Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Dream of Akinosuke (Premium)

Episode Date: February 23, 2021

This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support. The Dream of Akinosuke Tonight, Thomas takes us back in time to feudal Japan, where we join Akinosuke on a rainy afternoon. He's soon to learn of a magical connection between butterflies and dreams. 😴  Sound design: rainfall on trees.  About Get Sleepy Premium: Help support the podcast, and get: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads) The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free) Premium sleep meditations, extra-long episodes and more! We'll love you forever. ❤️ Get a 7 day free trial, and join the Get Sleepy community here https://getsleepy.com/support. And thank you so, so much.  Tom, and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more. And thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. Aki Nozuke was a simple farmer who worked hard in the fields outside his village in Japan. One afternoon, a rain shower drove him and the other farmers to abandon their work for a few hours. Laughing, they ran beneath the wide boughs of a giant cedar tree in search of shelter. Once they were safe and dry, Akinozke and the others decided to make the most of the

situation and take an early lunch. As raindrops patoured gently on the canopy above their heads, they ate and drank and allowed themselves to fall into the kind of drifting small talk that comes so easily for old friends. While Akinozka was enjoying his food, a small butterfly fluttered in from the rain and landed on his knee. He was about to swat it away, but an old farmer stopped him. The butterfly is a symbol of the human soul, the old farmer explained. When people sleep, their souls travel the world as butterflies, creating dreams. It was a curious suggestion, Akinozkae thought. He wasn't sure he believed it, but he left the butterfly alone. A few minutes later, he looked back down and saw it had already flown away. Soon Akinozke's stomach was full of warm soup and sticky rice, and he was feeling very

content. Leaning his head against the trunk of the giant cedar, he felt his mind begin to drift, carried along by the soft murmur of the friendly conversation nearby. In no time at all, he was fast asleep. After a short while, he found himself coming back to wakefulness. He thought about how nice it was to sleep beneath a tree, and awaken to the fresh scent of cedar, wafting in the breeze. But as Akino-Ske lay against the soft bark, he realized something was different. He could no longer hear his friends talking and laughing.

He opened his eyes and found he was now sitting alone among the thick roots of the massive cedar. among the thick roots of the massive cedar. There was no one else nearby. The only sound was the dripping of rain falling from leaf to leaf. Akino's gay assumed his friends had merely returned to work, leaving him to wake up from his nap in his own time. But he couldn't see them anywhere.

The rain was now accompanied by a light fog that made it hard to see far into the distance. With every moment that passed, the fog seemed to be growing thicker. Akinozka appeared into it. From the place where the fog was most dense, he could just make out some human figures walking towards him. It appeared to be a large group. As they drew closer, it became clear that these were not his friends from earlier in the day. For farmers had never worn such luxurious silks or used golden hair pins or walked on such or neatly designed sandals. It did not take much guessing for Akinozka to realize that he was in the presence of a royal procession.