Different States of Consciousness
There are various states of consciousness we can experience. Meditation is one of the most significant among them.
Waking State:
We are awake, experiencing the world through our five senses. In the absence of even one of them, we lose the full spectrum of perception.
At every moment in the waking state, one of our senses dominates—sight, smell, touch, hearing, or taste.
What is the goal of each of these senses?
We want to experience joy and elevation through any of them. We want to see only what brings joy, not what brings sorrow.
The mind is valued more highly than the senses because the senses are a limited means of enjoyment.
Sleeping State:
Deep sleep is the only time we receive real rest. However, too much sleep can dull us, as it also consumes energy.
Dreaming State:
We "remember" experiences in the dream state.
Meditation:
We must transcend into a higher state of consciousness, the fourth state, which we all know from meditation, also called “Shiva.”
This state offers the deepest possible rest we can ever have. The mind becomes fresh, delicate, and beautiful.
Meditation prevents stress from entering the system, while also removing already accumulated stress. Both happen simultaneously, and we begin to connect to the source of joy within ourselves.
The more we dwell in this state, the happier we become. Everything we see, feel, or touch becomes more vivid and beautiful.
Each of our senses begins to perform the function of all the others as well. Our knowledge grows and becomes intuitive.
Our consciousness makes us feel that our body is part of the whole—part of the entire creation—and that the entire creation is part of us.
Once this fourth state becomes more dominant and more present in our daily life, we move into the fifth state of consciousness, known as cosmic consciousness.
This means being aware of the entire cosmos as part of yourself.
When the world becomes a part of us, so much love flows between us and all of existence.
This state of consciousness gives us the strength to bear life’s opposites—to deal with disturbances, anger, and disappointments. We don’t hold on to them.
The first sign of expanding consciousness is the ability to let go of negative emotions.
We get used to living in the moment and letting go, because no matter how good the people we interact with are, misunderstandings are inevitable.
A higher state of consciousness means that intuition develops, and the capacity to perceive and understand grows.
