Four States of Consciousness

A hierarchy of states of experience that
is first outlined in the Mandukya
Upanishad. In its description, the upanishad moves from greatest duality to
utter nonduality; these four states are
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Four States of Consciousness
also correlated with the phonetic
elements of the sacred sound Om.
Om symbolizes the four states of
consciousness and is the sum and
quintessence of them all. The first stage
of consciousness is waking consciousness, in which one perceives both
subject and object; then dreaming,
in which one’s experience is totally
subjective; then deep sleep, in which
(until waking) even consciousness
of oneself as subject has been lost.
The final state is so removed from
human experience that it cannot be designated by language, and so is simply
called “the fourth” (turiya). In the
Mandukya Upanishad, this fourth state
is clearly identified as the ultimate truth,
the atman or inner Self, knowledge of
which brings final liberation of the soul.