Lower States Of Mind
When someone begins on the path from states of consciousness below the mūlādhāra, in the confused thinking areas of the mind, in the angry chakras, religion will be to him a superstitious, forboding, very unclear area. These chakras are also known as talas, or states of darkness, self-concealment and distortion. They are the “nether poles” of the higher chakras and of the seven corresponding lokas. Confused thinking we can define as “self-preservation thinking.” When a person is within this chakra, the feelings of “me and mine” are strong. It is a state of outward passion and sense indulgence. This is the vibration of the talātala chakra, which could be translated as “under the bottom level,” “place-nonplace” (tala-atala), or “realm of nonbeing.” In this fourth center below the mūlādhāra, the protection of one’s small universe at all costs is the consciousness.
Should such a person ever become uplifted, since his consciousness is deep within the lower chakras, he would first come up in consciousness into jealousy, the sutala chakra, meaning “great lower region,” a “good matter” state of spiritual darkness ruled by desire and passion. The feeling of jealousy is a higher consciousness than that of the chakra below, which confuses the thinking. The next upliftment, after jealousy and confused thinking, is the release into the chakra of anger, the second force center below the mūlādhāra. This is the vitala chakra, translated as “the region of the lost,” “realm of division or confusion.” The upliftment to follow anger is to enter the chakra of fear, a state of spiritual annihilation called the atala chakra, meaning “without bottom,” or “no place.” Fear is a higher consciousness than anger or jealousy. It is people who live in this chakra who make up the masses who fear God rather than love God.
The fifth chakra below the mūlādhāra is called rasātala, literally “state of sense enjoyment.” This is the true home of the animal nature. Here personal selfishness predominates. Persons strongly in the consciousness of this force center care nothing for the problems and suffering of others.
Below this, dare we speak of it, is the mahātala, “the greatest lower region,” where ego rules supreme. This is the realm of unconscionable acts, wherein perpetrators feel absolutely no remorse for the most heinous wrongdoings. The conscience is completely dormant for those locked in this realm. Negativity, depression and other dark states of mind are the order of the day for those in the mahātala chakra. Finally, at the bottom of consciousness is the pātāla chakra, “lower region of wickedness” or “fallen state,” where dark ignorance rules. This is the realm of vicious destruction, of revenge, murder for the sake of murder. Basking in the twisted vibrations of this area of consciousness, depraved transgressors torture others without a thought, express malice without a twinge of conscience, harm others in innumerable ways for sheer enjoyment and take delight in the emotional, mental and physical suffering of fellow humans and all beings that cross their path. Hatred is the ruling force in the pātāla chakra; malice reigns supreme. Far from reason, and farther still from compassion and insight, are those who live in the darkness of this area of mind.
We can see that coming up through the lower chakras is quite an ordeal. But once the individual goes through the fear chakra, he comes to Lord Gaṇeśa’s feet and enters the realms of memory and reason, clarity and understanding. It is at this point in the unfoldment through the chakras, which is a journey of consciousness, that he would begin thinking of others and seek to benefit them more than himself. From here on, the path of spiritual unfoldment is not as ominous as it was before. There are no threatening areas, except that it is possible to fall back into lower consciousness.