It is best to explain what the various levels are by example.

The first level is akin to daydreaming. We will use this as an example where you are perhaps ironing, reading a cereal packet, or perhaps waiting idly outside of a shop. You are aware, but you are not 'fully' aware of your surroundings. Your thoughts are 'elsewhere'. You are relaxed and perhaps even bored. You certainly are not as aware of what's going on around, as you would be when you were needing to cross a busy road.

Level two is the level of 'awareness' where perhaps you are reading a notice, or checking a railway timetable. You know where you are but you are concentrating to understand the content of the timetable. Nevertheless you are aware of the noises and people around you. You would know whether you were hot or cold. This is level two of 'altered state'. It is quite near to the 'here and now', but slightly deeper than level one.

Level three is similar to your being at a football match when someone is about to take a penalty kick, or perhaps you are trying to thread a needle. Your attention is concentrated upon the immediate 'state'. You would probably be aware of someone near you sneezing, but you would continue your concentration. You would ignore the sneeze.

Level four is slightly deeper. You would be 'lost in the moment' as it were. Perhaps you were listening to a particularly interesting play on the radio, reading an exciting book perhaps. You would be concentrating very deeply, hopefully enjoying the moment, but someone speaking to you would probably not be heard by you. You would be 'deeply 'elsewhere'!

Level five is similar to level four, but you would be so 'involved' with the moment that you would ignore a spoon drop on the floor, or a doorbell ring. In addition, to reach this 'meditative state you would have to be using your imagination in an unusual way.

By that I mean that you would 'pretend', yes, pretend, that you were doing something 'differently' than you normally would.
Remember when you were a child. You would cuddle close to a favourite teddy bear or toy, and 'pretend' that it was real. You would push toy lorries across the floor and pretend that you were driving them. Evenso, you were in fact well aware that they were toys and that you were 'playing' in your imagination. It is that level of concentration and that level of 'place' or location' that you get to and use to meditate - BUT YOU STAY IN CONTROL. YOU CREATE the 'altered state of consciousness' and it will respond to your wishes. It is YOURS!

You DO have to suspend normal 'common-sense' though. Note how that word is made up - 'common' ('in everyday use') and 'sense' ('reason / awareness')!
Once you can do this, and you need to be relaxed to get there, you are able to slip into that level of 'altered state' quite easily.

Because you will normally be 'guided' into this state, - (my CDs do this with you!), - you will have signposts of how to get to a 'place' and be 'guided' as what to expect or do. At the same time you will be advised what to do if you need to 'come back' to normal reality quickly if, for instance, the doorbell rings, or there is a knock on the door which interferes with your meditation.
It is for this reason that it is best to meditate in the first few instances within a structured group. Someone will just 'stay awake' and keep an eye on proceedings. You will be safe and re-assured.

Level five can be easily returned from, but it is possible that you may be slightly reluctant to do so, unless someone is in a position to gently get you to 'come back'. The 'watcher' is there just for such events. Remember you are in control, and you know it is sensible to respond to a request to 'return'. You will not be asleep. You will be aware. If you do happen to fall asleep then the 'watcher' may chose to let you sleep on! Agree what should happen beforehand. You'll be safe either way.

Just imagine what it could be like if you are under the influence of drugs, or you have been hypnotised into a state where you have given your 'power' to someone else to use to control you!
The first is very dangerous, and the second is not desireable. Usually the stage hypnotist makes you do foolish things, which under normal circumstances would make you loss your dignity. Done properly, with you in control, and with a 'watcher', there is no risk because you retain your power to yourself. You always remain in control.



After each meditation take a drink of water and perhaps eat something. A biscuit will do fine. This will reinforce the 'grounding' state (return to normality) and should always be practised. If not, you may find that you are a bit 'high' and not back fully into the 'ordinary state'. I would not like to sit with you as a passenger if you were driving a car under such circumstances! Get GROUNDED first. It really is important.

The main thing to understand is that, like the child at play, you have to suspend normal 'conditioned' thinking. It is acceptable to 'pretend' because that particular 'state', that 'location' of the pretending is a REAL place. It is out of time and space, but is nevertheless a real place within you. It is waiting for you to explore. You went there as a child without harm. You can do so now! It is YOUR place.

So you see my friend, you are actively in control during 'meditation'. You are not deeply 'elsewhere', nor are you 'out of control'. Neither are you 'sitting on the edge of a deep void of nothingness' desperately trying to free your mind of all thoughts. Neither is it either desireable, nor possible, at level five. Besides which, with an empty mind you will learn nothing! With an active mind you can learn and explore to realms beyond your belief.

Relax and enjoy!