On the other hand, the awareness of the higher self or Atman (true self) is not suppressed.
(The higher self and Atman (true self) are essentially the same, although the terminology and schools of thought may differ.)

The ego, in yoga, refers to the "chitta," which is similar to the concept of the mind, but is more akin to the English word "mind," referring to the conscious awareness that thinks. On the other hand, the higher self also has will, but it is a higher-level consciousness that is more focused on feeling. The higher self also thinks, but its awareness arises from deep within.

In meditation, the basic principle is to suppress the superficial mind, which is the "chitta."

The phrase "Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodhah" in the Yoga Sutras means to "still the fluctuations of the mind." This refers to quieting the superficial conscious awareness, which mainly manifests as distractions and conflicts, and achieving tranquility. This is a major goal of yoga.

Yoga states that there are two types of consciousness: ordinary consciousness and divine consciousness. It is the ordinary consciousness that is suppressed. The divine consciousness is called "Purusha" in yoga, which is pure spirit. In Vedanta, it is called "Atman" (true self). They are strictly different, but for the time being, you can understand them as being roughly similar (although those who know the details may say that they are different).

In meditation, the first step is to suppress ordinary consciousness.

In yoga, this is called "Dharana" (concentration). This is what most people are doing when they meditate. In reality, it progresses to meditation (Dhyana) or Samadhi, which is the true state of meditation, but the basic principle is concentration (Dharana).

Thus, Dharana (concentration) suppresses the chitta.

Meditation (Dhyana) is an intermediate and subtle stage, but it is essentially an extension of Dharana (concentration).

Samadhi is also essentially an extension of meditation (Dhyana), but in reality, it is not completely an extension of meditation (Dhyana).

■Samadhi with and without an object

In the case of Samadhi, there are various types of Samadhi, but it seems that people have been confused by naming them based on the stages they have reached. However, this can be clarified by looking at it from the perspective of two types of consciousness.

First, Samadhi is a state where the surface consciousness of the mind becomes still and unified.
And, the consciousness of the higher self or Atman (true self) emerges, which is also Samadhi.

In reality, both of these happening simultaneously is the true Samadhi.

The former is generally called "Samadhi with an object."
The latter is generally called "Samadhi without an object."

The former is indeed true. However, regarding the latter, while there is indeed no physical or conceptual object, consciousness exists, so even in the latter, there is a certain object. Historically and culturally, the latter is generally considered to be "without an object" (no explicit physical or conscious object of thought), which is not entirely wrong, but it may be a somewhat misleading statement. Rather, the latter is simply a different dimension. The dimensions overlap to some extent, and it is possible to perceive the physical dimension at the edges, but fundamentally, the dimensions are different.

■Atman (true self) is not just understanding, but the actual consciousness itself.

Yoga deals with both, placing more emphasis on the former, while Vedanta mainly deals with the latter, and there are differences in interpretation. In Yoga, the latter Samadhi is often kept secret, and the guru will not teach it unless the disciple belongs to a particular lineage and has reached a certain level of attainment.

On the other hand, in Vedanta, the former is incorporated into the "Antahkarana Shuddhi" (purification of the inner self), and meditation in Vedanta is limited to the meaning of concentration on an object. Therefore, even when it is called meditation, the meaning varies depending on the lineage.

The consciousness of Atman (true self) is Sat-Chit-Ananda, which means it is filled with space and exists in all time, past, present, and future, without changing. Therefore, it is a consciousness that is different from the ordinary surface consciousness of the mind. Therefore, it is generally said that there is no object, but since there is a boundary between the dimensions, it is possible to perceive the physical dimension to some extent.

In Vedanta, this is called "understanding," but in reality, it is more than just understanding. It is the consciousness itself, so it is not simply "understood," but a higher consciousness exists, and it not only "sees" passively, but also has an active aspect of "acting." Therefore, Atman is not just for understanding, but it is actually possible to connect with that consciousness. Not only is it possible to connect, but it is also oneself, so it is possible to consciously "perceive" and "judge" as a higher consciousness beyond the surface consciousness.

In reality, even before self-awareness emerges, it has been that way from the beginning. However, self-awareness itself does not appear unless meditation progresses to a certain extent.

The self-awareness as Atman appears in the latter "samadhi without an object," but this is often misunderstood. It can sometimes be seen as simply the absence of an object, and such a state can occur as an extension of the former samadhi. However, the true destination is the realization that, as stated in Vedanta, Atman (the true self) is oneself, and then transitioning to a stage where Atman becomes the primary subject.