Awareness in the void: a micro-phenomenological exploration of conscious dreamless sleep
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences August 3, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s11097-021-09743-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Adults experiencing objectless consciousness during sleep |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Consciousness Dream Phenomenology philosophy Perception Interpretative phenomenological analysis Contemplation Qualitative research Psychotherapist Epistemology |
| Citations | 21 |
| Key findings | Participants described a state of void during sleep that lacked scenery or dreams, with four experiential dimensions: perception of absence, self-perception, perception of emotions, and perception of awareness. |
Abstract
Abstract This paper presents a pilot study that explores instances of objectless awareness during sleep: conscious experiences had during sleep that prima facie lack an object of awareness. This state of objectless awareness during sleep has been widely described by Indian contemplative traditions and has been characterised as a state of consciousness-as-such; while in it, there is nothing to be aware of, one is merely conscious (cf. Evans-Wentz, 1960; Fremantle, 2001; Ponlop, 2006). While this phenomenon has received different names in the literature, such as ‘witnessing-sleep’ and ‘clear light sleep’ among others, the specific phenomenological profile of this state has not yet been rigorously studied. This paper aims at presenting a preliminary investigation of objectless consciousness during sleep using a novel tool in qualitative research that can guide future research. Five participants experiencing objectless consciousness during sleep were interviewed following the Micro-phenomenological Interview technique (MPI; Petitmengin, 2005, 2006). All participants reported an experience they had during sleep in which there was no scenery and no dream. This period labelled as ‘No Scenery/Void’ was either preceded by the dissolution of a lucid dream or by other forms of conscious mentation. The analysis of the results advances four experiential dimensions during this state of void, namely (1) Perception of absence, (2) Self-perception, (3) Perception of emotions, and (4) Perception of awareness. While the results are primarily explorative, they refer to themes found in the literature to describe objectless sleep and point at potential avenues of research. The results from this study are taken as indications to guide future operationalisations of this phenomenon.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- Nothingness Is All There Is: An Exploration of Objectless Awareness During Sleep Frontiers in Psychology June 10, 2022
- An Overview of Neurophenomenological Approaches to Meditation and Their Relevance to Clinical Research. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- A beautiful loop: An active inference theory of consciousness. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2025
- Where is my mind? A neurocognitive investigation of mind blanking. Trends in Cognitive Sciences March 12, 2025
- Husserl’s concept of transcendental consciousness and the problem of AI consciousness Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences May 22, 2024
and 11 more in the library
Cites 23
- The Neural Correlates of Consciousness Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences March 1, 2008
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 23, 2017
- How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. Consciousness and Cognition December 1, 2015
and 18 more in the library