1.3.6. Different Worlds and Jhāna

“The jhānas are stages of mental unification and are not, in themselves, paths to insight or enlightenment. Without insight, they can lead only to rebirth in a corresponding realm of existence.”

In this chapter, we explore the fascinating realm of consciousness beyond ordinary physical reality, examining how the mind can achieve extraordinary states of awareness through meditative absorption (jhāna). We will explore how consciousness can take itself as an object, forming self-sustaining states that serve as the foundation for profound meditative experiences and what traditional teachings describe as heavenly realms. Although these states mark significant achievements in mental development, we will also examine their role within the broader path of spiritual transformation.

This next bit is fascinating, and I will attempt to keep it relevant. Whether you believe any of the following rests on whether you can accept that there are certain ways a citta (consciousness) can take a citta as an object that results in a kind of temporary stability of the citta. What I am suggesting is consciousness finds a way of being self-sustaining without the need for a heart base, which is required for all sensory sphere sense awareness.

If this seems possible, then it suggests the existence of the heavenly realms (deva-loka). This is the only requirement for their possibility.

Our normal sense-sphere (kāmāvacara) awareness needs circulating blood with a certain amount of iron to create electromagnetic currents. These currents support the mind, which is, if it is anything, electromagnetic. The instant our blood stops flowing, sense-sphere awareness is cut off.

However, some have experienced awareness beyond the sensory plane. This is jhanic awareness (dhyāna consciousness), but can only arise in those who have experienced this prior to this point. This isn’t too uncommon, as most experience jhāna in childhood, and any habitual thinker thinks in the jhanic plane.

The jhanic awareness is different, as there are no odours, tastes or bodily feeling. There are only three real consciousnesses: visual, sound and mind.

Normal awareness depends on the presence of the mind, which is based on, or arrived at through the life continuum (bhavaṅga). This is a stream of identical resultant citta.

Heavenly awareness, and therefore the entire being, also has a life continuum made of resultant citta. These, however, are like little knots of self-sustaining jhanic consciousness. This is when awareness has been bent so far into noticing itself it collapses into a self-sustaining seed. These self-sustaining seeds form the foundation of heavenly existence.

Now, we don’t know that all heavenly beings have this mechanism of stability onto which they can build existence, although this is the likely mechanism on which angels (devas), but not gods arise. Why? Because both Angels and Jhanic consciousness cannot tolerate ill-will (vyāpāda) as a mental factor. If ill-will is present, it destabilises the citta, it blows it apart. Ill-will is a hindrance to forming jhāna, which is when consciousness identifies with its own object, as well as being almost instantly lethal to angels!

So, what exactly is jhanic consciousness?

We have all experienced jhanic consciousness; we just tend to experience it momentarily without any control. Meditators, profound abstract thinkers, artists, sportspeople and musicians become naturally more adept at cultivating and accessing it. Occultists and meditators, however, attain a greater range of jhāna through the careful selection of appropriate meditative objects.

In normal awareness, consciousness seems to dart after its object. In normal experience, consciousness is more akin to a swarm of many point awarenesses called citta.

Certain forms of citta have a stabilising effect. A right balance of karmic forces causes a propagation of resultant awareness that consciousness can then take as an object. By turning awareness in on itself, one’s awareness reaches the point and merges with this object.

It’s possible, through practice and mastery, to learn to create these self-sustaining chains of awareness and then focus deeper into the actual components of each citta.

Each time the mind makes a new distinction in the citta, it creates a new perception with its resultant consciousness. The meditator can then progress into deeper and more subtle worlds of awareness. Until this distinction is made, the mind of the meditator lacks the subtle perception to even notice this experience.

Jhāna arises when the practitioner’s mind fully merges with its meditative object. At that moment, the mind forgets conditioned existence and completely switches off. This puts the physical body into the equivalent of deep, restful sleep as all adrenaline and background sympathetic tone (anxiety) is cut off.

Initially, this can be distracting, as increased blood flow to the pelvic and abdominal organs is felt. In reality, the sensation of kundalini is simply conscious awareness of progressive sympathetic tone relaxation.

Jhanic awareness requires a life continuum, composed of one of nine types of jhanic wholesome resultant consciousness. At this level, without any distraction of things or beings, the only functioning level of consciousness (from the Tree) is the second, which is love (mettā).

This means the citta, being twisted upon itself, is looking into the very structure of self. Self and thing cannot occur at this level, only love, which manifests as rapture (pīti) and fascination.

And so this is what the citta experiences. Initially, the experience is marked with bodily zest and feelings of energy as the sympathetic nervous system relaxes. Later, the meditator gets closer and closer to the experience of the first layer of the Tree Of Life. Prior to this, however, they experience degrees of overwhelming heavenly love and bliss (sukha).

There are two classes of jhanic experience: the fine-material or form jhānas (rūpa-jhāna) and the formless jhānas (arūpa-jhāna). The first are perfect mental worlds not too dissimilar to our own, but the latter are abstract and alien.

Jhanic consciousness can be both a help and a hindrance. While it can act as a refuge for a being, its fantastic and addictive nature can easily sidetrack a seeker from their main goal.

Still, it is helpful if one is so inclined, as it creates a tranquility of mind that at its zenith is the closest mundane citta get to the transcendental citta.

Jhāna has five levels in the fine-material (form) realm and four levels in the formless realm. If a practitioner has established mastery in jhāna and maintained mastery, then on physical death, the rebirth linking consciousness can be jhanic rather than normal, and their next existence will be in the highest realm they achieved mastery in.

Those that achieve mastery in the formless realms can be reborn in these strange solipsistic places. Here, there is only mind. No vision nor hearing. There are no concepts that rely on materiality; space and extent only apply to the first realm, and here it is empty space. Even being only applies to the first realm; beyond this mind is not limited by being, all beings are one and none. Beyond the second formless realm, descriptive language loses meaning. The third realm is that of nothingness, while the most abstract is known only as neither perception nor non-perception.

There is even a realm where awareness enters temporal stasis and consciousness is frozen for mind-blowing periods of real time. Those who master seeking true oblivion get the best Conditional Reality can offer and can suspend themselves beyond the extinction of this universe only to return to Saṃsāra in some new and distant universe.

If developed, jhāna can bestow certain psychic or magical abilities (abhiññā). However, this is generally not recommended, as it often leads to disastrous karma.

Jhāna is still a normal awareness, even if it a highly developed one. It can be developed without regard to moral training and can offer a shelter to a mind that might be rightly troubled because of shoddy behaviour. It can lead to powers and abilities that can be used unwisely but is, thankfully, remarkably difficult to develop to any degree of mastery.

In jhanic awareness, the citta remains the same type; however, it takes a part of itself as an object, thereby breaking its normal function and behaviour.

It is said that the citta that becomes transcendental (path and fruit citta) take Nirvāṇa as their objects. These cittas operate with three roots functioning as a single unit: non-hatred (adosa), non-greed (alobha), and non-delusion (amoha), which enable the leap into transcendental awareness.

And what is transcendental awareness? This is an awareness that lacks any inner regard towards a permanent and lasting self. With this, all anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, worry, hate, jealousy, lust, envy and delusion is eradicated, and the sympathetic tone collapses, the heart rate slows, and the skin takes on a reddish/blue colour.

In a Buddha, there is only really this type of awareness, unless they are speaking, then they will use functional citta. An Arahant experiences this as a single moment and as resultant fruition moments, but they still have residues which differentiates them from a Buddha.

Jhanic experience is helpful, but advanced development is not essential to the path, so don’t stress if you find tranquility meditation difficult.

In conclusion, the journey through jhanic states represents a profound exploration of consciousness itself. While these states offer extraordinary experiences and insights, they are ultimately tools on the path to awakening rather than the destination itself. The true goal remains the liberation from suffering through the realisation of the ultimate truth, whether achieved through jhanic mastery or other means of practice.

Jhanic Realms

This text is excerpted from the book Nigredo: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete book includes additional study guides, resources, and appendices. View the full book here.