Periodically he may go off into gales of loud, boisterous laughter and clap his hands in glee. After a while he may begin to sob uncontrollably and inconsolably. Here the meditator is moving and alternating between two states of consciousness. That is why he alternates between experiencing states of bliss in the super conscious state and at other times reliving his past and emptying the subconscious mind. Though this state seems amusing, scary or even traumatic to onlookers, it feels quite blissful and peaceful to the meditator himself. After he emerges from this meditative state, he has only a hazy memory of it and may feel a little tired. However, he is filled with a lot of lightness, quietness and peace inside.
Total Calmness: This is also a state of very deep inner absorption, but externally the meditator is absolutely calm and quiet. In fact, sitting with his eyes closed, he barely seems to breathe and is as still as a statue. He is apparently unaware of his surroundings and can continue to sit in this way for hours together. The sounds and movements in the physical environment around him do not affect him or disrupt his meditation in any way. That is why we say that a Yogi can meditate even in a fish market. This state can be attained only when the subconscious mind has been completely emptied of all its contents and the meditator is totally established in the super conscious state. However, once a meditator attains this state, he has total control over his meditation. He can enter and exit this state at will. He can explore any inner realm he chooses and is totally in charge of his meditation. In fact, he is always in meditation whether he is ‘awake’, ‘asleep’ or ‘meditating’. The past, present and future are an open book to him because he is constantly established in a state beyond time and space. He can recall all his ‘meditative experiences’ when he is ‘awake’ and is also ‘miraculously’ aware of everything that happened in the world around him when he was ‘meditating’. His awareness effortlessly encompasses all realms and all beings all the time. This is the state Enlightened Beings attain, maintain and sustain naturally and constantly.
Losing Yourself: Here the meditator has unpredictable cycles of complete inner absorption during his meditation. As he begins meditating, he is very much aware of the external environment around him. However, as his senses are harnessed and turned inwards, he loses himself within and becomes oblivious of his surroundings. This period of inner absorption may last a few seconds or minutes. Suddenly an external sound or an internal nudge from the ego jolts him and pulls him back to his body consciousness.
