hindu-selfWe're still mapping where this idea was first discussed. Key passages and related ideas below.

The Three States and the Fourth (Avasthātraya & Turīya)

Waking, dreaming, deep sleep — and a silent 'fourth' awake through all three.

Hindu philosophers study consciousness by examining the three everyday states everyone passes through: waking, dreaming, and deep dreamless sleep. Each reveals something about the self. Beyond them is named a 'fourth' (turīya) — not a fourth experience but the unchanging awareness present in and behind all three. This map of the states is one of the most distinctive contributions of the Upaniṣadic tradition.