04/06/2025
This is the place that I take people to in my sound baths.
A high pitched ding in a singing bowl keeps people from going too deep and falling asleep
“Did you know Albert Einstein had a quirky ritual? He would literally fall asleep holding a key.
Here’s how it worked: Einstein would sit in his favorite armchair, dangling a key just above a metal plate on the floor. As he drifted into that hazy, in-between state—half-awake, half-asleep—his grip would loosen. The key would clatter onto the plate, jolting him awake.
Why go through all that trouble? It turns out that magical moment between wakefulness and sleep—the hypnagogic state—is a goldmine for fresh ideas. Your mind starts forging unexpected connections, vivid images, and flashes of inspiration… but if you slip fully into slumber, you almost always forget them.
Einstein was onto something we now know neuroscience backs up: interrupting that transition preserves the sparks of creativity. A few seconds in that twilight zone, and he could snag a brilliant thought before it vanished.
He wasn’t alone. Salvador Dalí and Thomas Edison apparently tinkered with similar techniques, too. And today, scientists have recreated the practice—with impressive outcomes: people report more vivid dreams, boosted creativity, sharper memory, and higher productivity.
So if you ever spot someone nodding off clutching a key—don’t be so quick to think they’ve lost their mind. They might just be moments away from their next great discovery. 🔑💡”
