Eyes are called the windows to the soul in many spiritual traditions.
Sleeping with eyes open can thus be interpreted as a practice of vigilance in spirit.
So, in my opinion, this state can be seen as proof that even when the physical body is at rest, your inner self is awake and still connected to the divine realm.
It speaks to me of a wakefulness deeper than that you experience in normal states.
It is a spiritual condition that may be perceived as an invitation to some states of existence.
It may be a validation that when we sleep, our soul does not stop as well in this journey, but it continues to intersect with the spirit world and retrieves lessons and advice.
It is about the balance
It is necessary to find equilibrium in physical resting and spiritual awakening.
And when that delicate balance is disturbed, sleeping with eyes open can be a result.
The physical body has its own needs — it must rest, renew and heal.
On the other hand, attaining enlightenment requires constant attention and awareness in pursuit of the soul.
I have always been enthralled at how connected our bodies are to the spirit that lives in them but also both need different ways of tending.
To me, it is the most fitting analogy for this delicate equilibrium when I think of sleeping with my eyes open.
Literally, so they can recover and rebuild themselves with the energy used by them during the day.
Our physical health suffers without proper sleep.
However, the spiritual side of life complicates that.
Unlike the body, the soul does not work in cycles of activity and rest.
A spiritual awakening asks for a state of awareness, an openness to understanding the finer details that the universe is telling us.
This is an eternal journey that continues even while we sleep every night. In this sense, the ongoing spiritual work is a vigilance that suggests that even in moments of perceived dormancy or unconscious life — our spirit remains awake and busy.
Sleeping with eyes open is a potent symbol of what goes on simultaneously.
It is as if our soul, ever striving for enlightenment, will not rest completely. It reminds us that spiritual growth is in progress.
There is something deep within us, always striving to learn, even when our physical body seems at rest.
It is an admission that our spiritual path does not come with a quit button.
This is the never-ending process of being who we already are.
It is about the intersection of dreams and waking life
I have always been intrigued by the nature of dreams, a form of communication between our conscious and subconscious.
They provide windows into the most hidden aspects of our minds – truths, fears and desires one might only half-hiddenly admit to while awake.
The idea of sleeping with eyes open resonates as an apt metaphor for the thin line that divides our dreams from reality.
What this phenomenon indicates is that the learning and information we gain during our sleeping hours may be just as important as those given to us while awake.
In so many spiritual traditions, dreams are treated as a means to connect with the divine.
They are seen as times when the soul can communicate directly with the spirit without interference from our rational mind.
They guide us, they heal us, and dreams can be one of the ways our mind speaks to our conscious selves.
Sleeping with eyes open is a way to be more receptive-a signal that consciousness or our mental awareness remains aligned despite the physical shutdown.
This state may indicate a greater linkage to our conscious and subconscious minds.
Sooner or later, we have all had experiences of intuitive knowing — and the wakeful ones among us treasure such wayside wisdom as invaluable.
It is when we sleep with eyes open that it seems to keep a conduit through which all this wisdom can flow.
This seamless flow of consciousness is the way we can live, and on our spiritual journey it is totally possible to connect us across this integration.
This feels like an indication that dream world wisdom is not only buried in the depths of sleep but woven throughout the waking hours.
This ongoing conversation between our dreaming and waking lives can be a road map, providing little signs along the way that lead us to better self-awareness and spiritual development.
We are engaging in a continuous dialogue with our unconscious where the guidance of dreams influences and molds what we do when awake.
This reinforces the idea I have held of our spiritual path as meant to be one expressed in the whole.
There are no cleanly cleaved segments of dark and light, asleep or awake. It is a dynamic, continuous experience by which every moment we encounter adds to our total transformation and clarity, whether in the state of dreaming or within waking reality.
It is about the third eye
I have always found the idea of a third eye very intriguing, especially with how it plays out among various spiritual practices. The third eye is the center of our intuition.
It marks our higher consciousness that takes us beyond what is obvious into a realm of deeper truths.
For some reason, sleeping with eyes open seems to activate the third eye.
For me, discovering the third eye has included accepting that there is more to this world than meets the literal, physical eye.
The third eye is our inner vision, the part of us that sees beneath the surface what truly lies behind all life.
As the third eye opens, we are able to perceive a wider spectrum of consciousness.
We experience these as dreams appearing to send messages from other realms, intuitive hits that lead to our choices and a sense of deep knowing, which is ancient yet personally unique.
In a way, sleeping with eyes open is like experiencing working hours (and then some) and never letting the office shut down. The body seems almost mimicking the soul’s intention to stay alert and conscious, even during rest.
This state can be represented as an active and open third eye, which means that our spiritual senses are awake and operating even without us knowing.
This state taught me even more about pure spiritual vision. In other words, this is not merely about mystical visions or deep insights.
It is a practice, something we are doing again and again through which we fine-tune the subtler frequencies of existence.
When the third eye is awake, it allows us to see how all things are connected; we can become sensitive to our interactions and experiences and learn more about what lives in that subtle world of energies or intentions.
The most interesting quality of the third eye is how it strengthens our intuition.
This inner guidance system kicks into high gear, sending us “gut feelings” that are both sudden and deeply felt.
Let go enough to listen to what your instincts are guiding you towards instead of ordering them with the loud voice in your mind, and much better things will make their way into your life.
The third eye seems to guide us also like a simple compass, in the direction of our true north: through life with sharp simplicity and purpose.
The duty of the third eye also takes into its hands to leverage our dreams.
In this state, our dreams can be more clear and significant as they serve to bridge the gap between awakened reality and that of the subconscious.
They carry symbols and messages, which, when interpreted, give us invaluable advice and insight into our waking lives.
Sleeping with eyes open can hence be considered as a state where this bridge is kept up and alive, ensuring that the intelligence of our dream world continues to naturally pour in on top of our awareness.
It is about the light and darkness
In spiritual discussion, light and darkness are highly symbolic.
This introduces us to these symbols in the form of sleeping with eyes open, implying an interesting bond with light and dark.
While the body is at rest in darkness, with the eyes opened they are exposed to light-brightness refers to a state of spiritual illumination despite being still physically asleep.
Such duality may reflect the interplay of enlightenment with ignorance.
True spiritual growth does not only allow light to become alive in you but welcomes all the darkness as well.
I’m Bulgarea Candin Stefan and I have started Spiritual Whirlwinds to pass my learnings from my spiritual journey. Spiritualwhirlwinds.com provides a space of spiritual awakening with guided meditations, e-books, mantras, and pendulum readings.
