In time, when the yogi’s practice of meditation matures, he begins to experience unmilana-samadhi, open-eyed absorption. In other words, from the state of nimilana samadhi, he opens his eyes and his awareness remains absorbed in the Self even though he is in the state that comes after meditation (vyutthana) with his senses fully operating. The term vyutthana means ‘to rise’ or ‘to wake up,’ which I like to think means that, in the most expansive expression of waking consciousness, one has awakened to the perception of external objects bathed in the Great Light of Consciousness.

— Swami Shantananda, The Splendor of Recognition