SATS — short for State Akin to Sleep — is a manifestation technique where you impress a vivid mental scene on your subconscious mind during the drowsy state just before you fall asleep. It's one of the most effective and widely practiced methods in conscious creation, and for good reason: it works with your brain's natural processes rather than against them.
What Is the State Akin to Sleep?
The state akin to sleep is that liminal zone between full wakefulness and actual sleep. You know the feeling — your body is relaxed, your mind is drifting, thoughts become fluid and image-like rather than logical. Psychologists call this the hypnagogic state. In meditation traditions, it's sometimes called the alpha-theta border.
This state matters because your subconscious mind is most receptive during it. The critical, analytical part of your conscious mind — the part that says "that's unrealistic" or "you can't have that" — relaxes its grip. What you impress upon your mind in this state tends to be accepted more deeply than affirmations repeated during full wakefulness.
Why SATS Works
There are both practical and neurological reasons SATS is effective.
Reduced mental resistance. During the day, when you try to imagine your desired outcome, your conscious mind often pushes back with doubt and logic. In the drowsy state, this resistance is naturally lowered.
Subconscious imprinting. The subconscious mind doesn't distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and a real one — especially when the imagining happens in a state of reduced conscious filtering. This is the same principle behind why dreams feel real while you're in them.
Last impression before sleep. Whatever occupies your mind as you fall asleep tends to marinate in your subconscious throughout the night. Think of it as setting the overnight agenda for your deeper mind.
Emotional encoding. The drowsy state naturally amplifies feeling. A scene imagined with genuine feeling in the SATS state is far more impactful than one visualized mechanically during the day.
How to Practice SATS: Step by Step
Step 1: Choose your scene. Before you get into bed, decide on a short mental scene that implies your desire is already fulfilled. The key word is "implies." Don't imagine the desire itself — imagine something that would naturally happen AFTER it's fulfilled.
For example, if you want a promotion, don't imagine getting the phone call. Imagine a friend congratulating you on it, or sitting at your new desk. If you want a specific amount of money, imagine checking your bank balance and seeing it, or spending it on something specific.
The scene should be brief — 5 to 10 seconds is enough. Think of it as a short loop you can replay.
Step 2: Get comfortable. Lie in your usual sleeping position. Take a few slow breaths to relax. Don't try to force relaxation — just let your body settle naturally.
Step 3: Enter the drowsy state. This is the part people overthink. You don't need to "achieve" anything. Simply lie still with your eyes closed and wait. Within a few minutes, you'll naturally begin to feel drowsy. Your thoughts will start to become less structured and more image-based. That's the state.
If you're someone who falls asleep quickly, you might need to sit slightly propped up at first to stay in the drowsy zone longer without dropping into full sleep.
Step 4: Play your scene. Begin running your short mental scene on a loop. See it from first person — through your own eyes, not watching yourself from the outside. Feel whatever you would feel if this were actually happening.
Don't worry about perfect visual clarity. Some people see vivid images; others feel sensations or hear sounds more strongly. Whatever sense is most natural for you is the right one.
Step 5: Fall asleep in the scene. The goal is to fall asleep while the scene is playing. If you drift off naturally while looping the scene, you've done it perfectly. If you fall asleep before the scene takes hold, try again the next night — it's a skill that improves with practice.
Common Questions About SATS
How long should I practice before seeing results? There's no fixed timeline. Some people report shifts within days; for others it takes weeks. The key variable isn't time — it's the depth of feeling and naturalness of the scene. A scene that feels forced or mechanical won't impress the subconscious as deeply as one that feels real and satisfying.
What if I keep falling asleep before I can do the scene? This is common. Try practicing earlier in the evening when you're tired but not exhausted. You can also try the technique during a midday rest or afternoon nap when you're naturally drowsy but not as deeply tired.
What if my mind wanders? Gently bring it back to the scene. Don't get frustrated — mind wandering is normal, especially at first. Each time you return to the scene, you're strengthening the practice.
Can I use SATS for multiple desires at once? It's more effective to focus on one scene at a time. Once that desire feels natural and settled — when you no longer feel urgency about it — you can move to the next one.
Should I do SATS every night? Consistency helps, but there's no strict rule. Some practitioners do it nightly until the desire manifests. Others do it for a few nights until the feeling of fulfillment is established, then let it go and trust the process.
SATS and Your Focus Practice
If you're using ManifestFlow's timer during the day, you're already building the habit of working with intention and receiving wisdom during breaks. SATS is the nighttime counterpart — where you take that same intentional energy and impress it directly on your subconscious before sleep.
Together, they create a rhythm: conscious, focused work during the day, and deliberate subconscious imprinting at night. This is the complete cycle of conscious creation.
Recommended Reading
- The Feeling Is the Secret by Neville Goddard — the definitive guide to working with feeling and the subconscious, including the SATS technique
- Awakened Imagination by Neville Goddard — deepens the understanding of imagination as the creative power
---