The Enlightenment - The Fourth State of Consciousness

I have two quotes to share on the Fourth State of Consciousnesses that is also called Enlightenment by some religions-

“Enlightenment is any experience of expanding our consciousness beyond its present limits. We could also say that perfect enlightenment is realisation that we have no limits at all.” (From “The Lazy Man’s Guide to Enlightenment” by Thaddeus Golas)

“The Ultimate State of Consciousness is universally described in mystical literature as union with the Absolute, where the Absolute is known not as many but one without a second. Further, it is specified that to know the absolute is to be the absolute. It follows that the Ultimate State of Consciousness is itself the Absolute, and thus the ultimate state is not a state of consciousness set apart from other states, not one state among many, but rather one state without a second ----that is to say, absolutely all-inclusive. Hence, the Ultimate State of Consciousness is not an altered state of consciousness, for there is no alternative.” (From “Eye to Eye” by Ken Wilber)

The stage of enlightenment can either be a gradual method or a sudden one. The sudden ones occur due to a sudden spiritual awakening. It can happen suddenly to anyone, just like the King who had the dream of being a beggar and an ocean of questions disturbed his mind. He wanted to know what is the true state of consciousness, this life or the one beyond or the one he saw in his dream. Like this King and many others, I have set on an inward journey to find out the answers to this question.

The Fourth Absolute State of Consciousness - Enlightenment

The Fourth Absolute state of pure consciousness is the experience of ultimate reality and truth. The truth of this universe, the unknown mystery that lies beyond death may be found there. The fourth state of consciousness transcends the three common states of consciousness: the state of waking consciousness, the state of dreaming, and dreamless sleep(the unmanifested third state). The absolute state of consciousness is something we can never experience otherwise and attaining it requires having true power over one’s own mind.

Achieving the fourth Absolute State of Consciousness is what many SOUL SEEKERS tried for ages. Some claim that it can be achieved by powerful psychedelic drugs. Poets like Coleridge and Keats are alleged to be taking opium to attain such states and write multi-layered poems like “Kubla Khan”. But, these states when achieved by taking resort to drugs are the easy way – an alternative way is to exercising control over your mind. When we talk of mind power and not substance, we should use the mind alone. Drugs and substances are for the ones who are not able to attain it otherwise by mind power. This situation is similar to soccer players taking resort to drugs to increase their body power and not just playing themselves.


Do we need a stimulant or drug when we can make our mind think in a particular way we want to? Sometimes we feel as if we cannot control our mind, it craves for a particular thing and you just cannot resist. Everything can be resisted, if you can make your mind do it. Let your mind be your slave and not vice versa. It's a powerful weapon that all are gifted with and can used to destroy or create. Which one is your pick?

The States of Consciousness

Before embarking on further discussion on Dreams, lets get to know all the four states of consciousness.

I already wrote about the first two states of consciousness according to the Upanishad which are :

1. Waking state of consciousness when our organs are wide awake and interact with the external world.
2. Dreaming state of consciousness in which we view symbolic transformations of the real world.

The two other states of consciousness are:

3. The unmanifested third state of consciousness:

This is a state of deep sleep in which the mind neither is awake or is dreaming, but the mind remains drowned in perfect bliss. This is the state where the mind experiences void. Void in its truest sense. We can never think “ nothing” when we are awake or even in the second dreaming state of consciousness. Can we? At least, I cannot. Some thought or the other keeps on invading our mind. Even if we don’t want to. This third unmanifested state is when the mind attains a state of void.

4. The fourth absolute state of consciousness:

They say that fourth state transcends the three other states. If waking is the bright day, and deep sleep is the dark night, dreams are the connecting twilight : and all these are relative with respect to the Sun, which itself is the Fourth absolute state. In our life, we are the Sun itself, and the states of consciousness are relative with respect to our mind- our day, our night and twilight with respect to us . It’s the same Self , passing through different states of consciousness.

One advice from me- Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the states of consciousness - which ever you can.