We know sleep, and dreams, and know when we are fully awake. The 4^th stage of consciousness is to transcend thought and space-time. Fully awake we contact inner Being. That contact is pure joy.
And it is nourishing. Here we unwind, and rid ourselves of accumulated stresses in our nervous system and in all our physiology.
Our reverent forefathers knew this. We should rediscover their profound wisdom. We become the greater men for it. It brings benefit for ourselves and for our whole dear world.