The first three degrees of sleep serve as pre-sleep. Feeling then withdraws from the material body and passes into the spirit. Spiritual life has not yet been released from the material body at this time, and the nervous system is still responding to internal and external stimuli. This is the half-waking consciousness. Real deep sleep requires the transition to the fourth degree. Only here can feeling consciousness be withdrawn from the material body. Feeling then passes into the spirit body. In the fifth degree, the split takes place between the spirit body and material body. Feeling has then completely passed into the spirit, which makes conscious exit possible. The sixth degree of sleep is increased mental concentration, which can only be achieved through prolonged study. Very few on earth possess this level. The person who possesses these powers can force the substance according to his will and concentration. The seventh degree of sleep is apparent death. Then the auras of life dissolve in the mind. Normal man will only be able to reach the first four degrees of sleep.
–As I just said, sleep encompasses seven levels. The first, second and third levels denote the conditions in which man is at rest and withdraws the consciousness of feeling from matter, which means that feeling is transferred to the spirit. The powers of concentration have then passed over into the spirit, which corresponds to the attunement during semi-sleep. This sleep isn’t deep, it is proportionate to the condition of the physical body. If the physical body isn’t in a state of normal health, the person is easily aroused from his sleep, as his sleep is disturbed by some illness of the nerves or other organs.
-In the fourth level of sleep the spirit withdraws from the material world and the physical body is re- leased from all disturbing factors. Those who are in this condition will sleep peacefully and will hardly awaken with a start, as the stage of semi-waking consciousness will have been surpassed.
-The fifth (level) coincides with the attunement in which the spirit and the physical body split up, and feeling is transferred to the spirit which ena- bles disembodiment. Only then can the spiritual body leave matter behind and go wherever it wants to. The spiritual body has then transcended the semi-waking consciousness and the spirit has entered the conscious spiritual realm.
–There aren’t many people on earth who have reached the sixth level. This is an enhanced capacity of spiritual concentration which can be at- tained after a long period of study. Those who possess these powers and are able to govern matter by will power and concentration get more benefit from one hour of sleep than others do from eight hours, which is the time people normally need.
-The seventh level of sleep equals apparent death. Here the auras of life dissolve in the spirit. This is clearly demonstrated by the physical body. There are people who have achieved this through concentration and strong will power. An example of this are the fakirs.
A View in the Hereafter p.400,401 (VI.12953.12988)
Source: Quotations from the books of Jozef Rulof