The practice of Yoga Nidra (a tantric meditation and deep relaxation technique developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati) has a series of steps through which the practitioner goes deeper and deeper into himself.
After having worked on physical and mental relaxation, the practitioner is ready to move to another level, which consists of settling in the internal observer and from there observing his internal space, called chidakasha in Sanskrit.
Those who have already practiced Yoga Nidra know that that moment comes when the instructor asks them to realize the space before their closed eyes, a space in which they try to see as far as possible within it. Obviously, it is not a physical space, but a psychic one, which is known as a mental screen, and it is there, on that screen, where the path to the interior opens.
According to yoga, the mind has three levels, or three dimensions, conscious, subconscious and unconscious, and throughout this step it is tried that the person can dive within himself without using the word as a means of doing so, and only through the observation of the images that emerge.
The development of attention, which is nothing other than the development of witness consciousness, is an element that is worked on throughout the practice, and that is why the person is asked not to sleep.
Witness consciousness is known in Yoga as sakshi. It is described as a process of disidentification and detachment from one's own experiences. It involves connecting with a part of us that is not affected by what we think and feel.
The path to witness consciousness is sustained attention, alertness, and a continuous presence in the now (issues that are also addressed in mindfulness meditation).
One can observe how, suddenly, one plunges into the subconscious / dream and how, in the same way, the mind is again outside, connected to the senses.
When the observer separates from the mind it becomes pure experience. If one remains aware when the images, samskaras and other conflicting material that comes to the surface of chidakasha are opened, the blocks or traumas dissolve.
As Sri Nisargadatta says, an observed conflict is a resolved conflict. Because the moment we achieve that a memory does not generate a response or identification, we free ourselves from it.
The observation of chidakasha is proposed before and after the visualization, but the phase after the visualization is especially interesting, since it is at that moment when more subconscious material emerges to the surface due to the profound effect of the images of the visualization.
When we install ourselves in the internal witness, transcending the mind, an opening of vision is produced in us, it becomes broader and at the same time deeper. We stop being at the mercy of the fluctuations of our mind and our emotions. This provides us with a greater understanding of the world around us and of our own internal processes. And in short, it is one more tool to walk the fascinating path of knowing ourselves.