DAAJI shows us how ancient Yoga and modern neuroscience converge in their understanding of the different states of brain functioning. He explores these states of A, U, M and the soundlessness that follows AUM, in the light of brainwave frequencies and yogic states of consciousness.
DAAJI shows us how ancient Yoga and modern neuroscience converge in their understanding of the different states of brain functioning. He explores these states of A, U, M and the soundlessness that follows AUM, in the light of brainwave frequencies and yogic states of consciousness.
AUM is the original sound that manifested at the time of creation, and that sound is still there in our innate memory within the soul, starting from A to U to M, and finally the emptiness that follows the M. These three sounds all have tremendous significance, but it is the soundless sound that follows the M that we must capture. It is actually the empty silence that follows the sound of AUM that reminds us of the fourth state of our consciousness, known as the Turiya state.
These states of consciousness are experienced every day by all of us, and can also be measured with an EEG machine:
The A of AUM: the alert waking states are characterized by brainwaves of higher frequencies: Gamma waves, 31-120 Hertz, occur with hyper brain activity such as learning and problem solving. Beta waves, 13-30 Hertz, occur when we are active in conversation and activity.
The U of AUM: the contemplative dreamlike state is characterized by medium frequency brainwaves: Alpha waves, 8-12 Hertz, occur when we are relaxed, contemplative, absorbed in a beautiful piece of music, daydreaming or starting to meditate.
The dream state is characterized by Theta waves, 4-7 Hertz, and occurs when we are drowsy and drifting into sleep and dreams.
The M of AUM: the deep sleep state is characterized by Delta waves, 0.5-3 Hertz.
When we are in an active waking state, consciousness is moving outwards, away from the Source in the search for knowledge, and from this is born the field of modern science. As the brainwaves frequencies become slower, it shows that we are turning inwards and moving into deeper states of consciousness. The consciousness of the dream state is somewhere between the waking and sleeping state, where we dream of slokas, poetry, ghazals, etc. It is all about the inner search, and is related to the inner world. In the deep sleep state, consciousness gravitates towards its Source, the soul.
If you are familiar with the scientific research that has been done on those meditating with Transcendental Meditation, various Buddhist systems, Mindfulness and Heartfulness, they have conducted experiments on monks and ordinary people, new meditators and experienced meditators who had done ten thousand, fifteen thousand, twenty thousand hours in meditation.
In research studies, meditators have experienced Delta frequencies, normally found during deep sleep, the dreamlike Theta frequencies, the relaxed Alpha states, and spikes of high frequency Gamma brainwaves in patterns not normally associated with waking states. In fact, in yogis who meditate regularly, Gamma oscillations are found to be much more common and significantly greater in amplitude than in other groups. So the spectrum of brainwave frequencies expanded in both directions as a result of meditation.
The brainwave spectrum of the Turiya state encompasses the full range of the spectrum, even that of deep sleep or Sushupti, indicated by Delta waves, although the person meditating is simultaneously completely aware. Yogis and monks crave for this state with all their might, and sometimes meditate for thousands of hours or perform penances and practices in order to reach it. With the help of Yogic Transmission, it becomes quite easy to experience this Turiya state. Even if you have never meditated in your life, when you are exposed to Heartfulness Meditation with Transmission somehow it awakens your consciousness at a different level so that you expand into the Turiya condition. While your body is fully relaxed, your mind is able to perceive things. You are not sleeping, but you are in a relaxed state as rejuvenative as deep sleep. That is the true Turiya condition.
And then we move to the next stage, where we take this condition out into daily life with eyes open. We transcend Turiya to the Turiyatit state. The Turiya state is available only when we are in meditation, whereas the Turiyatit state emerges when we carry that deep meditative state with us all the time. It encompasses all the states: A, U, M and the soundless sound.
We transcend
from A – the external wakeful state,
to U – the inner dream-like state,
to M – the deep sleep state of Sushupti,
to the soundless silence of the Turiya state,
and finally to the Turiyatit condition.
So while it is good to meditate regularly, it is even better to be in a meditative state all the time. We are actively meditating daily and meditatively remaining active all the time.
Article by KAMLESH PATEL (DAAJI)
Daaji
Kamlesh Patel is known to many as Daaji. He is the Heartfulness Guide in a tradition of Yoga meditation that is over 100 years old, overseeing 14,000 certified Heartfulness trainers and many volunteers in over 160 countries. He is an inn... Read More
