In yoga or Hinduism, there are four states of consciousness.

- The state of awakening (jagrat)
- The state of dreaming (svapna)
- The state of deep sleep (susupti)
- The state of awakened consciousness (the fourth state, turiya)

Specifically, it is written in the Mandukya Upanishad as follows. Atman, roughly speaking, is like the soul in yoga.

■The four aspects of Atman
- The universal state (vaisvanara) in the state of awakening (jagrita-sthana)
- The luminous state (tajiasa) in the state of dreaming (svapna-sthana)
- The state of knowledge (prajna) in the state of deep sleep (susupta-sthana)
- The fourth state of Atman, the sacred sound Om (a.u.m.), auspiciousness, absolute non-duality (advaita)
From "Upanishad" by Tsuji Chishiro.

The original translation states the following:

- The first form of Atman is (omitted) Vaisvanara. It is in the state of awakening, (omitted), and is the one who receives pleasure from the sense organs and enjoys it.
- The second form of Atman is the universal personality, Tajiasa, in its mental state. (omitted) He is in the state of dreaming. (omitted) He is the one who enjoys the subtle impressions left in the thought period by his past actions.
- The third form of Atman is the universal personality, Prajna, in the state of deep sleep. Prajna does not dream and has no desires. (omitted) Because he does not experience conflict or anxiety, he is said to be full of bliss and is an experiencer of bliss. Prajna is the lord of all things. He knows all things. He dwells in the heart of all things. He is the beginning of all things. He is the end of all things.
- The fourth form is (omitted) that which transcends the senses, transcends understanding, and transcends expression. (omitted) It is Atman.
From "Upanishad" by the Japan Vedanta Association.

As you can see, there is a significant difference between the commonly known initial definition and the actual content.

The first four definitions are quite famous in the yoga industry and are probably discussed in various places.

I believe that, in particular, the fourth state, "turiya," is famous in the spiritual world, and that it is likely that Rajneesh (OSHO) repeatedly mentioned it in his lectures and included it in many of his books, which is why the meaning of turiya as a transcendent state is widely known.

However, when you actually look at the main text, you can see that the meaning is slightly different.

While aiming for the fourth state is certainly true, I think that in reality, proper weight should be given to all of the states. By properly understanding and experiencing each of the three states, one can then be guided to the fourth state. I now think that even if you repeat the fourth state, which is the ultimate goal, you will not achieve enlightenment. I remember that around 20 years ago, during the spiritual and New Age boom, books by the monk Rajneesh (OSHO) were popular, and the word "Turiya" became common. However, I don't remember hearing such detailed explanations at that time. It may be that I was skipping over them.

Here are the key points, briefly:

- The awakened state (Jagrat) is one aspect of Atman, namely Vaisvanara. It is the one who receives sensory information.
- The dreaming state (Swapna) is another aspect of Atman, namely Taijasa. It is the one who receives subtle impressions.
- The state of deep sleep (Sushupti) is yet another aspect of Atman, namely Prajna. It is the blissful existence.
- The awakened consciousness (the fourth state, Turiya) is Atman itself.

What does it mean that the fourth state, Turiya, is Atman? According to the main text, it continues as follows:

"This Atman, which is beyond all words, is the syllable Om. This syllable is indivisible, but it is composed of three letters: A, U, and M." ("Upanishads," written by the Japan Vedanta Association)

According to the book, the first three states are A, U, and M, respectively, and the fourth state, Turiya, which is Atman, is the syllable Om.

With that in mind, the meaning becomes clear.

When I read the lectures of the monk Rajneesh (OSHO) back then, I thought, "There is such an amazing state as Turiya." However, when I read them now, I can see that there is a show business aspect to it, where only the most impactful parts are extracted to please the disciples. When you go around and around in spirituality, you can have various perspectives (laughs).

For reference, here is a description of these states from the perspective of Theosophy:

- Jagrat is the normal, awake state.
- Svapna is the consciousness that works in the astral body and can imprint experiences on the brain as dreams.
- Sushupti is the consciousness that works in the mental body, but cannot convey those experiences to the brain.
- Turiya is the state of Samadhi, where consciousness works in the Buddhi body (pure love and wisdom), but it is too far removed from the brain to be easily recalled. (Omitted) It can only be linked or remembered through deep meditation (Samadhi).
"The Esoteric Doctrine, Volume 2, The Astral Body [Part 1]" (written by A.E. Powell)

These texts can be difficult to read if you are not familiar with the definitions of astral bodies and other concepts in Theosophy, but they offer insights from different perspectives and are thought-provoking.