Three Layers

Every human being is composed of three bodies or Spirits. Each body is then comprised of two subtle substances (latifa, plural latayef).

al-nufs al-amara: a.k.a. Animal Soul, lower Self, ruh hevani =Soul(nafs)+ Heart(qalb).

al-nufs al-lawwama: a.k.a. Human Soul, Ego, ruh insani= Spirit (ruh) + Consciousness (sirr).

al-nafs a!- mutma'inna a.k.a. Contented Soul, Higher Self, ruh azam - Mystery (khafi)+Arcanum(akhfa).

These six subtle substances (or chakra, which we are going to call spheres) are further divided into six more layers of light and pure light (nur). From the three waves of light, diurnal senses are formed while through three pure-light (nur) waves nocturnal senses are formed. The layers of light are necessary for the diurnal senses while the pure-light waves are needed for the functioning of the nocturnal life.

Every one of us wakes up after sleeping. After waking up when our eves first open, we enter into the conscious senses. We can call this state as semi-awakening. What we mean by semi-awakening is that during this stage we are not yet fully entered into consciousness. However, the moment we wake up from sleeping and enter the first state of awaken­ing, our soul is inundated by thoughts and actions; meaning that the awakened styles of thoughts and actions start flowing collectively.

After semi-awakening the second stage starts. During this stage, our mental alertness deepens. As it deepens the drowsiness that our brain feels, ends. During this stage, we enter into the state of exhilaration or slight intoxication (khumaar). This feeling of slight intoxication goes up and down and it activates the sphere of Heart (gaib). When the feeling (,I exhilaration gets stronger, it turns into wajdani (Intuitive ecstasy). This is the third stage of wakefulness. During this ecstasy the sphere of Spirit (ruh) is activated.

First stage:

Semi wakefulness (initiation of conscious senses) = Thoughts and action converage into one point = sphere of Soul activates.

Second stage:

The drowsiness decreases, gives away to alertness = exhilaration = sphere of Heart activates.

Third stage:

Exhilaration gets deeper = ecstasy = sphere of Spirit activates.

Just as there are three stages of wakefulness, there are three stages of sleep as well. The way we enter into wakefulness by going through three stages, we enter into sleep by going through three stages as well. The stage between sleep and wakefulness is ghanood (drowsiness).

During drowsiness the sphere of sirr (conscience) is activated. The second stage of sleep, which could be labeled as light sleep, is the move­ment of the sphere of khafi (mystery). The third and final stage of sleep, which is often called 'deep sleep', is the movement of the akhfa (arcanum) sphere.

A point to ponder is that at the start of all these states we all go through the state of stillness. When we wake up our mind is usually at peace and is filled with a feeling of emptiness. Similarly, during other states as well, we go through this period of brief tranquility. This means to shift from one state to the other, serenity is essential. Just as during wakefulness every condition begins with that tranquility; in a same way, drowsiness senses also experience slight tranquility and after some moment this serenity of senses get deeper and turns into sleepiness. Early sleep after going through that quiet moment for a while turns into light sleep and then finally the quiet waves of deep sleep take over. That is why this influence is called deep sleep.

Laws of vision

Waking and dreaming are both related to senses. In one state, the speed of senses goes up while in the other it goes down. However, its condition does not change. Whether awake or sleeping the same kind and style of senses work. Waking or dreaming is actually two chambers of the brain or in other words, we have two brains. When senses are acti­vated in one brain, it is called waking while when the senses are activat­ed on the other, it is labeled as sleep. This means that the same kinds of senses are interchanging between waking and sleeping. This interchang­ing of senses is in fact life. When one kind of senses becomes dormant inside the brain, the other kind of senses simply takes over. During wakefulness the senses start working right when blinking starts that is the eyelids start hitting the eyeballs. When this process happens to us, We get out of sleep and enter the waking state. In our present time, we can use the example of a still camera as a metaphor. Even when there is film inside the camera and it has the lens as well, the camera is not going to work unless the button is pressed, causing the shutter to open and close within a tenth of a second or so.

In the same manner, unless the eyelids fall on the eyeballs (blinking) the frontal screen is not going to fall on the roll of the brain. This is the second stage of beholding during waking stage. The first stage begins when a thought enters the mind of the person as he wakes up after sleep­ing. That very thought becomes the barrier between sleep and awaken­ing. As this thought deepens, the process of blinking starts and the scene in front of the eye begins transmitting to the screen of the brain.

The law of sight is that brain not only receives the picture of the out­ward image it also receives the information with it. By seeing, the mind puts meaning to that information. The image that falls on the screen of the mind through winking usually lasts for 15 seconds. Before those 15 seconds pass, the other images one by one fall on the screen and take over the previous image. That process remains consistent throughout waking period.

During the waking period the vision is directly linked to the eyeballs. Through blinking the eye camera actually takes the picture continuous­ly. The rule is that if the blinking is suspended then the nerves inside the eye would stop working. The senses of the eye nerves work as long as the blinking process goes on. If the eyelids are forced to remain open and the movement of eyeball is stopped then the empty space comes in front of the vision and the picture-making process of the eyes would halt.

The entire Universe and all the creatures in this Universe are linked together in a cohesive manner. Different stages of life and the different times seem separated if seen from the outward eyes. However, the dif­ferent stages of time and the various stages of life, no matter how differ­ent they may seem, are all linked to the center. Rays or waves serve as the communicator between the inhabitants of the Universe and the cen­ter. On the one hand, the waves from its central source descend and feed the individuals of the Universe and maintain centralization. On the other hand, after feeding the creatures of the Universe, these waves ascend back to their source. This never-ending process of ascent and descent is life. The distance that these waves cover ends up making this Universe look like a loop. With ascending and descending movements, this loop further divides into six more loops. The first circle of the Universe and the inhabitants of the Universe are called Soul (naffs). The Soul is like it and from which the light is being emitted. The light or wave of this lamp is in fact vision or sight.

Evidently where there is a ray there will be a light and wherever light is, it brightens the environment. Wherever the lamp-light falls, it observes it. The light of the lamp is composed of many colors. The more colors it has the more colorfulness it brings to the environment. Intense light of the lamp goes from very low, bright to extremely bright. When low-intensity light falls on objects, whims about them enter our mind. Objects, on which medium-intensity light falls, create thoughts in our mind. When the high-intensity lights shine on objects their images form in our mind. Finally, when the extreme-intensity light falls on things, it can be seen by our sight. In fact, in order to see anything we go through these four stages.

In order to see and comprehend anything, first a whim about that thing enters the mind, meaning a very diminutive sketch is formed. When whim deepens, it becomes a thought. When a thought goes deep inside the mind, the picture of that object comes into being. When pic­ture deepens then thought becomes imagination and when the picture in the imaginative way converts into form and figure than that object comes in range of our sight.

Cognition points out that to see is an ability that works even in the dimmest of light. Even the lightest of the sketch of any given thing, even if it is merely a whim, sends it to the vision, so that after going through the other three stages that object could be seen in the dimension of a form and figure with all its colorfulness.

The way we have described the rule of vision, all senses work in the same fashion. These senses are of smell, hearing, taste, and touch. All the interests and activities of life, events, actions, and entire system are based on the same above mentioned rule.