Turiya Teet Chetena, the 4th State of Consciousness: The Key to Higher States of Consciousness

Special lecture on consciousness, brain functioning and enlightenment: In recent decades, scientists studying the neurophysiological effects of meditation have discovered a fourth major state of consciousness, unlike waking, dreaming or sleep. This state was first discovered in the research labs at UCLA and Harvard by scientists working to identify the physiological changes occurring during Transcendental Meditation. Studies characterized the fourth state as deep physiological rest along with increased inner wakefulness and heightened coherence of brain functioning. Scientists described it as a hypo-metabolic state of "restful alertness."

In the Vedic Tradition, the fourth state of consciousness has been known for thousands of years, and in Sanskrit is called "turiya," meaning "the fourth." It is also known as "samadhi," referred to in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as the state of yoga or union of small self with Atma, the Cosmic self. 

The great Vedic meditation masters held that regular, daily experience of the fourth state is the prerequisite for unfolding higher states of consciousness, because experience of the fourth state dissolves stress and cultures and refines the nervous system, allowing for a more expanded state of consciousness to be spontaneously lived in daily life. From this perspective, enlightenment or full awakening of consciousness results when the fourth state (transcendental consciousness or samadhi) is "stabilized" in the nervous system and lived as an all-time reality. It is the state of non duality, the field of pure consciousness or unified awareness at the silent basis of the mind.

This special talk will explore the nature of "transcending" — the experience of the fourth state of consciousness — and consider recent studies in neuroscience which suggest that EEG coherence provides a window to the enlightened human brain.

The talk will also consider the Transcendental Meditation technique as a natural, effortless means for experiencing the fourth state of consciousness.