In a general sense, sleeping in the Bible represents a state of obscurity about spiritual matters, a state in which you are not recognizing things that are spiritually true and not seeking what is spiritually good. In particular -- especially when someone is in a "deep sleep" -- it represents a state in which we believe we think, feel and do everything from ourselves, without acknowledging that all life comes from the Lord.

(Препратки: Arcana Coelestia 147, 150, 3715, 5210)

5210. 'And he fell asleep' means a state of obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'sleeping' as a state of obscurity. 'Sleep' has no other meaning than this in the spiritual sense, even as 'wakefulness' means nothing else than a state of brightness; for spiritual sleep is a time when truths remain in obscurity, spiritual wakefulness when truths exist in brightness. And to the extent that truths are in the one state or else the other, spirits are awake or asleep. From this it is evident that 'falling asleep' is a state of obscurity.