The Three States of Consciousness
Waking, dreaming, and deep sleep reveal the nature of self.
The Self experiences three states: waking (interaction with external world), dreaming (internal creation), and deep sleep (unity without objects). Beyond these is the fourth - Turiya.
Waking, dreaming, and deep sleep are the three states. The fourth is the Self itself - Turiya.
Analysis of the three states reveals the unchanging witness.
Mandukya Upanishad
Written about in
- What the Upanishads say about the self
Waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep are treated as evidence rather than as topics. Something is continuous across three conditions that share almost nothing.