STATES OF MIND IN MEDITATION
1. The Temple of Yoga
One could liken yoga to a temple comprised of eight floors, of which the yamas and
niyamas would constitute the basement and ground floors, asanas, pranayama,
pratyahara, dharana and dhyana would constitute the first, second, third, fourth and fifth
floors respectively. The sixth floor would be savikalpa samadhi, and nirvikalpa samadhi
would be the seventh floor.
Worldly seekers as well as renunciate seekers enter this temple of yoga in order to reach
the highest floor. But seekers with worldly desires cannot reach the sixth and the seventh
floors because their desires do not permit them to progress. They may have to be satisfied
with the experiences of the lower stages such as tandra (yogic drowsiness), nidra (yogic
sleep), and murcha (yogic swoon). However, the sages lead them towards the fourth and
fifth floors and encourage them to make all possible efforts to reach them.
The seeker who is a renunciate or who is free from worldly desires tries to attain mastery
over each of the floors of the yoga temple, one by one. They study and practice yoga
scientifically under the guidance of an able guru and make steady progress on the path of
yoga to reach the highest state of nirvikalpa samadhi. However, if you have not earned
the favor and blessings of a guru or of God, you will just swoon or faint at some stage
during meditation instead of reaching the state of samadhi.
2. Various Mental States in Meditation
Broadly speaking there are four major states of mind through which a seeker passes
before reaching the final state of nirvikalpa samadhi, or the state of non-mind. These
states are tandra (drowsiness), nidra (sleep), murcha (swoon), and samadhi (super