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| Theory of Consciousness | |||||||||||||||||||
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According to Maharishi`s theory of Consciousness or Enlightenment, there are seven stages of consciousness, of which the first three are very common to all. And the rest fulfill the definition of enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal of long term practice of Transcendental meditation.
The above three are very common to everyone. You know when you had a dreamless night, which is when you tend to feel at your level best when you get up in the morning from a dreamless sleep. The dreaming state is when you remember a particular dream, which happens mostly when you know that you have to wake up and you dream at that particular point of time. That is also the waking state, when you are sleeping but you know, in your consciousness that you have to get up in sometime.The other theories are as follows: Transcendental consciousness- The fourth major state of consciousness distinct from the waking or the sleeping or the dreaming or waking up state. In this state your mind settles down and you experience a state of "restful alertness". Your thoughts become quieter and quieter until all your thoughts slowly fade away from your mind. Now the mind is no longer bound by your thoughts but it experiences a kind of awareness, which has awakened by itself. This state is an experience of "amness" or "being". This stage is the stage of pure consciousness. Cosmic consciousness- This is the fifth state of consciousness, and this stage is said to be a state of "enlightenment". It results from alternating the experiences of Transcendental consciousness and the activity of daily life. Through regular practice the state of being in Transcendental consciousness is maintained while waking up, sleeping or dreaming. This "cosmic" state is marked by a peaceful, restful state inside, which one is constantly engaged in even when constant changes in life occurs. God consciousness- This is the state where the cosmic consciousness is accompanied by the sensory perception you feel when you wake, sleep or dream. During that time the full range of mechanics of creation are operational but at a very subtle level. This state leads to devotion and love for the creator, God. Unity consciousness- This is the seventh state. This state is based on the perception that all aspects of life are nothing but expressions of Being and pure consciousness. All diversities in life are bridged in unison. The outer and inner realities are of life are bridged together in Unity consciousness. | |||||||||||||||||||
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