What is Chautha Pad? A state of consciousness?

There is some mystery around the Fourth something in Guru Granth Sahib

Chauthe Vasa
It says that God resides in the Fourth, not the first three. I have been perplexed over this for some time. Yesterday I stumbled upon a website and was so relieved to know that the counting to do with the level of Consciousness.

Five classical "states" of awareness are discussed in Hindu scripture are:
1) wakefulness (jagrat),
2) "dream" (svapna) or astral consciousness,
3) "deep sleep" (sushupti) or subsuperconsciousness,
4) the super conscious state beyond (turiya "fourth") and
5) the utterly transcendent state called turiyatita ("beyond the fourth").
Source: http://www.experiencefestival.com/turiya

The first three states of awareness are ordinary - waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep.

Nanak Chauthe Pad Mai So Jan Gat Pahe
Nanak says that in the fourth, the state of pure consciousness, free from material influence, the witnessing consciousness, one finds salvation (hope its the right word to explain Gat).

The self is independent of the body and mind but stays under the influence of Rajo, Tamo and Sato gunas in the first three states. The three Gunas have been translated as - Raajas (passion), Taamas (ignorance) and Saatav (goodness)and are part of what is called MAYA in the Source: http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart299.htm

While awake a lot of the time we are under the influence of Rajo guna (Passion) as we do things that we are passionate about. In the dream state, we are under the influence of Sato Guna (Goodness) I believe, as we are less hostile in this state and seek peace, and in deep sleep we are ignorant (Tamo), as we are not aware of anything.

To reach the pure consciousness, I assume the physical and mental realms have to shut down as these realms produce the three gunas - Goodness, Passion and Ignorance which are MAYA that stops us from reaching and knowing God. Outside these realms the self would continue to exist and will be connected to the higher consciousness/ The God.

I believe the goal of meditation is to shut down the physical realm by sitting in one spot and mental realm by chanting one word to stop the mind from self-talk and observing the breath to get into the witnessing consciousness and experience the Fourth state.

ਰਜ ਗੁਣ ਤਮ ਗੁਣ ਸਤ ਗੁਣ ਕਹੀਐ ਇਹ ਤੇਰੀ ਸਭ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਚਉਥੇ ਪਦ ਕਉ ਜੋ ਨਰੁ ਚੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੈ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਹੀ ਪਰਮ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਇਆ
Raj gun tam gun sat gun kaheeai ih teri sabh maya. Chauthe pad kau jo nar cheenai tin hee param pad paaiaa ||2||: (O Lord) Raajas, Taamas, and Saatav modes are the creations of Your Maya. The man who realizes the Fourth State; he alone obtains the Supreme Status ||2|| (sggs 1123).

ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੋਹੁ ਪਸਾਰਾ ਸਭ ਵਰਤੈ ਆਕਾਰੀ ॥ ਤੁਰੀਆ ਗੁਣੁ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਪਾਈਐ ਨਦਰੀ ਪਾਰਿ ਉਤਾਰੀ
Trai guna Maya moh pasaaraa sabh vartai aakaaree. Turiya Guna sat sangat paayeeai nadree paari utaaree ||2||: Attachment to the three-phased show of Maya pervades the world of objects. In the company of Sat (Truth), Turiya, the State of Supreme Awareness is attained; (Whosoever attains this Turiya Avasthaa) the merciful (God) carries (that person) across (from the world-ocean: ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਸਮੁੰਦਰ) ||2|| (sggs 1260).
Source: http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart299.htm

The people who can stay connected to the higher consciousness / The God while walking around are the rare enlightened beings and are beyond the fourth state.