Good morning, all.
I had a question for Tristan, but would greatly welcome other’s feeback as well.
Tristan, you recently posted that entering samadhi on a regular basis would eventually lead to enlightement.
Are you able to describe the subjective experience of samadhi?
Thank you,
-Rich D
Hi Rich,
It is very difficult to give a description of the subjective experience of samadhi because samadhi is a range of different experiences. However, the things that are the case for all forms of samadhi are that pure awareness becomes the dominant presence in consciousness. There may be thoughts and sensations present along with this, but they will be in the background, and secondary to the presence of pure awareness, which is always dominant. There could also be no thoughts and no sensations at all, just pure awareness. That is a deeper form of samadhi.
The second thing that is almost always present in samadhi is a sense of profound peace and stillness. This is present along with the sense of expansive awareness and is an aspect of it. The reason I say that it is always present is that on rare occasions someone will experience fear along with entry into samadhi. The fear can arise because the experience is so profoundly different from what they are used to experiencing, and because there can be a sense of losing one’s identity taking place, for people who are used to identifying with their thoughts and beliefs. When fear is present, it is not very peaceful. But 99.9% of the time samadhi is a very beautiful and peaceful state.
It is also very often blissful. Again, there can be experiences of samadhi where the mind is silent, but bliss is not present; just a kind of vast open space that is neither blissful, or uncomfortable. But usually bliss is present in samadhi.
I recorded a short video for YouTube on the experience of entering samadhi which is here:
That video is from the AYP Deep Meditation 5-Week Video Course.
Thank you, Tristan!
And thank you for all that you do. It’s most truly appreciated.
-Rich D
It is also often accompanied by a loss of words.
An immediacy (loss of time), everything is Now. Loss of space /directions. Everything is here. Presence = Here. Now.
A deep Silence. Every other sound floats on it or the silence is so complete, no sound is heard. A sense of perceiving without the organs of perception (eyes, ears, nose etc) - hence we speak of direct seeing or simply Knowing. An absence of self. Reality is as it is and it is “you”.
All these attributes can be there all at once or in some combination.
These states weave in and out of your daily interactions - at least mine does, it is where I am in my journey from here to here.
And I am in no where near “saintly”. Along the way, there was a phase of “saintliness” but that is long gone. Now, every thought, every emotion, relationship catastrophe, Life is. Unmodified Life is. And it doesn’t cross your mind to try and use your spiritual “powers” to change it. “Spiritual powers?” What the hell is that? 
And I am beginning to see that there is no difference between states of Samadhi and life as it was before. It is one and the same state.
Sey
Hi all
Seeking experience can be okay but in the end samadhi is not a functional state…meaning you cant function in the world when you are in samadhi
So the most important thing is to go back to the mundane life and act …doing all the tasks that need to be done…it is the ordinariness of life as it is.
Hi Maha and all,
There is a state of samadhi called nirvikalpa samadhi where there is no awareness of the physical world or the subtle worlds. So, nothing is seen, heard, tasted, felt etc. only the Self is known devoid of all sense perception. In this state of samadhi it is usually not possible to function in the world. But, there is a higher state of samadhi where the senses are operating and where we can function fully in the world even whilst being fully absorbed in the Self and knowing that everything is the Self. It is a state beyond subject/ object duality. This state of samadhi is called sahaja samadhi which means spontaneous or natural samadhi.
A practitioner has to enter and abide in nirvikalpa samadhi many times in order to be able to abide in sahaja samadhi as a permanent way of being.
Two days ago I posted a video to YouTube on entering and abiding in sahaja samadhi. I don’t mention those words in the video though as sahaja samadhi is synonymous with non-duality. That video is here:
Hi Christi
I watched your video
I guess we are pointing to the same thing
If i use your jargon i can explain my seeing:
The in and out of nirvikalpa leads to a gradual erosion of the self , its wants and its endless ups and downs of vasanas, it leads to some sort of total relaxation…then you go back to the activities in the world (sahaja) having this sense of lightness and relaxation…so you are active in the world but not really in the world
Thank you, Sey, maha, and Tristan!