a new AUTISM paradigm
The Autism State of Consciousness
The Mandukya Upanishad expounds the Four States of Consciousness, defining these states as waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and Turiya (bliss or enlightenment). This is the truth in which we exist.
In general, all Western science starts from the reference of a waking state of consciousness as some type of default. In the West, sleep, dreams, and all other states of consciousness only exist as psychophysical phenomena to be analyzed from the standpoint of waking consciousness. Indeed, we perceive the phenomenal world only in one state of consciousness—the waking state, but it is not perceived by our entire being (body, mind, and soul). It follows that philosophies based on the observation of external facts alone are bound to be incomplete, because parts—both related to the perceiver and the perceived—are missing. We are not our bodies alone.
The Vision of Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta (the vision of non-duality) affirms that waking consciousness is just a relative, not absolute, point of reference. The waking state is not the ultimate, absolute reality. The dream and deep sleep states are a second and third dimension of Pure Consciousness. Thus, we can more easily understand the relative character of wakefulness. Here Pure Consciousness, as revealed in Turiya, is the real continuous reference. Ramana Maharshi and many other sages (including myself) have affirmed through millennia that Turiya is the background of all the other states of consciousness. We further attest that it can be revealed more easily in the moments of transition between one common state of consciousness and another.
Ramana Maharishi affirmed: “… for the ajnani (ignorant human being) the standard of reality is the waking state, whereas for the jnani (realized being) the standard of reality is reality itself. This reality of pure consciousness is eternal by its nature and therefore subsists equally during what you call waking, dreaming, and sleep.”
Ramana Maharishi proceeded to metaphorically express that the condition of a jnani is eternal and is reflected in wakefulness, dreams, and deep sleep: “To him who is one with that [Supreme] Reality there is neither the mind nor its three states and, therefore, neither introversion nor extroversion. His is the ever-waking state, because he is awake to the eternal Self; his is the ever-dreaming state, because to him the world is no better than a repeatedly presented dream phenomenon; his is the ever-sleeping state, because he is at all times without the ‘body-am-I’ consciousness.”
1. Wakefulness—Jagrat
In this state, atman (the Supreme Self) is mainly mis-identified with annamaya kosha (the “sheath composed of food”—the physical body). Thus, the jiva (soul) travels in objectivity and becomes an object itself, mostly ignoring its subjective consciousness. In the waking state, the jiva is caught up with objects (both external and internal) and loses the awareness of its true nature as pure “subject.”
2. Dreaming—Swapna
The dream state is the state in which the Supreme Self is mainly misidentified with pranamaya kosha (the “sheath composed of life force”) and manomaya kosha (the “sheath composed of mind”). Thus, the jiva travels in the cognitive world (the imaginative world of dreams), becomes one with that realm, and loses the consciousness of atman (pure subjectivity). Sometimes while in swapna, atman is misidentified with vijnanamaya kosha (the “sheath composed of intellectual knowledge and understanding”) and then there are lucid dreams. In the dream state, the jiva is caught up with internal objects and loses sight of its true nature as pure “subject.”
3. Deep Sleep—Sushupti
In deep sleep, the Supreme Self is mainly misidentified with anandamaya kosha (the “sheath composed of bliss”—the causal body). The soul travels in a subjective world without being conscious of it, and becomes one with that unconscious subjectivity. Because this state is related to a body, it still has a fine veil of an objective character, but the content of the experience is just bliss. In deep sleep, the jiva is free from objects but has not yet transcended itself.
4. Turiya
Turiya is the state in which there is no identification with any of the koshas. Instead, there is perfect, pure awareness of Awareness. Thus, there are no incorrect identifications, and avidya (ignorance) vanishes. Only when Turiya appears do we realize that the seemingly solid physical world in which we live is also like a dream. It is the revelation of the background of the other three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, and deep sleep).
Beyond the Fourth…
While yogis speak of the Four States of Consciousness, Turiyatita is considered the fifth. Meaning “beyond the fourth,” it represents the final term of this hierarchy of existence. It is, in essence, a completely new perspective that transcends and integrates the other three states, being incommensurable with them. Turiya (the fourth state) and Turiyatita are identical in content. We refer to Turiya when we speak about a transitory condition that appears in some special moments and then goes away, while Turiyatita is Pure Existence itself. It is the eternal Turiya in which distinctions between the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep dissolve and are embraced in the unique background of Awareness—the pure bliss consciousness in which the entire objective world (the Universe, the body, etc.) is not separated from the Self. A jnani (realized sage) in Turiyatita never loses the awareness of Awareness.
So now what?
The Matrix
If we acknowledge that the body has different states of being or consciousness, and the mind also has different states of being or consciousness then we can use these as indices or axes on a graph to get an idea of the more complex nature of consciousness. this entails plotting all the states of consciousness of the body against all the states of consciousness of the mind, grasping the notion that the Pure Existence of true Soul is the backdrop of this entire graph.
If you refer to the hand drawn matrix that you see at the bottom of this page, it becomes apparent that there is only one state of consciousness, in which we all interact each other: where Jagrat and Jagrat meet. As you can see out of the 25 states of consciousness, the only one where human interaction between persons CAN occur is in this center square, where the body is in Jagrat, and the mind is also in Jagrat. I called this the J&J Lounge...
The J&J Lounge IS the matrix. It is the realm in which our five senses dominate, making it possible for us to communicate effectively with others.
The Autism State of Consciousness
If communication with others is the primary objective of the J&J lounge, then what might be the objectives of the other 24 states of consciousness?
This is what I explore in my research. I have come to understand that persons on the autism spectrum spend much of their time in various states of consciousness, outside of the J&J lounge, and that there is no judgment required for this. This is not inherently bad in any way or form. It is simply not the norm in western culture. But one can easily see that an eastern and indigenous cultures much has been said, written, and expounded about various states of consciousness, and the benefits of accessing and spending time in these states of consciousness.
In fact, one of the first downloads that I received about the matrix was that the J&J lounge is the only place in which the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And the reason why it appears to be a straight line in the J&J lounge is because that is how we need to perceive it with our senses in order to process that information, yet in the realest sense, quantum physics tells us that we never occupy the same space for more than one moment no matter how you define that moment since earth is constantly careening through space chasing the sun, twisting and winding in spirals as it goes. (Nothing actually travels in a straight line.) The J&J lounge relies upon perception through our physical senses, which is why the J&J lounge requires a matrix for us to be able to participate and communicate.
How arrogant and board for Westerners to assume that the J&J lounge is the only place of value to be spending time in! People who explore other states of consciousness, outside of sleeping and dreaming are judged and labeled as lazy, ill, or not productive. On the contrary, much of existence takes place for all of us in those 24 other states of consciousness. Meditators choose to spend lots of time outside of the J&J lounge, usually for purposes that serve them well, be it inner growth or obtaining information. In fact, the Akasha can only be accessed outside of the J&J lounge. Maybe this is why Westerners have so much trouble with intuition and accessing the Akasha. How ridiculous to assign so much value in importance to only one out of 25 states!
After raising my daughter for the past 18 years, staying home with her all of that time, while ALSO doing research in psychology AND neuroscience AND spending some time in the field with nonverbal children on the spectrum, simultaneously… I have finally found where the puzzle piece goes! The puzzle piece is where the body is in Jagrat and the mind is in Swapna. This is where I see many people on the spectrum spend time: in this state of consciousness: The Swapna-Jagrat Club.
What if there was nothing wrong with hanging out in the SJ Club, as opposed to the J&J Lounge?
Again, I ask you: WHAT IF THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HANGING OUT IN OTHER STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS???
Reimagining Autism
I spend many hours in meditation daily. So did my grandfather. It's what my people do. Sadhus, rishis, sanyasis... they all meditate in lieu of having jobs, being "productive" by western standards, or contributing to the GDP... BUT my people have no issue with it. When a sanyasi goes asking for food, people don't accost them with, "Go get a job, you lazy degenerate!" Yet young people who are neurodivergent and on a bit more of the end of the spectrum, who might tend to be spending hours a day in the Swapna Jagrat Club may be judged for not being as outwardly productive or may be judged as lazy. They are pressured to be present, mindful, get jobs and communicate (or "play the game", as I like to call it).
How arrogant to assume that there isn't inward progress going on, or inward communication, even!
We know that there are being from dimensions we cannot sense, existing besides us all the time. Human senses only access a small window of the frequency spectrum. What if neurodivergent people can and do communicate with other beings from other dimensions in some of these other states of consciousness?
My son has conversations with beings I cannot see as he paces back and forth on a daily basis. What if there is nothing imaginary about these beings, but they're simply oscillating at a frequency that I cannot see?
How presumptive to think that autism stemming might not have rhyme, reason, or purpose!
I found where the puzzle piece goes!
