Yes, awareness can exist in deep sleep, though it’s not the same as the waking awareness we usually experience. In deep sleep, the mind and senses rest, yet many spiritual traditions suggest that a subtle form of pure awareness remains — an unchanging presence that quietly observes even when the mind is still.
In simple terms
Think of awareness like the sky and your thoughts like clouds. During waking hours, thoughts and sensations move constantly, covering the sky. In deep sleep, the clouds disappear, but the sky — pure awareness — is still there, vast and untouched. You may not “remember” it because memory requires the active mind, but the underlying awareness never switches off.
Some people describe moments of waking from deep sleep feeling profoundly rested and peaceful. That deep calm hints at the silent awareness that remained while the mind was inactive. It’s as if consciousness took a full retreat from activity but never stopped being.
Example:
Imagine turning off all lights in a room — you can’t see anything, but the space still exists. Similarly, during deep sleep, awareness is present even if there’s nothing to notice.
With regular meditation or mindfulness, you can begin to sense that same quiet awareness beneath your thoughts — a state that continues even in the deepest rest.