Samādhi
Definition
The Hindu/Yogic articulation of the structurally-absorbed contemplative-state. Samādhi names the eighth-limb of *Aṣṭāṅga Yoga* (Patanjali's yoga-system) and articulates the deepest contemplative-absorption; the broader Netist articulation reads Samādhi as tradition-specific articulation of the deepest Witness-stance and the broader cosmic-consciousness participation at the practitioner-articulation.
Literal meaning
The Hindu/Yogic articulation of contemplative-absorption. Samādhi articulates the structurally-distinct contemplative-state in which the practitioner's articulation merges with the contemplative-object; the Yogic-tradition distinguishes *savikalpa* (with-articulation) and *nirvikalpa* (without-articulation) Samādhi at the contemplative-attainment articulation.
Esoteric meaning
Samādhi articulates the structural-feature that the broader contemplative-tradition has recognized as *the deepest contemplative-absorption*. The structural-recognition is that the practitioner's developed-attention can merge structurally with the contemplative-object; the merger is structurally-distinct from ordinary-attention, and the broader Witness-stance and *From Self to Source* articulations include Samādhi-state at specific developmental-articulations.
Allegorical meaning
A musician who has absorbed-into-the-music sufficiently that musician-and-music articulate as one continuous-articulation: the musician is real, the music is real, the absorption-state is the structural-merger that produces the integrated-articulation; Samādhi operates similarly at the contemplative-articulation.
Extended meaning
Samādhi articulates several specific structural-features: (1) The Yogic-tradition's articulation of Samādhi as eighth-limb of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga; the broader articulation includes preparatory-limbs (yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna) before Samādhi-attainment; (2) The savikalpa-nirvikalpa articulation distinguishes Samādhi-with-articulation from Samādhi-without-articulation; the broader contemplative-tradition recognizes both as structurally-distinct attainments; (3) The Samādhi-state aligns with the Witness-stance at the contemplative-articulation; the broader Netist articulation reads Samādhi as developed Witness-state with structural-merger features; (4) The Samādhi-pattern integrates with the broader From Self to Source articulation; the deepest Samādhi articulates the practitioner's structural-merger with cosmic-source. The relationship to *Witness*, *From Self to Source*, *Lakhar*, *Lessons in Stillness*, *Meditation Discipline*, and the broader contemplative-attainment articulations is structural.
*Samādhi* articulates the Hindu/Yogic-comparative attainment-state. The article complements *Witness*, *From Self to Source*, *Lakhar*, *Lessons in Stillness*, *Meditation Discipline*, and the broader contemplative-attainment articulations.
Usage
A practitioner encounters Samādhi in advanced contemplative-development and in specific contexts of contemplative-attainment work.
Comparative tradition
Hindu articulation of *Samādhi* in Patanjali's *Yoga Sutras* and the broader Yogic-tradition. Buddhist articulation of *samādhi* as concentration-attainment alongside the *jhānas*. The various tradition-specific articulations of contemplative-absorption.
Science correspondence
The contemporary contemplative-neuroscience research on advanced-meditator absorption-states (Richard Davidson, Daniel Goleman, the broader research-community).