Feb. 17, 2026
Sleep and Sadhana
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pp. 97-98
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/02/15/sleep-and-sadhana/
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More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #sleep #subconscient #dream #yogic sleep #yoga nidra
1
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:05,400
What happens when we sleep?
Where does the consciousness go?
2
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,720
For most people, sleep is a
blank state.
3
00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,120
We have little awareness of what
goes on during sleep, except for
4
00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,760
times when we are having a dream
in a state near enough to the
5
00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:22,200
waking state that we actually
remember details from the dream.
6
00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,960
We may try to interpret and
understand the dream, we believe
7
00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,240
there may be some significance
to it, but we are not quite
8
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,800
sure.
Western scientists trying to
9
00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,920
study sleep have identified
several types of changes in the
10
00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,840
brain waves generated during
periods of sleep, and they have
11
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,120
tied them to periods of waking,
consciousness, dream state,
12
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:54,560
light sleep and deep sleep.
However, they bring us no closer
13
00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,160
to an actual understanding of
sleep itself, its purpose, and
14
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,800
what takes place in the
consciousness during sleep.
15
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,520
There are many things in the
world which we cannot directly
16
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,720
observe, but which we interpret
by the effect they have.
17
00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,560
Electricity is one of those
things.
18
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,560
We don't see the electricity,
but we experience its results.
19
00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,360
Similarly, we can begin to
understand what happens to us
20
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,320
during sleep by our experience
after waking.
21
00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,600
Sometimes we wake up groggy and
tired.
22
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,520
Other times we wake up energetic
and can't wait to start the day.
23
00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,320
Sometimes we are disturbed by
some kind of dream, chaotic or
24
00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:46,880
alarming or satisfying or
uplifting.
25
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,880
Clearly, the consciousness does
not simply stop when we sleep,
26
00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,560
we simply do not pay conscious
attention to it.
27
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,960
During sleep, our body uses the
time to regenerate itself,
28
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,240
resetting a lot of the body's
functions, repairing tissue,
29
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,000
balancing out the body's
response, relaxing the tension
30
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,120
of the prior day.
But sleep, obviously, is much
31
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,960
more than downtime aimed at the
body's regeneration needs.
32
00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,160
They're also vital worlds we
enter, or mental worlds.
33
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,880
Some even meet spiritual
teachers and undergo various
34
00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,400
forms of spiritual growth while
they sleep.
35
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,600
It is a well known phenomenon
that someone can go to bed with
36
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,360
some certain concern or problem
and wake up the next morning
37
00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:44,800
with the solution at hand.
There are a number of methods
38
00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,120
that spiritual practitioners use
to make sleep conscious.
39
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,360
This does not mean trying to
stay awake as some people have
40
00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,720
interpreted it.
Rather, it is to build a bridge
41
00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,400
between the waking awareness and
the sleep state so that the
42
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,560
experiences in dream can be
brought consciously into the
43
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,920
waking state, which implies the
sleep state begins to gain a
44
00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:15,080
conscious element while the deep
sleep state still takes place.
45
00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,120
Another practice uses
affirmations and various forms
46
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,440
of focus or preparation of the
mind through aspiration, prayer,
47
00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,840
consecration, etcetera, to
ensure the consciousness does
48
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,160
not drift downwards toward
darker and denser levels that
49
00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,120
could otherwise drag down the
spiritual Sadhna.
50
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:45,200
Sri Orbindo writes quote sleep,
because of its subconscious
51
00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,720
basis, usually brings a falling
down to a lower level unless it
52
00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,880
is a conscious sleep.
To make it more and more
53
00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:57,760
conscious is the one permanent
remedy, but also until that is
54
00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,520
done, one should always react
against this sinking tendency
55
00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,480
when 1 wakes and not allow the
effect of dull nights to
56
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,640
accumulate.
But these things need always a
57
00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:13,720
settled endeavour and discipline
and must take time, sometimes a
58
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,399
long time.
It will not do to refrain from
59
00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,920
the effort because immediate
results do not appear.
60
00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:27,200
End Quote reference Sri
Aurobindo, Basis of Yoga Chapter
61
00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,560
5.
Physical consciousness,
62
00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,560
Subconscious sleep and dream
illness.
63
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,080
Pages 97 to 98.
00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:05,400
What happens when we sleep?
Where does the consciousness go?
2
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,720
For most people, sleep is a
blank state.
3
00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,120
We have little awareness of what
goes on during sleep, except for
4
00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,760
times when we are having a dream
in a state near enough to the
5
00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:22,200
waking state that we actually
remember details from the dream.
6
00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,960
We may try to interpret and
understand the dream, we believe
7
00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,240
there may be some significance
to it, but we are not quite
8
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,800
sure.
Western scientists trying to
9
00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,920
study sleep have identified
several types of changes in the
10
00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,840
brain waves generated during
periods of sleep, and they have
11
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,120
tied them to periods of waking,
consciousness, dream state,
12
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:54,560
light sleep and deep sleep.
However, they bring us no closer
13
00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,160
to an actual understanding of
sleep itself, its purpose, and
14
00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,800
what takes place in the
consciousness during sleep.
15
00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,520
There are many things in the
world which we cannot directly
16
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,720
observe, but which we interpret
by the effect they have.
17
00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,560
Electricity is one of those
things.
18
00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,560
We don't see the electricity,
but we experience its results.
19
00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,360
Similarly, we can begin to
understand what happens to us
20
00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,320
during sleep by our experience
after waking.
21
00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,600
Sometimes we wake up groggy and
tired.
22
00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,520
Other times we wake up energetic
and can't wait to start the day.
23
00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,320
Sometimes we are disturbed by
some kind of dream, chaotic or
24
00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:46,880
alarming or satisfying or
uplifting.
25
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,880
Clearly, the consciousness does
not simply stop when we sleep,
26
00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,560
we simply do not pay conscious
attention to it.
27
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,960
During sleep, our body uses the
time to regenerate itself,
28
00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,240
resetting a lot of the body's
functions, repairing tissue,
29
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,000
balancing out the body's
response, relaxing the tension
30
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,120
of the prior day.
But sleep, obviously, is much
31
00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,960
more than downtime aimed at the
body's regeneration needs.
32
00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,160
They're also vital worlds we
enter, or mental worlds.
33
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,880
Some even meet spiritual
teachers and undergo various
34
00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,400
forms of spiritual growth while
they sleep.
35
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,600
It is a well known phenomenon
that someone can go to bed with
36
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:39,360
some certain concern or problem
and wake up the next morning
37
00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:44,800
with the solution at hand.
There are a number of methods
38
00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,120
that spiritual practitioners use
to make sleep conscious.
39
00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,360
This does not mean trying to
stay awake as some people have
40
00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,720
interpreted it.
Rather, it is to build a bridge
41
00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,400
between the waking awareness and
the sleep state so that the
42
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,560
experiences in dream can be
brought consciously into the
43
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,920
waking state, which implies the
sleep state begins to gain a
44
00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:15,080
conscious element while the deep
sleep state still takes place.
45
00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,120
Another practice uses
affirmations and various forms
46
00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,440
of focus or preparation of the
mind through aspiration, prayer,
47
00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,840
consecration, etcetera, to
ensure the consciousness does
48
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,160
not drift downwards toward
darker and denser levels that
49
00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,120
could otherwise drag down the
spiritual Sadhna.
50
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:45,200
Sri Orbindo writes quote sleep,
because of its subconscious
51
00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,720
basis, usually brings a falling
down to a lower level unless it
52
00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,880
is a conscious sleep.
To make it more and more
53
00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:57,760
conscious is the one permanent
remedy, but also until that is
54
00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,520
done, one should always react
against this sinking tendency
55
00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,480
when 1 wakes and not allow the
effect of dull nights to
56
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,640
accumulate.
But these things need always a
57
00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:13,720
settled endeavour and discipline
and must take time, sometimes a
58
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,399
long time.
It will not do to refrain from
59
00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,920
the effort because immediate
results do not appear.
60
00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:27,200
End Quote reference Sri
Aurobindo, Basis of Yoga Chapter
61
00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,560
5.
Physical consciousness,
62
00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,560
Subconscious sleep and dream
illness.
63
00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,080
Pages 97 to 98.
