The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

If drowsiness, dullness, or sleepiness arises in meditation try also to lift the gaze upward to the third eye region and/or focus on the breathing in order to recharge. Ordinary sleep connotes a lack of sensory and conscious awareness at the least, and often unconsciousness, except in situations of lucid dreaming. Dreams may be classified in many ways depending on their modalities. Meditating in dreams is a specific yogic practice of its own. Suffice it to say that past experiences leave karmic imprinted circuitry (samskaras) upon the mental continuum (mindstream), which normally appear to color/modify our normal dreams. That is ordinary karmic dreaming which is dominated by vrtti. Working with and clearing out these imprints at these deeper levels can become profoundly effective in effective dream yoga practices. In that way, dream yoga is a method of destroying the citta vrtti.

Because of the varying interpretations of the word, pratyaya, this sutra risks being misinterpreted, as if Patanjali is only referring to the experience of a yogic deep dreamless sleep. Certainly in some cases of deep dreamless sleep the mind is empty and devoid of consciousness and conscious intent (bhava). In that type of ordinary dreamless sleep the contents of thought (pratyaya) indeed stops, which indeed is very restful to the brain and nervous system. But that alone is not anything other than a vrtti. Although a deep rest may occur, while any object that occludes or disturbs unbounded and unconditioned consciousness (cit-vrtti) is only temporarily eliminated, in ordinary deep unconscious sleep. Herein, a deep bias, occlusion, and limitation (vrtti) of consciousness (citta) still prevails, because consciousness is entirely blocked in deep dreamless sleep (sushupti). Further the very need for sleep itself is a vrtti in so far as its needs are patterned by conditions and severely alters our field of consciousness (citta-vrtti) even if dreams (which have elements of vikalpa attached to it) are present or not (see Sutra I.9 above). Such karmic relationships must cease (cessation) altogether for a yogin who focuses on unconditional liberation (kaivalya).

If we accept Patanjali's own words that yoga is "citta-vrtti nirodha", and if samadhi is "awakening" into the ever-present (primordial) pre-existing true natural unitive conscious state (citi-sakter), then there is no contradiction in designating nidra as a citta-vrtti, as a conditioned mind that is asleep versus an "awakened mind" is an unnecessary obstruction to become liberated. As such, a sleeping and inactivated mind is like a man with blindfolds on, who although in the middle of a beautiful meadow, does not recognize his actual situation, because of being asleep (blindfolded). The vrtta of sleep therefore are normally closely associated with the kleshas of avidya (ignorance), asmita (self deceit/conceit and arrogance), and dvesa (antipathy) especially denial, dissociation, avoidance, and dismissiveness. Yoga is about breaking the trance of mental habits (citta-vrtti). Thus it would be an error to conflate samadhi as merely a withdrawal, a trance, swoon, or sleep.

Swami Kripaluananda addresses this confusion in chapter six of "Science of Meditation".

"Murcha Mistaken for Samadhi

Some seekers, especially those who have not received the grace of guru or God, mistakenly believe murcha to be samadhi, and go on practicing it for a long time. After continuous practice they are capable of remaining in a swoon for a long enough time to call it nirvikalpa samadhi. But this is mere illusion. In truth, nirbija samadhi is very different from and superior to murcha. This mistake in judgment results from the fact that the body of the seeker in murcha, like that of the yogi in nirbija samadhi, does not move. Further, the minds of both are in thoughtless states. From these apparent similarities the seeker misinterprets murcha as nirbija samadhi. But there is one major difference between the two, and that is the level of consciousness which each has. A seeker who swoons becomes unconscious, while a yogi in nirbija samadhi attains super consciousness. The seeker who has experienced only swoon does not attain divya sarira (divine body), purified by tapas (yogic austerities). Nor does one attain rtambhara prajna (the highest wisdom) or para vairagya (complete detachment). But all these are attained by the yogi who has experienced nirbija samadhi. Only this yogi is fit for attaining salvation in one lifetime."

In regards to the non-yogi then, sleep is beneficial, as it rests the overly stressed nervous system and mental functions. Deep dreamless sleep is the most efficient restful state in that situation, where thoughts, emotions and the other vrtta temporarily rest, but they are only replaced by a the most restful vrtti, nidra. Now deep rest can be both empty and supra-conscious at the same time (in yogic sleep), though the ordinary person the element of consciousness is lacking.

In ordinary deep sleep we can reinvigorate and recharge the bodymind quickly, where ordinary dreams may or may not be disturbing depending. Regardless, both ordinary dreamless sleep and dreams both lack lucidity (self awareness and consciousness) and they are variants of each other. Even if we are able to go into deep dreamless sleep at will, we would not arise any wiser by the virtue of the sleep alone, but perhaps refreshed and regenerated through deep rest. In normal deep sleep, only the physiological organs such as the brain, nervous system, tissues, glands, etc., are recharged and realigned naturally, if we are fortunate. If however the deep dreamless state has cit (beginningless awareness to guide the sleeper, and the sleeper is ware of the guide, recognizing it as its own innate teacher. then that state is not a citta-vrtti, rather it is samadhi-sunya (see: III.3)

We will now briefly describe yogic sleep as deep conscious/aware regeneration and reintegration as well as the process of dream yoga, which is quite different from ordinary nidra. In yogic sleep there can be two kinds of profound sleep. The first, is sleep with lucid dreams, which contain form objects that are consciously worked with on the subtle level of mind. That is yogic sleep with object, or dream yoga. In lucid dreaming there is conscious awareness, yet the dreamer is aware of the dream process as it occurs. In short, a karmic pattern is being displayed, but the yogi is watching it occur, and to a varying extent, can influence the dream body experience. The second, is a deep sleep without object. This state is much more subtle and can be said to approximate a formless state of samadhi. Subtly there is an awareness present; i.e., its distinguishing feature from ordinary deep is that awareness is present. It is not total unconsciousness. What is conscious, is awareness itself. It is clear light, undifferentiated. As such, it is both very subtle and very profound. Resting there consciously has profound beneficial affect, which can be carried over in daytime activities. One becomes self-entrained to the true nature of mind in its undifferentiated formless state in sat-cit-ananda. EVentually undifferentiated and differentiated consciousness is known within a profound mutuality, where the clear light is recognized in daytime in All Our Relations, while daytime activities are clarified and lit in the clear light at night.

In yogic sleep (yoga nidra), lucid dreaming, dream and deep sleep yoga, a connection between the physical, energetic, mental, astral, and causal bodies arises so that eventually there is no separation between conscious awareness and the astral/causal realms. There the reality of this "integral state" or integrity is never lost sight of. Such is the an effective yogic practice which remedies the vrtti of nidra. To repeat, there is a unifying reality that is continuous both during waking consciousness and sleep, but it is not widely recognized (rather it is widely ignored). Similarly there is a continuity of awareness before physical life, during life, and after physical death that can be recognized. This awareness does not die, while it underlies all of so called differentiated "reality". Bringing the undifferentiated, unconditioned, and formless reality together with differentiated reality is the generalized context of sleep yoga and bardo yoga.

Developed in Medieval India, Bardo Yoga is a practice that is often taught together with dream yoga, illusory body yoga, and kundalini yoga combined. Its purpose is the integration of clarity and light (both daytime and night time--- both before birth and after physical death; i.e., in life (as intelligent evolution), it is our natural conditionless condition.

In Buddhism the Dharmakaya is the formless atemporal realm of the primordial Buddha. The goal of Bardo and sleep yoga is to integrate the dharmakaya Buddha so it manifest seamlessly with the form bodies (bliss body and emanation body). Integrating these sheaths via the anandamaya kosha (joy body), vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom body), mental and energy bodies, all the way to the root adhara (manifestation body) is the purpose of these advanced yogic practices. The intermediate state thus involves recognizing the energy body as it manifests through the throat chakra in All Our Relations (day and night). Opening, connecting, and activating these channels is part of yoga nidra. When this energy body is afflicted with old negative programming and karma, we can call it the dream body. When we become conscious of that process in sleep, then we can purify the dream body and change it from an illusory body to a rainbow light body. See specifically I.19 and II.9. See Pada 3 for a general outline on working on these higher levels.

An important point of linkage between Dream Yoga and Bardo Yoga is that dreams do not depend upon the sense organs or the body, but rather past mental impressions/forms or pictures imprinted in the mind and which feeds mental formations (sleep and daytime). There is thus a similarity with physical death (or non-embodied existence), when the past karma and kleshas have not been resolved in life. Thus one can work with this in dream yoga, bardo yoga, and/or finally realize the rainbow light body.

Because most of us do not recognize and experience this unification, the innate non-dual support (alambana) of that integral awareness-continuum (bhava) between day and night (sun and moon), we often substitute external sense objects or other objectified objects of thought in order to compensate. That is a neurotic trap. If we are so afflicted we can however benefit from normal deep sleep (rest), thus recovering our distracted/dissipated energy, while recollecting our mental energy. Eventually, through practice, many yogis have cut down their "normal" need for sleep to a very small amount through continuous conscious deep-abiding awareness practices 24/7, which have the affect of releasing tension and conflict, while conserving, redirecting, and harnessing the energy required to activate this evolutionary alchemical operation in the human being. Utilizing this awareness, all activities become a support for this integrative process -- feeding the flames, so to speak. If at first a person suffers from insomnia or disturbed and restless sleep, it may be wise to let everything go and slip into an empty dreamless sleep, if they know how. However, for most yogis, dreamless sleep without lucidity is not recommended. For the latter, lack of consciousness is called the sleep of ignorance and should be avoided. Rather one cultivates the astral body the entire evening through utilizing conscious breathing, chakra awareness, and and the astral body as the intermediate state between the formless timeless realm and physical embodied existence supporting this linkage continuously. When this continuity of consciousness is lost, then ordinary patterns (vrtti) of sleep will occur.

It is valuable to point out (in an attempt to clear up unfortunate traditional misconceptions) that the word, nidra, generally refers to any state of sleep; while specifically, the word, sushupti, is the Sanskrit word for deep dreamless sleep. But a further distinction is will differentiate conscious yogic deep sleep from unconscious discontinuous deep sleep. Ordinary nidra, as any aspect of sleep, is a particular vrtti that occludes recognition of any object or non-object -- of any individual consciousness itself also ceases. This is indeed a severe cit-vrtti where consciousness appears to be entirely absent in the individual. Here some temporary deep respite, regeneration, and rest from the conceptional (monkey) mind can occur, but actually without conscious integration what remains is the possibility of a severe dissociation and blockage between the source of consciousness and the individual's ordinary daily consciousness.

Consciousness and its modifications in daytime sensory awareness and sleep states are traditionally broken down into four states. The first is called jagrit, which is a severely modified, limited, identification -- what we call ordinary daily dualistic waking consciousness, which support (alambana) the dualistic illusion of incompleteness, the ignorance of separation, desire, aversion, greed, and of lust. It is not the awakened state (Buddha means awakening). It is ordinarily very stressful and greatly ignorant of its causes and conditions being rooted in ignorance. Although we call it waking consciousness, it is mostly ignorant and thus can be relatively characterized as as a dream, illusory, partially asleep, or unenlightened as compared with cit where the vrttis have been removed. Such differs from deeper normal states of dreaming only relatively and to the degrees of conscious awareness, intellectual control and individual will, and one's larger degree of interaction and infatuation with coarse sense objects.

The second unawakened state is what we call normal sleep with dreams (usually occurring at night, napping, or day dreaming). In Sanskrit it is called swapna. This state is where the deeper unconscious forces dominates relatively more as compared to that of jagrit (the above state where daytime worldly dualistic and coarser sense object activities supported by the intellect and will) conscious intent predominate. Both of these first two states of partial sleep (jagrit and swapna) can be very restless until they are integrated as one non-dual consciousness through yoga. Dream yoga integrates these by at first realizing the relative interactive nature between jagrit and swapna and then seeing that unitive connection of actions and results within both jagrit and swapna reflect an overall continuity (yoga) of consciousness and karma revealing the innate timeless unformed great universal unconditioned (turiya). Details of dream yoga will only be roughly outlined here.

The third state of ordinary limited states of mind called sushupti, or deep dreamless state. Another common name for this is swapna nidra, which simply means dreamless sleep. Normally the individual's mental processes (manas) are entirely at rest. That fact alone is beneficial, because the monkey mind (such as vikalpa) and mental conflicts are absent, hence the nervous system can regenerate. Here by the absence of the other vrtta, mental objectifications, mental tensions, and false identifications one can approach experiencing pure beingness to a greater extent. Here deep rest and regeneration can be achieved. The yoga scriptures (Shastas) proclaim that deep dreamless sleep (sushupti) is very close to samadhi, because the discursive mind is absent (indeed it is nirvikalpa), but for samadhi to occur recognition or consciousness must also be present -- for absolute pure beingness to occur there must be mergence with absolute pure consciousness (as we shall see later on in the Yoga Sutras). However in normal deep dreamless sleep we are not conscious (abhava) of anything. Here also there are no objects of the mind, so pramana and viparyayah is absent as well. So in normal deep dreamless sleep, consciousness is entirely absent and there is no linkage/continuity to the other three states at that point. Obviously any spiritual intent (bhava) is also latent.

Thus this state of deep dreamless sleep is very restful and beneficial because the discursive monkey mind is no longer chattering, but this is not the fulfillment of yoga because it lacks consciousness, rather it is simply deep rest. So to avoid the common outsider's misinterpretation (which includes many Buddhists as well) that samadhi, as defined as swarupa sunya in Sutra III.3 is merely a swoon, a self hypnotic state, or a self induced catatonia, Patanjali makes it clear that yoga is definitely about consciousness, not sleep, and hence even normal deep sleep is classified as a vrtti. This confusion is exacerbated by some classical interpreters who conflate sushupti with prajna (wisdom) or sunya (emptiness), because their view of "reality" assumes a fundamental split. Rather in yoga. prajna, or true sunya is about waking up, which Patanjali clarifies unmistakably in Chapter 4. Yes, indeed if we include the first three states of consciousness as partial wakefulness (jagrat), partial sleep (swapna), and normal deep dreamless sleep (sushupti) as having Turiya ever subtle underlying (but unrecognized) basis, then there is from the beginning no separation, rather consciousness has become isolated, fragmented, and discontinuous. Indeed this is the goal of yoga -- to unite the illusory fragmentation (vrtti), splits, and rends of consciousness and expand it continuously to recognize the omnipresent whole (yoga). Thus, in yoga one does not go off into a separate dualistic trance merging with the absolute, while completely ignoring manifest form/creation (the natural world of evolution), but rather samadhi is an all encompassing transconceptional non-dual experience.

Similarly this example should make it clear that nirvikalpa samapatti is not the ultimate goal of yoga either. This is because in normal dreamless sleep there exists no vikalpa, but yet there is still no samadhi (enlightenment). The goal of yoga thus as being merely the nirvikalpa state has to also be given up. Such a dualistic assumption is unfortunately a very common error first promulgated by Vyasa and followed to this day. Rather the authentic goal of yoga according to Patanjali is not dreamless sleep (sushupti), but rather the innate turiya state which Patanjali defines as nirbija samadhi which can only be accomplished through the merger of pure consciousness and pure existence where all suffering is dissolved -- in Sat-Chit-Ananda. Here it is useful to discern ordinary deep[ unconscious formless sleep, from yogic formless undifferentiated sleep. In yogic sleep there is still awareness, but it is non-dual and undifferentiated. We can designate it as clear light awareness aware of itself. It is very bright, yet very subtle. It is also present in all states on awareness but rarely discerned or recognized. It is omnipresent multi-dimensional turiya, realized in the most subtle healing aspect of sushupti.

Waking up is also synonymous with samadhi. Thus as shown the third stage of deep sleep; i.e., the deep dreamless sleep of classical sushupti, is considered very close to samadhi as that there exists no objects of thought that are grasped onto, no restlessness of the mind, no attachment, no fear, no stress, no aversion, no kleshas (except the samskara of ignorance), and no sense of separateness except for one -- separateness from consciousness. Here all one has to do is wake up! Wake up not into the dualistic world of sense objects but into that non-dual transpersonal emptiness which completes all time, everything, and everyone. Hence jagrit, swapna, and sushupti all are linked by an element of sleep -- even deep sleep would not be necessary for rest, respite, and regeneration if jagrit and swapna were not by their nature stressful and tiring.

This waking up process heralds in turiya, the fourth or "other" state beyond sleep. It is synonymous with samadhi and encompasses and truly makes the previous three states obsolete. Turiya is not limited by time nor place, nor dimension. In turiya there is no separation, no stress, no conflict, no degeneration, no corruption and hence no need for regeneration or integration. Turiya is the trans-dimensional aligned and integral base of being represented by the great living yantra. Also turiya is permeated with cit (consciousness).

Jagrit thus is the ordinary dualistic fragmented consciousness governed by sense objects, intellect, and individual intentions and kleshas. Although called conscious, contains much subconscious forces. The second state of ordinary dreaming sleep (swapna) is usually translated as subconscious, but it has many semi-conscious elements and is influenced by our daily life (jagrit). Study proves that the conscious and semi-conscious states as defined in Western terms can not be entirely separated. Likewise sushupti is specifically differentiated as being "unconscious"; yet it too is influenced by and influences both our daily life (jagrit) and dream states (swapna). Given the above all three states of jagrit, swapna, and sushupti can also be considered unawakened states (simply variations of nidra). Here we can "see" deep dreamless sleep (sushupti) as a relative calm in the overall hurricane of cit-vrtti (fluctuations and disturbances of the ordinary mental patternings). These states all have a yogic potential underlying it, which is realized in turiya. Only in turiya, which is the natural unconditioned state of freedom and which is the culmination of nirvicara samadhi, do we truly wake up. For most intents, we can equate turiya with samadhi.

Likewise in yoga nidra (yogic sleep), consciousness and continuity exists between the states of deep restfulness, awareness of the surroundings, and dream like images that well up from the unconscious and the collective unconscious. Yoga nidra occurs in modified states of turiya and includes the elements of what is called lucid dreaming. The true nature of mind is omnipresent, and underlies all, but normally is ignored/obstructed.

So we take the term, nidra, to pertain not only to normal deep dreamless sleep, but rather elements of nidra operate in any ordinary situation where the average man has their bhava (spiritual focus) distracted, subdued, limited, and distorted. In fact most of mankind are deep asleep to Self, thus yoga becomes the process of awakening us to our true self (in swarupa) -- to our higher creative potential -- awakening the kundalini, latent Buddha nature, or innate potential Christ within, through the elimination/cessation (nirodha) of the vrtti. Thus in the integrity which is yoga, nidra can mean any awakened state including drowsiness, dullness of mind, or in a gross form a sluggish and stupor like ignorance. Bhava means spiritual intent, mood, or focus -- the divine passion and presence that twinkles in the eyes of a "turned-on" practitioner. Abhava then is the opposite, where divine passion or sacred mood is absent. As one progresses in yoga, the vrtti dissipate -- the citta is less turbulent, the spiritual passion increasingly becomes focused, and thus a greater inward clarity, calm, peace, and strength abides. Here, nidra becomes less dominant, and indeed in many realized souls ordinary sleep also ceases. In deep dreamless sleep with consciousness, yogic sleep is possible (yoga nidra). The sadhak (practitioner) increasingly becomes more awakened and attuned to divine presence -- beyond even the most subtle continuously without a break between night and day, but rather the integrity of the night and day is affirmed. Divine bhava awakens us to Self. This is called waking up from the sleep of ignorance (avidya) or mukti. Abiding increasingly "HERE" in All Our Relations - devoid of inner psychic disturbances, tensions, conflict, or stress one will need less sleep to regenerate -- there is less to recover from.

Another interpretation of sutra 10 is that the vrtti of nidra (sleep) is experienced when the dualistic mind is occupied by phantom-like objects (pratyaya) supported (alambana) by empty symbolic representations devoid of any substantiality (abhava). Another similar interpretation is that in lack of spiritual presence and intent (bhava) creates the conditions of nidra (sleep), where thought formations devoid of any integral or coherent context is generated. Simply this can describe the ordinary unawakened mental processes (manas) of the common "normal" modern man who is asleep to one's true nature -- to All Our Relations.

A common error is to translate abhava as non-existent or non-being. Rather, "asat" is non-being, while all apparently existent phenomena lack intrinsic reality of their own. We must take into account our spiritual vision, intent, and aspiration as a large governing factor in regard to nidra. Without focused intent, yoga nidra will be unsuccessful. If we take " bhava" to mean our focus on shiva/shakti that becomes our unifying spiritual intent, mood, or vision -- the divine passion and presence that twinkles in the eyes of a "turned-on" practitioner, thus abhava is the opposite, i.e., absence of sacred presence, intent, aspiration, or focus. Thus the vrtti of sleep (vrttr-nidra) is the result of the absence of bhava (abhava-pratyaya), while success in yoganidra and turiya is guided by divine bhava. Compare this with Sutra I.19, the practice of waking up in transcognitive awareness (asamprajnata) by bhava-pratyayo (where the spiritual mood is focused and present).

An Extract from a Prayer by Shankaracharya. Translation & Commentary by Vimala Thakar

Pratah smarami hridi samsphura ta twam

See I.38 for conscious sleep (svapna-nidra-jnanalambanam) or other wise called meditation in the dream state.