It's true. And they have greatly extended life spans, too. As a matter of fact, there have been numerous studies showing that meditation dramatically reduces, and even reverses disease of all types. You know about Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which is eternal. Other types of Samadhi that are not eternal, that are impermanent with breaks, two names; Anandanugat and Atmikanugat (Asmitanugat). Ananda that glow and Atmika that pure consciousness.

The Vedic concept of dhayna or meditation seems to have evolved gradually with the emergence of Upanishadic thought and the idea that man personified the entire universe within himself and by himself and that hidden deep within him was an eternal principle that was Universal Self in its individual aspect. Either man (purusha) was a projection of the universe in its own mode or the universe was a projection of the individual self (purusha) in its own form. 

Both views enjoyed patronage of scholarly minds. If the former was true, our existence was ephemeral and part of a much larger dream, and If the latter was true, then the universe might be an illusion. In either case the world seemed to be unreal or illusory, a view that caught the attention of Hindu scholars for centuries and found its way into the monistic (advauta) philosophy of Shankara.

Two types of Samadhi, one is Nirvikalpa, that is eternal, that never breaks and the other is Savikalpa — Savikalpa and Nirvikalpa (two types).

Savikalpa means that which breaks, sometimes it comes, sometimes it breaks. Nirvikalpa never to break, eternal. Savikalpa Samadhi is of four types:

• Vitsaranugat (Vicharanugat)

• Vitarkanugat

• Anandanugat

• Atmikanugat (Asmitanugat)

What is Vitsaranugat (Vicharanugat)? When the mantra begins to be slow and becomes slower and slower, this is Vitsaranugat (Vicharanugat) Samadhi, first state of Samadhi.

Second, Vitarkanugat is that where the mantra ceases to be a specific thought, it becomes only a rhythm. That is Vitarkanugat.

And when that hum, humming sound is also gone and you are left in that glow, that is Anandanugat (Samadhi), the third (type of Samadhi)

And when that glow is also gone and you are left in a state that the speech can not describe, that is (Samadhi), just 'am'ness, 'is'ness, existence pure.

In this meditation you have experienced all these four types of Savikalpa Samadhi and you have begun to grow by degrees in the Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Two types of experience: one is pure consciousness and the other is bliss consciousness.

The experience of bliss consciousness is Anandanugat Samadhi. And that pure consciousness is said to be Atmikanugat (Asmitanugat) Samadhi. Atmi means 'am', pure consciousness. Atmi and Ananda.

Anandanugat Samadhi, that bliss consciousness. The feeling of that glow and just happiness. Atmikanugat (Asmitanugat), that is Samadhi that got into Atmika state, state of 'am' and hen this Atmikanugat (Asmitanugat) Samadhi becomes uninterrupted, it is not broken up by any state of consciousness, whether wakeful, dreaming or deep sleep.

When the nature of the mind is pure consciousness all the time during all experiences of wakeful state and dreaming state and deep sleep state, then that Samadhi is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. That is Cosmic Consciousness. The word Nirvikalpa means uninterrupted, continuous, unbreakable, eternal, ever lasting. It is called Jivan Mukti, life eternal, divine life.' 

Authored by Dr Anadi Sahoo