Samata meditation is a journey within the discipline of meditation. It allows the meditator to travel to different states of consciousness, resulting in the refinement of the physical, mental, and spiritual bodies to such a high vibration that they can accelerate the path to the ultimate goal of Self Realization.

Did I say fast track? Perhaps a little effort is required.

The idea is that as you penetrate deeper into your awareness, you should acknowledge any imbalances. The imbalance at all levels must be corrected and harmonized in each state.

Mainly that is done in a conscious physical state of consciousness. Which means you have to bring what you have learned and ’embody it in your everyday life’.

Knowledge is important, so let me start by explaining these altered states of consciousness and their impact on you as seekers of Ultimate Truth.

The first state is the physical, the Conscious Mind, also known as waking consciousness.

It is vital that your physical life be orderly and as pure as you can project. Your body must be clean and healthy, it is said that a good yogi always takes a bath before meditation. You should also cleanse the lower mind by thinking good thoughts and doing good deeds, this does not include alcohol or drugs.

Now you wonder why? The answer is that the mind, as you will discover, is a powerful enemy.

But it can be a good friend and you need a good friend for this transcendental journey, not a deceitful mind.

You don’t have to be a vegetarian, but perhaps meat and processed foods can be reduced or omitted from your diet. And seek out the company of true like-minded people.

You should always sit in the same place to meditate as this becomes a habit and the mind immediately calms down and the initial meditation ritual is easier.

Make sure you have a small cushion and place it under your tailbone; this allows the spine to be perfectly straight, which is important for the movement of energy along the spine.

As you go deeper into the memory bank of your mind, even though you are not yet in the meditative state, you will pass through the Subconscious Mind, which is the mind of impressions. The state you are in is what Patanjali called contemplation, an altered state of mind below the physical mind.

This is a vast forest of desires, memories and temptations and you must safely traverse it. Unfortunately you will be led astray, tempted by the subtle tricks of the mind and the immature ego.

Your back will start to ache, your legs will clench, and time will seem slow, trying to bring you back to fitness. Fear begins to grow within you until you begin to think that you are no longer breathing. Remember that this is the source of all physiological processes and they will also come into play, you must ignore it but continue as the next state is a great challenge.

The next level you will enter once you have gained the right of way through the previous states is the Sub Sub Conscious Mind. This is a part of your mind that lies deep within the subconscious mind and is The Mind of Subliminal Traits.

In yoga we believe that this area consists of the combined vibrations that have entered your subconscious mind, good or bad. If a vibration enters the mind of a physical experience, a word or an act with the same intensity three times, it remains in this mind of subliminal traits and becomes part of its nature and belief system.

For example, if you put your hand in the fire and it burns, and you make sure to put your hand back in the fire instinctively you will never put your hand in the fire again because you will be afraid, your nature becomes such that you will not come close to a flame or even heat.

The same thing happens if, for example, someone calls you “stupid”, and they continue to do so, perhaps when you were a child, you will believe that you are stupid. You have been conditioned and your nature has changed, your physical reaction will be altered and you will act, verbalize and continue to believe that you are stupid.

Remember that this part of the mind causes the physical mind to react in a positive, negative or mixed reaction. You must be strong and determined to erase these negative traits as they flare up and try to keep you from going deeper, because now that you have started the meditation, you are almost there.

If you return to the physical state at this point, you will feel that you have experienced altered states of consciousness. The next time you come out of meditation, stay for a while and be aware of how you feel mentally and physically.

Take note of your dreams, write them down, be aware of your actions and reactions daily and you will be amazed at the change in you, your skin will glow, you will be more alert, centered, energized and refreshed.

Remember that along the way these states have many planes, many layers and it may take time and effort to transcend, but it is worth it. And we’re not done yet.

The next state is the Superconscious state of the soul; here the intelligence of the soul comes into play, now you no longer exist with an immature ego, but a mature ego operating with the highest intelligence you possess.

You are inside the mind of light. You have arrived and bathed in deep meditation beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. This fourth state vibration will now react through the lower states of your reality, your soul will awaken and you will experience the bliss of Sat-Chit-Ananda, the bliss that passes all understanding.

You are Self-Realised. You no longer have duality of consciousness but non-duality, a spiritual consciousness.

But it is not the end of the journey, there is one more, another level.

In yoga we know that there is another mental state to transcend, it is the fifth and last level called the Sub Super Conscious State. By reaching this level, we are able to bring clarity, intuition, and insight to the other states of our consciousness, including our own daily life, a life that has changed dramatically since we began our journey of altered states of consciousness.

You will lose many friends along the way, even your way of life and thinking will change as you have managed to refine your vibration and walk the path of the Masters who were before.