Sometimes I have these meditations when I’m tired then miraculously regenerate my energy, as though I’ve just had a full night’s sleep! My whole body will start to feel cocooned, sometimes a foot or a hand feels curled up in a weird way or in a different place than it really is. I continue to scan the body, but I also allow myself to sink into a warm bath of relaxation. It feels like a shot of pleasurably hot liquid is being injected into my cocoon, and that liquid is what I can feel instantly regenerating my energy reserves. I’ve come to wonder if my body is asleep, and I’m feeling the secretion of serotonin? Or maybe norepinephrine? As sometimes there are also dreamlets. The experience doesn’t happen that often for me, though at times it has shown up on sleep deprived, tightly scheduled days when I really need to be alert…for this, I’ve been sooo grateful!
A vipassana A.T., told me that states and sensations always come unpredictably on the path. So I had accepted them all as transient gifts; however, I then experienced a few of these “power-up” meditations consecutively when meditating in a new room at school. Being a psychology student, I started to wonder if the experience was somehow linked to the conditions of that room or state of being from which I would begin. Was it that I was getting up earlier? Or maybe how these chairs perfectly support my spine? If I could rely on this kind of meditation, I could schedule an hour more work or school everyday! I couldn’t decide if I felt right about trying to control the conditions, would this be considered “clinging?” Or just preparation for “proper mediation?” S. N. Goenka did say that if we “meditate 2 hours a day we can go with an hour less sleep because we won’t need it,” did this mean that regeneration is supposed to happen with every meditation? Maybe I’ve been missing out? I also recalled that Samael Aun Weor (another teacher important to my spiritual development) mentioned that the mediator needs “to practice when he feels the predisposition to the sleepiness, just as the baker needs specific quantities of water and flour to effectively make bread, the student needs 50% sleepiness and 50% of meditation.” Perhaps all types of meditation work better with sleepiness; most centers do keep students somewhat sleep deprived.
I did try keeping my location and sleep schedule the same, but the elusive Power-up meditations did not continue; so I surrendered back to the belief that they are a gift, completely out of my control with no scientific explanation.
Living Vipassana 
Very interesting observations. Have you considered that it may be that this energizing effect only happens with a certain level, or depth of meditative state? Seems I remember that psychology says sleep is primarily important to rest the mind and allow it to process the day’s input; if that’s true, then some meditation – presumably the deeper and more profound – would easily substitute for sleep. J. Krishnamurti said that if you pay attention all day you won’t dream. I don’t know that anyone else agrees with that, but it always seemed highly interesting to me. Thanks for your stimulating post!
You are welcome John! I would consider it a kind of deep meditation because I also experience deep ones of where rejuvenation is not the key feature. I have heard vipassana A.T.’s say masters don’t need sleep, maybe they meant the same thing as Krishnamurti.
At this point I really love my sleep! and seem to need to full 8 hours to have a functioning brain, so when this kind of experience happens so unpredictably it’s tough to know if forcing myself to get early every morning is good for me and will help advance with my practice or not.
Yes, that sounds like a Teacher question! I don’t really even have an opinion on that question. I’ve not been able to be consistent enough in my own practice to say from experience… but I’m sure you can get some guidance from an AT or two. I do think, though I don’t do it, that a regular schedule is helpful. Sitting at the same time every morning and evening is a goal I aspire to!
Interesting though, that you have the experience of deep meditations where you don’t get the rejuvenation… I don’t understand that either. A lot of this is so idiosyncratic – varies with the individual, I mean. Buddha did say, be a light unto your own path, or something like that! Meditating teaches us to meditate. Keep knocking!