HOW CAN YOU GET A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP IN FIVE MINUTES?
First, we need to ask "What is sleep?" Sleep is a process in which the brain shuts down for a period of time; and begins transferring data from its short-term memory banks to its long-term memory banks.
"Why do we need sleep?" Without sleep, data would build up in the short-term memory banks, causing increasing degrees of stress and anxiety. Much like when a computer slows down because too many programs are running at once.
"How does the mind process short-term memory into long-term memory?" The brain uses a process called REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). We typically call this process "dreaming". Simply put, REM is when bits of data are released at random from the short-term memory and sent to the filing system of the long-term memory.
"How does the filing system work?" In order for the data to be recalled from the long-term memory it has to be organized/grouped into a file. The file would consist of similar items/memories so that it could be recalled quickly.
"Why do dreams have stories?" Data is released at random from the short-term memory at very high velocity. The brain catches only random glimpses of data as it flies past at high speed. The brain tries its best to to interpret the confusing random data, tosses in a little extra cause and affect, and wha-la a story. Example: imagine these data bits: dog, fish, crying, toolbox, happiness. The brain makes a dream like this: My pet dog caught a fish in the creek, didn't eat the fish because it was crying, but instead got a toolbox and fixed the fish so that it was happy.
HOW CAN WE FORCE OUR BRAINS TO DOWNLOAD SHORT-TERM MEMORIES ON DEMAND?
This is where meditation comes in.
First, realize that the human mind is capable of incredible visions. The speed of these visions is especially interesting to me. It seems the speed at which the mind is capable of working is tens or hundreds of times faster than what we are accustomed to.
A few years ago, I thought to myself, If the mind downloads short-term memories at a speed equal to or faster than an acid trip, than it is no wonder that in REM sleep our dream only contains random bits, maybe one out of a thousand, or one out of a million bits of data. That is why our dreams are so confusing. They do not contain ALL the data being downloaded.
I wanted so badly to tap into my brains potential. I began experimenting with meditation. I tried emotional meditation to relax. I tried visualization, to enhance my chi. Neither of which were for me.
One day I was extremely tired. I had not slept in three days. I was consuming information at a stressful rate the entire time. My mind was shutting down. But, I didn't have time to sleep. I did have time to shut my eyes for about ten minutes and I took advantage. There I was, eyes shut, exhausted, stressed out, trying to relax my eyes and relieve some stress. I started watching the little flickers of light behind my eyelids. I watched the white flickers dance around at amazing speed. I started tracking the flickers. They were moving so fast. I concentrated. My eyes were moving left, right, up, down quickly. And then it happened. I tracked a flicker across my field of view. What happened next startled me. It was something I never expected. That flicker reminded me of something. A picture? A memory flash?
I wondered, "Could I do that again?" I focused. I watched the flickers of light. I tracked one. Then, WHAM, just like I expected, I saw a very complex image flash before my eyes at an incredible speed. I started tracking a particular image, captured it, and watched. It began warping and changing. It was very detailed. Each image began to warp and change and tell its own story. The stories were generally only fragments of a second long. Occasionally, a story would last longer than a second or two.
After just five minutes of this, I opened my eyes and felt wonderfully refreshed. I was able to go back to work and finish my shift as if I had just taken a good long nap.
Over the next few years I used this technique only when I was really tired and needed a quick pick me up.
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