STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS- A Broad Sketch

“Asato mâ sad gamaya

Tamaso mâ jyotir gamaya
Mrityor mâ amritam gamaya”

(May we move from total unconsciousness to total consciousness through the practice
of dharma (virtue, religion, morality) and yoga (spirituality, communion, surrender).
May we move from the dark levels of unconscious, semi-unconscious and semi-
conscious to the effulgent levels of Atman, Vishvatman and Paramatman. May we
move from the mortal spheres of unconscious, semi-unconscious, semi-conscious and
normal conscious to the supraconscious immortal states of Atman.)

Nothingness
PURPORT
Imagine you do not exist yet. If you are not there, nothing is there for you (Asat). No
universe, no parents, no country, no name, no identity, just absolute nothingness or
Unmanifest (asat).

Now, imagine you are just born, emerging gradually from asat, gradually moving from
unconsciousness into semi-unconsciousness (tamas). You are still quite immersed in the
darkness of ignorance and semi-unconsciousness and unconsciousness.

Then, gradually you move into the semi-conscious state (rajas), when your senses start
capturing stimuli from the world. There are a number of sensations bubbling around and
within. Now, experience starts happening and gradually experiences create a sense of
ego, of individual being linked to the body, senses and brain.

Then, as you mature further you become more and more conscious and aware (sattva).
This is the natural progression of all beings. Through proper education, socialisation and
moral edification, you learn to follow a path that would maintain you in a state of
conscious awareness, self-determination and self-responsibility, which is full of light and
delight.

All through your life through experiencing, thinking, feeling and acting in the world and
in relationships you keep changing states of consciousness. Sometimes you become semi-
conscious, when passionate and excited; sometimes you become semi-unconscious when
you dull, unthinking, intoxicated, dreaming, sleepy; sometimes you become unconscious
when asleep, swooned, in coma; sometimes conscious when mentally alert and sensitive
in the present moment, when morally and intellectually alive to situations, people, things,
choices, decisions and responsibilities.

This is the cycle of life which starts with asat from birth and finally ends in asat at death.
Those whose minds have been full of conscious awareness and moral energy, they remain
filled with light and delight. Dying becomes a lightful and delightful final experience
with beautiful and joyful images and sounds as they gradually move back into asat.
Those whose minds continuously swing between conscious, semi-conscious, semi-
unconscious and unconscious, they keep chasing and collecting shadows and sorrows.
Dying becomes quite a dreadful and smoggy experience characterised by a succession of
shadowy and sorrowful images and sounds as they gradually sink back into asat.

Those who through the light and delight of conscious awareness have sensed that there is
a State Beyond these fleeting states of consciousness and unconsciousness and set off on
a spiritual journey to reach That, they gradually move from religion, morality and virtue
into spirituality, surrender and spiritual communion through silence of the mind and
stillness of the body.

As they get anchored into that mysterious State they gradually get the feeling of a
Timeless, Imperishable, Absolute State which pervades their innermost being, the whole
cosmos and whatever lies beyond. This Spiritual Feeling is called Atmabhava or
Enlightenment. Enlightenment uproots consciousness from asat and maintains it into the
State of Satyam, the Absolute Consciousness which is constantly in touch with the
Ultimate Beyond.