conscious of that point. The problem is that if you concentrate too hard, you will be fully awake.
• Then you will be waking. One has to be able to drift towards sleep but retain some semblance of awareness. Then suddenly in a flash, you will enter the fourth state of full awareness.

The state of deep sleep is very close to the state of Samadhi or union with God. The main difference is that during the sleeping state, there is no awareness. In the sleeping state, we are said to be One with God. The soul is once again free of the body. That is why sleep refreshes us. It is a state of unity with God. We revert to our original state. By trying to remain aware as we drift into sleep, we remain aware as we return to our original state. It is in that gap between the waking state and the sleeping state that we return to our original state. By being aware when this happens, we reach our original state with awareness. Then, we are in a state of enlightenment.