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ale84
24 January 2015, 02:33 PM
Hello, I've recently experienced a subtle state of awareness during sleep. It was neither dream nor deep sleep. There was not connection with mind (thoughts), body, senses. The sense of ego/I/individuality was very subtle or diluted in the whole. Can it be compared to a state of samadhi attained through yogic practices? Later, the same night I've also experienced an "energy body" trying to leave the physical body, like it was trying to sit in the bed.

markandeya 108 dasa
25 January 2015, 02:11 AM
Pranams ale84,

You may want to research the Alpha state, in terms of being a samadhi I am not sure, the best explanations that I have found is the study of the 9 Jhāna states, Jhana coming from the Sanskrit Dhyāna. Quite often in English these words are translated as meditation, I am more comfortable with the term mental absorptions. These states can come either via meditation and Sadhana practices or on more rare occasions spontaneously ( past life perhaps).

When we are asleep or preparing for sleep the attachment of the senses to their objects is less, so we naturally enter more cerebral states, so we then experience more states of the phenomena of mind, many of the experiences can vary from individual to individual.

I used to get a state best known as the Alpha state quite often for a couple of years a while back, and I still get them now but less often, its the stage between normal wakefulness and sleep, and its quite hard to describe, but its usually the mind connected to the subtle body.

I researched the Jhanas for quite a long period and found that these types of states would also come in normal waking also, even when I was wide awake they come. They are usually stronger when I have done longer meditation retreats and when my japa and other forms of Sadhana are strong, but they can arrive spontaneously. The less we are attached to the body and senses the more of these types of experiences will arise.

Sri Buddha Muni advised that these states should be understood and cultivated as much as possible, while they are not actual realizations of the real self they are a necessity and have an impact on the vasana's and samskara's, but they also can bring the deeper rooted vasana's and samskara's to the surface, so my advice is that if these states become stronger and more often then its vitally important to keep a strong Sadhana, because if some samskara's and vasana's arise without due strength to handle them can cause imbalance.

The main thing is to observe mental absorptions without attachment, if we can build up a skill to observe mental states then we can explore them easier, if we start to interpret them and cling on to them we either lose them completely or obscure them.

Ys

Md

smaranam
25 January 2015, 10:44 AM
Namaste

It is in this in-between state that connection, communion, conversations and interactions take place. It is not a dream, because you were aware and kind of awake, more awake than the normal wakefullness, and it can happen either during the night (when you are supposedly sleeping but not exactly), many times during the day all of a sudden when wide awake, as Markandeyaji says.

You saw that, yes, you did. You were here, but you were also there. There may not be a mundane location on earth. The you that was also there was not this body-personality or the you that is here. It was all true, and it continues to happen so it is the only reality for you. So trust yourself and trust the One who is communicating with you, because if you by chance confide in the wrong persons out of doubt they may tell you "it was your imagination" "all in your mind" etc.

Regarding the feeling of sitting up in bed, that is interesting because different people have different observations. I have mostly felt that when very very relaxed but involuntarily, when you are either meditating, or have so many chores to do but instead you just want to sit in one place and unable to open your eyes. As if lifted out from the crown - sahasra chakra, to fall back down within a few seconds with a 'thud'.

Amrut
27 January 2015, 02:35 AM
Hello, I've recently experienced a subtle state of awareness during sleep. It was neither dream nor deep sleep. There was not connection with mind (thoughts), body, senses. The sense of ego/I/individuality was very subtle or diluted in the whole. Can it be compared to a state of samadhi attained through yogic practices? Later, the same night I've also experienced an "energy body" trying to leave the physical body, like it was trying to sit in the bed.

Namaste,

What you have experienced is rise in consciousness. As Smaranam di says, I too used to feel that my energy body used to rise from sahasrahAra and you can actually travel in this body.

what you experience happens to many.

when you tired and you relax, at that time, there are not many thoughts. Mind is peaceful and is defocused. i.e. you are not focussing on anything or any object. You as a soul are watching both your bodies. I have this experiences many times, specially in meditation. Few times, I had it in day time, when I was riding my bike. I saw myself (my body) riding bike.

Your consciousness is partly in astral body and partly in physical body. Physical body is seen as bright white coloured body.

What you have experienced is not samAdhi. But it indicates shift in consciousness.

Some experience that their energy body, which is not prANamaya kosha, but astral body pull itself out from the center of body. Moving out from sahasrahAra is a better option. If it is happening, it is ok.

You may see some spiritual beings and angels too :). They guide you in meditation and in day-2-day life. Nothing to worry about, just dont try to forcefully rise above your body and roam the subtle worlds :)

OM