SHED THE ORNAMENTS! YOU'RE NOT A CHRISTMAS TREE!

What does it mean to be an individual? Does it mean we have a personality that is distinct from others? Does it mean we like or dislike things in ways other human beings don't? Does it mean we are separate from others because our 'individuality' means we're 'different' from others? Is it as important as they say to express our 'individuality'; to, in essence, show others how we differ from them? Or perhaps it's to indicate to others whose thoughts about WHO THEY ARE  (expressed as their 'individuality') might be similar to our thoughts about WHO WE ARE (expressed as our 'individuality'), which, in my humble opinion, nullifies the definition of being an individual...

So we're told we should EXPRESS ourselves as individuals. There's nothing 'wrong' with that at all. Besides, in the context of self-discovery, nothing is defined as 'wrong'. There may be habits, misunderstandings, and perceptions that we would like to alter, but to impose empty and false notions of RIGHT and WRONG or GOOD and BAD is making something out of nothing. These notions are ones that we should learn to recognize (as they come to the forefront of our minds) and simply allow to come and go without worry or attention being paid beyond encouraging them to continue along the conveyor-belt of thoughts, so-to-speak.

How do we often choose to identify ourselves as individuals in today's society? By getting a tattoo, by dressing sporty and hip or professional and conservative, by getting our nails or hair styled in a specific way, by wearing various items of jewelery or timepieces, by whitening our teeth, by getting a tan, driving a certain style of car etc.; all the decisions we make about how to project to the world, how we FEEL about and perceive ourselves as well as how we believe displaying a certain number, color, shape, and size of a particular material or combination of materials will be perceived by others.

The reasons we acquire, possess and display material objects is firstly because we can (i.e. we exist at a time and in a place and with circumstances that put us in a position whereby we have access to and are able to afford to buy X, Y or Z) and also because we CHOOSE to (no d'uh, lol). But, most importantly, it is a mechanism for our own safety and protection. In addition, in this capitalist world we live in, for advancement purposes. In many cases, the right combination of adornment can make the difference between SUCCESS and FAILURE (two more words to recognize, deflate and let go, btw). The problem is we're building a lie (or one upon another) about who we really are. This lie or series of lies then becomes our truth. We may not directly lie to others, but we've created a lie that we now believe about ourselves that, itself, becomes the lie that's told to others.

Sure, you're more successful than you might otherwise have been. So you tell yourself. Sure, it feels so good to show off the new ornament you picked up to replace the old one. Of course you 'needed' the designer brand. You 'deserve' to 'treat yourself'. Even if it's something you tell yourself you WANTED... The point is you found a way to get what you wanted and are now displaying it for all to see. Don't you see what you've created? A facade. A front. A lie... Trust me, you'll eventually get to the point you can't stand this 'self' any longer...

Now, all you want to do is to find out who is behind the curtain you've drawn across the real you, who is under the veils, who is under all the layers of LIES you've told and believe about who you really are. Year after year since innocence was lost, since you felt the only way to keep yourSELF safe in this hostile and dangerous world was to hide behind a mask that you now find impossible to remove and has now become like a walled prison.

These things do not define you, are not you and have no place in who you really are. The process begins with removing all of it. First, by removing it from your body to an out of sight location such as a storage box and then by putting it somewhere out of sight like the attic or a storage facility (that you will one day empty of it's contents and stop wasting money on). I know it will feel weird at first to walk around not adorned with your pretty stuff, but hopefully a sense of freedom will creep in as well, as if the weight of feeling like you need to project a false self is slowly being lifted. Beyond this, once you've been able to go out in public for a while and not feel judged, you might even consider giving away some of that booty to someone less fortunate.

It's this process of pairing down that will create a tremendous feeling of levity to the point that it will snowball to all areas of your life. If you can give up wearing the diamond encrusted jewels, you may end up giving up all sorts of things. Removing layer after layer of masks will soon become your habit, so what's to say removing habit after habit can't be as simple.

Personally, by the time I had really gotten underway in the destruction of my facade, not only had I removed cool sunglasses, watches worth thousands, gold rings, necklaces, earrings, and more from my body, but I proceeded to give it all away in bags that I would hand to people in passing. I gave away dozens of suits, shirts, shoes, jackets and piles of other expensive items that I threw in the trunk of my car and simply opened in less fortunate areas of town. I gave away my set of golf clubs and took a box filled with high end sports gear to a school in an underprivileged neighborhood. The giving up extended to cigarettes and alcohol, cable television and movies, sports and competition and even sex.

Now, I'm not suggesting what you might think I might be suggesting... (or am i, lol?) that the answer to all your problems is by permanently quitting everything that you enjoy, everything that defines you, everything that makes you an individual. But what I am saying is that perhaps you are under the mistaken impression that these things you have acquired (both habits and material things) have become someone you believe is who you Truly are. 

The only way to uncover that true you from the prison you've created, is by removing this false self and it's associated masks. You don't need to give up these things all at once or for any significant length of time, as in the case of habits, to feel the sheer weight lifted from not being burdened by all this stuff or these urges. The surprising thing to come from getting rid of all of it is what replaces the habits or fills up the space (in you, with you if that makes sense) that was created when everything was removed. New habits and interests will emerge as well as ways of thinking you never though possible, seeing things you never saw before, and more.

The main thing to remember is that this is all you. It's on you to do it and it's you who shall reap the rewards from what you have sewn which will extend to everything and everyone. The water may have become a bit cloudy and turbulent over the years, but our task from this point forward is to make it crystal clear and still like the surface of a mirror.

Your Homework: Without having showered and wearing no hat to cover bed-head, go to a public place wearing what you normally wear at home behind closed doors; weather it's throwing a jacket over a pair of pj's to grab milk at the store or wearing those grubby, smelly work clothes for a walk through the mall. Notice how many or how few people point and laugh at you or even care. The advanced part of this exercise involves not brushing your teeth or putting on deodorant (c'mon, smell it up right!) before going out; again noticing just how few people care what you look like or even smell like... 

PS If you care about your 'social standing' or your 'reputation' being affected by doing these exercises, then this is not the blog for you nor the right time for you to be on this particular path.

TO TRULY KNOW THYSELF IS DIVINE

What is it to know oneself? Can we truly ever know ourselves on the most deepest of levels in this hustle and bustle world? How can it be maintained? Is it possible to achieve enlightenment growing up and existing within the Matrix we inhabit? How is it possible when we are immersed in a paradigm that is seemingly the opposite of spirituality, the opposite of loving kindness and compassion. 

I would submit, my friends, that it is possible to achieve a heightened state of clarity, i.e. enlightenment within an urban environment, but that it is a fickle achievement subject to numerous pitfalls for one not fully committed to it's attainment. For, in order to maintain such a pristine state of awareness from moment to moment would require one to become a Master of focused concentration, not easily distracted by the wants and needs of this world nor swayed by the various emotions we're subject to each day.

Living in an enlightened state from moment to moment does not require one to rid oneself of naturally occurring thoughts, feelings and emotions. So from this moment forward, stop guilting yourself for feeling feelings or thinking thoughts. They are natural. It's the ACTIONS we choose to take that are destructive. The challenge for anyone from a Monk to a Manager or a Priest to a Painter is to become a Master at PACIFYING those naturally occurring processes all the time. 

I can think all I want about how I'd like to punch someone in the face, but until I actually act on it, it's simply a passing thing without substance that I can choose to bring into the material world or not. In the hands of someone with the clarity of self awareness, those thoughts, feelings and emotions are simply understood as naturally appearing and disappearing and are allowed to come and go without disturbing one's balance.

The only question one must pose oneself when deciding to embark on a journey of self-discovery is this:

Am I committed to a path that only leads in one direction?

The path of which I am referring does not involve 'quitting' anything, for how can one quit something that simply no longer has a place in one's life? It does not involve setting goals, for the path itself is the goal. It won't make you sexier or smarter or funnier and it certainly won't get you that new car, girl, guy, jewelery, house, or whatever else you've been drooling over. In fact, none of the THINGS sitting in your closet, garage, storage locker etc. that you've been accumulating for whatever reason over the years are coming on the journey. Because this journey is one of DEVOLVING, if you will. Of pairing down, of trimming the fat (literally), and of opening the window to let a little fresh air in.

If the thought that you will end up with nothing of material value in your possession with only the promise of the immaterial makes you cringe, then perhaps the time is not right to embark on such a perilous quest. As an example, a friend of mine once suggested I read a book by a well-known modern day spiritual guru to many, Eckhart Tolle. Although I've now read many of his writings, at first glance, even the word 'God' caused me to close the book immediately. I just wasn't ready for years after that...

One must first come to understand that in order for people to define something indefinable, a word must be used so that all are in agreement based on how each of us defines the feeling we get when we say it or think it. A feeling is like a relationship. None but the subject can truly define how something invisible and intangible affects them. So the WORD God is also, in and of itself, indefinable by none but the definer. IT is simply an idea, an allegory, a metaphor or what-have-you. (Maybe we should change God's name every once in a while so people don't become attached to it...) Anyhow, the specifics of that word will be discussed more another time. 

Okay, so... Ask yourself if you're ready. Nobody needs to know but you... If you are, then let's proceed, shall we?

First things first. Let me ask you this. How do you feel about God? Don't tell me. I know your first impulse was to tell me in words how you feel, but don't tell me. Don't even direct your answer at me. I asked you how you feel about God, not to tell me how you feel about God. So take a moment...take two, in fact, and really think about...oops sorry, my mistake...take a moment or two to really FEEL how you feel about God.... Wanna know a secret? That's your connection to God... And that's all you need to know, oops...feel.

Bruce Lee said it best in one of his films, "Don't think, feeeel."

Your homework assignment: Leave your phone at home and go for a walk alone to a safe place. Sit and listen to as many different sounds as you can without adding any judgement to them. Even if you hear a sound that would normally cause a reaction i.e. loud motorcycles, construction, vocal babies etc., try practicing observing things in their basics rather than with added emotion and judgement. 

For an added boost to this exercise, try switching to a focus on your breathing (don't worry, we're not getting into breathing exercises...yet ;0) and notice what different sounds you hear or how many sounds you now become aware of. 

Oh, and although it might sound silly suggesting closing your eyes is advanced, but you'd be surprised how difficult it can be to try sitting in a public park or city street with your eyes closed for any length of time without feeling like you'll be robbed. A very uneasy feeling comes over us in a very short period of time that both prevents us from relaxing and closing our eyes for too long. This might seem minor, but know that any resistance to this process must be looked at from this point forward as ego based. When they refer to interacting with the drug and not the person in cases of addiction, this is that situation when it comes to uncovering your true self. The child who wants it's blankie is what restricts your spiritual emergence. 

ACCEPT there is resistance to change that comes from a part of us we can't explain and move on... I really dislike corporations for stealing great sayings, but it's so true. The only way for you to make change is to just do it. Btw, I didn't mention the corporation on purpose and didn't cap their slogan, but if you instantly knew who I was referring to and saw a logo in your mind's eye (you know, that place in our head where we see the mind movies), then you've come to the right place... 

See you next time.

SICK OF BEING SICK

I don't need to tell you that being sick sucks. Especially when you feel sick all the time. My question to you, my friend, is why do you deliberately make yourself FEEL BAD and perpetuate those bad feelings by doing the very things that cause you to feel bad in the first place? Whether it's eating foods that ultimately make you feel bad, drinking too much alcohol that eventually makes you feel bad, getting not enough movement in your day, subjecting yourself to repetitive bombardment of negativity in the form of twisted television and skewed news media leading to fearful,  judgmental ways of thinking and acting and on and on and on...

I loved being sick. Well, not consciously. I was addicted to it and I hated myself like you hate yourself, again, not consciously. How do I know you hate yourself? Of this I'm certain... You hate your future self. Otherwise you wouldn't be doing to yourself now what will negatively affect the FUTURE YOU. Like pulling the pin on a hand-grenade and throwing it into the lap of your future self, the excess alcohol consumption will result in a hang-over and vomiting, unprotected sex could result in an STD or a baby, over eating and under exercising results in health problems down the road etc. None of these consequences manifest themselves in the moment. They are like seeds planted in the moment that germinate over time without any thought of the effect it will have on the future you.

"Future me?", you say. But I'm the same person. Sorry, you're not. Our bodies are constantly changing, shedding dead skin cells, healing itself from injury, and generally replacing most of you within about a year. Yes, studies have shown that it takes approximately 11 months for you to be a new person from the inside out. We are constantly changing and evolving, both physically and mentally meaning that we are literally not the same person from moment to moment.

The most difficult thing for me to do was to first admit that I was the cause of my own ills and the only one responsible for turning the tide of my own health and happiness. I was, like many, caught up in the medical system, the treadmill of medical care for ailments that were made to  seem more than they really were. 

So I was on this perpetual conveyor belt of GPs and specialists for a list of life threatening (sarcasm) illnesses like the flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis, stomach pains, headaches, stress, depression and more that no one could seem to diagnose. One specialist diagnosed allergies, one diagnosed back problems causing phantom stomach pains, one told me it was my diet, one my inability to handle stress, one IBS, one acid reflux etc. And each and every one wanted to prescribe some form of medication that I believed would be the magic bullet, the cure-all. What did it all do? It made me more stressed out, more depressed, and more sick, not to mention addicted to all the meds I had been legally prescribed. It got to the point that I literally sat in a clinic one day, shaking my finger at the doctor blaming her for making me that way.

During my initial period of awakening which lasted from about September 2007 to May 2008, I underwent one massive epiphany after another. What is an epiphany? In the simplest terms I would say it's like that pesky math problem you just can't seem to understand. Why this formula? How did they come up with that answer? You just can't seem to get it to stick in your brain. That is, until someone puts it into terms that you can FULLY UNDERSTAND and suddenly, as if the clouds part, the whole thing makes perfect sense. For me it felt like I had burst out of the water after almost drowning, gasping for that fresh, life-giving oxygen I'd been deprived of for so long. What a sense of relief! You have that, "Oh my God, that is so simple, why didn't I see that before?" feeling of absolute clarity.

One of the epiphanies I had after suffering greatly in the last moments before pacifying my ego, was to realize suddenly that I was SICK OF BEING SICK. I'd had it. I'd finally decided to take responsibility for my own health and happiness. I remember the exact moment... It's now 4 years later and I've been to see a doctor once for a complete physical which proved that I'm in fantastic shape for my age. Sure I've had colds since, but trust me, they are a lot less painful and disappear sooner when you pay little attention to them and allow your body to do what it's designed to do naturally.

Many have asked me since then what the diet was I started, or what plan I was on to quit smoking cigarettes after almost two decades, or how I've managed to stay at 160lbs for 4 years despite eating anything I want. The only thing that changed was the firm decision I made to no longer live in a sick world. Period, end of story. From that moment on, every choice I was faced with that would easily allow me to fall back into that way of thinking, was now met with the clarity I had rediscovered from the Light Inside. No guilt, no feeling bad, just choices based in clarity, not to mention love and respect for my future self. You, too, have the power to make similar choices which will literally change your future from that moment on.

Choose wellness, choose wholeness, choose life...

A LOVELY THOUGHT

Here are some wonderful words from a wonderful man who's writings I admire:

"We few who are brought together by providence to work hand in hand for the divine Message,
are entrusted with the most sacred duty
to spread the Message with selflessness and unshakeable trust
in the ever present Spirit of Guidance".

These very important historical statements certainly refer to the responsibility of each,
in as much as one's attunement to the Message is in harmony with the original word,
without drifting away from the Goal.

Years have passed since our Master offered these significant words,
but his luminous presence is as bright as ever before,
shining as a stream of inspiration,
silently guiding our steps,
and helping us to discover the spirit of the Message,
which is gradually shaping human thinking
in the direction of freedom from dogmatic limitations.

On Visalat Day pilgrims from all over the world come to the holy shrine in India,
offering their devotion and gratitude to the bringer of the 'Message in our time',
whose historical proclamation known as the "Unity of Religious ideals"
has so deeply moved the hearts of thousands, over the years.

Each religion strikes a characteristic tone,
and if all would come together,
alike a religious symphony,
one would then encounter the possibility of a unity of all original ideals,
beyond the boundaries of cultural differences.

As one proceeds onward through the darkness of human ignorance,
steadfastly displaying the torch of "Spiritual Liberty"
one may perhaps discover
that Truth could be interpreted as being an invitation
to incorporate the great ideals of Love, Harmony and Beauty,
when communicating with each other
- in each one's language -
and holding fast to the only secret which there is on the spirituality path,
which is to be sincerely in attunement
to the Divine Spirit of Guidance. 

Hidayat Inayat-Khan

ZEITGEIST

I watched the first of the Zeitgeist movies in 2008 shortly following my own awakening. At the time, the film had only been out for a year. Since then, there have been two additional movies released as follow-ups, not to mention a growing movement connected to the recent Occupy Movement associated with the peaceful warriors of Anonymous.

In addition, a new installment has been announced for 2012 called, 'Beyond the Pale'. These movies are free! They are privately funded and available to anyone. To me that's the true measure of altruism and compassion.

This series of movies is like Michael Moore times 1000. Call it what you want, but regardless of being labeled a conspiracy film, it will definitely make you see things differently once you've seen it. The original Zeitgeist is broken up into different parts. It goes into 9/11 theories, facts about the origins of the Christian faith, the facts behind the war in Iraq, the US Federal Reserve and more. 

I'd recommend it to you, my friend. Watch it with an open mind and it will make you question your own uninformed opinion of many things. If nothing else, it will make you want to go out and try to prove these theories wrong... If so, make sure this is the start of questioning everything you've simply trusted on the 'NEWS' and in the 'PAPER'...

Here is the original Zeitgeist:

The second installment is a bit more out there with talk and an actual plan by the filmmaker, Jacque Fresco, for a system of living based on his own utopian ideals. His plan makes perfect sense, however, it would require such a radical and complete shift in the way the world really works, that it would take generations starting from now to make it happen. I believe we're too far gone for such a plan to be effective.

Here's the full movie for Zeitgeist, Addendum:

The third installment (2011) goes into the science of brainwashing. It describes to the viewer in stark detail how we as a collective society have been brainwashed in a scientific and psychological way since most of us were born. Again, watch it with an open mind and I guarantee it will change the way you think.

Here's the full version of 'Moving Forward':

For the skeptics (that should be us all) here's someone who's made a film debunking the debunking of the original Zeitgeist in the religious section:

There's films are all over the web on every side you can imagine. The key is to watch as many as possible in order to make your own decisions. The best part? When you've read and watched enough, you'll discover the common theme in all of it. That it's the same thing; us as conscious matter trying to figure out what this all is and what it all means.

The sheer multitude of ways we express those questions is what makes us all one. I tend to think of the multitude of ways we express and reaffirm our connections to the creator like those who are slaves to the pharmaceutical industry, popping one pill after another. 

If one particular company that markets a pill had a product that worked, there would be no competition for them because they would have found the definitive cure to that particular disease (dis-ease). 

As it stands, there are just as many companies selling pills as there are believers in a particular pill to provide them with a cure. And of those CHEMICAL CONCOCTIONS we're putting our faith in to 'keep us alive', how many of them CURE you?  If they cured you, those companies would no longer exist which goes against the mandate of the very corporations that manufacture the pills you're taking. We'll talk more next time about the black hole of the Medical System...

QUESTION EVERYTHING YOU'VE NOT DISCOVERED YOURSELF THROUGH RESEARCH OF MULTIPLE SOURCES.

BARAKA AND THE QUATSI's

If you haven't see these movies yet, they are a must see for any spiritual traveler. The first is a 1992 movie by Ron Fricke that's a visual and as a result, an emotional journey from start to finish. Here's a brief definition of the word Baraka and it's origin according to Wikipedia:

Barakah

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

In Islam, Barakah (Arabic: بركة : also Baraka‎) is the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres as prosperity, protection, and happiness. Baraka is the continuity of spiritual presence and revelation that begins with God and flows through that and those closest to God. Baraka can be found within physical objects, places, and people, as chosen by God. This force begins by flowing directly from God into creation that is worthy of baraka. These creations endowed with baraka can then transmit the flow of baraka to the other creations of God through physical proximity or through the adherence to the spiritual practices of the Prophet Muhammad. God is the sole source of baraka and has the power to grant and withhold baraka.

Baraka is a prominent concept in Islamic mysticism, particularly Sufism. It pervades Sufi texts, beliefs, practices, and spirituality. Sufism is a movement within Islam that emphasizes the importance of esoteric knowledge and the spiritual union with God through the heart. Baraka symbolizes this connection between the divine and the worldly through God's direct and intentional blessing of those that are most reflective of Him and his teachings.

Baraka is not a state, it is a flow of blessings and grace. It flows from God to those that are closest to God, such as saints and prophets. Those that have received baraka are thought to have the abilities to perform miracles (karamat), such as thought-reading, healing the sick, flying, and reviving the dead. However, according to Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayri, a prominent Sufi mystic, the use of these miracles and the actual possession of these abilities are not indicative of a saint's status, however, the performance of these miracles by prophets is important to establish credentials.

Below is the trailer for the film:

In addition to this great film please check out Powaqqatsi:

Koyaanisqatsi:

And finally Naqoyqatsi:

WHAT IS REAL?

I came across this very cool video of holographic technology. It shows someone manipulating 3D shapes like balls and cubes; rolling them on pieces of paper, stacking the cubes etc. Check it out...

Now here's the million dollar question. Is it real? For that matter what is real? Because we can see it, does that mean it's real? Because we can only see it, is it any less 'real' than those things that we are able to detect with more than one sense? You may say that everything in this world is real, but most of it you can't smell, touch, taste, hear or see and even if you can see it, none of our other senses can sense whatever it is.

So if our sight is the only sense that is able to sense what's in front of us, is it real? The next big question is, if none of our senses can sense a thing of this world, does it exist? It's the old Buddhist philosophical question, 'If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear or see it, does it exist?' Take that further. Is what is around the corner and out of our view still there? Even further, does the world still exist when we close our eyes?

Of course you say. I can still hear the birds outside (or traffic, depending on where you live). I can still feel the floor beneath me. I can smell the baking coming from the shop down the street. So it's definitely real. Right? So what if we take those away? What if we subject ourselves to sensory deprivation? If we deliberately cut out as many things that trigger our senses then what's left. What's real?

What's real is what you give meaning and attention to in any given moment. A flower is not a flower until we make it so. Without the name we've all agreed to call it and our individual experience with this particular thing, what is it?

Similarly, without the name they've agreed to give you and the individual experiences that you believe define you, what or who are you? In this world, this dimension, this experience we're having, we are essentially defined by everything we've done to create the life we have now combined with the various experiences we've had along the way, like rocks in the stream that caused us to change our course.

So year after year of adding the things of this world to your life and changing course more times than can be counted, where have you ended up? Certainly not feeling like the real thing that you are which is pure energy, light and part of the essence that makes up everything in the universe.

I once live in a very noisy downtown environment. I used to walk a friend's dog occasionally. The dog was normally very obedient, very loving and always attentive. But, every time I would take her out for a walk in downtown she would be the exact opposite. She was hard to control, extremely nervous and fearful. I realized after paying attention to her reactions outside vs. inside, that her senses were being bombarded, thus creating a completely different dog on our walks. The most telling thing, however, was when I would walk out of downtown to a peaceful park. She instantly would go back to being calm, loving and obedient. Even with squirrels, other dogs, distractions etc., she was back to being her attentive loving self again.

So I began looking at myself in the same way. I started observing the sheer number of stresses I had willingly added to my life over the years. Where I chose to live, the career I chose, the car I drove, where I chose to drive, where I chose to walk, the tv shows I watched, the radio I listened to, the type of music I listened to, the clothes I chose to wear to express to the world who I wanted them to see etc. All the things I added to my life in order to define myself as a 'real' person and most importantly understanding that if I had chosen certain things to this point, then I could certainly choose other things from this moment on. So I started looking at how I felt as a good gauge. Observing myself as I watched 'Disco' the dog.

I decided that if FEELING BAD upset the balance in any way, I got rid of what was causing it or changed it. Day after day, step by step chipping away at the matrix my choices had created. I canceled cable, stopped listening to mainstream radio (listening to music that neither sticks in my head nor is attached to selling me something or gossiping/judging others), stopped going to the movies, stopped going to malls, stopped going to bars and restaurants, took public transit more, gave myself more time to get places so I'm not feeling pressed, took walks alone in peaceful environments, reminded myself to look up, breathe and so much more on a daily basis. All just different choices leading to different results that literally changes the future!

Without as many distractions, I then subjected my SELF to as much sensory deprivation as possible. However you decide to do this, it's up to you. For me, I've found lying down works best, but not if I'm feeling sleepy. There's no reason you need to listen to those who say you need to sit this way or that or breathe in a certain way or visualize anything at all. In fact this is the exact opposite. You don't want to have any preconceived notions or expectations. You want to be available for what comes naturally.

Rather than setting out to achieve something by doing this, your goal is to pear down to nothing and ALLOW whatever comes to come. I would (and still do) cover my eyes with a sleep shade and put noise cancelling headphones on with generic music that won't cause thoughts or emotions to arise. In fact, I created my own meditation music with programs available to everyone for free and would more than recommend trying it. The key is to make it as generic as possible, even if it's one note for 10 minutes. Your goal is to derail your mind from it's habitual patterns.

I would suggest starting with ten minutes so you don't fall asleep (also, if you do tend to fall asleep then sit up). The more you practice, the better you'll get. The main purpose of this is to wipe your mind of thoughts, stop you from listening to anything your mind can identify with, stop you from seeing things that have meaning attached to them and to literally focus on nothing. If a thought comes, you recognize it and let it go. Like a sign on the highway that comes and goes to a route you've no intention of taking. It comes and goes, then back to nothing. 

I'll talk more next time on breathing and how important it is to life. That may sound silly, but we've forgotten to breathe. Let me just say this. Getting to nothing also involves the ability to ALLOW your body to take in and process oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Naturally and without you trying. Early on, let's just say that every time you feel yourself being swept away by your mind, take a breath, stretch tall to allow your spine to stretch and your nervous system (the source and transit system of your energy) to flow unimpeded, and relax the tension from your body until you can't feel any of it.

So now let me ask this. Once you wipe your mind of thoughts, can't see or hear anything that means anything to you, and have relaxed every part of your body so you can't feel it, what will be? What will you be? What will you see in your minds eye? For that matter without thoughts, sounds and visions that create obstacles to your true self what thoughts will come when they come? 

Will they have anything to do with the YOU you thought you were? For me, after a few years of daily sessions, my thoughts were becoming more profound and epiphanies about life and the universe and my place in it were coming every time. My view of the world changed and the things I focused on changed. By wiping clean the cluttered chalk-board of my life, what was left over was so much more PURE and I knew it had come from within me without external influence.

Make this your intention and you WILL change what you've convinced yourself is real. As a result your life will change to reflect those new thoughts and realizations. I guarantee it. Once this happens, you'll find and be able to maintain your connection to the source of creative energy in the universe. At this point, even if you've never written or painted or made music, photographed or created anything before, you will FEEL the connection you have lost (but know is there) and you will be urged to express that creativity in ways you never though possible.

Make it a point to see as many creations as you can that help you realize that whatever it is, it was created with a divine connection, a link to the creative force that connects everything and KNOW you are a part of this force. 

Without fear, make it your intention to allow this connection to once again be felt.

DISCOVERING THE LIGHT INSIDE

The video below is one man's description of his change in consciousness. I've been talking about and certainly learning about other people's awakening since my own. When I watch videos of people describing their experiences or read articles about it (like the one I plan to post soon), I get emotional remembering what I went through at the time. It's funny, but since then, I've felt like someone who announces they've seen a ufo or little green men...or been abducted and probed. Everything can change in an instant...

In addition to getting flooded by scenes from 'The Matrix', another of the movies that kept popping into my head was 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. No, not because of the whole alien thing... Because once this happened to me, I thought of myself like the Richard Dreyfus character who is scrambling to explain what happened to him, desperately seeking answers to explain his upside down world. No one could understand what he was going through, let alone him.

At first, I thought this was some sort of global awakening. I couldn't believe everyone wasn't going through this. I've always felt my averageness made me a good gauge of what most people like or don't like, so after years of odd looks and suggestions of seeing a psychiatrist (from myself and others), I've realized my experience is definitely not global. Needless to say, I'm very tight lipped and keep my awakened cards close to my chest.

My experience is not exactly as this man describes and yours may not be the same either, but there are definite similarities that will strike you to the core if you've experienced it already. Like I've said before, if you've gone through this, you'll know it. If not, remember to remember and continue creating the circumstances that will allow what's hiding to emerge in the most blindingly indescribable blaze of glory. Please enjoy.

ROCKET TO THE MOON

I just finished watching a wonderful documentary called, 'In the Shadow of the Moon' about the early space program and the men who traveled to the moon. Unexpectedly so, this was a very moving film. I thought it was going to be filled with back-slapping and high-fiving, about spending Billions to send hunks of metal with humans in them into outer space while so many suffer here on this rock. 

Not at all. As a matter of fact, it left me with a profound sense of wonderment. It's not only an interesting look into our obsession with what's out there, but an even more interesting look into the spiritual changes one can go through after being strapped to a giant rocket and fired into the air...way into the air, only to look back from whence they came so-to-speak and see where we all live (seeing the earth like we do looking at the moon). Below are some excerpts from interviews with each of the spacemen. Trust me, not one shot of backslapping or high-fiving in this one...

"I felt that I was literally standing on a plateau somewhere out there in space; a plateau that science and technology had allowed me to get to; but now what I was seeing and even more important how I was feeling at that time, science and technology had no answers for. Literally no answers because there I was, and there you are. There you are, the earth, dynamic, overwhelming and I felt that in the world there's too much purpose, too much logic, its too beautiful to happen 'by accident'. There had to be somebody bigger than you and bigger than me. I mean this in a spiritual sense not a religious sense; there has to be a creator of the universe who stands above the religions that we ourselves create to govern our lives."

Gene Cernan

"I think if you do something that's drastically different, like flying to the moon and coming back again, everyone tells you how important it is, how wonderful it is, how important, important, important. Then by comparison a lot of other things that used to seem important don't seem quite as much so. I'm not saying that I am able to face life with greater equanimity because I've flown to the moon, but I try too. And maybe some of our terrestrial squabbles don't seem as important after having flown to the moon as they did before."

Mike Collins

"We learned a lot about the moon but what we really learned was about the earth. The fact that just from the distance of the moon you could put your thumb up and you could hide the earth behind your thumb. Everything that you've ever known. Your loved ones, your business the problems of the earth itself; all behind your thumb and how insignificant we really all are. But, then how fortunate we are to have this body and be able to enjoy living here amongst the beauty of the earth itself."

Jim Lovell

"This truly is an oasis and we don't take very good care of it, and I think the elevation of that awareness is a real contribution to, you know, saving the earth if you will."

Dave Scott

"Earth has changed a lot since we started flying at Gemini. There's a lot of things like urban pollution and you can see that when you hit orbit now. You can see the big cities all have their own set of unique atmospheres, they really do. We ought to be looking out for our kids and our grandkids and what are we worried about? The price of a gallon of gasoline. You know, in the united states they are worried about three dollar a gallon gas, that's awful."

John Young

"Since that time I have not complained about the weather one single time; I'm glad there is weather. I have not complained about traffic; I'm glad there are people around. One of the things that I did when I got home I went down to shopping centers. I'd go around there, get an ice cream cone or something and just watch the people go by and think 'Boy, we're lucky to be here'. Why do people complain about the earth? We are living in the Garden of Eden."

Alan Bean

"The biggest joy was on the way home. In my cockpit window, every two minutes, the earth, the moon, the sun and the whole 360 degree panorama of the heavens; and that was a powerful, overwhelming experience. Suddenly I realized that the molecules of my body and the molecules of the space craft and the molecules in the bodies of my partners were prototyped and manufactured in some ancient generation of stars. That was an overwhelming sense of oneness, of connectedness, it wasn't them and us; it was, 'that's me, that's all of it, that's one thing'; and it was accompanied by an ecstasy, a sense of 'oh my god', 'wow', 'yes', an insight, an epiphany.

Edgar Mitchell

I wish you all, the experience of your own insights, epiphanies and sense of 'Oh my God'.