Deepening Your Meditation Practice: Techniques to Enter Advanced States of Consciousness

Discover practical techniques to deepen your meditation practice and explore advanced states of consciousness with this step-by-step guide. Ideal for committed meditators ready to go beyond the basics.

Meditation can be a simple act—sitting quietly, breathing, watching your thoughts. But as your practice matures, you might sense that something deeper is calling. Maybe you’ve touched moments of peace or stillness and wondered, “What lies beyond this?”

You’re not alone. Many long-time meditators reach a point where they want to go further—to shift from surface-level calm into truly transformative experiences. This post explores tried-and-tested techniques to help you deepen your meditation practice and access advanced states of consciousness.

Whether you’ve been meditating for years or just feel ready to move beyond the basics, these tools can guide your next steps.

What Are Advanced States of Consciousness?

Let’s start here. An “advanced” state of consciousness doesn’t mean you’re levitating in lotus position or seeing divine visions (though, who knows?). In practical terms, it refers to moments where your usual mental chatter fades, and a deeper awareness arises.

This could look like:

• A sense of timeless stillness

• An experience of unity or connection with all life

• A feeling that “you” as an individual have temporarily dissolved

• Clear insight into the nature of reality or self

These states aren’t just for mystics or monks. With regular practice and the right approach, anyone can begin to access them.

1. Set the Stage: Create the Right Inner and Outer Conditions

Before you explore deeper states, make sure your foundation is strong. Advanced meditation isn’t about force—it’s about readiness.

Start with your space:

• Meditate in the same place each day

• Keep it tidy and uncluttered

• Consider using natural elements—plants, candles, or incense

Next, your mindset:

• Let go of striving. Deeper states arise from surrender, not effort.

• Adopt a curious, open attitude.

• Stay consistent. Daily practice matters more than occasional intensity.

2. Lengthen Your Sits Gradually

Most beginners start with 10–20 minutes. As your practice deepens, you might need more time to enter subtler states.

Try increasing your meditation time by 5 minutes every couple of weeks. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes, especially on days when you’re feeling grounded.

Why does time matter? The busy mind often takes 10–15 minutes just to settle. Deeper states typically emerge after this point—when your nervous system relaxes and your awareness expands.

3. Go Beyond the Breath: Explore Open Awareness

Breath-focused meditation is a great foundation, but for advanced consciousness work, you may need to open up the field.

Try “Open Awareness” or “Choiceless Awareness” techniques:

• Sit quietly and notice everything: sounds, sensations, thoughts—without judging or following them.

• Don’t cling to any object. Simply be aware of being aware.

This style allows your attention to rest in pure presence. Many meditators find that, over time, this leads to a spacious, unified state where the boundary between self and other begins to dissolve.

4. Incorporate Breathwork to Shift States

Breath can be a powerful bridge between everyday awareness and deeper consciousness. Specific techniques can help you enter altered states more readily.

Try this before your sit:
Box Breathing (4-4-4-4 count) or 4-7-8 Breathing

• Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds

• Hold for 7 seconds

• Exhale slowly for 8 seconds

Alternatively, explore conscious connected breathing or alternate nostril breathing. These patterns activate the parasympathetic nervous system and prime your brain for non-ordinary states.

5. Use a Simple Mantra or Sound

Sound can be a direct gateway to expanded awareness. If your mind is active, introducing a repetitive anchor can help.

Options include:

• Silent repetition of a word like peace, so-ham, or I am

• Listening to a soft ambient tone or binaural beat

• Chanting (even silently) with sounds like OM or Ahhh

The vibration of sound helps settle brainwave activity and guide you toward theta or delta states, often associated with visionary or non-dual experiences.

6. Practice Self-Inquiry and Inner Silence

Self-inquiry is a subtle but potent path, popularised by Ramana Maharshi and others. It’s deceptively simple:

Ask internally: “Who am I?”
Don’t try to answer with the mind. Just sit with the question. Notice what remains when all labels and roles fall away.

This leads you to the “I” beyond thought—pure awareness. The more you rest here, the more you experience consciousness not as an object, but as the ever-present background of experience.

7. Surrender Fully: Let the Meditation Meditate You

There’s a stage where effort must fall away. You’ve set the scene, used the techniques—and now it’s time to let go.

This might sound paradoxical, but advanced states often arise not when you try harder, but when you stop trying entirely.

Let awareness unfold itself. Let thoughts come and go like clouds. Let your identity soften. Let stillness reveal itself.

Many meditators describe this as “being meditated” rather than meditating. It’s a sweet spot of effortless awareness, where insight, clarity, and bliss can arise naturally.

8. Journal and Integrate

After deep meditation sessions, it’s helpful to jot down what you experienced—even if it was just a subtle shift or a new question.

This helps you track patterns, insights, and emerging themes over time. More importantly, it grounds your inner experience in everyday life.

Ask yourself:

• What did I notice today?

• How do I feel now compared to before the sit?

• What inner shifts are unfolding?

Integration is key. Advanced states are beautiful, but they’re not just for “peak” experiences. They should support your growth, relationships, and presence in daily life.

Final Thoughts: It’s a Journey, Not a Goal

Deepening your meditation practice isn’t about chasing mystical fireworks. It’s about becoming more intimate with the present moment, more anchored in your true nature.

Sometimes you’ll have expansive, profound sits. Other times, you’ll feel distracted or stuck. Both are part of the path. Trust the process.

With patience, curiosity, and the right tools, you’ll find that what once seemed out of reach becomes part of your everyday awareness. And from there, the journey only deepens.

Extra Resources

Click here to learn more about my online Meditation Course.

Why not treat yourself to a Meditation Retreat in the beautiful Devon Countryside?

This post may also interest you: How to Integrate Meditation and Journaling for Personal Growth

Best Wishes,

David.

© D. R. Durham, All rights reserved, 2025.