Awesome Insights:A Digest of Seven Spirituality Books.

Excerpts from this compilation of condensed material.

From “Therapeutic Journeys to Self-Realisation”

In our mindfulness we are stopping, stepping back, and observing. It’s a precursor to meditation which is a precursor to understanding what it is all about. How can that happen or occur? (I use a passive verb here as this is not a goal attained by action –ultimately).

As per some relaxation/focusing exercise, we can dilute the emotions/thoughts, which will then allow progress to finding what we need to place our soul energy into connection at a higher level. The next step is ideally deeper meditation for most of us, but this is not going to happen so easily, unless you have done this level of meditation work previously.

If you feel stuck, go back into that your aura or protective shell. See what is activating any negative thoughts. Then we need to see what that is doing to us, and what change we need to make to the negative self-talk. We do this then by replacing the negative with something more balanced. Add something positive about yourself to any negative thinking that you identify. You can try to see in your aura space the obstacles to meditation. Thoughts that disturb or distract you. The plan is not to remove them, as that can take too much effort and application. Just visualize the thought train temporarily as outside and allow your shield to protect you also from others negative energies.

Basically, by putting them slightly outside ones being. In this mode you can visualize those tricky issues that distract and disturb, as being outside you in a temporary process.

Imagine you’re on a mountain. Put the thoughts emotions in the clouds while you sit or stand still. You can put yourself outside of yourself and see what you are thinking/feeling and who with/how you are interacting. It is an exercise where you are manipulating a living dream – sort off. If you want to eliminate all emotional/thought issues, then you will need to go further with your therapeutic processes or spiritual journey. It’s like if you want to eliminate cancer or diabetes. It’s a big ask – but it can be done – sometimes.

See thoughts and feelings for what they are – streams of words, passing sensations. Not what they say they are – dangers or facts. As it’s your visualisation so you can add or subtract whatever you want.

The point is that you stop, step back and observe your thoughts and feelings, and see clearly what happening for you and/or others around. You may then see that you are interpreting what’s going on from your own perspective. Your perspective may be divorced from reality, or it may be spot on!

If you have noticed unhelpful thoughts or reaction, you can write them down, talk back to them, and deny them even. Same goes for emotions you’re feeling, or memories. (It’s your visualisation exercise).

This process can also help to identify ruminations and catastrophising, which can be addressed by another exercise.

Again.

I like the metaphor of being on the mountain, as I can visualise that whatever the weather, or whatever happens in the clouds, I can stand firm, and grounded, or sit in my cave. I can imagine myself as in the clouds and see what I am feeling/thinking. I can see the others there and talk to them – tell them to go away or come and sit with me. (Better do this exercise in private – don’t tell your psychiatrist)!

Terminology

• Mindfulness: A mental practice of focusing one’s awareness on the present moment.
• Ego: The part of the self that is associated with self-identity and consciousness.
• Self-Actualization: The realization of one’s potential and self-fulfilment.
• Transcendence: The act of going beyond ordinary limits, particularly concerning understanding and consciousness.
• Visualization: A technique involving imagining scenes, images, or concepts as a form of mental exercise or relaxation.

Inner Guide activation

What If the ego says: “no I can’t do it I’m just a hopeless drunk”, “my depression is too deep”, “I am unable to escape an unhappy marriage”, or I’m just too plain scared, (to change)? Then perhaps it is time to accept the loss of power of the ego and surrender to receive the power of mental health sanity/stability.

There will be an alternative way then, for all, if you look. We still remain bound to the law of action, bound to death, (and taxes), but past actions are not our master. Choose the Inner Master and keep trying because even when you kind of partially give up, that’s when your ego can be weaker. (It’s fighting back and trying to divert you away from your journey).

Well, what about my marriage, children, and career? Desire for a new car, kitchen, or overseas travel? Well do you like the life of bondage, based on years and years of life – and death? Is this freedom for you? If so carry on!

This process of being aware of consciousness itself may seem contradictory with having other secular/scientific beliefs, but has been in common practice from ancient times, if you delve deep enough into the literature of those times.

Fear of death, of suffering, or of life itself, and fear of some God.

Why, when we ourselves are Consciousness, covered by the dreams of the illusory waking, dream and sleep states.

To have true awareness, the dark side must be something understood, and life as it is in its grossness, transcended or transmuted. This is a kind of alchemy, as it’s about being able to transcend and enjoy the true spiritual meaning of anything that lies here and now, or in the past/future – and beyond. Thus, the chaos makes sense. Thus, the pandemics make sense. Thus, even all the wars of history make sense!

The other prospect for our life is that we get or use what we like and want, and then become addicted to substances or behaviors, which then of course lose their power to pleasure. Or we are endlessly distracted by social media, interests and hobbies, and our busy life of human relationships. Nothing wrong with that, if that’s what you want out of life. This book and my previous ones are for those who want something more, as an additional dimension to: Life and the Universe.

Historically “turning away” for life’s “pleasures” was a domain of monks, recluses and renunciates.  So perhaps it will be better for all of us, if we just stay out of the roads. Live in caves and just pass the time. That way we stay out of trouble!

Instead expose yourself to your Journeyand Practice, again and again until there is no more “again”. Life still goes on. There is still the money to be earnt to “survive’. What is left though is an acute awareness of everyone’s suffering, due to the moment of being in the body/mind identity. You just can’t get comfortable! Life can be a struggle, and this will also divert from our Practice. A matter of just survival for so many, so if you have some luxury of being able to read this book even, then you are lucky!

If all else fails, just “pray” for surrender. It doesn’t probably matter who or what you pray to, it matters only that you are willing. The intention to surrender will allow its own release. Anything that helps with the letting go of fear and unending desire is worth a try.

Again, the small self, the individual “me,” is not capable of dropping its own sense of ego, even though the small self is intertwined with the big self. (Just as water is water, whether in a drop or in a sea). Maybe the “rock bottom” of the addict or a state of impasse, or “the darkest night”, triggers some transcendence. A realization “I simply cannot do it, can’t win, can’t complete, can’t change the situation”. It is a pity that it may have to occur this way!

Something has to change, even if is occurring within a state of mental disorder. Someone will come to attend to you even if temporarily, involuntary, as when mental health becomes life threatening.

If however, you trust the process, then this leads from darkness to light.

When we agree to participate in the process of surrendering to our Higher Power or place our lives in the hands of something/Being of our choice then we are met by the supra-human forces. The change occurs when there is willingness to access and seek the Truth. This makes us available to be witnessed and to witness. We can then stop hiding and leave the past shames and fears behind. The Self as the individual soul can then be healed.

The issue finally is about being at another level. This is not just about praying to seek the god, the higher power, or one’s deity. It’s about being in one’s own Higher Power, being at one with the Cosmic Self, and experiencing peace and blissfulness in human bodily form.

There needs to be a move past the idea that enlightenment equals: “you are getting what you want, being happy all day and night, and can sort out anything”.

This is also about encountering your true self which seems covered in the fear and the suffering. The human ego is not in a position to overcome all this. Go beyond, though, under, over. Here lies surrender and acceptance, which is generated through the spiritual practice and selfless actions. Knowing the true self leads also to a space where each moment will bring whatever experience we need, when they are needed. (Even the fear loaded ones)! Thus, life as lived, as also the learning journey, even if yet there is no spiritual clarity. So, if one cannot understand the purpose of pain, dig a little deeper! Then one can understand, pain, death, world chaos, and drill right down to the minutia of personal existence.

We don’t need to become enmeshed in our own beliefs or practices from this perspective, as at the end of the day we don’t need the path anymore, nor the guru, the teacher, or even a defined God. The purest elevated form of existence flows into a native state of enlightenment.

It is more like a “healing confession”.