‘A Way of Getting High Without Chemicals’: Sadhguru Explains Samadhi; Here’s How to Experience It

Sadhguru, spiritual guru, mystic, and the founder of Isha Foundation, in his latest YouTube video, has expressed his perspective on Samadhi, a commonly discussed yogic experience, calling it a heightened state of consciousness or a state of complete wakefulness rather than the commonly believed state of death-like inactivity.

Sadhguru states that the literal translation of the word ‘Samadhi’ is sama and dhi — sama meaning equanimity and dhi meaning buddhi or the intellect. “If you reach an equanimous state of intellect, it is known as Samadhi,” he stated.

“All samadhis, I would say, are a way of getting high without any external chemicals. By going into these states, it opens up a new dimension for you, but it does not leave any great transformation behind,” he further explains, adding: “In a Samadhi state, your discriminatory intellect is perfectly in shape, but at the same time you have transcended it. You are not making a distinction; you are simply here, seeing life in its true workings.”

Sadhguru also says that “Samadhi is a state of equanimity where the intellect goes beyond its normal function of discrimination. This, in turn, loosens one from his or her physical body. A space between what is you and your body is created.”

How to experience a state of equanimity

If you are a yoga practitioner, you may have practised yoga nidra, where your awareness becomes steady like a candle flame as you immerse yourself in the vastness of existence. Meditation can lead you to this undivided state of being, where pure awareness becomes the defining characteristic of your nature. Such a state can help a person move beyond psychological conditioning, enabling the mind and body to function with greater clarity and balance.