Let us look at various states of Consciousness or states of mind and see how they are related or not related to Brahmanubhava or Brahmanubhuti. Brahmanubhuti is the direct experience of Brahman.
Let us take up first, deep sleep. Deep sleep, in Sanskrit, is called, sushupti. Sushupti means, becoming one with own Self, attaining oneness with own Self. In deep sleep, and in Brahmanubhava, there are some similarities and some dissimilarities. In deep sleep, there is bliss. The bliss is experienced. In Brahmanubhava also the bliss is experienced. The bliss of Brahmanubhava is nowhere comparable, or very different and higher degree when compared to bliss in deep sleep. Bliss in Brahmanubhava is far greater or much greater than the bliss in deep sleep. Bliss in deep sleep is nowhere comparable to Brahmanubhava. Both are blissful state. In deep sleep, there is undifferentiated Consciousness. You don’t know what is happening outside. You don’t know what is happening inside. In Brahmanubhava also there is undifferentiated Consciousness. But, in deep sleep, there is no awareness of anything. The ignorance, mind, and sense organs have gone to seed conditions/seed state or causal state.
In Brahmanubhava, also, the mind has become tranquil, because of the discrimination the external objects are found to be illusionary. The mind becomes free from the thoughts. When the mind becomes free from the thoughts, it becomes tranquil. And it becomes one with the Self. You can know the presence of the mind if there are objects. Because the mind reflects the objects. If there are no objects, there is no mind. You cannot find out the mind. But, now, in the world, there are so many objects. By proper discriminative intelligence/the Budhi, if understand the true nature of the objects, that they are not real, that they are mithya, then mind becomes thought-free, becomes silent and mind becomes free from ignorance/ajnana, then it becomes one with the Self. Then the bliss experience is Brahmananda, the supreme bliss. The ignorance in the mind is gone.
Whereas, in case of a deep sleep, ignorance is there. Even though the mind has become undifferentiated Consciousness, the mind doesn’t become one with Brahman, because the ignorance is there. Ignorance has gone to seed state. The moment you wake up, the seed comes up and again you feel the separation. So, you go to deep sleep every day, experience bliss, and come back. Again you come back with ignorance. Because you go with ignorance and come back with ignorance. In Brahmanubhava, the ignorance is removed thro’ proper discrimination.
Sleep has a cause. The body gets tired, the mind gets tired, you get into sleep. Whereas, Brahmanubhava is causeless. Because, Brahmanubhava, you are already Brahman. Because of ignorance, you are not recognizing it. The moment ignorance goes, you recognize your true nature as Brahman. The mind becomes one with Brahman. Brahmanubhava is not reversible. Whereas the ignorance in the deep sleep comes up again when you wake up. Even though there is a similarity between Brahmanubhava and deep sleep, Brahmanubhava is totally different. Don’t ever confuse it with deep sleep. The similarity between Brahmanubhava and deep sleep, is, in deep sleep, there is non-duality. There is no other. In Brahmanubhava also there is no other. But, Brahmanubhava ignorance has gone. The mind has become one with Brahman. The non-duality is because ignorance is removed. In deep sleep, non-duality is because the mind has gone into a seed state.
So Brahmanubhava or Brahmanubhuti and deep sleep are totally different. Even though there are similarities. So, at best, we can say, deep sleep is a reminder for us, every day, to attain the Bliss of Brahman. It is a reminder for us. So, go for the Bliss of Brahman. Deep sleep is like a reminder, but it is not real Brahmanubhuti.
Pranams