In Mandukya Upanishad the power of OM is explained. According to this scripture there are three aspects to OM that depict human consciousness. They are awake, dreaming sleep, and dreamless sleep. It is these three aspects which humans consider their state of being, or state of consciousness.
The awake state of consciousness is strictly what the senses detect. It may external or internal. It might be be sound of thunder or it might be the sound of your stomach growling. It might be the thoughts you are having or it might be the expression on someone's face. Dreaming is sleeping and enjoying subtle impressons of the past. Dreamless sleep is a state of no thoughts, desires or any of the sensations associated with the awake state or the dreaming state. It is these three states man considers consciousness and who he is.
There is a fourth aspect, however, that has been forgotten due to the world of consciousness and that aspect is the Self which is ineffable peace, love and supreme goodness. It is neither consciousness nor unconsciousness. It has nothing to do with the senses or their relative knowledge or even interential knowledge. The Self is beyond being awake, dreaming and the dreamless state. Maya is the illusion that you are the three states of consciousness and whoever understands this grows in wisdom and becomes supremely aware - purely aware. When that understanding takes hold maya disappears and the Self merges with the Absolute.
On the right is the Om symbol with its various parts labeled.
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