“”Stop thinking” is a very small aspect of the whole “enlightenment” situation spread by highly diluted interpretations of inappropriate translations of Eastern Wisdom (Dharmic) Traditions both by Western Common Public and Fraud Gurus/Lay Lamas from the Indian region.

It encompasses a lot more than that, like aspects of Chitta (Pure Active Living Intelligence beyond Memory, Imagination, and Intellect), different levels of Samadhi (Deep Meditative States of Equanimous Intellect), different kinds of Emptiness (Shoonyata), different modes of Awareness (Chaitanya), different ways to raise and use different modes of Energy (Shakti), Moment-to-Moment No Sense of Independent Self plus the State of Union with Existence, Complete Dissolution into Primordial Origin (Shiva, Brahman, etc.), a Living Unforgettable Experiential Realization/Seeing (Prajna, Atman-Jnana, etc.) into “many transcendental and unified aspects of reality” that permanently transforms one and is always on no matter while awake or asleep, ability to maintain strong lucidity throughout 24×7 without any gaps/jerks/breaks in transition from one state to another in consciousness, a certain overall mastery over the entire mind-body-energy system that can open up many abilities and faculties including the ability to consciously effortlessly die or shed the body at will once and for all without hurting the physical body, and then even many powerful things like Rainbow Body.

In fact, there is no word in Sanskrit, Tamil, Tibetan, Pali (some original languages of the enlightenment traditions) that can be properly translated into “enlightenment” as it is widely used. Among a few other founders of Indology, Philologist Max Mueller first mistranslated some very crucial words (with varied denotations and connotations) of those languages to “enlightenment” in the context of the German Enlightenment Movement. Most moderns who think they are “enlightened” or in “an ecstatic state of liberation and truth” have simply hit the second or third level of Samadhi, which are, in fact, very blissful or ecstatic states.

There are 8 to 9 levels of Samadhi (with 9th removed from many sub-sects as it is not considered distinct enough from the 8th to be a completely different state in its own right but rather a deep end of the 8th). Any ill-prepared modern who is not equanimously stabilized and educated in the first four levels of Samadhi will most likely unintentionally end up dying, hospitalized, going mad, thinking they are some messiah with experiences like no other, shortening their lifespan, or crashing their own minds into long-term suffering if entering Samadhi states beyond level 4 and opening certain possible powerful things that can shockingly shake them completely and leave them unable to navigate those aspects (that are intentionally kept forbidden for the safety of lay practitioners).

Beyond the 4th level, things truly escalate wildly. “Ordinary Mind” already leaves people in delusions. “Much Grander Mind” (that makes Ordinary Mind look puny) can leave one in even Grander Delusions if not properly related or treated with clear lucidity and equanimity. Starting from the 5th level, one can also continuously sit motionless at one spot in Samadhi states, not only for days (Gautama Buddha did for around 48 days) but for months and years without any sense of body and time, without needing food, water, excretion, etc. The whole body of such a being can be literally set on fire, yet that person in those deepest samadhi states would not even feel an iota of pain and suffering. That person is in fierce awareness (and experience) from all inner and outer directions that “he is not the mind and not the body” but spread everywhere with no bounds.

Not even the slightest sound would come out of that person’s mouth as his motionless body is completely burned alive. There is no such thing as waking, dreaming, or deep unaware sleep in those states. Those samadhi states are far more powerful, subtle, and liberating than any dreaming experience or waking visionary experience (in which certain aspects involved in dreaming have penetrated the waking mind). Also, many psychoactive “drugs” can’t affect (bring any significant mental change) the powerful minds of those who have maintained strong stability and transcended samadhi states beyond level 4. Such people can totally negate the effects of those drugs with the concentrated power of their diamond minds.

Although dreaming has profound precedence and realness over the waking thinking mind, there is far more to the mind beyond dreaming. So, “dreaming” is not the “root” of life and being. And, it is also entirely possible to not “dream” and “not be perished.” It is even possible to not “unconsciously sleep” altogether and “not be perished.” It is possible to be in a state beyond waking, dreaming, and even deep dreamless unaware sleep throughout one’s life and live far more intensely and healthy than those who are restricted to ordinary waking and dreaming.

If “true enlightenment” happens, one’s sleeping experience will start transforming entirely (radically) beyond dreaming and deep dreamless unconscious sleep from that very same day. On the other hand, If one has entire lucid mastery over dreams like those of Dream Yogis (who can maintain very clear lucidity and entirely change the scene and script of dreams (including any reflections of “other” people, presences, places) and consciously dissolve dreaming contents into Contentless Lucid Deep Dreamless Sleep of Mind of Clear Light), then one can also gracefully and quickly move towards “true enlightenment.” So, “true enlightenment” and “dreaming” are also related.

True Enlightenment will automatically transform the sleeping experience into something much more liberating than content-based dreaming experiences or waking visionary experiences. True Lucid Mastery over Dreaming Experiences can swiftly lead to True Enlightenment. So, this very dualistic comparison (and distinction) between the importance of “dreaming” and “enlightenment” is the structured product of that very waking thinking intellectual mind that ancient or hardcore practitioners of “enlightenment traditions” consider being a stepping stone in their journey towards liberation.”

— Vidur Mishra