But wait! When we draw AUM in Sanskrit, there are more than three parts to it – there are more than an upper curve (“A”) connected to a lower curve (“U”), with both connected to a tail (“M”). There is a “one-eyed smile,” the Shvara, which sits above and unconnected to the three states. This represents Turiya (like Atman) – the Fourth and all-pervading state that watches everything happening (or not happening) in the three others. This is our true Self.
Next, we made the AUM sign in Sanskrit out of dominoes. What a challenge to keep them from falling too soon! This was our experiment: to see how waking, dreaming, and deep sleep can shift, but the Shvara never does. Our true Self is unaffected by anything in the three states. Just watch!