Kardec on Sleep

From Allan Kardec's The Spirits' Book

 

The purpose of sleep is to rest the body. The spirit, however, does not need rest. So, while the physical senses are resting, we, Spirits, partly freed from the body, enjoy all our faculties. Sleep allows us to renew ourselves both at the organic and the psychic level. While the body recovers the energy it spent during its waking hours, the spirit renews itself through contact with other spirits. From what it is given to see, hear, and learn in this state, the soul receives directives that come forth during the day as intuitions. Sleep, then, represents the temporary return of the exile to the true world; it is comparable to a moment of freedom granted to a prisoner. But, sometimes, just as in the case of an unrepentant prisoner, the Spirit does not always use its moments of freedom for its own progress. If it is inclined to wrong-doing, it will spend its time in the company of like-minded Spirits instead of in the company of good Spirits and it will go to places where it can give free rein to its desires. And suffering is increased.

 

At the close of each day, examine your conscience, review everything you have done, and ask yourself whether you have not failed in some duty, whether someone might not be within their rights to complain of you. Through this method you will come to knowledge of yourself and discover what there is about you that still needs reforming. If you examine your actions in this way every evening and pray for increased insight into your motives, you will find the strength to improve for God will assist you. Ask yourself what you have done and what your aims were in doing it. Examine whether you have done anything that you would criticize in someone else or that you would be ashamed to be known as having done. Also ask yourself this question: 'If I were to die now, would I have to dread the sight of anyone?' Further, consider sincerely anything you might have done against God, your neighbors, or yourself. The answers to these questions will either put your conscience at rest or show you some of the moral weakness you still have to eliminate.