top
3 States of Mind
Three states of mind: We function with three states of mind: 1)
Conscious, 2) Unconscious,
and 3) Subconscious. These can also be thought of as a river, being like the surface of the river, the flowing undercurrent of the river, and the latent bed of the river that gives shape to both the flowing undercurrent and the surface.
conscious: The Conscious mind is the part we experience in our active lives. However, the Unconscious and Subconscious are also actively being utilized in service of the Conscious mind, with all three levels working together as an integrated whole.
Unconscious: The Unconscious mind is processing at the same time, much like the microchip in a computer processes outside of our conscious view. Normally we only experience the Unconscious Mind during Dreaming sleep, when the many images and
impressions combine and re-combine to form inner realities.
Subconscious: The Subconscious repository of data, memories, and recorded impressions is also there, much like the hard disk drive of a computer. It is drawn upon as needed for the Unconscious and Conscious. Impressions arise from this bed of Subconscious, causing a stirring of the Unconscious and Conscious emotions and thoughts, as well as leading to actions and speech in the external world. When we see objects or people in the Dreaming state, it is from the Subconscious that the mind draws the memory of those images.
During Meditation:
Mind becomes focused and non-attached: The Conscious mind is trained to be one-pointed, while also learning to let go of the other impressions that are flowing through the field of attention (non-attachment or vairagya).
The veil is opened: As the Conscious mind becomes quiet, the veil between Conscious and Unconscious is gradually opened, allowing more thoughts, feelings, sensations, images or impressions to come forward from the Unconscious to the Conscious.
Impressions drift away: The mind continues to be focused, as the impressions rising from the Unconscious are allowed to drift away, in a spirit of non-attachment (vairagya).
Mind is expanded: Eventually the Conscious mind is expanded in such a way that we go beyond all aspects of the mind.