Every human being is born blind, but only those who refuse to see remain blind when the Light of the Redeemer begins to penetrate the darkness.the unredeemed existence in a nightmare:
The Gospel of Truth:
What, then, is that which he wants such a one to think? “I am like the shadows and phantoms of the night.” When morning comes, this one knows that the fear that had been experienced was nothing.
Thus they were ignorant of the father; he is the one whom they did not see. Since there had been fear and confusion and a lack of confidence and double-mindedness and division, there were many illusions that were conceived by them, as well as empty ignorance—as if they were fast asleep and found themselves a prey to troubled dreams.
Either they are fleeing somewhere, or they lack strength to escape when pursued. They are involved in inflicting blows, or they themselves receive bruises. They are falling from high places, or they fly through the air with no wings at all. Other times, it is as if certain people were trying to kill them, even though there is no one pursuing them; or they themselves are killing those beside them, and they are stained by their blood. Until the moment when they who are passing through all these things—I mean they who have experienced all these confusions—awaken, they see nothing because the dreams were nothing. It is thus that they who cast ignorance from them like sleep do not consider it to be anything, nor regard its properties to be something real, but they renounce them like a dream in the night and they consider the knowledge of the father to be the dawn. It is thus that each one has acted, as if asleep, during the time of ignorance, and thus a person comes to understand, as if awakening. And happy is the one who comes to himself and awakens. Indeed, blessings on one who has opened the eyes of the blind.
The spirit came to this person in haste when the person was awakened. Having given its hand to the one lying prone on the ground, it placed him firmly on his feet, for he had not yet stood up. This gave them the means of knowing the knowledge of the father and the revelation of his son. For when they saw it and listened to it, he permitted them to take a taste of and to smell and to grasp the beloved son. (The Gospel of Truth)
Isa 29:10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
Ho 4:12 ¶ My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
Ro 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs Reuben3 1 Besides all these there is an eighth spirit of sleep, with which is brought about the trance of 2 3 nature and the image of death. With these spirits are mingled the spirits of error.] First, the spirit of fornication is seated in the nature and in the senses; the second, the spirit of insatiableness, 4 in the belly; the third, the spirit of fighting, in the liver and gall. The fourth is the spirit of 5 obsequiousness and chicanery, that through officious attention one may be fair in seeming. The fifth is the spirit of pride, that one may be boastful and arrogant. The sixth is the spirit of lying, 6 in perdition and jealousy to practise deceits, and concealments from kindred and friends. The seventh is the spirit of injustice, with which are thefts and acts of rapacity, that a man may fulfill the desire of his heart; for injustice worketh together with the other spirits by the taking of gifts. 7, 8 And with all these the spirit of sleep is joined which is (that) of error and fantasy.] And so perisheth every young man, darkening his mind from the truth, and not understanding the law of 9 God, nor obeying the admonitions of his fathers as befell me also in my youth.
when the mind was gone to sleep: for, in real fact, the external sense then comes forward when the mind is asleep. And again, when the mind is awake the outward sense is extinguished (philo of alexandria)
and so, when the mind rises up again and awakens, the outward sense is put an end to. (philo of alexandria)
Therefore, the awakening of the outward senses is the sleep of the mind; and the awakening of the mind is the discharge of the outward senses from all occupation. Just as when the sun arises the brightness of all the rest of the stars becomes invisible; but when the sun sets, they are seen. And so, like the sun, the mind, when it is awakened, overshadows the outward senses, but when it goes to sleep it permits them to shine. (philo of alexandria)
10 For Yahweh hath mingled for you the spirit of a deep sleep, he will shut up your eyes, he will cover your prophets and princes, that see visions.
Ode 8:4. Rise up and stand-erect ye that at [one] time bowed down [as slaves]*.
5. Ye that were in deep-sleep, speak ye, [declaring] that your mouth hath been opened 4.
6. Ye that were despised, be ye henceforth lifted up, because your righteousness hath been lifted up (The Odes of Solomon Ode 8)
Those who are trapped in the carnal mind are asleep. Error has thrown a blanket over their minds so that they do not perceive the Reality in which they live. They experience only the dreams and illusions created in their own minds. When morning comes, dreamers perceive that their fears were unreal. They were running from illusions created by their own minds. Those who are spiritually asleep are in the same condition.
When they awaken to the Reality of the Truth, they will perceive that the terrors of the carnal mind were as unreal as their dreams. The Reality is that which the Father represent. It is that in which "we live, we move, we exist."
The nightmares of the carnal mind appear real, and they are experienced as real, but when we awaken from those nightmares, we renounce them for the insubstantial illusions that they are.
acquaintance appears, enlightening our minds with the dawn of understanding. Every believer has passed through the time of sleep when we were trapped in ignorance of the Truth, but those who awaken to know themselves find themselves immersed in the joy of Divine Life.
the state of ignorance is like a nightmare the one who comes to acquaintance wakes up and comes into the light
Awaken from your sleep of Ignorance by knowing yourselves the son of Man is within you
Thus having awaken from the deep sleep of Adam which is "Ignorance" seek after Light Knowledge, "That your Eye be Single" and your Whole Body be Full of Light