Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition
Cosmic Consciousness
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi describes cosmic consciousness as:
The nature of the Self, the essential nature of the Self, should be lived through all experience, and that will be a positive gain; then it is cosmic consciousness. One aspect of it is this transcendental, eternal silence, bliss absolute. Another aspect is relativity; relative experiences, the ever-changing field of existence is another aspect. Both taken together are cosmic consciousness, and when both are experienced, both are lived at the same time, then this is fulfillment of life. (Thirty-Years Around the Globe, 1986, pg. 257)
Distinct physiological patterns have been reported in subjects reporting the experience of cosmic consciousness:
- During quiet eyes-open sessions, increased theta/alpha EEG is seen in frontal and central areas of the brain.
- During activity outside of meditation such as computer tasks, increased frontal coherence, increased alpha/gamma power ratios and more appropriate cortical preparatory response.
- During sleep, increased theta/alpha power and decreased muscle tone are reported along with increased REM density during dreaming.