- Etymology: From sam (together, completely) + ā (toward) + dhā (to place, to hold) — “to bring together completely.”
- Yoga philosophy: In Patañjali’s eightfold path (aṣṭāṅga yoga), Samādhi is the final stage, following dhyāna (meditation).
- Buddhism: Samādhi refers to meditative absorption that leads to insight and liberation (nirvāṇa).
- Vedānta and Tantra: Samādhi is seen as the realization of unity with Brahman or the Divine.
Traditions distinguish between lower forms of Samādhi, where traces of thought remain, and higher forms, where only pure consciousness shines.
