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According to Patañjali, Yoga embraces a wide range of higher meditative states. All of these fall under the umbrella term of samyama. These higher states are primarily characterized by the gradual stilling of mind through the meditative trinity of dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditation), and samādhi (meditative absorption). According to the ancient texts, these states are profoundly healing, and can be cultivated in steps and stages. It is likewise emphasized how suffering and the obstacles we face in life can be a springboard into meditative deepening. When meditative practice intensifies, the seeker experiences a break-through of the intuitive, the sacred, and the mystical into their otherwise everyday, conditioned consciousness. In all world religions, we find that the mystical path is characterized by this kind of direct experience of the transcendental or sacred.