Question: Could you speak a little more about how the soul flies to different planes during sleep?

Sri Chinmoy: There are three states of consciousness. Susupti, which you can call the dreamless state, is the purest, deepest, highest sleep. Then there is Swapan, the dream state, and finally Jagriti, wakefulness. In deep sleep, the soul gets the opportunity to fly from one plane of consciousness to another. We have many layers of consciousness inside our being, but when we are working, talking and mixing with others in the hustle and bustle of the world, the inner being is crushed and the soul does not get the opportunity to fly. We are in the outer world, and all kinds of silly things come into our outer mind; all is restlessness. But in deep sleep, the entire being is silenced and the soul can fly like a bird from one plane of consciousness to another. When the soul makes this flight without any obstruction, all the doors and windows in our inner being are automatically opened up. When the inner doors are all open and the soul is flying, at that time the outer being becomes one with the Divine and experiences the consciousness of Delight. Now, how can an aspirant consciously have that feeling of oneness during sleep? It is through constant meditation. There is no other way. Otherwise when you become one with your Highest in your sound sleep, you will not be aware of it. You may be aware for a few seconds, or when you come back from that state of consciousness in the morning, but this does not necessarily happen. You are usually not aware of being totally united with the Highest when you are having the experience, so how can you expect to feel it hours later? The only way to be aware of that feeling, or to have the experience of oneness, is through constant aspiration, constant meditation.

From:Sri Chinmoy,The body, humanity’s fortress, Agni Press, 1974
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/bhf