5. Continuing on the 20th Century Limited - Shuffling Off From Buffalo
The route after the city of Buffalo, turns west and connects up with south shore of Lake Erie. Passengers on the right-side of the train open their morning eyes to a-rushing-by right-side window view of the waters of the Lake.
After talking with Godfrey, Ali lies in lower bunk, at first in thought. She has arranged herself in the position of maximal muscle relaxation: lying flat on back, face up, legs straight & loose and in slight external rotation with knee joints relaxed at slightly less than 180-degrees and the big toes facing a little away from each other and her arms extended alongside her body, the palms of hands flat down. And her head sinks into the small pillow to allow slight extension on the neck. It is ideal for thinking in repose and easily converts to light sleep because no muscle and almost no brain & spinal cord neurons are working; in contrast in the usual sleeper who gets into positions where muscles and nerves are made to work. Ali got that from her Uncle Guy - the psychologist at Harvard.
She reposes only briefly. One of her studies to become Super-Person is to be able to go off to sleep at once. The brilliant Dr Stan, the neuro-psychiatry hospital resident in the Bronx, had taught her how to easily fall asleep. From research, he discovered the body clock neurons in the brain's hypothalamus (lowest part of mid brain just above roof of mouth) can signal the brain's pineal gland (very small and plum-like in mid brain) within a minute after the stopping of the light rays striking the eye retinas, to release a fall-asleep hormone, and, in a sleep-deprived state, this will put one to sleep. So Ali practices routinely not to nap or daydream during her awake hours and, whenever she wishes to quickly fall asleep, she gets herself into the max relax position plus doing psychological relaxation by focusing on a single simple, reassuring thought such as I am in the best place and I appreciate my good luck at being happy and healthy in this best time. The final move is to block light rays from her eyes.
Now, rapidly, Ali lightly sleeps.
Outside Lake Erie's shoreline rushes by as the Limited races westward.
To continue next, click 13.6 Nuthin' Could Be Finah Than To Be Not in Caro...
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