by Lawrence Wilson, MD

SLEEP AND DEVELOPMENT

Sleep is important for many reasons. These are discussed in detail in the article entitled Sleep And Rest. This article expands upon the specific functions of sleep as they pertain to mental and spiritual development.

This development requires a lot of extra rest and sleep. Those who do not rest and sleep enough do so at their own peril, as the process of development is often greatly slowed or stops as a direct result.

FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP AND REST THAT FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT AND ARE REQUIRED

1. The realignment of specific brain centers. This is a critical task, because in most people these brain centers are dormant, often non-functional or functioning poorly. This process can take weeks or even several years. Each night, during sleep, as the body rests these delicate brain centers undergo repair and an alignment process that allows them to function as they were designed to function. This has little to do with daily work, recreation or other daily activities. Instead, it has to do with opening the chakras or energy centers of the physical body and with the development of the human energy fields, sometimes called the subtle human bodies.

2. Resting and regenerating the nervous system, in general. The nervous system must be tuned up, so to speak, to handle a greater amount of etheric energy. This is a very subtle energy that is present more and more in each person as development proceeds. However, it takes a number of years of plenty of rest and sleep periods to prepare the nerves, literally, to handle this higher amount of energy. It is not that the nerves grow larger or stronger. It is far more subtle.

The nerves must be reshaped, in some cases, or reconfigured in unusual ways to allow the energy to flow through them unimpeded. If this delicate work is not completed correctly, the nerves will overload and the person will not be able to continue the path of spiritual development.

3. Learning various things. This may sound odd but, in fact, a lot of teaching goes on during the sleep time. This is accomplished in many ways, from dreams that teach one various items, to traveling in the finer body, as it is called, to distant places where learning takes place. A person then may wake up the next day with a vague sense of having learned something, though conscious memory of such sessions is rare. Later on, when the person encounters the information while reading on the internet or in a book, it rings true and the person avidly reads more, knowing that he or she is connecting with something that feels true. I receive many emails from people who say this about many articles on this website, for example.

4. Realigning the physical body. This involve the nervous system, but also the structure, for example. Misalignments of the spine, in particular, may be resolved during periods of rest and sleep. This is not a substitute for chiropractic, in most cases. However, it is in addition to any body work or chiropractic that a person chooses to have. The alignment of the spine, in particular, is critical for development of this type. So this is a very important process, though it is quite subtle.

5. The toning of the muscles in a new way. The muscles, in development, must be relaxed, but not weak at all. This relaxation process depends upon the proper nutrition of the body, but also upon certain changes that occur in the muscles as a person develops the subtle bodies, in particular. Once again, the spine, the neck and the back are most important. If this relaxation does not occur and increase, the etheric energy cannot flow properly and development will stop.

One reason for outlining these activities is to encourage the reader to rest and sleep more. Racing around town, traveling a lot, and all other physical and even mental activities can get in the way of development if the rest is insufficient.

Another reason for describing the activities above is to show how subtle they are, and yet how important they are for development.

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