Refers to the early evolutionary stage of humanity where dreams served as the waking state and individuals adapted to the physical body through mental rehearsals, as well as the modern state of unconscious physiological activity caused by the blocked return of consciousness.
1970-1971 · Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the SoulAI summary (single book)
In Seth Speaks, Seth offers a unique and profound exposition of the concept of "sleepwalking." He closely links it with humanity's current sleeping habits, the physiological needs of the body, and the cross-dimensional travels of consciousness during the sleeping state.
The core mechanism producing sleepwalking
Seth points out that sleepwalking is to a large extent related to humanity's current sleeping habits. When people follow a continuous sleep pattern of eight to ten hours, this leads to certain intense neurotic behaviors, sleepwalking being one of them .
The specific operating mechanism is as follows:
(1) The obstruction of consciousness's return and hypnotic suggestion: During sleep, a large part of consciousness actually leaves the body to undertake cross-dimensional travel . When consciousness wants to return to the body, it is hypnotized by the idea that "the body cannot be awakened" .
(2) The takeover by nervous energy and muscular arousal: Because the body has already been inactive for a long time, the body itself knows that continued immobility will lead to severe muscle cramps. At this point, surplus nervous energy takes over the body and arouses the muscles into physical activity . Therefore, sleepwalking is actually unconscious muscular activity carried out by the body for self-protection when consciousness has not fully awakened and taken over.
The out-of-body travel of consciousness and the body left behind
To understand sleepwalking, one must understand the mobility of consciousness during sleep.
(1) The body consciousness left behind: When the main creative self leaves the body, the body is not empty. The simple consciousness of atoms and cells, that is, the body consciousness, always remains in the body, maintaining the operation of the physical mechanism .
(2) Cross-dimensional travel and multidimensional activity: During sleep, consciousness freed from physical focus enters the more natural dream reality. There, people listen to the instructions of the Speakers, choose probable actions, converse with deceased relatives and friends, and even travel through space without taking time . This out-of-body state cannot be directly tracked through brain wave patterns (EEG); only at the moment of leaving and returning may special patterns appear .
(3) The physical translation upon return: When consciousness suddenly returns to the body, it is often translated by the flesh as a "falling sensation" . In the case of sleepwalking, this return process is distorted by the hypnotic suggestion of "not being able to wake up," leading to a disconnection between consciousness and physical activity .
The influence of sleep patterns on sleepwalking and physical and mental health
Seth strongly recommends changing existing sleep and eating patterns in order to resolve many physical and mental problems, including sleepwalking:
(1) The drawbacks of prolonged inactivity: Continuous sleep of more than six to eight hours is harmful to the body. This not only leaves the body in a state of "starvation" at night and accelerates aging, but also increases the sense of strangeness and alienation between the waking self and the sleeping self . Many illnesses and neurotic behaviors, such as sleepwalking, are precisely caused by this prolonged inactivity and the singleness of attention focus .
(2) The benefits of segmented sleep: Seth advocates adopting segmented sleep, such as sleeping four to five hours at a time, supplemented by one or two naps, and eating small amounts during the intervals between sleep . This pattern allows the body to obtain more frequent rest and renewal, and makes consciousness more flexible. In this state, the boundaries between selves are no longer so rigid, and muscular and nervous problems such as sleepwalking caused by "the body remaining motionless for a long time" will largely be overcome .
In summary, in Seth Speaks, the sleepwalker is not merely a pathological phenomenon of walking in dreams, but rather a special state of mind-body dissociation in which consciousness, after cross-dimensional travel, encounters the hypnotic restriction of "not being able to wake up" when attempting to return to the physical body, while the body, in order to avoid cramps caused by prolonged inactivity, is driven by surplus nervous energy into muscular activity. By adjusting sleep patterns and promoting the mobility of consciousness and the integration of the self, this phenomenon can be effectively improved.
1972-1973 · The Nature of Personal RealityAI summary (single book)
In The Nature of Personal Reality, through an in-depth exploration of the relationships among sleep, dreams, waking consciousness, and the unconscious, the mechanisms by which consciousness flows, is blocked, and becomes integrated across different states are clarified, and this constitutes the core background for understanding the evolution of states of consciousness:
The state of grace and the evolution of consciousness
In animals, the state of grace is unconscious and protected; they rely on instinctual memory for support and cannot use conscious memory for association or review as humans can . Humans, however, possess a highly free conscious mind that can deviate from or deny the inner joy of existence. In order to operate effectively within a new focus of awareness, human grace must expand from the life of the tissues to the life of feeling, thought, and the processes of the intellect . Conscious thought, as the director of unconscious activity, provides a feedback system between consciousness and the unconscious, used to test and alter the nature of experience .
The connective role of sleep and dreams
In the natural relationship between mind and body, the sleeping state plays the role of the great connector and interpreter, allowing conscious and unconscious material to flow freely, so that outer difficulties and inner problems can be resolved in the dream state . Modern humans, however, because of personal and collective beliefs, have created a great division between waking and sleeping life . Maintaining waking conscious activity for long periods does not conform to the natural inclinations of the human organism; this cuts off the spontaneous negotiation between conscious and unconscious material, makes the unconscious and the conscious increasingly strange to each other, and places enormous stress on the mind-body relationship .
The obstruction of consciousness's return and the drawbacks of unconscious projection
When the balance between consciousness and the unconscious is broken, distorted ideas about the unconscious and emotional repression interfere with the nervous system, producing energy blockages and even leading to neurosis or mental disorder . In this state, people fear the brilliant, creative, and spontaneous feelings that emerge from the unconscious, and project them outward onto enemies, other races, or faiths, and even attempt to inspect and repress them in dreams .
The integration of consciousness across boundaries
To break down this division, humans can bring the normal conscious "I" into the dream state and recognize that the dreaming "I" and the waking "I" are the same. This practice can open the channels of communication between waking and dreaming reality, release energy, and enable one to use the wisdom of the unconscious to unify the entire life situation . When the conscious mind reaches the greatest and most stable balance with the other levels of the mind and body, a physiological and spiritual "state of grace or illumination" occurs .
1974-1975 · The "Unknown" Reality, Volume TwoAI summary (single book)
In The "Unknown" Reality Vol 2, Seth discusses the concept of "sleepwalkers" in depth, mainly from two dimensions: the physiological mechanism of the modern phenomenon of sleepwalking and the special species state in the early stage of human evolution.
The modern phenomenon of sleepwalking and the autonomy of body consciousness
Seth points out that in certain circumstances, when the "primary consciousness" of a human being leaves the body, the body still has the ability to maintain its own balance. This phenomenon actually occurs at certain levels of the sleeping state.
(1) The withdrawal of primary consciousness and the autonomous operation of the body: During sleepwalking, the body is active, but the primary consciousness has not awakened and is not operating the body; it is elsewhere. At this time, the body is able to perform various tasks and often displays an astonishing sense of balance. This skill hints at bodily abilities that humans ordinarily do not use. In normal waking life, the primary consciousness often hinders the body from displaying such superb manipulative ability because of the beliefs it holds .
(2) The "mindless" characteristic of body consciousness: Body consciousness, like that of animals, is fully equipped and can perform wonderfully within its environment. Although it appears not to use reason, and is therefore often called "mindless" by humans, it actually possesses a perfectly functioning balance and coordination .
The "sleepwalker" stage in evolutionary history
Seth further extends this mechanism to the history of human evolution, pointing out that there once existed a kind of early human with a special nature who could be called "sleepwalkers."
(1) A species state lacking ego-directed consciousness: These early humans possessed a perfectly functioning body consciousness, were born without defects, and had no diseases at all, but they did not have the kind of "overriding ego-directed consciousness" that modern humans possess. From the perspective of modern people, they were like "sleepwalkers" .
(2) Superior bodily abilities and a different kind of awareness: Although called sleepwalkers, their bodily abilities far surpassed those of modern humans, and they possessed physical skills as agile as those of animals. They were not without consciousness, but dealt with "a different kind of awareness" .
(3) The separation of the focus of consciousness and the invention of time: The primary focus of consciousness of these early sleepwalkers was elsewhere, existing in another reality, separate from their physical manifestation. Their primary consciousness was almost unaware of the bodies they had created. However, even these bodies continually learned through "experience" and began gradually to "wake up," becoming aware of themselves, and then began to discover or create "time" .
The uniqueness of the concept and related background
(1) An answer to the "unconscious species state": This discussion of "sleepwalkers" answers the question of whether humanity ever passed through an "unconscious species state." Through the concept of sleepwalkers, Seth clarifies that this state was not truly unconscious, but rather a separation of the focus of consciousness from physical activity .
(2) The connection with "centuries of inactivity": Seth's description of sleepwalkers is internally connected with the "centuries of inactivity" he mentions in related chapters, revealing the spiritual rehearsal and transitional stage that humanity underwent before fully adapting to the flesh and establishing modern self-consciousness .
Mike's commentary (Chinese)Mike's commentary
《梦、进化与价值完成》解读 · Chapter 8831 related passage in this chapter
In Seth's philosophy, "sleepwalkers" is a dual core concept that spans individual physiological mechanisms and the grand evolutionary history of humanity. On the individual physiological level, it refers to a specific state of mind-body dissociation under unreasonable, continuous sleep patterns, where consciousness is blocked from returning to the physical body after cross-dimensional travel, causing the body—under the hypnotic suggestion that it "cannot awaken"—to drive the muscles with excess neural energy for self-protective activity . On the level of human evolution, it refers to the ancestral state of early Earth—a transitional phase when humans used dreams as their primary "waking" and creative reality, gradually learning to adapt to gravity, time, space, and various physiological functions through mental rehearsals in dreams before the physical body was fully proficient in its operations .
II. Key Expositions
1. "Sleepwalkers" in Evolutionary History: Humanity's Childhood and Spiritual Foundation
At the beginning of the world, individualized consciousness had just emerged from the immense subjectivity of All That Is, and while enjoying its individuality, it also possessed a supportive connection of oneness with its source . These early human members were the "sleepwalkers," whose primary focus was still cloaked in early subjectivity, and they are humanity's true ancestors .
During that period, physical space had the quality of dream space today, being private at first and only gradually becoming a publicly shared attribute . At that time, the primary focus of consciousness was not physical. What we now consider "dreams" was actually the "waking state" then, because those were the recognized forms of purposeful action, creativity, and power . Humanity as a species actually learned to walk by first being "sleepwalkers" . The true life of the sleepwalkers was what is now called dreaming; they performed mental work in sleep, constructing brilliant images in their individual and collective mental endeavors, forming a spiritual treasury that later humanity could draw upon, and in this state, they formed the patterns through which physical life could flow .
Although humans and other species at that time were called "sleepwalkers," their bodies were already physically functional, though they did not yet know how to use them properly . Unable to bear over-identifying with the body before learning to survive, these new bodies and earth-oriented consciousnesses began the actual process of life by mentally rehearsing all parts of the body in dreams. They had to learn to cope with gravity, space and time, to manipulate in a world of objects, and to learn biological operations such as breathing and digesting food . Furthermore, sleepwalking was a very common experience at that time. Through sleepwalking, the inner ego was actually teaching the physical body how to walk, thereby preventing the newly emerging, physically oriented intellect from blocking the body's smooth, spontaneous movement by asking too many questions .
After forms became fully physicalized, all species continued to operate as sleepwalkers for many centuries . During this period, the work of combining nonphysical consciousness with physical matter was accomplished, such as stabilizing the effects of gravity and allowing the seasons to present rhythms best suited to various living things . The highest and most initiatory mental activities (including bodily functions, relationship to the environment, balance, and temperature) were learned and exercised in dreams. Subsequently, humanity, along with other species, began to awaken more fully to the physical world, developing the outer senses and intersecting more precisely with space and time .
2. "Sleepwalking" in Modern Physiology: Distortion of Consciousness Return and Self-Protection of the Body
In modern human life, sleepwalking presents different physiological and conscious mechanisms. Seth points out that sleepwalking is largely related to humanity's current sleep habits. When people follow continuous sleep patterns of eight to ten hours, it leads to certain intense neurotic behaviors, of which sleepwalking is one .
During sleep, a large portion of consciousness actually leaves the body for cross-dimensional travel . When consciousness wants to return to the body, it is hypnotized by the idea that "the body must not be awakened" . Since the body has been inactive for a long time, the body itself knows that continued immobility will lead to severe muscle cramps. At this point, excess neural energy takes over the body and arouses the muscles for physical activity . Therefore, sleepwalking is actually an unconscious muscular activity performed by the body for self-protection when consciousness has not fully awakened to take over.
When the primary creative ego leaves the body, the body is not empty. The simple consciousness of atoms and cells (i.e., the body consciousness) always remains in the body, maintaining the physical machinery . In sleep, consciousness detached from physical focus enters a more natural dream reality. Here, one listens to the guidance of the "speakers," chooses actions of probabilities, converses with deceased relatives and friends, and even travels through space without taking up time . This state of astral projection cannot be directly tracked through brainwave patterns (EEG); only at the moments of departure and return might a special pattern be revealed . When consciousness suddenly returns to the body, it is often translated by the physical body as a "falling sensation" . In the case of sleepwalking, this return process is distorted by the hypnotic suggestion of "not waking up," leading to a disconnection between consciousness and physical activity .
III. Evolutionary Context
Seth's exposition of the concept of "sleepwalkers" demonstrates a profound expansion of his thought system from individual physiological mechanisms to a grand cosmic evolutionary history.
In the early work Seth Speaks (1970-1971), Seth analyzed "sleepwalking" primarily from the perspectives of individual physiology, astral projection of consciousness, and modern sleep habits. At this stage, sleepwalking was defined as a phenomenon of mind-body dissociation caused by unreasonable, continuous sleep patterns (such as sleeping eight to ten hours continuously) and the hypnotic suggestion of "not being able to be awakened" . Seth emphasized at this stage how to overcome this neurotic behavior by adjusting sleep patterns (such as segmented sleep) .
In the later work Dreams, "Evolution" and Value Fulfillment, Volume I (1979-1980), Seth elevated the concept of "sleepwalkers" into a grand evolutionary concept. Sleepwalkers were no longer merely a pathology or physiological disorder, but the state of existence of humanity and other species in the early days of the Earth. In this stage, dreams were the true waking state, and humans learned physical survival, rehearsed bodily functions, and completed the great combination of nonphysical consciousness and physical matter through "sleepwalking" .
This evolutionary context shows that Seth did not negate his earlier physiological explanations, but rather integrated them into a broader framework: modern sleepwalking is actually a distorted remnant of early humanity's "sleepwalking" state within modern physiological structures. In the early days, sleepwalking was a natural mechanism by which the inner ego taught the body spontaneous movement ; whereas in modern times, due to the severe alienation between the waking ego and the sleeping ego, this mechanism has evolved into a pathological mind-body disconnection under improper sleep patterns .
IV. Relationship with Related Concepts
Body Consciousness: In the state of sleepwalking, the primary creative ego (consciousness) has already projected out of the body for cross-dimensional travel , while the "body consciousness" (the simple consciousness of atoms and cells) remaining in the body is responsible for maintaining the physical machinery . When the body faces the danger of cramping due to prolonged immobility, it is the body consciousness and excess neural energy that take over muscle activity, demonstrating the body's amazing capacity for self-protection and spontaneous regulation .
Speakers and Dream Reality: In sleep, consciousness detached from physical focus enters the dream reality, listening to the guidance of the "speakers" and engaging in multidimensional activities . For the early "sleepwalkers," the dream reality was their waking world, in which they constructed humanity's spiritual treasury .
Segmented Sleep: Seth points out that the root of modern sleepwalking lies in the burden placed on the body by continuous sleep exceeding six to eight hours . By adopting segmented sleep (such as sleeping four to five hours at a time, combined with naps), the flexibility of consciousness can be enhanced, and the alienation between the waking and sleeping egos can be eliminated, thereby largely overcoming mind-body issues such as sleepwalking .
V. Representative Original Quotations
"You walked in your dreams. You dreamed your language, and then, in your so-called waking state, you spoke it. You dreamed your inventions, and then manufactured them in the physical world."
"At the beginning of the world, individualized consciousness was in the immense subjectivity of All That Is... These early human members were the 'sleepwalkers,' whose primary focus was still cloaked in early subjectivity, and they are your true ancestors."
"When consciousness wants to return to the body, it is hypnotized by the idea that 'the body must not be awakened'... At this point, excess neural energy takes over the body and arouses the muscles for physical activity."