Canad. M. A. J.
MEDICAL SOCIETIES
Oct. 1951, vol. 65
MEN and BOOKS
THE CONCEPT OF LEVELS OF
CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE UPANISHADS"'
(A Historical Note)
Edward L. Margetts, M.D.
Allan Memorial Institute of Psychiatry,
McGill University, Montreal, Que.
It is clear from the Sanscrit writings that
ancient Indian philosophers had a pretty good
idea of what we nowadays call "the unconsci-
ous". One of the earliest works to indicate this
is the Upanishads, a collection of documents,
dating about 600 B.C., which constituted the
earliest written presentation of the efforts of
the Hindus to construe the world as a rational
whole, and to regard the ultimate as a unifica-
tion of the individual self with the Supreme
Being, the Absolute, Brahma.
Sanscrit scholars have written in great detail
about the "types of soul", or levels of consci-
ousness, in the Upanishads.3 to 6 The German
philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860),
was greatly influenced by them. Alcorn1 believes
that Paul Carus2 derived his theory of the un-
conscious from the Upanishads, since Carus was
a student of Indian philosophy.
The Upanishads, particularly Mandukya
Upanishad 3-11 (ref. 7 pp. 391-3), set forth
quite clearly the "four states of self". They are:
1. The waking state (jagarita-sthana). Equiv-
alent to the "Conscious". Man accepts the uni-
verse as he finds it. Perception, volition, and
memory are preserved. This state is recognizable
in the well-developed animal kingdom, including
man. (According to Vedanta philosophy, a
psyche exists in animal, vegetable and mineral
kingdoms).
2. The dreaming state (svapna-sthana). The
"Subconscious". The self loses contact with
reality, and the soul fashions its own world in
the imagery of its dreams. The usual state of
mind in the less developed animal kingdom.
3. The deep-sleep state (susupta-sthana). A
deeper level of the subconscious approaching
complete unconsciousness. State of bliss in which
there is no contact with reality, no desire, no
dreams. This is the situation in the vegetable
and mineral kingdoms.
4. The fourth state (caturtha, turiya, turya).
The "Super- (or Supra-) conscious". "According
to Vedanta, it is in this state that Seers get
flashes of Great Truths in the form of vague
apprehensions, which are afterwards elaborated
in the jagrat state or waking consciousness".8
Deussen4 reasoned that full appreciation of this
state of soul became prominent with the rise of
the Yoga school, which believes that by intense
meditation and self-control, the union of tlle
human soul with the Supreme Soul, Brahma,
*
This historical investigation was supported by a
grant from the Ciba Co., Ltd., Montreal.
391
may be achieved, with the maintenance of the
waking conscwusness.
REFERENCES
1. ALCORN, D. E.: Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis,
Bull. Vancouver M. A., 16: 204, 1940.
2. CARUS, P.: The Soul of Man. Open Court, Chicago,
1891.
3. DASGUPTA, S.: A History of Indian Philosophy, 4 vols.,
University Press, Cambridge, 1922-1949.
4. DEuSSEN P.: (a) The Philosophy of the Upanishads.
Transfated by A. S. Geden, T. & T. Clark, Edin-
burgh 1906. (b) The System of the VedAnta (etc.).
Translated by C. Johnston, Open Court, Chicago,
1912.
5. GARBE, R.: Vedanta, J. Hastings, Encyclopedia of
Religion and Ethics, T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 13
Vols., Vol. 12, p. 597, 1908-1926.
6.
7.
GEDEN, A. S.: Upanisads, Hastings, Vol. 12, p. 540.
HUME, R. E.: The Thirteen Principal Upanishads, 2nd
ed., rev. by G. C. 0. Haas, Oxford University Press,
London, 1931.
8. RAVI VARMA, L. A.: (I am indebted to Dr. Ravi Varma
of Trivandrum, S. India, and I here quote from one
of his letters to me.)
NOTE.-Accents have been omitted from the Sanscrit
words in the text.
MEDICAL SOCIETIES
Canadian Dermatological Association
At the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Dermatologi-
cal Association, in Montebello, Quebec, June 18 and 19,
1951, there was an attendance of fifty-three members
and guests. The presiding officer was Dr. E. Gaumolnd.
Sixteen papers were presented. In addition to these, a
clinical meeting was held at the Hotel Dieu Hospital on
June 20.
The following officers were elected: President-Dr.
B. Usher, Montreal, Que; Vice-President-Dr. J. P.
Foisy, Montreal, Que.; Secretary Treasurer-Dr. S. E.
Grimes, Ottawa, Ont.
Canadian Association of Pathologists
The third Annual Meeting of the Canadian
Association of Pathologists was held at the
Pathological Institute, McGill University, on
June 19, 1951. The subjects discussed included:
"The Training of Laboratory Technicians",
"The Standardization and Accuracy of Labora-
tory Tests", "Laboratory Services for Civil
Defence", and "The Economic Status of the
Pathologist". It was also decided that the Asso-
ciation should operate a registry of pathologists
and a registry of positions vacant in order that
those pathologists seeking a position would
have knowledge of possible posts. This registry
will be operated by the Secretary-Treasurer of
the Association, Dr. M. B. Mackenzie, Herbert
Reddy Memorial Hospital, Westmount, Mtl. 6,
Que.
The following slate of officers was elected
for the ensuing year: President, D. F. Moore,
St. Paul's Hospital, Saskatoon; Eastern Vice-
President, M. 0. Klotz, Ottawa Civic Hospital,
Ottawa; Western Vice-President, Daniel Nichol-
son, Department Pathology, University Mani-
toba, Winnipeg; Secretary-Treasurer, M. B.
Mackenzie, Herbert Reddy Memorial Hospital,
Tupper St., Montreal.