#%^:~^....                                          ....^~:^%#
%^:~^.....                                          .....^~:^%
^:~^......                                          ......^~:^
:~^.......                                          .......^~:
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                  ~~::~~                  .........^
~^........              ... sleep ...               ........^~
:~^.......                  ^^~~^^                  .......^~:
^:~^......                                          ......^~:^
%^:~^..... sleep is  the most important meal of the .....^~:^%
#%^:~^.... day.  sleep  is  saying  goodbye  for  a ....^~:^%#
##%^:~^... while.  if  you can dream, you also  get ...^~:^%##
@##%^:~^.. to  visit  friends  and  other  animals. ..^~:^%##@
#@##%^:~^.                                          .^~:^%##@#
@##%^:~^..                  ..^^..                  ..^~:^%##@
##%^:~^...                                          ...^~:^%##
#%^:~^.... deeper  than  death  is to be  alive and ....^~:^%#
%^:~^..... asleep. it  is death if it was temporary .....^~:^%
^:~^......            and rejuvenating.             ......^~:^
:~^.......                                          .......^~:
~^........                  ..^^..                  ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
~^........ sleep  is  a  black  marble  outside  of ........^~
:~^....... which there  is  nothing. inside is  all .......^~:
^:~^...... the   stars   and  in   the   middle   a ......^~:^
%^:~^..... black lake. at  the  foot  of  this lake .....^~:^%
#%^:~^....           stands an old friend.          ....^~:^%#
##%^:~^...                                          ...^~:^%##
@##%^:~^..                  ..^^..                  ..^~:^%##@
#@##%^:~^.                                          .^~:^%##@#
@##%^:~^.. when  you sleep  all sound is  internal. ..^~:^%##@
##%^:~^... when  you  sleep  your  brain   shrinks. ...^~:^%##
#%^:~^....                                          ....^~:^%#
%^:~^.....                  ..^^..                  .....^~:^%
^:~^......                                          ......^~:^
:~^....... if  you wish to measure sleep, use these .......^~:
~^........    four quantifiers:: grip, deepness,    ........^~
^.........   otherworldiness and revitalization.    .........^
~^........                                          ........^~
:~^....... grip  goes from not being able to let go .......^~:
^:~^...... all  day  (left)  to   not   caring   to ......^~:^
%^:~^.....            remember (right).             .....^~:^%
#%^:~^....                                          ....^~:^%#
##%^:~^...     deepness goes from being several     ...^~:^%##
@##%^:~^.. hundred meters  down  (left)  to  barely ..^~:^%##@
#@##%^:~^.       touching the surface (right).      .^~:^%##@#
@##%^:~^..                                          ..^~:^%##@
##%^:~^...   otherworldliness goes from a single    ...^~:^%##
#%^:~^....  coherent dreamscape (left), via normal  ....^~:^%#
%^:~^..... dream  amounts  (middle)  to  no  dreams .....^~:^%
^:~^......                 (right).                 ......^~:^
:~^.......                                          .......^~:
~^........ revitalization  goes  from  a feeling of ........^~
^......... not having slept at all (left) to  being .........^
~^........ full  of  energy  and   maybe   optimism ........^~
:~^.......                 (right).                 .......^~:
^:~^......                                          ......^~:^
%^:~^.....                    ^^                    .....^~:^%
#%^:~^....                                          ....^~:^%#
##%^:~^... high  otherworldliness and high  grip is ...^~:^%##
@##%^:~^..      a particularly effective combo.     ..^~:^%##@
#@##%^:~^.                                          .^~:^%##@#
@##%^:~^..                  ~~::~~                  ..^~:^%##@
##%^:~^...             ... see also ...             ...^~:^%##
#%^:~^....                  ^^~~^^                  ....^~:^%#
%^:~^.....                                          .....^~:^%
^:~^......              sleep deities               ......^~:^
:~^.......              the blackbird               .......^~:
~^........                 solipsism                ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
~^........                  ~~::~~                  ........^~
:~^.......           ... furthermore ...            .......^~:
^:~^......                  ^^~~^^                  ......^~:^
%^:~^.....                                          .....^~:^%
#%^:~^.... this  is  still a  place:  here, in  the ....^~:^%#
##%^:~^... silence,  darkness   and   night  -  and ...^~:^%##
@##%^:~^.. loneliness, holding  a kind  of dilution ..^~:^%##@
#@##%^:~^. of  reality,  and   suddenly   it's  not .^~:^%##@#
@##%^:~^.. important  that i lie  in  my  bed,  the ..^~:^%##@
##%^:~^... lack  of  presence  brings  the   notion ...^~:^%##
#%^:~^.... that,  if  i  do  not  choose  sleep,  i ....^~:^%#
%^:~^.....   choose past, future, something with    .....^~:^%
^:~^...... more  substance  than  the   objects   i ......^~:^
:~^.......          surround myself with.           .......^~:
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
~^........                                          ........^~
:~^.......                                          .......^~:
^:~^......                                          ......^~:^
%^:~^.....                                          .....^~:^%