Page:The Science of Religion (1925).djvu/95

Rh By undergoing regularly the processes of meditation till they become a habit, we can bring upon ourselves a state of conscious sleep. We generally experience this calm and pleasurable tranquil state just when we are falling into deep sleep and approaching unconsciousness, or rising from it and approaching consciousness. In this state of conscious sleep we become free from all thoughts and outer bodily sensations, and the self gets time to think of itself—it comes into the blissful state from time to time, according to the depth and frequency of its practice of meditation. In this state we are utterly forgetful of and free from all bodily and mental disturbances which divert the self’s attention. By this process of meditation the outer organs are controlled by the controlling of the voluntary nerves, as in sleep.

But the process of meditation has also its drawbacks and defects. By this process, just as in sleep, we learn to control only our outer