This paper presents a hierarchical taxonomy of meditation-induced phosphenes and inner light experiences. It is one of the foundational texts of my Yoga of Inner Light project, because it offers a structured language for describing what meditators may encounter when attention turns inward and the closed-eye visual field becomes active.

The starting point is simple but often neglected: many contemplative traditions describe inner lights, sparks, stars, grids, mandalas, tunnels, jewel fields, luminous beings and finally a vast radiance beyond form. These reports are usually interpreted in theological, mystical or symbolic terms. This paper asks whether there is also a shared neurophenomenological structure beneath these descriptions.

The paper proposes six phases of inner luminous experience. The first phase consists of simple flickers, dots, afterimages, mists and small luminous events. The second phase shows the emergence of organized geometric forms, such as grids, rings, lattices, spirals and honeycomb-like structures. In the third phase a central light may appear, often fractal, kaleidoscopic or eye-like, and capable of morphing into faces or symbolic forms. The fourth phase opens into more complex visionary fields, including jewel-like patterns, flowers, landscapes and narrative scenes. The fifth phase introduces tunnels, vortexes, multidimensional spaces and luminous beings, such as angelic forms or radiant Buddhas. The sixth and rarest phase is the collapse of form into a unified luminous field, where subject and object, watcher and watched, dissolve into non-dual radiance.

A key aim of the paper is to distinguish meditation-induced phosphenes from both migraine aura and pathological hallucination. Migraine aura is usually disruptive, time-bound and neurologically intrusive. The inner light phenomena discussed here occur with intact reality testing and are often associated with deep concentration, awe, insight, peace and transformation. They are not treated as illness, nor are they reduced to meaningless visual noise.

The paper also introduces a three-level model. At the first level are basal endogenous visual patterns, such as dots, flashes and simple grids. At the second level are complex meditation-induced phosphenes, where the visual field becomes generative, symbolic and immersive. At the third level are transpersonal luminous manifestations, where the inner visual field becomes a gateway into what I call the Ultrasubjective Hyperspace, an inner domain of radiant consciousness in which visual perception, body awareness, meaning and self-transcendence become deeply integrated.

The paper draws parallels with Buddhist meditation, Dzogchen, Bon, Christian mysticism, shamanic traditions, Egyptian visionary symbolism, Hildegard von Bingen, Carl Jung and modern neurophenomenology. It suggests that cultures may clothe inner light phenomena in different symbolic languages, while the underlying architecture of luminous perception may show recurring cross-cultural patterns.

The broader contribution of this work is methodological. It provides a vocabulary, taxonomy and questionnaire for future research into inner light phenomena. Rather than dismissing phosphenes as trivial optical artifacts, the paper proposes that they may be studied as structured, meaningful and potentially transformative events within consciousness.