Thread: Conscious Deep Sleep/yogic Sleep

Originally Posted by tioliah

I've read that it is possible to not only remain conscious during REM sleep (ie lucid dreaming) but also during the other sleep stages. Yoga nidra or yogic sleep is an intense meditative state where the individual experiences deep sleep consciously - delta brainwaves and everything! This is something I would really like to try experimenting with, but that is pretty much all I know about it. Does anyone here practice yoga nidra or experience consciousness during NREM sleep? What is it like? Is it possible to be conscious all night? How do you induce this?[/b]

I see no reason why it shouldn't be possible. I may or may not have experienced this myself during some of my WILD attempts, I'm not sure. I've been "under" in a WILD attempt over 3 hours before. Sleep paralysis, deep relaxation. Time went by quite fast. Was it NREM deep sleep? Ehhhh, I dunno... it would be interesting to read up on though.

If it IS possible? I don't think it would be a question of "inducing" it. All you'd have to do would be to retain consciousness, on a small a level as possible so it doesn't prevent you from going to sleep.

I guess it's possible. Like WILD at the beginning of your sleep cycle, or something. Is there any interesting effects from it? Seems to me that you'd just be laying down doing absolutely nothing for an hour or more.

Sounds similar to Tibetian Dream Yoga to me. I would bet its possible, I mean isn't that what happens if you WILD when going to bed, and have to wait a few hours before dreaming (haven't done this but I've heard of people who have waited it out, WILDing at the start of the night). It would probably just be like a deep meditative trance until REM, at which point you'd either start seeing images, and eventually enter the dream world if you don't wake up/lose consciousness.

hmm do you mean Meditation so deep that it brings you into deep Dreaming states of Mind? I've been madly interrested with attaining this and I don't think it's Possible. No

I KNOW it's possible. I just haven't found my way to it yet. Some people have managed to pull it off using deep hypnosis, others by deep Yogic Meditation... I have yet to find my personal way there, a way that suits me best.

Actually last night I experienced bizarre Hypnagogic States with a Couple of Strange Visions and even more bizarre Sensations. Emotional and Rush-type of sensations. All of this I experienced very consciously. That night I had the Most bizarre dreams.

But yeah I'm still figuring out how to reach deep Dreaming states through waking Meditation.

Thanks for the info + tips guys! I had tried a WILD approach for a few nights with no luck but a couple nights ago I did "regular" yoga (you know, with poses and such) right before bed and I finished off with the corpse pose as usual, but this time in my bed under the covers and everything.

My body was super relaxed + my mind was in an established meditative state and it was late enough that I drifted off to sleep fairly quickly - that mental state carried over I think. It didn't feel like a WILD initiation though - there was no HI or fuzziness (which I usually get alot of) It felt like I was sinking into my own body - into my brain or chest or something. There was just blackness and silence - I felt detached from myself yet deeper within myself at the same time - really weird, but very soothing. I was aware of all my internal rhythms - my breathing, my heartbeats, my blood flow, even the electrical impulses going through my nerves it seemed - it's not that I could "see" all this, or even "hear" it - I could just "sense" it somehow - and I remember thinking how beautiful I was to be such a dynamic living creature

I have no idea how long it lasted, it seemed like hours and seconds at the same time - I don't think I had a really high level of consciousness either as I didn't notice shifting into any dream states - I woke up at my alarm in the morning - a bit confused, but extremely well rested

I"m going to keep trying!

I've always wanted to try and stay conscous all night, but I was to worried I wouldn't get enough quility sleep, maybe i'll try again sometime it would be cool if you could just wait it out every rem period all night and have loads of lucids all night.

That's pretty interesting, and amazing. Wow, I would love to do that. I know what you mean about sensing everything (heartbeat etc.), that is basically what I feel when I lie down and just breathe deeply, but I have never gotten that far into the state, to the point of total awareness like that. I should try some time.