Awakening from the dream of existence
The Bodhisatta did not remain forever in this unconscious or hibernated state called cessation of sensation and feeling (saññā vedayita nirodha). One might remain in this state, if needed, for not more than one week. When one awakens from this state, however, one is able to witness how the mental process creates the “world,” and even the “self” quite unconsciously. This means, the “world” that we are aware of is a product of the unconscious process of perception and conception, and so is the “self” that we believe “exists in the world.” The “world” is perceived as an objective experience, and the “self” is perceived as a subjective experience. It is the cognitive process that creates the objective “world,” and it is the affective process that creates the subjective “self.” In other words, when one awakens from this state of absolute stillness of mind, one begins to become consciously aware of the process by which perception and conception takes place, culminating in the “world” and the “self” coming into being.