Be aware of the gap between waking and sleep

What the Method Is

The core instruction or sutra for this technique is: “At the point of sleep, when the sleep has not yet come and the external wakefulness vanishes, at this point being is revealed”. This technique focuses on catching the precise, fleeting moment when one shifts from being awake to falling asleep, or from sleeping to waking.

How It Is Done

To effectively practice “Be aware of the gap between waking and sleep,” the steps involve:

  • Optimal Timing: The practice should be done at the exact point of transition into sleep, before sleep fully takes over and after ordinary wakefulness has begun to recede. There is also a similar moment when waking from sleep.
  • Preparation for Sleep: Relax your body, close your eyes, and ensure the room is dark.
  • Passive Waiting: Instead of actively trying to fall asleep, simply wait for sleep to come. The key is not to do anything, but to passively observe the process.
  • Feeling the Transition: Pay close attention to the sensations of your body relaxing and becoming heavy. Be aware of sleep’s natural mechanism as it begins to take over and your waking consciousness starts to vanish.
  • Acute Awareness: The moment of transition is very subtle and “atomic”. It is crucial to remain fully aware during this brief, small gap, as it can be easily missed.
  • Persistence and Patience: This technique requires significant persistence and patience. Osho states that it takes at least three months of consistent effort before one can consistently experience this gap. The moment itself is a “happening” that cannot be planned.
Commentaries and Insights

Osho’s commentaries provide a rich understanding of this method’s significance:

  • The “Neutral Gear” of Consciousness: Osho describes the gap between waking and sleeping as a “neutral gear” of consciousness. Just as a vehicle must pass through neutral to shift between gears, consciousness passes through this state when transitioning between the waking and sleeping mechanisms. This period is free from the grip of either mechanism.
  • Revelation of True Being: In this gap, the “real dimension” of one’s being is revealed. It’s a momentary glimpse of one’s pure existence, unburdened by the usual mental processes.
  • Nature of Waking and Sleeping States: Tantra posits that both waking and sleeping states are, in a deeper sense, “unreal”. True reality is experienced only in this transitional state, where one is neither fully awake nor fully asleep.
  • Experience of “Nothingness” or “Abyss”: Initially, this experience of being neither awake nor asleep, neither alive nor dead, can be frightening and seem like an “abyss”. Buddha referred to this state as shunya (emptiness or nothingness), which, when realised, makes one “endless”.
  • Attaining Mastery and the “Key”: Consistent practice allows one to master this transition. Once the “key” to this gap is found, the practitioner can enter this real dimension of being at any time.
  • Overcoming “Absent Existence”: Humanity’s fundamental suffering stems from an “absent existence,” where individuals are unaware of their own presence. This technique, similar to “Self-remembering,” aims to cultivate a profound presence and bring consciousness into the “here and now”.
  • Simplicity vs. Depth: While the instruction appears simple, its execution is deeply profound. The mind often dismisses simple methods because it seeks difficulty, which appeals to the ego. However, Tantric methods are powerful precisely because they touch fundamental realities directly.
  • Not a Causal Phenomenon: Spiritual realisations are not caused phenomena; they do not require time to take effect. The truth or one’s true being is already present; these techniques merely serve to make one aware of it.
  • Effort as a Starter: Although the ultimate state is effortless, initial effort is required to break unconscious habits and initiate the process. This effort is for removing barriers, not for creating the spiritual experience itself.
  • Role of the Guru: A spiritual master can be helpful in guiding the seeker, particularly through the initial fears and challenges of such deep practices. The master’s presence can accelerate the process, but the core work is internal.