I started reading self-hypnosis books when I was nine years old. I didn’t associate the practice of putting myself into a relaxed state – and making suggestions to myself in that state – as anything akin to the concept of meditation. Indeed, I don’t think I’d ever heard the term at that point in my life. All I knew then was that mind power, and how to influence it, fascinated me at an early age. It still does.
The first time I heard meditation described to me was during the TM movement, and the stories were amazing – levitation, group telepathy, inner peace. All experiences I wanted… But. The idea of sitting until I found an ‘inner stillness’ boggled my mind even more than the idea of levitating. The practice, itself, seemed too daunting for me. I could spend an hour writing affirmations – focusing and visualizing on their outcomes – much easier than I could disengage my active mind from thinking. And, as I understood it then, stopping thought was the key to unlocking these states of advanced mind capacity.
I understand differently now.
I understand now the key isn’t to stop thought; the key is to engage thought on a different frequency. The question, then, is: How do I get my mind onto another level where thoughts are useful to the awakening consciousness?
The answer took me back to my memories of practicing self-hypnosis as a child. The relaxed, trance-like state in which I put myself gave me access to my thoughts in ways that – even then – I knew was very powerful. My idea of meditation shifted as I realized that all of us find that state of mind in a variety of ways. Through the movement of dance or the focus of creating or the zone of exercise or playing with a child… the options are as infinite as the number of unique perspectives there are. And once we know what it feels like in an uplifted-mind awareness, the ability to find our way back to it in different settings gets easier and easier.
That’s the first step.
The second step is to engage the mind in this receptive frequency to enhance awareness and expand consciousness. This is where I find the benefit in guidance. When I relax into a space where my mind is open and relaxed and permeable to suggestion on a new level of frequency, I find new levels and clarity and insight by letting the guided visualization of a meditation lead my thoughts to new places outside their normal patterns.
For that 20 – 30 minutes of what appears to the outside world to be a ‘sleep-like’ condition, my inner world expands and awakens and integrates me into new levels of All I Am. Sometimes, I don’t recall any of the meditation – it seems like I just had a really good nap. Sometimes, I feel as though nothing happened except for an amplified awareness of my active mind. Sometimes, I bring back treasures into my day of new understanding in areas that are relevant to me. The magic happens in the remaining 23.5 hours of the day as, ‘whatever happened’ in that altered state of mind, trickles into my personality and reshapes my attitudes and choices and general perspective.
When I was nine years old, I began my exploration into the power of the mind and how to enhance it. I am still exploring. The more I discover in this fascinating terrain, the more I evolve and awaken aspects of All I Am.
If you – like me – desire expansion and evolution, I welcome you to join me in meditation. We may find ourselves in group telepathy. We may even find inner peace. For sure, we will find ourselves continually more awake.
Thank you. I love you.
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The problem I always had with stopping my thoughts was that when it became time to engage the world again, I was right where I left off last time I was thinking…
That’s a good point, Lazar. I believe you just described the value of taking our thoughts with us into an expanded state.
Thx for this great information that you are sharing with us!!!