Flippant Remarks about “The Science of Sleep”
The people that I knew and know of strong African features who are seriously interested in their cultural identity and the science of being African look at shows like “The Science of Sleep” from 60 Minutes with condescending amusement—and ominous suspicion.
A great teacher like the late Dr. Amos Wilson, warns us that scientific studies like the one we see in “The Science of Sleep” show “us” how lack of sleep can harm people—but it also shows military leaders how lack of sleep can harm “the enemy”. This information gleaned from supposed innocent research becomes a military weapon for yet another Guantanamo situation.
Another great teacher like Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn (who is quite welcome on the Google campus) shows us that there is a relationship between meditation and sleep. The assertion here is that meditation is sleeping while awake. Dr. Kabat-Zinn suggests that sleep time can be reduced by way of meditation—and what Lesley Stahl called “deep sleep” (being reduced in older people) should increase without regard to age.
My flippant assumption was that Lesley Stahl’s report was going to be extremely derivative and merely a fluff piece, full of information I studied about years ago. However this discovery of a relationship between lack of sleep and eating disorder leading to obesity was a welcome twist on this old, Western story of disrespect for nature.
What is wonderful about these ‘fluff’ reports is that they can be used as an effective ‘proxy’ discussion for white supremacy and imperial military myths without “putting people off” being uncomfortably explicit about white supremacy and imperial military myths. This is just a suggestion for those who still need to seduce.
Here in the rasx() context anyone—regardless of skin color—who is proud of needing less sleep (without meditation) is merely a military man instead of a family man. It is obvious to me that sleeping is weakness for those in battle—whether corporate or corporeal. Regarding sleep as a “weakness” is of an impersonal ego encounter, thriving on opposition instead of composition—‘opposure’ instead of composure. Even from the King James scripture this inhuman vanity and irreligious piety is of the study of war that Knowledge of Good and Evil.