Browse
Top articles
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Try free for 7 days.
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
00:00
00:00
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the four states of consciousness that are mentioned in the yoga text, the Upanishads and how it's relevant to our mindfulness practice and our lives. So when we think about meditation, it might be tempting to think that when we take this time to close our eyes and relax and be still, that we're perhaps kind of switching off in some way. So in that way, you might think that we're moving into a state that's kind of closer to sleep. But actually, although our bodies and minds are often much more relaxed, we're actually moving more and more into full wakefulness.
In fact, we're probably more aware and awake during mindfulness practice than at any other time of the day, because although we are often walking around with our eyes open, very often, we're caught up in a dreamlike state of being, kind of lost in our wandering thoughts and not fully present to where we are and what we're doing. Often we might call this being caught up in autopilot. It's that state where we're doing the same habits, the same routines, kind of going through the motions, but without really paying attention, without being fully aware. So in normal life, you know, we're, most of us, familiar with three basic states of consciousness. We have the normal waking state.
We have dream sleep. So that's where we're asleep, but we're dreaming. And then we have deep dreamless sleep. But in the Yogi texts, they are clear that there's four states of consciousness. We have deep sleep, dreaming sleep, normal wakefulness, which is considered to them to be a little bit of a dreamlike state still.
Then we have what's called the fourth state, sometimes called Turiya. So in Turiya, we are the most awake. We are actually no longer on autopilot mode, we're not lost in our wondering thoughts, we're fully present, we're fully aware. In this fourth state of wakefulness, we are no longer in that dreamlike state of being lost in our thoughts and so we're no longer being pulled around by our habitual thoughts and emotions. So we suffer a lot less.
So this is a very significant state in the Yogi texts. So we're no longer living on autopilot which means we can live our lives more intentionally and we're able to abide in more calm, connectedness, and wisdom. So our mindfulness practice is really the cultivating of this kind of wakefulness, becoming familiar with it as a way of being, and then bringing it into everyday life. So in this way, we gradually learn to bring these greater awareness into every moment and every day. So with that in mind, let's settle in for today's meditation.
And as always thank you for your practice and your presence here with us.
The Four States of Consciousness
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the four states of consciousness that are mentioned in the yoga text, the Upanishads and how it's relevant to our mindfulness practice and our lives. So when we think about meditation, it might be tempting to think that when we take this time to close our eyes and relax and be still, that we're perhaps kind of switching off in some way. So in that way, you might think that we're moving into a state that's kind of closer to sleep. But actually, although our bodies and minds are often much more relaxed, we're actually moving more and more into full wakefulness.
In fact, we're probably more aware and awake during mindfulness practice than at any other time of the day, because although we are often walking around with our eyes open, very often, we're caught up in a dreamlike state of being, kind of lost in our wandering thoughts and not fully present to where we are and what we're doing. Often we might call this being caught up in autopilot. It's that state where we're doing the same habits, the same routines, kind of going through the motions, but without really paying attention, without being fully aware. So in normal life, you know, we're, most of us, familiar with three basic states of consciousness. We have the normal waking state.
We have dream sleep. So that's where we're asleep, but we're dreaming. And then we have deep dreamless sleep. But in the Yogi texts, they are clear that there's four states of consciousness. We have deep sleep, dreaming sleep, normal wakefulness, which is considered to them to be a little bit of a dreamlike state still.
Then we have what's called the fourth state, sometimes called Turiya. So in Turiya, we are the most awake. We are actually no longer on autopilot mode, we're not lost in our wondering thoughts, we're fully present, we're fully aware. In this fourth state of wakefulness, we are no longer in that dreamlike state of being lost in our thoughts and so we're no longer being pulled around by our habitual thoughts and emotions. So we suffer a lot less.
So this is a very significant state in the Yogi texts. So we're no longer living on autopilot which means we can live our lives more intentionally and we're able to abide in more calm, connectedness, and wisdom. So our mindfulness practice is really the cultivating of this kind of wakefulness, becoming familiar with it as a way of being, and then bringing it into everyday life. So in this way, we gradually learn to bring these greater awareness into every moment and every day. So with that in mind, let's settle in for today's meditation.
And as always thank you for your practice and your presence here with us.
Duration
Play in-app
Scan the following QR code with your camera app to open it on our mobile app
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Annual membership
$0
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Thank you for joining us
Dive into the full library and enjoy all it has to offer!
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Mindfulness
One membership to gain access to a world of premium mindfulness content created to help you live happier and stress less.