had noticed before that to sleep, actually sleep with someone did give this sense of intimacy, as though your dreams had flowed out of you to mingle with his and fold you both in a blanket of unconscious knowing. A throwback of some kind, I thought. In older, more primitive times {like these? asked another part of my mind}, it was an act of trust to sleep in the presence of another person. If the trust was mutual, simple sleep could bring you closer together than the joining of bodies.
The narrator reflects on the profound intimacy that comes from sharing sleep with another person. She describes this experience as a blending of dreams, creating a sense of connection that transcends mere physical presence. This closeness allows for an unspoken understanding between individuals, suggesting that sleep together fosters a bond that is deeply rooted in trust.
This act of sleeping alongside someone goes beyond physical intimacy; it evokes a primordial sense of safety and reliance on one another. The narrator ponders the historical significance of shared sleep as a testament to mutual trust, implying that such vulnerability can strengthen relationships more profoundly than physical union alone.