Past, present, and future are basically wakefulness and sleep. While it is commonly understood that sleep is not life. The scholars of outward knowledge, when they mention the world of sleep and dreams, pass over it by calling the dream an imaginary life, whereas the life of dreams and the life of wakefulness are not separate. There is only a classification of the senses. In the senses of wakefulness we feel restriction upon ourselves, and in the senses of dreams we see ourselves free from restriction. The journey is one, the difference is only of restriction and freedom.
Meditation introduces a human being to both sides of the senses. One way of being introduced is that a person, due to nervous exhaustion, intentionally wishes to step away from the senses of restriction and enter such senses where there is no restriction.
When a person, due to nervous exhaustion, desires peace and wants to gain release from worldly pains, hardships, sorrow, and grief, nature takes him into that life whose name is sleep. One method of change between the consciousness of night and day is that a person, becoming nervously helpless, falls asleep, and the second method is that a person, with nervous calm, while remaining awake through intention and choice, transfers into the senses of sleep. In the proportion in which the senses of sleep transfer into wakefulness, in the same proportion advancement in supra sensory senses begins.
When a person lies down to sleep, first the tension of his nerves transfers into softness and drowsiness. When this drowsiness becomes slightly deeper, a mild irritation appears in the eyes and the movement of the pupils gradually decreases and becomes still. As soon as depth occurs in the drowsiness, the person enters the state of dozing. Dozing means that conscious senses begin to transfer into unconscious senses. When dozing reaches its peak, meaning the conscious senses transfer into the unconscious, the person falls asleep. This is the routine and continuous process of life which continues in the life of every living being. Just as a human being, due to labor, work, mental disturbance, and nervous exhaustion, is compelled to sleep, in the same way goat, cat, pigeon, sparrow, fish are also compelled to transfer from conscious senses into unconscious senses. The process of sleeping after wakefulness and waking after sleep exists in every creature.
Allah the Most Generous granted Adam the knowledge of His attributes which was not granted to other creatures. The knowledge of the attributes of Allah is entirely unseen disclosures. By unseen disclosures is meant that Allah has transferred within the servant such abilities, by using which the servant enters the world of the unseen. Since Allah desires that the servant observe the craftsmanship of Allah in the world of the unseen and attain recognition of the attributes of Allah, therefore it became necessary that such abilities exist within the servant, by employing which the intention of the Creator of the universe is fulfilled.
Restricted life is wakefulness, and free life is the world of sleep. Any human being can, through meditation, very easily enter the world of dreams or sleep.
Meditation is in reality seeing dreams while remaining in the senses of wakefulness. Meaning a person is awake, is conscious, the conscious senses are working, he is also being affected by the environment and atmosphere present around the earth, and he is also seeing dreams.
Example
A person writes a letter to his closest friend. While writing the letter, his brain is also working, his hand is also moving, he also hears the sounds spread in the environment in which he is present. If someone is speaking, the meaning of that speech is also transferring into his mind. If someone asks him a question, he also gives its answer. If there is coolness in the atmosphere, he feels cold. If there is heat, he also feels the heat.
Despite all these things, when he writes the letter, the meanings and concepts of the words also continue transferring into consciousness.
This means that a person is simultaneously using many abilities hidden within himself at the same time. In exactly the same way, a servant, while remaining in wakefulness, also reflects upon himself the senses of sleep and dreams. Countless abilities within him become active. While remaining in waking life, with fully developed supra sensory senses, he spends day and night in the world of the unseen.