Yoga - the fourth state of consciousness

Western science limits itself by considering cognitive functions such as thinking as the highest state of consciousness. However, in eastern philosophy, as well as in western mysticism, the existence of even higher states of consciousness is common knowledge. This higher state of consciousness transcends thinking and other processes of the logical mind and has been called the fourth state of consciousness: the state of 'thoughtless awareness'.

In thoughtless awareness the dualism of the human mind is transcended and one enters the silence in the gap between the thoughts. The silence of 'thoughtlessness' leads to pure perceptive existence as opposed to the usual projective perception of the world, where projections from our logical human mind are thrown into reality and then extracted again. The perception of reality can therefore never be pure, if undertaken from an epistemic mental level. The mind sees the outside world only through the limitations of his own understanding, through the tinted lenses of human categories, laws of logic and interpretation based on past experiences.

These limitations of the human mind make it ultimately impossible for humankind to perceive reality in its pure form. The Kantian 'thing itself' can not be perceived independent from its translation through our mental categories. Reality without mental coloring, without the biased and distorted mental translation can thus only be perceived if we learn to transcend the human mind. And the human mind can only be transcended by mystical experience that allows us to enter this state of absolute silence, where we are aware of our surroundings without 'coloring' them with the projection of our thoughts.

In the mystical experience one enters a state of pure existence, pure awareness, pure attention and pure being. As pure Being, pure existence, one can experience reality as such, without translator, without thoughts, in absolute silence. This state of mystical transcendence of the mind, of absolute silence and complete serenity, has been called by different names according to the different mystical traditions: mystical extasis (Christianity), gnosis (gnosticism), Tao (Taoism), Satori (Zen Buddhism), Sahaja Samadhi (Sikh tradition), Nirvana (Buddhist and Hindu traditions) and Yoga (Indian mysticism).

Yoga is the Indian description of this mystical experience of "union" - a joining of our individual consciousness with the all pervading energy of the universal consciousness, of the individual 'Atma' with the universal 'Brahma'. The English word 'joke' and 'joy' derive from the Sanskrit word Yukti, reflecting the joyful aspect of this mystical fusion of the individual with the universal consciousness.

Sahaja Yoga is a revival of ancient Yoga techniques that teaches how to enter into this joyful fourth state of consciousness that is thoughtless awareness. This state has a significantly relaxing effect on body and mind. Considering that stress is mostly induced by thinking about past or future events, the meditative state of being in the present, in the 'here and now' shows to have an important effect on stress relief. In addition, far beyond stress relief, Sahaja Yoga has also shown to have important therapeutic effects on disease processes and can most certainly play a crucial role in disease prevention.