(This post is a continuation of On Transcendental and Cosmic Consciousness)
Welcome back, everyone. It pleases me to be in the presence of such open hearts and bright minds as we continue this exploration of consciousness. Between posts, a reader messaged me: “Cosmic Consciousness certainly seems like enlightenment. Isn’t enlightenment the end goal of development of consciousness? So, what did you mean when you said, ‘this is only the beginning’?” That’s a marvelous question—and as a total Maharishi Mahesh Yogi dork—I’d love to take a crack at answering it.
Before taking our discussion further, let us reiterate that Cosmic Consciousness (CC) occurs once Transcendental Consciousness (TC) has become permanently co-existent with the lower states of waking, sleeping, and dreaming. Waking, sleeping, and dreaming are, in and of themselves, states of boundedness in the relative world, whereas TC is characterized by pure unboundedness. So, when CC is realized through continually alternating TC with dynamic activity (an easy way to do this is to practice Transcendental Meditation twice a day), what this does is bring the unbounded values of the Absolute into our experiences of the relative. A wonderful experience in its own right, but it isn’t yet complete.
Keep in mind, what we’re describing is supported by ancient Vedic texts, is easily investigable through subjective experience—and most importantly for my next point—is congruent with the most sophisticated and complete “theories of everything” that science has yet to produce. Remember, this field of unbounded silent awareness that we experience in TC and which accompanies us into CC, is said to be one and the same with the spaceless, timeless Unified Field of creation; whose impulses generate all objects and natural laws of relative existence.
TC took our perception as far inward as we can go, and CC is the dawn (but not the culmination) of applying the treasures we found there to the outward. Maharishi said that CC marks an apex in mind development, because the mind now identifies in terms of the unbounded Self (with a capital S). The states of consciousness beyond CC will fully develop the heart. Another way of putting it is that CC allows us to fully appreciate our own unboundedness, whereas the higher states to come unlock our capacity to appreciate the maximum value of all forms, ultimately amounting to experiential unity with all of existence.
This brings us to the sixth and seventh states of consciousness, God Consciousness (ishwar chetana) and Unity Consciousness (Brahmi chetana). With great eagerness, let’s talk more about the development and experience of these states, as well as their value to the singular individual and to society as a whole.
Now, when we say God Consciousness, let’s be clear that we’re not referring to godlike powers or anything so grandiose. I envision that GC is actually a profoundly humble state, because it opens our hearts to the celestial majesty of everything and everyone in our world. In the biblical book of Genesis, God looks upon what has been created and knows that it is very good. In other words, God appreciates creation. I believe this appreciative, loving aspect of God is what blossoms in our consciousness in GC, as we look upon creation and deem it to be very, very good, indeed.
GC comes about through a powerful sensory refinement process in CC. It begins like this: As you might recall, the impetus for CC is when the nervous system has been purified of all stress. This shifts our entire relationship with our senses, because if you think about it, our sense doors (eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue) are the first points of contact for any stress that enters the body. In CC—thanks to the stability, clarity, and silent awareness of transcendence permeating in our waking consciousness—the ups and downs of life don’t shock our senses anymore; so I almost look at it like our senses relaxing and putting their guard down because they trust that it’s safe to perceive the finer and finer levels of whatever is present. Another way of looking at it might be that the machinery of our senses is cleansed, purified, and fine-tuned, enabling our attunement to finer degrees of subtlety.
A member of the TM community described GC’s sensory refinement as such: “Every molecule in the sky and all around me seemed to be shimmering like gold. I was just amazed at how beautiful everything was and how everything glowed with beauty and expression. Everything and everyone glowed from inside and out with a different and universal beauty.” (Maharishi International University, 2026)
Or try this delicious syntax from on for size, from Howard Thurman’s “Not By Bread Alone”:
“The spirit swept upon him
Like some winged creature from above!
Light was all around:
Every leaf shimmered and danced,
A swirling dervish in a timeless trance.
The sky was lost in light.
He saw and felt the light.” (Pearson, 2013)
Just imagine seeing the world that way. What would you feel?
I, for one, would feel awe and appreciation. And what would happen in your heart? What else could your heart possibly do, other than expand?
So, sensory development leads to deeper appreciation. We start witnessing the relative world’s deeper, subtler values—everything that’s alive beneath the surface. The subtler the levels we perceive, the more appreciation we feel. The more we appreciate, the more refined our senses become. This synergistic loop between appreciation and sensual refinement continues until the distance between subject and object is so miniscule that the object becomes just as cherished as the Self.
That’s the basic framework for how GC transpires, but there are two more points to touch on. Firstly, increased digestive efficiency leads to more effective energy allocation in our physiology, further refining the senses and feeding into the appreciation loop. Secondly, one would be wise to train in the TM Advanced Techniques, developed by Maharishi to intentionally facilitate perceptual refinement and heart expansion.
Simply put, when we appreciate life at its finest relative value—its celestial value, as Maharishi called it—the freedom we’ve established in CC is now glorified, and the value of our environment increases astronomically. Our boundless appreciation for creation moves our consciousness closer to the heart of the boundless creator. And that, my friends, is GC.
So then, what marks the shift from the GC to the seventh state of consciousness? Well, in GC we perceive the Absolute unbounded value in ourselves, along with the celestial Relative value of the world. But as we’ve already laid the groundwork for in our discussions on Unified Field Theory, we are shifting from GC into a fully cognized, experiential understanding: that the Relative value of life and the Absolute unbounded value in ourselves are one and the same.
This is Unity Consciousness, where our unboundedness within spills out onto the relative world, enlivening it in our perception until it is identified with in its infinite value. The intricate beauty we beheld in GC is no longer admired as something separate. Rather, it is loved and revered as none other than the Self, in and of itself; the unmanifest and manifest in simultaneous splendor. Maharishi was known to express this with a variation of a passage from the Upanishads: “I am That, you are That, all this is That. And That is all there is.” Then his listeners would laugh, because Maharishi’s adorability levels were simply off the charts.
Let us also reflect on the words of spiritual teacher and peace activist, Peace Pilgrim:
“I now know myself to be a part of the infinite cosmos, not separate from other souls…. With inner peace I felt plugged into the source of infinite energy, which never runs out…. The feeling accompanying this experience is that of complete oneness with the Universal Whole. One merges into a euphoria of absolute unity with all life: with humanity, with all the creatures of the earth, the trees and plants, the air, the water, and even earth itself.” (Pearson, 2013)
Now it should be expounded that in the early stages of UC, we relate only to the primary object of our perception in terms of Self. For example, if I’m focused on a breathtaking Willow tree in early UC, I sense the inherent unity of the tree and I, of Self and tree, of Self and me; however, my secondary and tertiary perceptions and so on, do not yet remain cognized in my unified field of awareness. So, those other trees in my periphery and my brother who lives in Southeast Asia, for instance, might seem quite far away and disconnected in my moment of fixation on the Willow.
This limited capacity for experiencing unrestricted unity with everything, everywhere, all at once, is temporary, as UC matures into what Maharishi referred to as Brahman Consciousness. It’s still UC—it’s just an older, wiser, all-encompassing version.
Here’s a vital point: Even in total unity, our differences still matter. UC, even matured into BC, does not eradicate diversity or render differences irrelevant. It simply brings harmony to the forefront of perception. Unity becomes the primary basis for perception, thought, and action, while we continue appreciating the secondary diversity of life in all its wonderful forms and functions.
UC represents the maximal value of human potential. Just imagine: Spontaneous right action (you always know what to do, your questions are answered sometimes before you even ask). Nature conspires to support you because you’re wholly aligned with Natural Law (having perfect parking spots open up for you is only the beginning). Doing less but achieving more (just what I always wanted for Christmas). But most importantly, imagine the societal implications if everyone (or even just a lot of us) embraced the capacity to honor, revere, and serve every aspect of existence as our own Self. Dare to imagine it, like really, really picture it and feel it: What kind of a world would we all co-create together?
There’s always more to say when the subject is so rich and endless. Man, I haven’t even gotten into yogic flying or the scientifically-validated Maharishi Effect (where group meditations increase collective coherence and reduce crime rates). Oh well. There’s always next time.
The Sidhi in me celebrates the Sidhi in you. Go now with love.
References
Maharishi International University. (2026, June 20). Topic: Forum 10: How UC Matures into BC [Online forum post]. Canvas. https://miuonline.instructure.com/courses/4628/discussion_topics/96843?module_item_id=416228
Pearson, C. (2013). The supreme awakening: Experiences of enlightenment throughout time—and how you can cultivate them. MUM Press.
