Awareness Never Falls Asleep

Summary

This dialogue explores the nature of awareness through states like waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. It posits that awareness never 'falls asleep' but remains constant, unaltered by transitions between these states. The speaker argues that deep sleep is not a void but filled with pure awareness, inherently peaceful and fulfilling. The conversation challenges conventional beliefs about consciousness, suggesting that awareness never disappears and isn't subject to time or death. It concludes with the idea that truly understanding this leads to a mind-blowing shift in perception, dismantling the illusion of a separate self.

Takeaways

• 😀 Awareness remains constant and awake through all states, whether waking, dreaming, or in deep sleep.
• 🛌 Falling asleep is merely a transition of perceptions and sensations, but awareness itself does not change.
• 🌙 Awareness is always awake, even in the dream state, observing both the waking and dream worlds.
• 🧠 Deep sleep is not a blank or void from the perspective of awareness; it is full of pure, peaceful awareness.
• 🔄 Thought can only understand objects and experiences, so it perceives deep sleep as 'nothing', but awareness knows itself fully in deep sleep.
• ⏳ Awareness is timeless and spaceless, always present, while waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states pass through it.
• 💡 Consciousness or awareness does not disappear, even in deep sleep or supposed unconsciousness.
• 🧍 People do not possess awareness or consciousness; rather, consciousness experiences people.
• 💭 The idea that awareness begins with birth and ends with death is a cultural belief, not based on true experience.
• 🎯 Pondering and deeply understanding the constant nature of awareness can dissolve the illusion of the separate self and bring peace.

Q & A

What is the script's perspective on awareness during the transition from waking to dreaming?

The script suggests that awareness remains constant during the transition from waking to dreaming. While sensations and perceptions change, awareness itself remains fully awake and does not fall asleep.

Why does the script state that 'awareness doesn't fall asleep'?

The script argues that awareness never experiences a change in state, including sleep, because it is ever-present and wide awake. What changes are the objects of awareness, such as sensations and perceptions, not awareness itself.

How does the script explain the experience of deep sleep from the perspective of thought and awareness?

From the perspective of thought, deep sleep appears as 'nothing' because there are no objects to perceive. However, from the perspective of awareness, deep sleep is full of itself—peaceful, fulfilled, and not 'nothing.' Awareness remains aware even in deep sleep.

According to the script, what is the experience of deep sleep like for awareness?

For awareness, deep sleep is not a blank or empty state. It is an experience of pure, peaceful awareness, where awareness is 'full to the brim of itself'—inherently peaceful and fulfilled.

Why do people look forward to falling asleep, according to the script?

People look forward to falling asleep because, during deep sleep, they experience the peaceful, fulfilled state of awareness. In this state, they desire nothing and lack nothing, which the script refers to as 'happiness.'

What happens to the waking and dream states in relation to awareness, based on the script?

The waking and dream states pass through awareness, but awareness itself does not change or move through them. In fact, awareness takes the shape of the mind, which then manifests the waking and dreaming states.

Can awareness be replaced with the term 'consciousness' in the script?

Yes, the script suggests that awareness and consciousness can be used interchangeably in this context. Both refer to the unchanging, ever-present experience that underlies all states of mind and perception.

Why is the term 'unconscious' misleading in the script?

The script argues that 'unconscious' is misleading because it suggests that awareness ceases to exist when one is not responsive. However, awareness never disappears, even if the body is unresponsive; it remains fully present.

How does the script describe the nature of awareness in relation to time and space?

The script describes awareness as being beyond time and space. It is in a 'placeless place' called infinity and a 'timeless time' called eternity. Awareness does not travel through time; rather, time and states pass through it.

What is the script's view on the common cultural belief that awareness is finite?

The script challenges the belief that awareness is finite and temporary, arguing that no one has ever experienced the disappearance of awareness. It states that this belief is unfounded and arises from misunderstanding our true nature.

Outlines

00:00

🌙 Awareness During Dream and Sleep States

This paragraph explores the continuity of awareness between different states of consciousness, such as waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. The speaker emphasizes that awareness does not fall asleep or transition, but rather remains constant as the waking body and world disappear and dream bodies and worlds appear. It is thought that labels this process as falling asleep, but awareness is always 'wide awake,' simply witnessing different states. Thought interprets transitions, but awareness remains unchanged, never falling asleep, and is always present in all experiences, including dreams and deep sleep.

05:01

🧠 Consciousness and Unconsciousness

In this paragraph, the speaker distinguishes between awareness and consciousness, discussing the concept of unconsciousness. They argue that no one has ever experienced being 'unconscious' because one would need to be aware to claim such an experience. The speaker contends that the cultural belief that consciousness is fleeting, tied to birth and death, is misguided. Awareness is constant and never disappears, and the idea that awareness is temporary or finite is an illusion created by thought. The speaker concludes that nobody has ever experienced the appearance or disappearance of awareness, and our beliefs around this are based on misunderstandings.

10:02

🤔 Misleading Terms and Misconceptions

This paragraph challenges the use of terms like 'unconscious' when referring to sleep or other states where awareness seems absent. The speaker argues that just because we cannot sense things during deep sleep, it doesn’t mean awareness ceases. They emphasize the importance of reflecting on the fact that we have never experienced the disappearance of awareness and how this realization could change one's perspective on life. The speaker suggests that understanding this deeply could dismantle the concept of the separate self and radically shift one’s worldview.

🖥️ Infinite Awareness and Mind-Boggling Insights

The speaker expands on the concept of infinite awareness, saying that it transcends time, space, and the changes we perceive in life. They share a humorous anecdote about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in heaven, used to illustrate the limitless and eternal nature of awareness. The speaker encourages the audience to think deeply about what it would mean to live life with the understanding that awareness is never born, never dies, and lacks nothing. They conclude by reflecting on the limitations of language in conveying these ideas and how understanding the true nature of awareness can shift everything in one’s life.

Keywords

💡Awareness

Awareness refers to the state or quality of being conscious or having knowledge of something. In the context of the video, awareness is presented as an ever-present, unchanging aspect of consciousness that does not alter with the transitions between waking, dreaming, or deep sleep states. It is highlighted as the fundamental nature that remains 'wide awake' regardless of the body's state, suggesting an inherent, unchanging awareness that is the essence of our being.

💡Waking State

The waking state is one of the three states of consciousness discussed in the video, characterized by being awake and experiencing the physical world through the senses. It is contrasted with the dream state and deep sleep. The video emphasizes that even though our physical body and the world seem to disappear during sleep, the awareness that perceives them does not cease to exist.

💡Dream State

The dream state is a transitional phase between the waking state and deep sleep, where one experiences dreams. The video script suggests that while the content of our awareness changes (from the physical world to dream scenarios), the awareness itself remains constant, indicating that our consciousness is not confined to the physical reality we experience while awake.

💡Deep Sleep

Deep sleep is the state where one is not dreaming and is not conscious of the physical world. The video argues that even in deep sleep, awareness is not absent but rather experiences a state of inherent peace and fulfillment. It challenges the common misconception that deep sleep is a void or blank state by suggesting that from the perspective of awareness, it is a state of pure consciousness.

💡Infinite Awareness

Infinite awareness is a concept introduced in the video to describe the limitless and eternal nature of consciousness. It suggests that our awareness does not change or move through time but rather exists in a state of infinity and eternity, unaffected by the transitions between different states of consciousness.

💡Transition

Transition, in the video, refers to the process of moving from one state of consciousness to another, such as from waking to dreaming or to deep sleep. The speaker argues that despite these apparent transitions, awareness itself does not undergo any change, implying that the true nature of consciousness is unchanging and constant.

💡Peaceful

Peaceful is used in the video to describe the inherent state of awareness in deep sleep, suggesting a state of inner tranquility and contentment. It contrasts with the often chaotic and desiring nature of the waking state, highlighting the natural state of fulfillment that awareness possesses.

💡Fulfilled

Fulfilled, as mentioned in the video, refers to a state of completeness and satisfaction that is intrinsic to awareness. It implies that our true nature as conscious beings is one of wholeness and lack of need, which is experienced during deep sleep.

💡Eternity

Eternity in the video represents the timeless aspect of awareness, suggesting that it exists outside of the linear construct of time. It is used to emphasize that awareness is not subject to the temporal changes associated with the physical world or the individual life cycle.

💡Inherently

Inherently is used to describe qualities that are intrinsic to something, suggesting that they are fundamental and cannot be separated from it. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the qualities of awareness, such as being peaceful and fulfilled, which are not added to awareness but are part of its essential nature.

💡Unconscious

Unconscious, as discussed in the video, is a term that is challenged. The speaker argues that true unconsciousness—an absence of awareness—is impossible because to have an experience, one must be aware of it. Thus, the video suggests that the concept of being 'unconscious' is a misunderstanding of the true nature of consciousness.

Highlights

Awareness remains consistent and wide awake, whether in the waking state or the dream state.

The transition from waking to dreaming is not experienced by awareness, only by thought.

Thought calls deep sleep 'nothing' because it can only recognize objects, but awareness is full of itself in deep sleep.

Awareness never falls asleep or becomes unconscious; it is always wide awake, even in deep sleep.

In deep sleep, awareness knows itself and experiences pure peace and fulfillment, free of desires.

The idea of being unconscious is not an actual experience, as no one has ever experienced being unaware.

Awareness does not go through transitions; it is always present, unchanging, and timeless.

Our cultural belief that awareness is a temporary byproduct of the mind, evolving and dying with the body, is incorrect.

The notion of being unconscious is a misleading term, as awareness never disappears, even when we do not perceive the body or sensations.

The entire separate self's existence is based on the mistaken belief that awareness is finite and temporary.

When truly grasped, the understanding that awareness is eternal and unchanging dismantles the entire idea of the separate self.

The experience of deep sleep is misunderstood by thought as nothingness, but awareness experiences it as full of peace.

The waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states pass through awareness, but awareness itself never changes or moves.

Consciousness or awareness is not something people have; it is consciousness that has people, momentarily.

Reflecting on the unchanging nature of awareness reveals that we have never experienced its appearance or disappearance.

Transcripts

would you say that when you were having

a dream you were

aware yes okay so you're aware in the

waking state for instance now you are

aware yes and then you go through the

transition that is called falling asleep

yes yeah but you remain

aware because you start having a dream

but you're aware of your dream yes so

awareness doesn't fall asleep in the

transition between the waking State and

the dream state that's true that that

that thought calls falling

asleep yes yes it doesn't refer to

awareness's experience that's right

awareness just remains in the only

condition it knows which is wide awake

yes yes it's wide awake knowing what

thought calls the waking

State the waking State body and World

disappear and then the dream state body

and world World appear but they are

known by exactly the same awareness

right and from the point of view of

thought there seems to be a transition

from The Waking state to the dream state

yes

orous we'll come to that in a minute

from The Waking state to the dream state

that there seems to be a transition I

felt fell asleep right yes but the eye

that falls asleep is not the eyee of

awareness because awareness obviously

remains Wide Awake otherwise we wouldn't

be able to know our

dreams yes yeah so awareness doesn't

fall asleep that's right

so what happens in the so-called

transition from The Waking state to

sleep is that a series of Sensations and

perceptions called The Waking State body

and World

disappear yeah yes and a new

appearance arises it's called a dream

which is a a new world arises awareness

identifies itself with one of the

objects that appear that is the body and

seems to contract into the body and so

our dream state is very similar to The

Waking state which we think I this body

I'm walking around in this world in the

dreamed

world yes and then what what happens

this body and this the dreamed body and

the dreamed World

disappear leaving

awareness as it always is wide awake not

knowing anything not knowing any thought

sensation or

perception so from the point of view of

thought thought says Ah deep sleep is

nothing

blank because there are no objects there

and thought can only know an object so

thought says deep sleep is

blank from the point of view of

awareness deep sleep is not

blank in deep Sleep awareness knows

itself in other words it is full to the

brim of

itself of its own empty inherently

peaceful fulfilled

self it is not that is not nothing it is

only the point of view it is only

nothing from the point of view of

thought from the point of view of the

one who truly knows that is the one who

truly experiences or is aware of

anything deep sleep is not a blank

nothing it is full to the brim with pure

awareness inherently peaceful fulfilled

awareness that's why we all like going

to fall we all look forward to falling

asleep at night because we know it's so

peaceful and fulfilled there we desire

nothing and we lack

nothing it's called

Happiness yes I followed this um from

the video yes awareness doesn't go

through a transition from waking to

dreaming and it doesn't go through a

transition from dreaming to deep sleep

and then it doesn't go through another

transition from Deep Sleep to the next

dream and then from the next dream to

tomorrow's waking State awareness never

goes through any transitions in fact

awareness is not traveling through time

through all these states awareness is

always in the same place which is a

placeless place

called infinity and always at the same

time which is a Timeless time called

eternity it never goes anywhere it never

Alters its conditions or its state the

waking dreaming and deep sleep States

pass through it it doesn't pass through

them in fact that's not even quite true

it infinite awareness takes the shape of

the Mind

which itself appears as the waking and

dream

states so they don't even pass through

Consciousness it is consciousness it it

is infinite Consciousness itself that

takes the shape of the waking and

dreaming

States I was just about to ask that can

you replace that word awareness into

Consciousness and then you did but what

what is then when a person is

unconscious tell me about your

experience of being

unconscious has anybody ever had the

experience of being

unconscious but there is definitely um I

don't want you to argue logically with

me I want you to tell me from your

experience what you know of not being

aware

nothing okay could you ever ma imagine

having the experience of not not being

aware in deep sleep but how would logic

says how would you know in okay let

let's go I don't want to I don't want to

reason this out with you yes I don't

want to argue philosophically with you I

want I want you to I want to gently push

you back into your actual experience in

deep Sleep do you have the experience of

not being

aware no have you ever had the

experience of not being

aware no could you ever have the

experience of not being aware

I don't know well let me ask the

question in a different way could you

ever be aware of not being

aware

no then the experience is not

possible because in order to claim an

experience you must be aware of

it therefore you're quite right not only

have you never had the experience of not

being aware you you could never have

such an

experience and not only have you never

had nor could you ever have the

experience of not being aware

nobody

nobody has ever had or could ever have

the experience I am

unaware why then is our culture founded

upon the belief that awareness is this

fleeting fragile byproduct of the mind

that comes into existence when the body

is born that moves evolves grows old and

disappears when the body

dies it's a belief nobody has ever

experienced the appearance or

disappearance of awareness

nobody not for a fraction of a moment if

it was possible to experience The

Disappearance of awareness don't you

think somebody by now would have had

that experience just for a fleeting

moment absolutely but nobody has why

not it's not possible it's not possible

and yet our culture is founded that the

founding belief of our culture of our

world culture is that I awareness am

finite and

tempor the entire adventure of the

separate self that is the vast majority

of people's lives are based upon that

SLE idea

I am temporary and

finite all our fears and desires

psychological fears and desires come

from that single belief and that single

belief simply comes from the overlooking

of our true

nature which everybody knows as the

experience I am aware that I am

aware so you can never call A person

unconscious you can never call a person

either conscious or unconscious it is

consciousness alone that is

conscious people don't have

Consciousness Consciousness has people

from time to

time so

how we would have to refine a new way

to to explain that if I'm pinching you

when you're dreaming or in deep Sleep

you wake up but then there is an time

after an accident if one pinches one and

he or she doesn't wake

up it's not being unconscious it's being

something

else it's fine to call it being

unconscious it doesn't matter what we

call it as long as we but it's

misleading it's misle yes the the

presumption is that

that because I can't hear the sound

whatever it is in when I'm in deep sleep

or feel the pinch or whatever it is

therefore I am therefore I Consciousness

has disappeared right

right I get it and if if you just ponder

that that yes this single line of this

just this conversation you really ponder

it and and you see in your own

experience you you really in a visceral

way you

come bring yourself to the

understanding I have never experienced

the appearance of

awareness I have never experienced a

change in

Awareness I have never experienced The

Disappearance of

awareness and first of all bring

yourself to that understanding based on

your experience don't believe me when I

say this I don't bring yourself again

and again and again not just once but

again and again to that experience until

it becomes your your lived

experience and then begin to ponder the

implications of that

fact yeah that that the entire life of

the separate self comes tumbling

down if if we

really really Ponder the

implications of that

fact it's mindboggling it's mindboggling

it it it it's mind it's mindblowing it's

literally it's it takes us beyond the

mind yeah

somebody told me

a story recently about

um about an email that

um Bill Gates sent to um Steve Jobs in

heaven Steve Steve Job was jobs was

saying that heaven was eternal and

unlimited

and Bill Gates apparently wrote him a

email

and said well what's the big deal so

what if if Heaven

is is Without

Limits and Steve Jobs replied to him he

said well the best thing about it is

that we have no need either for Windows

or for gates up

here so

think about

it think about what it what it means

what it would mean for your

life to

to to live a life that was

consistent with the feeling

understanding I awareness never

appeared I was never

born I never move or

change I am inherently

peaceful I lack nothing I never grow old

or sick or

die yeah well definitely using words uh

becomes bit problematic since my husband

has already said that there is no

possibility to talk with you because I

every time try to understand the the

essence of the word because it becomes

so

different everything becomes

so

different thank you and thanks for this

second question