Meditation can be said to have four (4) stages:
Awareness
Concentration
Mindfulness
Imagination
Awareness
Awareness is like Space. It is always there, it is ever-present, and it is where everything exists. Awareness just like Space cannot be objectified - - it is the repository of everything that comes into existence. Every vibration, frequency, deity (pure and impure) entering existence is rooted in awareness of space. So the essence of meditation is to cultivate Awareness or the cognizes of one inner Space.
''From Atman did space come into being;
From space, air;
From air, fire;
From fire, water;
From water, the earth;
From the earth, plants;
From plants, food;
And from food, man...''
- Taittiriya Upanishad
Concentration
This means we practice with our awareness to focus on one thing without any interruption. During stages of meditation, one must always learn to observe whenever their attention drifts into the abyss of fantasy.
Through concentration we learn to see the difference between our mind when it is conscious and when it is unconscious. This is a vital tool to develop for yourself. By learning to discipline your mind, you become more aware of yourself in everything you do - - and thus, as a consequence of your own practice, you awaken the consciousness more everyday.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the continuous state of concentration. which then means, we learn to do every activity in life with a deep sense of awareness. We can even say, meditation helps us do our work better - - and this is a useful tool to have in life.
We can become better in our corporate work, in business, in our relationships, in our hobbies, in our parenting skills, with our friends and family, in how we treat the environment, etc., the benefits of Mindfulness are endless.
And that is the reason why Mindfulness is so difficult to maintain. We easily lose control of our concentration in any activity. The slightest sound, object, sensation, smell, voice, thought steals our Mindfulness; and we find ourselves falling once again into states of unconsciousness.
Imagination
When we see anything through the translucent vapor of Imagination, we create something intamitly connected to our Being in non-physical realms. That is to say, Imagination is the Immortal Man in side of us.
Imagination is the energy of our consciousness that can never die, it is everlasting. So, to imagine something means you become that thing in another realm of energy. That is why Imagination does not have limitation. Unfortunately, when we allow Imagination to be used by ego, mind (in the subconsciousness), and personality, we do not see anything pure or divine. We only see our subjective view of reality - - which is the reason why we suffer.
But during stages of meditation, we learn the art of making the ego, mind and personality inactive, so that the pure Imagination of our Being can arise in us; thus we can b able to see the objective reality without obscuration.
Conclusion
When we practice meditation we must always remember that every thing we do has a consequence. Meditation is something supremely important to self-liberation. The only way to practice meditation is to keep the Essence [Soul] separated from ego, mind and personality.
In that way, the Essence will live freely in its own nature. Pure, happy, serine, kind, joyful, peaceful, kind, patient, generous, gloriously in love with its Being.
May Christ Consciousness increase in you always.
(SoG:SA)