Have you ever thought about what happens to YOU when you fall asleep? Where do you go when you dream? And where do you disappear in deep sleep?
Vedanta says every human being lives in three different states every single day. Let’s explore them simply!
State 1 — Waking State (Jagrat)
This is the state you are in right now — reading these words!
Imagine little Arjun wakes up in the morning, goes to school, plays cricket and comes home tired. He experiences everything through his five senses — seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching.
This is the Waking State — where we experience the outside world through our body and senses.
State 2 — Dream State (Swapna)
That night Arjun falls asleep. In his dream he is flying over mountains, talking to his grandfather and winning a cricket match!
But there are no real mountains in his room. His grandfather is not physically there. Yet in the dream — everything felt completely real!
This is the Dream State — where the mind creates its own world from within with no outside help.
Fun question: Have you ever woken up from a scary dream feeling relieved it wasn’t real? 😄
State 3 — Deep Sleep (Sushupti)
Later Arjun goes into very deep sleep — no dreams, no thoughts, complete silence.
Yet when he wakes up he says: “Wow! I slept so well! I feel so fresh!”
But if Arjun was completely unconscious — who experienced that beautiful peace? Who remembers it was a good sleep?
This is the great mystery Vedanta points to!
The Big Question:
In waking state — you are Arjun the student.
In dream state — you are Arjun the flying hero.
In deep sleep — Arjun disappears completely!
So who are you REALLY?
Vedanta says there is a fourth state called Turiya — the pure awareness that witnesses all three states and never disappears. That witnessing awareness is your true Self!
Simple Summary:
🌞 Waking — You experience the outside world through your body
🌙 Dreaming — Your mind creates its own world inside
⭐ Deep Sleep — Everything disappears but you wake up feeling peaceful
🙏 The real YOU — is the awareness present in all three states!
Next time you wake up from a good night’s sleep — pause and ask yourself: “Who was aware during my deep sleep?”