Open intelligence during your sleep is an important truth that many people are not aware or conscious of. In this chapter, Candice O'Denver discusses how one can become more connected with this reality.

1. OPEN INTELLIGENCE IN SLEEP AND DREAMS !
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Most of us haven’t really thought too much about dreams and sleep. We feel that when we go to
sleep we’re not really consciously present at all, and when we are dreaming all kinds of things
happen and we have no control over them whatsoever. However, by gaining certainty in open
intelligence all of our data—whether they are in waking, dreaming or sleeping—come to our
assistance in seeing things as they truly are.!
!
When data—including those of our own body and mind—appear in dreams, they seem to be
real and independently existing, but they are not. Maybe in one dream we’ve gone through
some horrendous experience, but in another dream we have something great happen; however,
whether it’s a negative dream or a positive dream, they’re equally insubstantial. That is such a
great teaching that leads us to see our daytime appearances with much more discernment. !
Birth, life, death, waking, dreaming and sleeping are a continuum of open intelligence. The more
we instinctively recognize open intelligence, the more this will be clear to us, and the more we
will have the same kind of understanding about our daytime experiences that we have about our
dreams. !
!
A way to be introduced to this understanding is to maintain open intelligence when you go to
sleep. As you fall asleep, notice that the data become more subtle. They pass into a condition
that is more dreamlike, even though you are superficially awake. You can still identify yourself
as being awake even though there are sequences of data that are phantasmagoric. What you
have identified as your body and mind are sleeping in your bed, but open intelligence is still
wide awake, vivid and alert. That is particularly convincing, because most of us have felt very
powerless in the face of dreams and sleep.!
!
Instead of getting wrapped up in describing the subtle data or the phantasmagoric images that
occur in a dream, the focus is on maintaining open intelligence. At that point there is only lucid
open intelligence without anything else. You might recognize that you are asleep, and there
might be some images appearing, but you can recognize that, even though you are asleep,
you’re aware. Open intelligence is aware of sleeping and of dreams. You as a sleeper and
dreamer are the self-manifestation of open intelligence. !
!
This experience you have at night is also extremely convincing in terms of the data you have
during the day. You have now transmuted these two states of sleep and dreams into their true
clarity-nature of open intelligence. With this insight you won’t feel so affected by the data that
occur during the day. !
!
It is important to recognize that this practice is not necessary for gaining certainty in open
intelligence. It’s a very convincing and authoritative practice, but it’s nothing to get all wrapped
up in. What’s most important is to identify open intelligence as your bare state of naturalness all
the time. !