SLEEP LEARNING

Kingsley Idiagbor, F.R.C.

Surely, you must have heard about the well-worn cliché "I will sleep over it" when confronted by difficult problems that requires life-transforming decisions. There is a truism to that statement that is of practical interest to all students of Light, Life and Love.

A theory has been advanced in the field of psychology that forgetting may progress slowly during sleep. In other words, it is theorized that one forgets more quickly during the waking hours than when asleep. Latest research findings do prove that there is a link between SLEEP and LEARNING. As far back as 1925, two research scientists - Jenkins and Dalenbach began experimental tests. They looked for evidence that, when sleep follows at once after learning, such would foster retention of the material and impressions had. The tests did prove, at least, that recall was greater if one went to sleep at once after a period of learning.

To check on the accuracy of this evidence, further tests were carried out with "those who spent intervals between learning and sleep in daytime activity." For example, the study of some matter in the morning and then becoming preoccupied with several hours of other activity before going to bed was one of the specific tests. That which these persons retained of what they had learned was less than those who learned just before sleep. The score were much higher after equal intervals of activity following the learning.

Another interesting result revealed by tests was that retention of learning was high, as high after eight hours as it was after two hours of sleep. In other words, if one went to sleep following the learning, the length of time one slept would in no way affect the retention of what had been learned. The conclusion was that "forgetting is not so much decay or deterioration of old impressions and association as it is a matter of interference, inhibiting, and the obliteration of the old by the new."

It would appear that sleep immediately following learning seems to consolidate the memory trace. In other words, it seems to arrest and preserve it. On the other hand, activity through crowding in of new impressions interferes with the retention process.

Another interesting test was based on the puzzle of one's partly learning a lesson in the morning and then completing it in the evening just before going to sleep. How would this compare in retention with another person who learns partly in the evening before falling asleep and completing the study in the morning? The results favoured the evening-morning learning combination. It was found that if the learning were begun in the morning, the day's activities would greatly interfere with the memory trace; consequently, the entire recall was less.

Tests carried out with Students

The final conclusion of all this is that "sleep directly after learning delays the onset of forgetting which thereafter takes place," and this was based on a large number of tests carried out on students in colleges and universities.

There is a great decline in retention if there are intervals of activity between learning and sleep. All of this goes to show that what can be transmitted to the subconscious mind without interference is retained there almost intact with little diminution. During the day, even that which we do not want to retain, which for example we have not studied or do not consider learning, may nevertheless make a strong impression on memory.

Such extraneous thoughts and impressions constitute interference to that ideation which we wish to retain. Consequently, they cause what we wish to retain to deteriorate, that is, to become forgotten.

The truth is that we can and do tap into our subconscious mind while asleep allowing us to learn without much effort. Rosicrucian Order, AMORC in their teachings for many years have shown the balancing of the objective and subconscious minds. Many years ago, AMORC in its graded program disclosed experiments that it had conducted on children. It found, for example, that undesired habits could be curtailed or even broken by a parent more easily if he spoke softly to the sleeping child in a series of commands that certain of his acts be discontinued. It is found that not that the child could recall just what had been said to him when he awoke but rather, in his conduct he showed no interest in continuing the offensive habits. Rosicrucian students, however, have it that "not by revolution but by evolution is anything of permanence achieved." Therefore, we suggest that magical results should not be expected after a single trial of this technique.

The following suggestions could be put into practice to induce sleep learning:

• As a student of any course of study (are we not all students after all?), try to defer most subjects of challenging content to the last hours before sleep;
• Subjects that require much reading, such as language courses, history, essays and most non-mathematical materials could be recorded into audio cassettes or CDs and allowed to play to your hearing while you drift off to sleep;
• Domestic problems could be concentrated upon and the different elements and angles visualized before falling off to sleep. It has been found that while asleep it is like giving assignment to the brain to find solutions to the problems. When you wake up, you may find that a new angle to looking at the problem will surface to the objective mind which you would not have thought of had you not slept.
• There is also autosuggestion. You can give yourself series of suggestions and carefully-worded commands such as breaking bad habits or achieving a new goal, just before drifting to sleep. Most advanced Rosicrucians have used special techniques to wake up from sleep at a particular hour of the day or even wake up at the sensing of an intruder in the dead of the night.
• Like Thomas Alva Edison, learn to take powerful naps between your activities; plan your life so that there is more room to having more hours of sleep as related to your age and type of work.

By diligently applying these suggestions, you will be exploring more and more the new vista of SLEEP LEARNING.

Additional reading material from "Sleep learning" - Samuel Rittenhouse (Rosicrucian Digest, April 1967)

Rosicrucian students may wish to review their lessons in 2nd and 12th Temple Degrees of the work.

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