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Writer's pictureDavid Farmer

Suicide & Sleep - Nonduality & Mental health

Updated: Jul 21

Those for whom there are suicidal ideations do not want to die; they want to end their suffering.

Let's take a moment to think about that...

They have been trying to deal with their suffering through drink, drugs, sex, work...distractions.

All has come to naught and they want to end it.

Why do they intuitively feel that the annihilation of the body/mind complex will end suffering?

Because they end suffering every single night when they go to sleep!

You happily drop your body/mind once a day to get some 'rest'...some 'peace'.

Do we not say 'Rest in Peace'?

In Japan they say that those who have died have entered 'eimin' (永眠), 'eternal sleep'.

A phrase commonly used in emails sent out to office staff when a team member's relative has passed away so as to make sure those around the bereaved are sensitive to their loss.


So, could it be that sleep holds the key to eternal peace?

Especially as, upon 'waking up' in the morning, identification as a body/mind starts all over again and suffering continues.


So let's look at sleep...

When we wake up from deep sleep we say "I slept so well. So peacefully."

If I ask you, what were you aware of during deep sleep?

You will say "nothing".

Exactly!

There were no objects present. No distractions. No identification. No suffering!

However, even 'nothing' or 'blank' is perceived...by what?

YOU were still present. YOU were aware of "nothing".

In other words, awareness was aware of Itself.

The words 'nothing' and 'blank' are just that...words. Verbalised thoughts, which appear after the fact in answer to a specific question.

Awareness aware of Itself has no witness. No observer. It just 'Is'.


There is no-one who goes to sleep, dreams, enters deep sleep, and wakes up. There is only a singular, one, non-state of awareness, within which, an imaginary separate self seemingly dreams, sleeps, and wakes. But that is all within the illusion. All is dream. You are completely asleep...wake up!

They don't call it spiritual awakening for nothing!


So what about suffering and the one who suffers?

Recreated in the mind, as thought, every morning and perpetuated throughout the day.

As long as you consider yourself a separate body/mind, in other words, as long as you identify with thought, there is suffering.

Your true nature, however, is pure conscious-awareness; infinite being.

Infinite being does not require a body/mind to 'be'.

It is eternal.


~~~~~


man standing on edge of cliff


 







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Julie Cloutier
Julie Cloutier
Dec 03, 2023

It's funny reading this today as I get the clear direct experience of the body waking up and the deep sleep peace being undisturbed. There is only deep sleep seemingly being something else, creating an idea that there is a sufferer and suffering from that mistaken identity. Thank you for your text, so clear and directly points to Truth, awareness aware of nothing, without separation. Eyes close, eyes open, same same. Even closing our eyes is a misunderstanding, it is not the eyes that are closing it is the eyelids. The eyes are still open when the eyelids are closed. Anyone can experientially know this when paying attention to their direct experience instead of their thought experience.

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David Farmer
David Farmer
Dec 03, 2023
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Beautiful commentary, Julie. So clear.

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