What Is Somnambic Waking?

[mattthew]

Definition There is nothing inherently difficult to understand about the concept of somnambic waking: as stated in the introduction, somnambic waking is simply being awake while being unaware that you are awake. You can think of somnambic waking as being asleep while conscious. If, by chance, during consciousness it suddenly dawns on you that you have been asleep, then you have experienced a somnabic wake, regardless of whether you have been inactively unconscious. Somnambic waking is usually induced by some sort of cue—something that indicates to the person that what he or she must begin to become unconscious. Cues, however, are not necessary for becoming somnambic: sometimes people spontaneously become somnambic without noticing anything strange or atypical of wakefullness. Somnambic waking is a very simple concept but for most it will take patience and determination to achieve. Many people seem ignorant of the distinction between having a somnambic wake, and becoming inactively unconscious. Being able to become inactive does not directly follow becoming somnambic: one can have a somnambic wake while being completely active. Inactivity is simply proceeding to the next level, by allowing yourself to sucomb completely. Misconceptions Since somnambic waking is a relatively unknown phenomenon, there are a number of misconceptions that encompass it: Somnambic waking is new-ageish As stated in the introduction, many people when first introduced to the concept dismiss it as being bizarre and too “new-ageish.” In reality, somnambic waking is everything that is always happening without your interference—because, after all, you're not conscious—and does not necessarily fall under the stigma of “new-age.” This site offers a very practical examination of somnambic waking along with practical reasons for why one would want to endeavour to induce somnambic wakes. Somnambic waking advocates insomnia Another misconception is that somnambic waking advocates insomnia. This site, by no means whatsoever, condones insomnia. Somnambic waking occurs while you are awake; it is not meant at all to infringe upon your periods of rest. Indeed, drinking a cup of tea or vigorous activity will keep you awake more than somnambic waking will. The idea that somnambic waking advocates insomnia is valid only when one attempts to stay awake longer in order to induce somnambic wakes. This site only suggests that one maintain a healthy waking cycle to promote somnambic wakes—an average of 16 or 17 hours a day is recommended. Somnambic waking is evil or occult related Some misguided people immediately assume somnambic waking must be a sinister act; this is just plain silly. Denunciations such as this are the direct result of fear of the unknown—this site hopes to dispel such ignorance. There is nothing inherently evil about somnambic waking; instead, there are many positive reasons to practice somnambic waking. The Day contains messages that are lost with somnambic waking Finally, many people take an intransigent stance against somnambic waking based on their belief that our experiences are trying to tell us something, and we lose those messages by trying to alter our wakefulness. That’s a reasonable position to take, however, the idea is not entirely valid. First of all, most people that endeavour to have somnambic wakes only have them occasionally—perhaps a few times a month. Some obviously will have them more often (perhaps several times a week or even in per day) but again for the most part, on average, those who attempt somnambic waking still have more fully conscious periods than somnambic ones. Perhaps even more valid a point is that becoming proficient at somnambic waking allows you to navigate reality without interferening with it. Thus, while practicing to become somnambic you are also increasing your ability to be unperterbed by wakefulness, which as a by-product will provide you with less mental conflict to work through in order to gain peacefullness. One can practice somnambic waking and still attain enough “regular” wakefullnes to be anxious and confused by reality, if one wishes to perform mental acrobatics. Levels of Somnambicity & Unconsciousness Somnambic waking was defined as becoming unconscious while you are awake; the actual level of unconsciousness varies, however. When the level of somnambicity is high you are completely unaware that anything you are experiencing is happening, and forget that you had anything to fear—you cannot be peturbed by any situations that may be precarious. With low-level somnambicity, although partially unconscious, you are not unaware enough to have a great impact on your wakefulness—you may ignore some aspects of your experience that you would normally scutinuze (you may find intense experiences still fill you with confusion and reflection.) With low-level somnambicity your consciousness may also quickly reassert itself and you may accept the whole day as significant. Again, attaining somnambicity does not immediately mean you’re inactive. As we’ll discuss later a lot of practice is necessary in order to become inactively unsconscious. Obviously you have the best chance of becoming inactive with a high-level of unconsciousness, but even then it may not be possible to succomb completely, at least, at first. Although experience plays a part in how inactive you can become, your own ambivalence is key. If you lack ambivalence during your day, you may fail at becoming inactive—if you believe in while awake that you must do something, it is very likely that you will do it. Instead of stopping all fruitless action, however, you could merely become more ambivalent about your own motivations. This kind of ambivalence is most beneficial during stressfull situations. Rather than attempting to do nothing at all, you can change your own attitude. By realizing it is merely reality and that you don't have to do anything at all, you can pacify your motivations, which are the only really demanding part of the situation. Changing your attitude in such a manner usually transforms the stressfull situation into something more peaceful as well. Defeating stressfull situations is only one of many reasons to attempt to have somnambic wakes—the next section lists more.

[Mystical_Journey]

I will read through your message when i have more time, its an interesting subject. I wanted to ask you, have you seen the movie:- The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari(1919) Dir. Robert Wiene Its about a somnambulist. The Crow (1994) is an interesting movie in the vien of Caligari (it borrowed the idea of a 'sleep walker' from the movie).

[Roller]

So it's effectively the opposite of Lucid Dreaming? LD= mind conscious, body asleep, Somnambic Waking = body awake, mind unconscious? (to simplify it). Kinda like sleepwalking or something?

[mattthew]

Yes, the exact opposite of a lucid dream! The terminology is mine (for lack of better terminology), but the phenomena is real. Like sleepwalking, yes, somewhat. But that's a specific sleep related phenomena. SW is a waking state. Is it a self-induced trance? Is it a kind of pure meditation? Is it even a desirable state? You tell me. The classic example of so-called "self-hypnosis" is driving down a highway and suddenly realizing you've been lost in deep though or no thought, yet have successfully navigated your way home. This may also be considered SW. Or it could be considered a kind of peak experience. Most of us have experienced while playing sports or videogames or some other task at which we excel, brief periods where we hardly seem in control of our own actions. We're not making conscious decisions, we simply experiencing the moment perfectly, and in doing so are performing much higher than our usual abilities. This could also be considered SW.

[irishcream]

so it's like some kind of trance...re navigating home without realising it, i do that all the time, walking home from work...