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CenteringDissolutionVerse 75intermediate

The Edge of Sleep

At the threshold where waking turns to sleep, hold awareness in the in-between.

▶ Practice this technique10 / 15 min · eyes closed

How to practice

  1. 1Lie down as if to sleep and let the body grow heavy.
  2. 2As sleep approaches, find the exact threshold between waking and sleep.
  3. 3Try to remain just barely aware at that edge, without tipping into sleep or back into thought.
  4. 4Rest in the soft, borderless state the threshold reveals.
Practice note. A delicate practice — you will fall asleep often at first. That is fine. Over time, awareness learns to rest on the threshold.

Terms in this technique

madhya
The middle, the centre, the gap between two states — a key VBT doorway.
laya
Dissolution, absorption; the merging of attention into its source.
turīya
The "fourth" — pure awareness underlying waking, dream, and deep sleep.

Sources consulted

  • Jaideva Singh, Vijñānabhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization (Motilal Banarsidass, 1979)
  • Osho, The Book of Secrets (St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998)
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