cetus

God created all of reality so he could know what it's like to join a bowling league.

Did reality have a "trick up its sleeve?" Or was it your expectation of how reality should be that played the trick on you? -Trick or Treat!!

I would. Gotta learn to walk before you can run. It's all a continuum. Get used to it there is plenty more to go! -Infinitely more.

@Lilia @Carl-Richard I remember quite well the same experience during daylight and "being" the vast expanse of reality. It would happen suddenly from time to time while I was playing and would happen just out of the blue. *Just to add it wasn't just the physical aspect of reality that became vast, but reality took on the deeper meaning of Infinite Love. Like I suddenly had two mothers who Loved me very much (my birth mother and reality). It was a fleeting glimpse, but I've never forgotten it. That was around ages 4-6.

@Kore You should probably have a sleep study done. Talk to your Dr. about what's going on.

You're settled in bed and are just about to drift off when — ‌what's that?!‌ You get this weird feeling that someone else is in the room. Or even stranger, a feeling that someone is getting into bed with you. But it's not an intruder or a ghost. It's just your brain playing tricks on you. Even so, the experience can be deeply unsettling. So if you feel a presence in the room while sleeping, you may want to understand why — and what you can do about it. Turns out, you're likely either experiencing a sleep hallucination or sleep paralysis. Here's what that means, along with what causes these strange visions or feelings. Sleep Hallucinations and Sleep Paralysis, Explained Sleep hallucinations can happen as you're about to drift off or just as you're waking up, says Shelby Harris, PsyD, a psychologist specializing in sleep medicine and Director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis. The experiences, which are brief and occur as your brain is transitioning between sleep and wakefulness (or vice versa), tend to have a visual component, like seeing a person or an animal in your room, according to the book ‌Fundamentals of Sleep Medicine‌. It's also not uncommon to feel like you're falling or floating, or to hear sounds or voices that aren't there. You might jerk or twitch, too. Sleep paralysis is a similar phenomenon where you can't move or speak right as you're waking up. It's sometimes accompanied by hallucinations, like seeing, hearing or sensing the presence of someone who isn't actually there, notes the National Library of Medicine. Sleep paralysis usually happens after being in REM sleep, the stage of sleep where most dreams happen. "During REM sleep, your body is paralyzed for protective reasons, so you don't act out your dreams," Harris explains. The paralysis can linger for a minute or two as you resume consciousness, so you feel awake but aren't yet able to move your body. Sleep hallucinations and sleep paralysis aren't typically every-night occurrences. In fact, most of us will only experience them from time to time, Harris says. That said, certain factors or underlying conditions, like the ones below, can make them more likely. Causes and Risk Factors 1. You're Sleep-Deprived Simply falling short on sleep can make you more prone to sleep hallucinations or sleep paralysis. "If you haven't gotten enough sleep, especially REM sleep, your body might try to rebound with more REM sleep," Harris says, which makes hallucinations or paralysis more likely. And the longer you go without getting enough sleep, the more prone you might be. 2. You're Stressed Any kind of stressful life event — like an illness, relationship change, moving or work difficulties — can up the odds for sleep paralysis or sleep hallucinations, the National Library of Medicine notes. The reasons why aren't fully understood, but it could be due to the fact that heavy stress can make it harder to sleep well. 3. You're on a New Medication If the feeling of a nighttime visitor came around when you started a new medication, the drug could be to blame. Many prescription meds can increase the risk for visual hallucinations, both during the day and as you're falling asleep and waking up, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. One of the most common culprits linked to sleep paralysis is ADHD medications, the National Library of Medicine says. 4. You Have an Underlying Sleep Issue Certain sleep disorders can up the risk for sleep paralysis or sleep hallucinations. One common culprit is sleep apnea, Harris says, which can disrupt your sleep and leave you sleep-deprived. Sleep hallucinations are also a common symptom of narcolepsy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 5. You Have Trauma or PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, which can occur after experiencing a terrifying event, is known for causing nightmares. But the problem can disrupt a person's sleep in other ways, too, by increasing the risk for sleep hallucinations or sleep paralysis, per a November 2021 ‌Frontiers in Psychiatry‌ review. PTSD can cause other symptoms, including flashbacks or unwanted memories related to the traumatic event, severe stress around things that remind you of the event, feeling numb or hopeless and feeling detached from friends, family or activities you used to enjoy, per the Mayo Clinic. When to See a Doctor Let your doctor know if you're feeling like someone is in your room at night more than once in a while, or if the experience is making you anxious or stressed, Harris says. While occasionally sensing someone else in the room probably isn't cause for concern, if it's happening regularly, it could be a sign or an underlying sleep or mental health issue that needs to be addressed.

Feel Like Someone Is in the Room When You're Sleeping? Here's What That Means (msn.com) @Kore Google this.

Sure. In the realm of infinite possibilities anything goes. But intellectual comprehension of Absolute Truth/Infinity is a lot like imitation bacon. It may taste somewhat like the real thing but it's not. -RBDC You can't think your way into enlightenment.

@universe How in Hell did you ever get to be a mod??

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it was Einstein who said: “Consciousness cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.” Smart man! -RBDC

If perspective was your bungie cord, would you trust it? -RBDC

I hate when that happens. Perspectives dangle in the void from a thin tread suspended by their own illusion. -RBDC

Is the bickering between solipsists finally over? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZiZueRZaqM&t=903s

That's quite refreshing over the usual "building castles out of sand" analogy.

@Kore Great post! Got me contemplating the depth to which the mind creates reality.

Have you thought about setting up a security camera to catch all these sounds and movements? Even a cheap $35 camera has night vision and sound recording.

Enjoy the Maya while it's here for days are short and disappear.

Now you can fully appreciate how this work isn't for the faint of heart. But you have crossed a milestone in your journey and there is no turning back. Trust in the fact that there are higher levels of consciousness that are beckoning you to move onward. Trust is key.

Yes! Trust in it!

@Princess Arabia What you experienced probably qualifies as an episode of depersonalization. I've been there and yes, it is scary stuff the first time you experience it. But now that you've had your first taste of that why not use it to your advantage? What I'm saying is make friends with that feeling you experienced. I've been doing that for years now as part of my practice. Sitting here now typing these words I can feel that same feeling you felt coming over me. This is when it's prime time to meditate by just closing your eyes an letting that feeling sweep you away. It can open totally new doors in your perception that you may not have experienced before. And it is totally amazing to say the least. I'm not going to say what exactly happened. But I will say it was wonderful. And I'm so glad I did it. Some here may call it a "breakthrough" experience.

Ironic you should post this. Just this morning while looking over the forum I was thinking "Wow that's a LOT of brain work going on there." Is that what enlightenment means to you?? More Information? I mean a certain amount of information is fine as a pointer. But that's just the launch pad to discovering more nuanced states of consciousness that are only present when the mind is still. In my experience higher states of consciousness will come naturally to anyone who sets the right conditions. And none of it has anything to do with the brain and information. But to each his own.

I know. It's like, O.K. I busted a cosmic nut. Now what? Jk

Wake up Take a pee Get out of bed

That's what I meant when I said "minimization of the perceiver."