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The three states of consciousness are waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. The waking state is called Jāgrat, the dreaming state is Svapna, and the state of deep sleep is Suṣupti. The one who experiences these three states is the Jīva, the individual soul. The Jīva is the experiencer, the one who says, "I am awake," "I am dreaming," or "I am in deep sleep." However, there is a fourth state, which is not truly a 'state' at all. It is called Turīya. Turīya is the witness of all three states. It is the silent, unchanging consciousness that illuminates the waking, dreaming, and sleeping experiences. The Jīva, identifying with the body and mind, moves through these three states, but Turīya remains as the constant background. The great sage Yājñavalkya instructs his wife, Maitreyī, in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad: Ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo nididhyāsitavyaḥ "The Self, indeed, is to be seen, to be heard, to be reflected upon, and to be meditated upon." This Self is Turīya. It is not an object of experience but the very subject, the witness. When you say, "I slept well," who is this 'I'? The sleeping 'I' was not present. The waking 'I' is now reporting on an absence. The reporter, the knower of the absence, is Turīya. It is the consciousness that knows the coming and going of all states. The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad gives the beautiful analogy of two birds on the same tree: Dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā samānaṃ vṛkṣaṃ pariṣasvajāte Tayoranyaḥ pippalaṃ svādvatti anaśnannanyo abhicākaśīti "Two birds, beautiful of wing, close friends, cling to the same tree. One eats the sweet fruit; the other, not eating, looks on." The tree is the body. The bird eating the sweet and bitter fruits of experience is the Jīva, the individual soul engaged in the world. The other bird, silently witnessing, is the Supreme Self, Paramātmā, which is Turīya. The Jīva, through ignorance, forgets its identity with the witnessing consciousness and becomes entangled in the three states. The goal of spiritual life is to realize this truth: "I am not the experiencer in the three states. I am the Turīya, the witness of all states." This is the meaning of the Mahāvākya, the great declaration: Tat Tvam Asi – "That thou art." You are not the limited Jīva; you are the limitless Turīya, the pure consciousness that is one with Brahman. To realize this, one must practice śravaṇa (hearing the truth), manana (reflecting upon it), and nididhyāsana (steadfast meditation). Withdraw your identification from the body, mind, and the three states. Abide as the witness. Then you will know yourself as the immortal Turīya, beyond all change and suffering. Om Tat Sat