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i am drawing your attention to all of this because three or four thousand years ago people would close their eyes and go into meditation as easily as you go to sleep today。
two thousand years from now it will be difficult to sleep in new york …… it is difficult even today。
it is being difficult to sleep in bombay； and soon it will bee difficult in dwarka as well …… it is just a matter of time。
today it is hard to believe there was a time when a man could close his eyes and go into meditation …… because now； when you sit with your eyes closed； you reach nowhere； inside； thoughts keep hovering around and you remain where you are。
in the past； meditation was as easy for those who were close to nature as sleep is for those who live close to nature。
first meditation disappeared； now sleep is on its way out。
those things are first lost which are conscious； after that； those things are lost which are unconscious。
with the disappearance of meditation the world has almost bee irreligious； and when sleep disappears the world will bee totally irreligious。
there is no hope for religion in a sleepless world。
you will not believe how closely； how deeply； we are connected to sleep。
how a person will live his life depends totally on how he sleeps。
if he does not sleep well； his entire life will be a chaos： all his relationships will bee entangled； everything will bee poisonous； filled with rage。
if； on the contrary； a person sleeps deeply； there will be freshness in his life …… peace and joy will continuously flow in his life。
underlying his relationships； his love； everything else； there will be serenity。
but if he loses sleep； all his relationships will go haywire。
he will have a messed…up life with his family； his wife； his son； his mother； his father； his teacher； his students …… all of them。
sleep brings us to a point in our unconscious where we are immersed in god …… although not for too long。
even the healthiest person only reaches to his deeper level for ten minutes of his nightly eight hours sleep。
for these ten minutes he is so pletely lost； drowned in sleep； that not even a dream exists。
sleep is not total as long as one is dreaming …… one keeps moving between the states of sleep and wakefulness。
dreaming is a state in which one is half…asleep and half…awake。
to be in a dream means that even though your eyes are closed； you are not asleep； external influences are still affecting you。
the people you met during the day； you are still with them at night in your dreams。
dreams occupy the middle state between sleep and wakefulness。
and there are many people who have lost sleep …… they merely remain in the dreaming state； without ever reaching the state of sleep。
and that you dont remember in the morning that you dreamt all night is beside the point。
much research on sleep is being carried out in america。
some ten big laboratories have been experimenting on thousands of people for about eight to ten years。
americans are showing interest in meditation because they have lost sleep。
they think that perhaps meditation may bring their sleep back； that it may bring some peace into their lives。
thats why they look upon meditation as nothing more than a tranquilizer。
when vivekananda first introduced meditation in america； a physician came to him and said； 〃i enjoyed your meditation immensely。
it is absolutely a non…medicinal tranquilizer。
its not a medicine and yet it puts one to sleep …… its great。
〃 yogis are not the reason their influence is growing so much in america …… the lack of sleep is the real cause。
their sleep is in a mess； and consequently life in america is filled with heaviness； depression； tension。
so in america we see the growing need for tranquilizers …… somehow； to bring sleep to people。
every year； millions of dollars are being spent on tranquilizers in america。
ten big laboratories are conducting research on thousands of people who are being paid to undergo nights of rather unfortable； painful sleep。
all kinds of electrodes and thousands of wires are attached to peoples bodies； and they are examined from all angles to find out what is happening inside them。
one incredible discovery these experiments have revealed is that man dreams almost the whole night。
waking up； some people said they didnt dream； while some said they did。
but in fact； all of them dreamt。
the only difference was that those with better memories remembered dreaming； while those with weaker memories could not recall dreaming。
it was found； however； that a pletely healthy person was able to slip into a deep； dreamless sleep for ten minutes。
dreams can be scanned through machines。
nerves in the brain remain active during our dreaming state； but as the dream stops； the nerves cease to be active as well； and the machine indicates a gap has occurred。
the gap shows that at that time the man was neither dreaming nor thinking …… he was lost somewhere。
it is interesting that the machines keep recording movement inside the man while he is in the dreaming state； but as soon as he falls into dreamless sleep； the machine shows a gap。
they dont know where the man disappeared in that gap。
so dreamless sleep means the man has reached a place beyond the machines range。
it is in this gap that man enters the divine。
the machine is unable to detect this space in between； this gap。
the machine records the internal activity as long as the man is dreaming …… then es the gap and the man disappears somewhere。
and then； after ten minutes； the machine starts recording again。
it is difficult to say where the man was during that ten…minute interval。
american psychologists are very intrigued by this gap； hence they consider sleep the biggest mystery。
the fact is that next to god； sleep is the only mystery。
there is no other mystery。
you sleep every day； yet you have no idea what sleep is。
a man sleeps all through his life； and yet nothing changes …… he knows nothing about sleep。
the reason you dont know anything about sleep is that when sleep is there； you are not。
remember； you are only as long as sle