You remember the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, that sassy little miss who made herself at home in the three bears house and:

• Sampled porridge—too hot, too cold, just right—and gobbled it all up.
• Tested chairs—too big, too small, just right—and ends up breaking it.

Tired after leaving a wave of destruction in her wake, she heads upstairs and tries the beds—too hard, too soft, just right—and falls asleep.

What I want to know is what really happens between Point A (falls asleep) and Point B when baby bear exclaims, “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed and she’s still there!” Not with Goldilocks, but with all the rest of us during slumber…

There’s a wide brushstroke of speculation regarding what actually takes place when we sleep:

• Some people feel that dreams are just that—dreams. And sleep is just that—sleep.
• Others feel that we leave our body when we sleep; that we experience tests, receive instruction, and interact with other people in previous, current, and future time periods.

Where do you go and what do you do when you’re sound asleep?

Interesting Side Note: A survey conducted by the American Cancer Society concluded that people who sleep 6 hours or less per night, or who sleep 9 hours or more, had a death rate 30 percent higher than those who regularly slept 7 to 8 hours. Even those who slept 6 hours or less who otherwise had no health problems had death rates 1.8 times higher than those who slept “normal” hours.

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