Hello and please help with 2.5

[theory of one]

Hello

I'm new here though I've been lurking about for awhile.

I've very recently started having bouts of insomnia. My health is good though much has been going on in my head recently. I've always been a sound sleeper but on and off lately I've been unable to click into "sleep". It dos'nt matter if I'm tired or not or what I'm thinking of or not thinking while I'm trying to sleep. This is very mysterious to me.

I've consulted the oracle about it and amazingly I've recieved the exact same reading twice in a row for only slightly differnt questions. First question was "what can I do about the insomnia?" second was just a general "talk to me about the insomnia".

The reading given is hexagram 2 with the fifth line moving. I've little clue as to the meaning as line 5 referers to lucky yellow undergarments. It seems like it's telling me that something is changing on a deeper level?

Any help or insight that any of you could give me would be most helpfull. I have Karchers total I ching and also the Huang translation.

Thanks a lot!


Mike

[bruce_g]

Interesting reading. With so many ways to come at this, let me offer this thought.

Hex. 2 is the physical plain, and you are existing on the highest safe level of that plain (line 5). Or, in other words, you are soaring in your body.

Your relating hexagram is 8: that which holds yourself together. This includes the idea of containment within yourself. This appears to be the action you can take to manage this bout of insomnia, ie: keep it together.

Btw, welcome to the awake at night club, and to the forum.

[theory of one]

Hi Bruce

Thank You for the warm welcome!

Your take is enlightening ... currently I'm experiencing myself as awareness trapped in my body while I'm trying to sleep. The state is very much like meditation in that the space between thoughts becomes imense and I am still consious. A trippy state and certainly worthwhile as meditation but I'd rather be snoozing..

I did not have access to Huang eailier today when I did the reading. He does give a bit more insight to the fifth moving line. Looks like i'll digging a little bit into hex 8.

Thanks again!!


Mike

[bruce_g]

Mike,

I have that same experience! I’ve tried explaining it to others before but it comes out like just another spacey mind trip.

Is it like this?

I find myself in it just seconds (or less?) before falling into sleep; it’s like I wake up in the state of sleep, but it’s not the same as lucid dreaming. They say it’s impossible to stop the stream of thoughts, even when in deep meditation. But in this place time seems to stand still, and when times stands still, so does the stream of thoughts, pictures or inner dialogue – and all the while I am fully conscious. At that point I can choose to move the stream or keep it still. If I stay there, however, I will wake up and then will have trouble falling into sleep. So I’ll usually hang there for only a few minutes, and then let it go and fall asleep. There is no sense of need to do anything with it, and I think if I did, it would immediately stop.

I've tried practicing (meditating) my way into this state but have never managed to approach it. I find myself in it as though by accident; I only need catch it when it comes.

Does this sound familar?

[dobro]

"I've consulted the oracle about it and amazingly I've recieved the exact same reading twice in a row for only slightly differnt questions. First question was "what can I do about the insomnia?" second was just a general "talk to me about the insomnia".

The reading given is hexagram 2 with the fifth line moving. I've little clue as to the meaning as line 5 referers to lucky yellow undergarments. It seems like it's telling me that something is changing on a deeper level?"

Yeah, for sure. The Yi's *always* talking about something other than the symbol it uses. Unless the symbol matches your own personal reality, of course lol. But I doubt you're wearing yellow trousers very often these days. Am I right?

But you mentioned the word 'lucky' in your post. If it was me, I'd prefer to say 'very lucky'. Sleep's a deep issue in some ways, the lower part of life in some ways, and balance contributes to good sleep, of course. But whatever the Yi's image stirs up in you (and hex 2 and hex 1 are really rich in imagery and lend themselves to all sorts of meanings in the person who reads them), keep that 'very lucky' in mind. Whatever the cause of your sleep issue, something's going on here which is pretty fortunate for you. Can you find it?

[nicky_p]

Hi Mike,

Having experienced insomnia on and off from about the age of 11 I've tried most things so I thought I might add a practical take based on your 'what to do'

Originally my mum gave me a copy of a meditation tape to relax me but forgot to tell me or send me the blurb of what a meditation tape was and they still laugh at me throwing the headphones across the room in a panic as I could hear voices behind the waves and was convinced that they were trying to brainwash me

I have tried sleeping tablets when I was younger and while the sedative ones do work wonders they also tended to leave me with a drugged dopey feeling during the day as well. I tried some herbal ones that had hops in them I think which 'aided in a more natural drift off' and have less if no noticable effects during the next day.

I've also found that if I have a pleasant static picture in my mind to start the 'stream' it's easier to drift into and so off to sleep.

At the moment I'm in a let nature take it's course stance - my body knows what sleep it wants and forcing it to do anything always back-fires on me As long as I'm not restless and getting frustrated then the muscles and 'body' are getting the rest they need and if I am restless lying there is not doing any good whatsoever - it's almost as if I need to get up and do something to reset the clock and then try again. I've also found that I've 'thought' I've been awake all night and it turns out that I'm sound asleep having a boring dream of being awake

Anyway, hope there is something in there that helps.
And hope that you have happy, trippy dreams
Love
Nicky
xx

[martin]

Interesting. When the cognitive machinery comes to a halt what remains is pure awareness, an empty sky.
The problem, if you want to sleep, is that this awareness can be too hard. Like in that song "I saw the Light, but the Light was much too bright", although that was probably indeed about an LSD trip or something.

For sleep awareness, the Light, needs to soften, to melt.
When you think of yang as hard (or too bright) and of yin as soft, hexagram 2 represents a complete softening. Line 5 emphasizes this even more. The yellow (golden) color that is associated with it has a melting quality.
How to soften, how to melt, how to go completely yin?
Thinking warm, soft, loving thoughts before you fall asleep may help. And breathing low, in the belly region, that also softens.

[theory of one]

Hello All

Thanks for your replies! I was able to get some sleep last night!!! Yay!!

@ Bruce

I have that same experience! I’ve tried explaining it to others before but it comes out like just another spacey mind trip.

Is it like this?

I find myself in it just seconds (or less?) before falling into sleep; it’s like I wake up in the state of sleep, but it’s not the same as lucid dreaming. They say it’s impossible to stop the stream of thoughts, even when in deep meditation. But in this place time seems to stand still, and when times stands still, so does the stream of thoughts, pictures or inner dialog – and all the while I am fully conscious. At that point I can choose to move the stream or keep it still. If I stay there, however, I will wake up and then will have trouble falling into sleep. So I’ll usually hang there for only a few minutes, and then let it go and fall asleep. There is no sense of need to do anything with it, and I think if I did, it would immediately stop.

Bruce it's very similar to the state you describe here. It's not impossible to stop the stream of thoughts IMO just very difficult for an untrained mind to be quite. The state of awareness just is until I start to think again. Funny thing is I've tried and failed to achieve this state by meditating LOL

@ dobro

It doesn't feel lucky. Your right though #2 is a super deep hexagram. I studied it last night for quite awhile. What I came away with is that I need to be in a "following" mode re the changes in my life NOT my usual take no prisoners approach. In other words I need to relax and let life happen to me for awhile...

@ nicky_p

Thank You these ideas do help. I'm afraid of any drug but Mary Jane. I tried some melatonin last night. Did it help I can't say but I did sleep!

At the moment I'm in a let nature take it's course stance - my body knows what sleep it wants and forcing it to do anything always back-fires on me As long as I'm not restless and getting frustrated then the muscles and 'body' are getting the rest they need and if I am restless lying there is not doing any good whatsoever - it's almost as if I need to get up and do something to reset the clock and then try again. I've also found that I've 'thought' I've been awake all night and it turns out that I'm sound asleep having a boring dream of being awake

I think I had that I'm awake dream too! This is great advise and it's the course I've stuck mostly

@ martin

Interesting. When the cognitive machinery comes to a halt what remains is pure awareness, an empty sky.
The problem, if you want to sleep, is that this awareness can be too hard. Like in that song "I saw the Light, but the Light was much too bright", although that was probably indeed about an LSD trip or something.

Dude! You said it! Too hard like a prison!

For sleep awareness, the Light, needs to soften, to melt.
When you think of yang as hard (or too bright) and of yin as soft, hexagram 2 represents a complete softening. Line 5 emphasizes this even more. The yellow (golden) color that is associated with it has a melting quality.
How to soften, how to melt, how to go completely yin?
Thinking warm, soft, loving thoughts before you fall asleep may help. And breathing low, in the belly region, that also softens.

Complete softening IS what I need/needed. I was doing some deep breathing last night. I think it really helped to calm me down as I was anxious about getting to sleep.

I've always slept pretty good. Frankly it's one of the keys to my general good health. After a bout of insomnia two weeks ago and then a repeat this week I was really starting to freakout! I believe that it is life stresses that are bringing it on.


Thanks to all of you so much!


Mike

[bruce_g]

Funny thing is I've tried and failed to achieve this state by meditating

Yes, this is perplexing to me as well. But as with synchronicities, I accept it when it occurs, and then release it.

If you had a history of short sleep cycles, as is my case and possibly Nicky’s as well (both mercurial personalities), I'd say that this is just something to learn to live peacefully with. Not everyone shares the same sleep cycles. But since you typically have no difficulty sleeping according to common sleep cycles, I'd say this is just a passing thing, and the less you worry about it the better you'll sleep.