Gurbani Says We are in a State of Sleep Paralysis

The Gurmat Wisdom of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) teaches that the entire world is asleep — sleep of emotional attachment, love of Maya (ਮਾਇਆ ਦੀ ਭੁਖ) etc. The Gurbani reveals that in this horrific state of endless slumber are ‘asleep’ human beings in the world!

• ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਇਹੁ ਜਗੁ ਸੁਤਾ ॥: This world is asleep in attachment to Maya (sggs 112).
• ਮਨੁ ਸੋਇਆ ਮਾਇਆ ਬਿਸਮਾਦਿ ॥: The mind is asleep, fascinated by Maya (sggs 182).
• ਕਰਤਬ ਕਰਨਿ ਭਲੇਰਿਆ ਮਦਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਸੁਤੇ ॥ : Asleep intoxicated with Maya, people do evil deeds. (sggs 321).
• ਬਿਕਾਰ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਾਦਿ ਸੋਇਓ ਸੂਝ ਬੂਝ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥ : One who remains engrossed in vices or Bikaar and the intoxication of Maya; he does not develop any understanding about the righteous conduct. (sggs 408).

Sleep paralysis can be lumped in two groups: (1) physical sleep paralysis, and (2) spiritual sleep paralysis.

Physical sleep paralysis

The physical sleep paralysis is a form of parasomnia. Those who have experienced an episode of sleep paralysis know that it can be a tormenting experience, which is not easy to forget. Generally, episodes of sleep paralysis are experienced when one is in the process of just falling asleep i.e., (phase pf shallow sleep before deep sleep). In this frightening experience, one feels immobilized, unable to move the body or turn the head, unable to open the mouth to make a sound, unable walk or run, one feel short of breath, one feels tremendous pressure or weight on chest or heart, weighing the body down, one feels fear or danger, etc.

However, it is the spiritual sleep paralysis (i.e., Spiritual unawareness…) the Gurbani wants to draw our attention to.

Spiritual sleep paralysis

Spiritual sleep paralysis is spiritual unawareness — delusion created by the three thought-conditions or the three modes of Maya: Taamas, Raajas, and Saatav.

• ਤਿਹੀ ਗੁਣੀ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ਭ੍ਰਮਿ ਸੁਤਾ ਸੁਤਿਆ ਰੈਣਿ ਵਿਹਾਣੀ ॥ : The entire world is engrossed in three modes of Maya (i.e. three thought-conditions: Taamas, Raajas, Saatav), consequently worldly people pass their life sleeping in delusion. (sggs 920).
• ਰੇ ਜਨ ਉਥਾਰੈ ਦਬਿਓਹੁ ਸੁਤਿਆ ਗਈ ਵਿਹਾਇ ॥ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਿ ਨ ਜਾਗਿਓ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਨ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਚਾਉ ॥: O man! Suppressed under the weight of ‘Outhaarai’, (your life) has passed in sleep (i.e., Spiritual unawareness, etc.). You have not Awaken upon listening to the Satigur’s Shabad; and no (spiritual) Inspiration has welled up within yourself.
• ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਸੁਤੇ ਕਬਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਗਹਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹ ਪਿਆਰ ॥ : (Manmukhs) are asleep in duality, they are attached to Maya, (consequently) they never Awake. (sggs 508).

In the foregoing verses, what’s this pressure or weight the Gurbani is referring to here?

According to the Gurbani (SGGS), this weight consists of Haumai (false ego-sense), doubts, perpetual hunger for Maya, darkness of ignorance (Agiaantaa), demerits, trickery, Bikaar (i.e. lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride), Manmukh-Saakat-Mayadhaaree lifestyle, body-consciousness, listening or reading the Gurbani without understanding and implementation etc. The Gurbani confirms all this:

• ਹਉਮੈ ਮੋਹ ਭਰਮ ਭੈ ਭਾਰ ॥: Egotism, attachment, doubt and fear are loads. (sggs 292).
• ਲਬੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਮੁਚੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਕਮਾਵਹਿ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਉਠਾਵਹਿ ਭਾਰੋ ॥: You practice greed, avarice and great falsehood (i.e. all Bikaar), and you carry such a heavy burden (sggs 154).
• ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਬਿਖੁ ਬਜਰੁ ਭਾਰੁ ॥: The burden of lust, anger and corruption (i.e. all Bikaar) is unbearable (sggs 1187).
• ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਹੈ ਬਿਖਮੁ ਅਤਿ ਭਾਰੀ ॥: Attachment to Maya is ignorance; it is terrible and very heavy load. (sggs 509).
• ਗੁਣ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਿਖੁ ਲਦਿਆ ਅਵਗੁਣ ਕਾ ਵਣਜਾਰੋ ॥੩॥: Forsaking Virtues, (the wicked person) has loaded (himself) with the poison of demerits; he keeps trading with demerits (in his entire life in this world). ||3|| (sggs 580).
• ਮਨਮੁਖ ਪਾਖੰਡਿ ਭਰਮਿ ਵਿਗੂਤੇ ਲੋਭ ਲਹਰਿ ਨਾਵ ਭਾਰਿ ਬੁਡਈਆ ॥: The hypocritical Manmukhs (followers of their perplexed mind) are ruined by doubt; their heavily loaded boat (of life – loaded with Bikaar…) sinks in the waves of greed (sggs 834).
• ਬਹੁਤੁ ਸਿਆਣਪ ਆਗਲ ਭਾਰਾ ॥: Through clever tricks (performed in the love of Maya), the weight (of Bikaar) is only piled on more and more (sggs 178).
• ਪੰਡਿਤ ਇਸੁ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ ਅਵਰੁ ਕਿ ਬਹੁਤਾ ਪੜਹਿ ਉਠਾਵਹਿ ਭਾਰੁ ॥: O Pandit! Reflect on this mind (of yours). (Instead of reflecting on your mind) whatever you read is just carrying the load (of egotism on your mind). (sggs 1261).

The Gurbani tells us these loads have crippled us humans and as a result we suffer!

However this human life is a golden opportunity to unload ourselves. Choice is ours. Either we can chose to carry these loads around and continue suffering rest of the life, or we can chose to end it here and now.

• ਜਉ ਲਉ ਪੋਟ ਉਠਾਈ ਚਲਿਅਉ ਤਉ ਲਉ ਡਾਨ ਭਰੇ ॥ ਪੋਟ ਡਾਰਿ ਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਤਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਰਭਏ ॥੪॥੧॥੧੫੯॥: As long as I walked along, carrying the load, I continued to suffer. (But) O Nanak! Meeting the Perfect Guru (i.e., Realizing Aatam-Giaan, Gur-Giaan, Shabad-Upadesh…), I unloaded myself and became fearless. ||4||1||159|| (sggs 214).

Reorienting the slumbering mind

The Gurbani urges us to Wake up and Arise from this perpetual slumber – bewitchment of Maya.

• ਜਾਗ ਲੇਹੁ ਰੇ ਮਨਾ ਜਾਗ ਲੇਹੁ ਕਹਾ ਗਾਫਲ ਸੋਇਆ ॥: Wake up, O mind! Wake up! Why are you sleeping unaware? (sggs 726).

But, how can the slumbering mind fascinated by Maya be reoriented to the Real Purpose of human life – realization of the Creator within (Virtues)? In other words, how can the mind’s doubt (i.e. deception, confusion, or delusion) be removed?

• ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਸਭੋ ਜਗੁ ਸੋਇਆ ਇਹੁ ਭਰਮੁ ਕਹਹੁ ਕਿਉ ਜਾਈ ॥: In attachment to Maya, all the world is asleep. Tell (me), how can this doubt be dispelled? (sggs 205).

According to the Gurbani, detachment (‘Bairaag-ਬੈਰਾਗ’) is the key. Attachment clouds our sense of discrimination (Bibek Budhi or discerning intellect). As a result, we cannot earnestly Reflect on the Gur-Shabad. Detachment makes us introspective and discriminative, leading to Virtues. The reflective mind with the subtle sense of discrimination helps us to know the difference between Sat and Asat (truth and falsehood, eternal and temporary etc.).

• ਬਿਨੁ ਬੈਰਾਗ ਨ ਛੂਟਸਿ ਮਾਇਆ ॥੧॥: Without detachment, Maya cannot be gotten rid of. ||1|| (sggs 329).

In other words, the Gurbani asks us to be in the world, but not of it! The Gurbani teaches us how to develop such detachment:

• ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਅਰਾਧੀਐ ਨਾਮਿ ਰੰਗਿ ਬੈਰਾਗੁ ॥: Through the Gur-Shabad, adore the Naam (Wisdom / Virtues); with such affection, detachment (wells up in the mind). (sggs 1425).

The Divine Wisdom of the Gur-Shabad is All-powerful to Awaken the slumbering mind, if properly UNDERSTOOD and APPLIED!

• ਅਗਿਆਨਿ ਲਾਇ ਸਵਾਲਿਆ ਗੁਰ ਗਿਆਨੈ ਲਾਇ ਜਗਾਵੈਗੋ ॥: Attached to ignorance, (people are) caused to sleep (to Maya…); attached to the Gur’s spiritual Wisdom, (they are) Awaken (sggs 1308).

Once the mind is unburdened of the ‘crushing load’, it becomes light (‘ਹਰੂਏ-Harooay‘), fit to cross over the Bhav Saagar (the ocean of Maya); while rest of us just keep chasing mirage! Consider the following Salok of Bhagat Kabeer Sahib:

• ਕਬੀਰ ਬੇੜਾ ਜਰਜਰਾ ਫੂਟੇ ਛੇਂਕ ਹਜਾਰ ॥ ਹਰੂਏ ਹਰੂਏ ਤਿਰਿ ਗਏ ਡੂਬੇ ਜਿਨ ਸਿਰ ਭਾਰ ॥੩੫॥ : Kabeer, if the boat is old, and it has thousands of holes it ultimately sinks in the ocean – this word is like an ocean and human life is like a boat in it. If this boat of human life is full of ‘holes’ of vices/Bikaar then it is sure to sink (spiritually ruined). Only ‘ਹਰੂਏ ਹਰੂਏ’ – those who carry light load (i.e. without vices/Bikaar) – swim across this ocean of worldliness, whereas those who carry the load of vices/Bikaar are drowned (in this worldly ocean of temptations and their corrupting influences). ||35|| (sggs 1366).

Who is truly Awake?

A truly Awaken Mind is called a Gurmukh in the Gurbani. Hence, the Gurbani urges us to become the Gurmukh Mindset, so the mind can become fearless and leave the ‘Trikutee-ਤ੍ਰਿਕੁਟੀ’ and come to rest within – ‘Nij Ghar‘.

• ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸੋਈ ਸਾਰੁ : To be awake as Gurmukh is the Essence (of Wakefulness). (sggs 1194).
• ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਭਗਤੀ ਜਾਗੇ ॥: United with Bhagti, the mind of the Gurmukh remains Awakened (sggs 415).

In short, a Gurmukh (Bhagat, Daas, Jan…) is an Enlightened Mind, brave, virtuous, fearless, blissful (Anand), pious, Joyful, positive. (ਵਿਦਵਾਨ, ਬਹਾਦੁਰ, ਭਲਾ, ਨੇਕ, ਗੁਣੀ, ਖੁਸ਼, ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ ਵਿਚ…). — reveling in the deep reservoir of the Gurbani’s Wisdom, Enlightened (‘Kheevaa-ਖੀਵਾ’).

• ਭੋਰ ਭਰਮ ਕਾਟੇ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਗਿਆਨ ਅੰਜਨ ਮਿਲਿ ਸੋਵਤ ਜਾਗੀ ॥੧॥: O ‘Prabh’ (Mool, Source, Jot, Hari…)! By remembering You applying the ointment of spiritual Wisdom, every trace of (my) doubt is effaced and (I am) awakened from my sleep (of Maya). ||1||