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Lower States of Consciousness

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
A reference to "lower states of consciousness" was made by one of our Hindu members in another thread, and I was just wondering what particular meaning this phrase has to the Hindus here.

In my view, there are four "states of consciousness." Waking, dream, sleep, and Turiya (which underlies the first three).

How does your view differ from this?
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
A reference to "lower states of consciousness" was made by one of our Hindu members in another thread, and I was just wondering what particular meaning this phrase has to the Hindus here.
* It is difficult to understand the nature of this principle of consciousness

* There are three aspects of this consciousness, depending upon its association with specific aspects of human personality:
When it is associated with the senses, we use the term ‘conscious’
When it is associated with the mind, we call it ‘conscience’
When it is associated with the self, it is pure consciousness
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
* It is difficult to understand the nature of this principle of consciousness

* There are three aspects of this consciousness, depending upon its association with specific aspects of human personality:
When it is associated with the senses, we use the term ‘conscious’
When it is associated with the mind, we call it ‘conscience’
When it is associated with the self, it is pure consciousness

Who is “we?” ;)

First I’ve heard this. My understanding is that the waking state is associated with the gross body, the dream state with the subtle body, and the deep sleep state with the causal body.
 

Ashoka

श्री कृष्णा शरणं मम
A reference to "lower states of consciousness" was made by one of our Hindu members in another thread, and I was just wondering what particular meaning this phrase has to the Hindus here.

In my view, there are four "states of consciousness." Waking, dream, sleep, and Turiya (which underlies the first three).

How does your view differ from this?

I can only speak for myself, but as a Shaivite, I believe in the gross, subtle, and causal planes. These are three stages of being. Below these is the sub-astral Narakaloka, which are lower and darker stages.

I see each a stage in evolution of the soul. But, a soul can regress and go back to square one.

This diagram I find to be helpful.
 

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Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
In my view, there are four "states of consciousness." Waking, dream, sleep, and Turiya (which underlies the first three).
How does your view differ from this?
I believe in just two - Understand or do not understand.
Every one, the realized as well as the unrealized, sleep, dream and wake up, nothing special about that. :)
This diagram I find to be helpful.
The diagram is more difficult to understand that Feynman diagrams.
 
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SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Every one, the realized as well as the unrealized, sleep, dream and wake up, nothing special about that. :)

I never claimed there was anything special about deep sleep, dreaming, or waking. But most go about their lives in vyavaharika ignorant of Turiya.
 

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
A reference to "lower states of consciousness" was made by one of our Hindu members in another thread, and I was just wondering what particular meaning this phrase has to the Hindus here.

In my view, there are four "states of consciousness." Waking, dream, sleep, and Turiya (which underlies the first three).

How does your view differ from this?

Just curious, do these states also apply to animals like cats and dogs?
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
It does apply to some extent to all animals and to a greater extent in case of some animals like seals, dolphins, whales, dogs, elephants; and our nearest cousins, monkeys, orangutans, apes and chimps.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Just curious, do these states also apply to animals like cats and dogs?

I can't remember any existence as another species, but I'm inclined to say that these would apply to any animal. Dogs, for example, appear to dream as humans do.

At the structural level, the brains of dogs are similar to those of humans. Also, during sleep, the brain wave patterns of dogs are similar to that of humans and go through the same stages of electrical activity observed in humans, all of which are consistent with the idea that dogs are dreaming.

Do Dogs Dream?
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I never heard of any consciousness "lower" or more limited than Deep, stage 3/4, non-REM sleep. Would such a stage even be conscious?
Just curious, do these states also apply to animals like cats and dogs?
Why not? They sleep and wake just like us. They appear to perceive the same world we do. They're essentially the same, neurologically.
 

ajay0

Well-Known Member
'Lower states of consciousnesss' means that one is unconscious rather than in Self-awareness, or the mind is heavily in the past or future rather than being anchored in the Self or present moment awareness.

Lower states of consciousnsess is associated with egoism, delusion, ignorance, misery, mental agitation and inauspiciousness.

Lower states of consciousness means that one is in the grip of Maya and is a plaything or slave of Prakriti rather than being a master of it. Maya is but the untamed mind tending to reactivity, ignorance, negativity and perversion.

Higher states of consciousness means that one is anchored in the Self or present moment awareness and this is associated with clarity, wisdom, mental equanimity, bliss and auspiciousness.
 
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