A Developmental Model of Consciousness in Sleep: From Sleep Consciousness to Pure Consciousness

Abstract

In this chapter, the author argues that form of consciousness in sleep the people have come to identify as lucid dreaming is but a starting point, or perhaps only a bridge to what has been called higher states of consciousness. Only when the focus of awareness in sleep de-embeds even further, that is, full differentiation yet integration from the representational level, do the people see a true experience of higher states of consciousness and thus the post-representational stage of development. From virtually every level of analysis parallels, and in some cases potential causal agents, can be identified supporting the association of dream lucidity to the practice of meditation and thus on to the experience of pure consciousness. The Ogilvie and Hunt group found, consistent with meditation literature, variations in alpha as function of stage of lucidity. The author shows that experience of lucid dreaming and lucid dreamers show many parallels to waking practice of meditation.