A Whisper of Wisdom – Thoughts on Prayer in the Wake of the Boston Marathon Tragedy

I remember as a young girl, my father and I would have discussions about what it means to pray.  My father was a man truly ahead of his time.  An otherwise left brained pragmatist; a scientist and inventor, largely self taught, his spirituality was rooted in authentic and open minded inquiry and observation.

He would say to me, “Prayer is not about asking, prayer is about listening – to the gentle whisper of God and to follow the guidance that whisper gives us.”

As I sit in quiet contemplation over the events which took place yesterday here in Boston – now eerily dubbed The Boston Marathon Bombings, I, like many others here locally and perhaps around the world are asking, “where are we going, what is happening and what can we do?”

Every time an event of this caliber occurs, there are initial reactions of shock, then anger and invariably a sustained sense of grief – especially for those directly affected by the events.  For many, if not most, in place of a total sense of helplessness, we resort to prayer, whether it is through a traditional approach, in meditation or just in a moment of silence.

Perhaps we ask in our prayers to be given an answer as to why such an event would occur.  Perhaps we will ask for the “perpetrators” of such an act are brought to justice or that events like these simply cease.  The common thread is that we ask.  Although it is written that “ask and it shall be given to you…”, still these events persist – for whatever reason.  And there is always something to be learned from such experiences.  If nothing more, we have an opportunity to hone our ability to pray effectively.

Many wise ones throughout history have noted that in their most intimate moments of solitude – those brief periods of stillness that come between the words they speak, answers will often bleed through.  These periods cannot be measured and yet they often contain the most powerful and truthful revelations of that for which we are praying.  That “gentle whisper from God” as my father called it can be heard if we are attuned to its signature.

The events of April 15, 2013 (less than 24 hours ago at the time of this writing) are still very fresh in our minds.  We are still preoccupied perhaps with news reports and updates and chatter with our friends and neighbors about the event.  And so it can become difficult to still the mind in preparation for prayer and even more difficult to attune our inner ear to that little whisper that is certainly present. 

~In silence, the answers will come~

As time goes on and we are able to clear our heads and our hearts, let us contemplate my father’s advice.  Sit in silence and listen – just listen to what spirit has to say - with no preconceived notions, no conditions and no expectations as to its wise counsel.  Spirit knows our concerns.  Spirit knows where our thoughts are focused.  Perhaps we need not speak a word, but simply feel the feeling in our hearts, whether it is of sadness or grief, anger or resentment, or a plea for peace.  Just listen to the gentle whisper and let it guide you toward the answers you seek.

To all who were both directly and indirectly affected by the events at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, may you receive that gentle whisper and may it comfort you in all the days to come!

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Meditation - Gateway to Alternate Realities?

We’ve heard it said before: There are many paths but only one destination. And of course there are numerous adaptations of this phrase. But what if there are indeed multiple destinations or more aptly realities, and what if we could use meditation as a gateway to explore the uncharted terrain of multidimensionality?

As a practitioner of meditation, I have on occasion asked myself this very question. Indeed my journeys within have yielded a sense at times that I am piercing the veil of the third dimensional realm and entering a far more fluid “space” not familiar to my work-a-day senses. I’ve witnessed what seemed to be floating thought forms, black and white holes and unfamiliar moving images viewed from a myriad of perspectives through my alternate eyes. Without question, these are occasions by which I would deem meditation far more than just a relaxation tool! I’ve called these excursions; something way out of the realm of expectation and as a result, I have sought to understand via other’s anecdotal accounts if their experiences might in some small way hint of my own, and moreover bring realization about the multidimensional reality for which we may just be inextricably linked.

Here is a story I found to be intriguing and revealing as to the plasticity of reality and our ability to transcend the third dimensional world via meditation…

“This happened about three years ago. I was studying Reiki and advanced energy medicine at the time. My instructor had told me to meditate on my upper chakras, so I was meditating on the eighth. My eyes were shut, I was in a comfortable position holding my 8th chakra, and I was well-grounded - or so I thought. Suddenly, everything got very quiet and then a rushing sound filled my ears. My eyes were closed but I could actually see my skin pinging off into air like popcorn popping around without the lid on. It was as if my eyes were wide open because everything was absolutely crystal clear. Then my sight started to darken. I was able to ask my husband if I was still sitting on the couch, and he said that I was. After my skin stopped flying about in mid-air, I re-materialized in a room where a large group of men were seated in a circle. It reminded me of the Roman Senate, for they were all dressed in togas and had close-cropped beards. I was standing in the middle of this circle, staring down at a large beautiful crystal (my 8th chakra). I remember one man kept asking, ‘What does the crystal say? Look at the crystal and tell us what it says!’ The crystal was the last thing I wanted to look at. Then I found myself back in my own living room on the couch, still holding my 8th chakra. My body was intact, and my husband was still playing chess. I told him what happened and he said, ‘You're crazy.’ Nothing like this has happened since. I'm not sure if I crossed through a portal, entered an alternate reality, or experienced a past life.” (source: www.kajama.com)

In this startling account, we find the meditator seemingly catapulted from a state of conscious 3D awareness into what appeared to her as another place and possibly another time. There are many accounts where others have reported being transported – literally dropped into another reality; a place where not only is the individual simply witnessing the scene playing out before them, but they are participating in it! These sorts of stories have often been told within the context of teleportation and time travel, and yet in this case, the individual found just by merely falling into a meditative state, whilst focusing on her upper chakras, in this case her 8th, her consciousness apparently swept through the veil and into another reality!

Consciousness and Non-Locality

The notion that consciousness is non-local; the ability to transcend space and time outside of the physical sensory system is an idea that has been supported by metaphysicians and mystics and examined closely within the quantum theoretical framework. When in a meditative state, depending on the level of depth the meditator is able to achieve, one’s focus can instantaneously shift from an object grounded within the physical spectrum to one that is on another level or frequency and thus the individual will “transport” their consciousness to finer and finer vibratory realms.

In a talk given by meditation expert and author, Andrew Cohen he states, “A meditative posture releases you from the world stream. It releases you from being trapped in the Universe; of being trapped in time.”

The practice of meditation, in some cases will give one a glimpse of the illusory nature of time and space, thereby making acceptance of alternate realities easier and thus the direct experience of these realms far more likely.

Meditation as Gateway to the Out of Body Experience (OBE)

For many practitioners of meditation, the feeling that one’s consciousness is leaving the physical form, described as an out of the body experience or OBE is well known in spiritual literature. Alternate states of consciousness have been reported while out of body, ranging from a subtle sense of detachment, merely inches away from where the physical body rests to excursions many miles (even light years) away where again, the experiencer will witness and even participate in a scenario on another plane of existence.

It is interesting to note that meditation can most certainly serve as impetus to activating an OBE. There are of course common denominators in the out of body experience and meditative practice itself; the key element being relaxation and extrication from awareness of one’s physical surroundings. It seems that by simply and unconditionally shifting focus from one state to the next can launch ones consciousness outside of the physical spectrum and into a broader and less dense state of reality.

In his book Psychic Breakthroughs Today, the late parapsychology researcher, D. Scott Rogo discusses the inherent limitations one has in his ability to experience the broader spectrum of reality while focused in the 3D realm: “We can only ‘see’ part of the visible spectrum between infra-red and ultraviolet and our sense of hearing is rather primitive. It is certainly much weaker than the auditory perception of many animals. Not only are our sense perceptions limited, but what we see and hear may not actually be very objective at all, but colored by our own thoughts and expectations….(but) would it be possible to transcend our reliance on our sense perceptions and actually disregard the body completely? Some people have had that exact experience.”

Rogo goes on to describe a variety of scenarios by which this can occur via the out of body state and the range of conditions that might induce such a state, not the least of which is meditation.

I think it would be fair to say that OBE’s via meditative practice is indeed a form of alternate reality, whereby the individual has shifted from what Rogo calls “limited sense perception” into a less dense and broader spectrum of awareness.

There are indeed many paths, it seems to experience alternate realities (the destination) and meditation is but one of them. In our next post we will bring you some exciting information about the out of body experience as a way to glimpse these alternate realities from one of the leading experts in OBE research and practice, William Buhlman. Our discussion continues!

Have you visited alternate realities during meditation? We’d love to hear from you. Visit our Facebook page to join in on the discussion!

References:

Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen – “The Purpose of Meditation”

Psychic Breakthroughs Today: Fascinating Encounters With Parapsychology's Latest Discoveries

Learn more about meditation techniques, out of body experiences, alternate realities and more in Alexis' new best-selling book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential.  Pick up your copy in paperback or for Kindle today!

Three Minute "Mindfulness" Meditation by Bestselling Author Sonia Choquette

I have become simply enchanted by this lovely individual and spiritual teacher, Sonia Choquette; by her wisdom and by her common sense approach about the very thing that eludes the ego but imbues the spirit, and the channel that we use to access "spirit." Our intuition. I "happened" upon this interview she gave back in February of this year, where she discusses, among other things mindfulness meditation. The timing of my "stumbling upon" this interview, only several days after posting part two of How To Meditate where we highlighted "the mindfulness approach to meditative practice," serves as being nothing short of synchronistic!

In this segment of the interview, Sonia reminds us that you must frame meditation correctly. Take a temporary pause from everyday life. Yes BE in the moment. She says, "your emotional self lives in the past - your mental self lives in the future and you can't create or be intuitive in the past or the future." You can only access intuitive guidance from a position of being present.

Watch this video and get a wonderful suggestion on how we can access our unfailing intuitive aspect with this useful three minute meditation. I also urge you to watch the interview in its entirety on YouTube, and brought to you by Conversations with Robin.

In the spirit of the Holiday season, let us all be present to ourselves and to each other. May you all be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!

Happy Holidays!

Read Sonia's latest book:

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How To Meditate - Part Two

In part one of How to Meditate; we established that there are a range of modalities that can be utilized to achieve a meditative state. We understand that the practice of meditation generally aims to produce a peak level of awareness as the brain shifts into a slightly hypnogogic or alpha wave pattern, which sets the stage for a potentially effective and authentic meditative experience.

But why is it that we have a desire to meditate and what is it that we endeavor to obtain from the act of meditation? Again, I would venture to say that there is no singular answer to this question. Each individual has their own motivations for incorporating this practice into their lives. However, one theme that seems to be common among avid practitioners is to obtain spiritual enlightenment, through the act of "Being", ergo recognizing that we are simply and profoundly spiritual beings. In our everyday waking lives we are not generally experiencing this aspect of ourselves. Deep meditation can bring us back to that objective "being-ness."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the late founder and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement wrote in his book by the same name, "Experience shows that Being is bliss consciousness, the source of all thinking, of all existing creation. It lies out of relative existence where the experiencer or mind is left awake by itself in full awareness of itself without any experience of an object. The conscious mind reaches the state of pure consciousness which is the source of all thinking. ...Being is the absolute in eternal freedom." Therefore, to experience the essential nature of Being (pure consciousness) is to experience enlightenment, or Being-in-the-light.

Meditation as a Bridge to "Non Ordinary Reality"

Many have reported that their meditative experiences have sometimes yielded unexpected shifts in reality; unusual events that we might deem anomalous. Others have admitted that they have used meditation to consciously traverse these mysterious realms.

Out of body experience (OBE) or astral travel, angelic/spirit communication and even the impingement of parallel dimensions on ones awareness have oft been reported as an epiphenomenon of deep meditation. These excursions can tantalize the meditator to the extent that they subsequently become a primary aim of the practice where others may be taken so off guard by the shock of the experience that they cease meditating out of fear of the unknown, or the prospect that they may be going "insane." For some people, regularly practiced meditation can even develop one's psychic "muscle" producing occasional non-ordinary states even during everyday activity.

One example is offered by Dr. Mitchell Gibson, M.D., a former practicing board certified psychiatrist and recipient of the Albert Einstein Foundation Research Award for his work in Sleep Disorders. Through many years of conscious spiritual exploration, Gibson recognized that in spite of his medical training, which is rooted in material science leaving no room for mystical experience, he was nonetheless drawn to its foundations through a number of phenomena that he had witnessed firsthand including during his training and practice as a medical doctor. Gibson had begun meditating at the age of twelve, after a Buddhist monk had visited his grade school to teach the class about meditation. He recounts an experience where during which time he had discovered his meditations were taking on some anomalous "side effects." While in his first year of medical school during gross anatomy where students work on deceased individuals who have donated their bodies to science, Gibson tells of an encounter where he had begun making an incision on a male cadaver and upon first touching the body, he began to get energetic impressions, emotions and fleeting images from his consciousness. He then recognized that these were directly emanating from the cadaver. Frightened by the experience, he decided to cease meditating for the next two or so years or else be in a state (he feared) of mental instability. Fortunately, he ultimately did not let these experiences deter him from his quest to understand the more mystical and wider aspects of reality. As a result, Gibson has retired from the traditional practice of psychiatry and has devoted his time to writing, teaching and spiritual research. He now works full time helping hundreds of clients on a spectrum of spiritual issues.

Well known in the field of consciousness research, Dr. Stanislav Grof, M.D. discusses an incident in his book The Holotropic Mind, in which his wife Christine during her first marriage had an incredibly profound experience occur during a meditation retreat facilitated by Swami Muktananda:

"During a meditation period, he (Muktananda) first looked at me and then, with some force, slapped me several times on the forehead with his hand. The impact of that seemingly simple event blew the lid off the experiences, emotions, and energies I had been holding down since (her daughter) Sarah's birth.

Suddenly I felt as though I had been plugged into a high-voltage socket as I started to shake uncontrollably. My breathing fell into an automatic, rapid rhythm that seemed beyond my control, and a multitude of visions flooded my consciousness. I wept as I felt myself being born; I experienced death; I plunged into pain and ecstasy, strength and gentleness, love and fear, depths and heights. I was on an experiential roller coaster, and I knew I could no longer contain it. The genie was out of the bottle."
(This account quoted in The Holotropic Mind and taken from The Stormy Search For The Self, Christina Grof, Stanislav Grof, -Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1990)

I have had my own, you might say, "curious" phenomena emerge from some of my meditative sessions. I cannot say I have consciously experienced an OBE during meditation (although I sense I've actually had many), but there have been occasions when I could feel my awareness shifting gears into a state that was far less concrete and even timeless. Some of the familiar hallmarks associated with the out of body state including, temporary paralysis, humming or vibrating sensations and a sinking feeling are all qualities I have felt at one time or another during my meditation. These are typically known as preludes to an OBE.

Focused Meditation for Specific Outcomes

Others take on meditation with more practical applications in mind.

Karen Murray, a well recognized commercial voice actress from New York City, and meditator trained in TM, had been going the traditional route to find that special someone to be a part of her life. It occurred to her however that intention based meditation; the act of mentally rehearsing a desired outcome through visualization might be an effective alternative.

She began a daily practice of listening to the guided meditation CD by Kathy Freston entitled Finding a Great Relationship which allowed her to shape in her mind's eye, a specific scenario, in which she would meet the perfect male companion.

"I had been using the meditation CD for about three months. On command, I found myself envisioning this scene of being at my local grocery store, specifically in the health food aisle. I was always looking at the same shelf. There is this man standing next to me also looking for organic food items. I could feel that he wanted to say something to me; look for a reason to approach me. Maybe make conversation around eating healthy or something." Karen said that this was a recurring scene during the meditations, as if on auto pilot, landing on her awareness without any cajoling on her part. Was Karen initiating the vision entirely herself, or was she getting a glimpse of the actual "future" that was in store for her (the grocery store, that is)?

Not too long after these series of visions, Karen indeed had been at this same market and as she approaches the check out, she notices an attractive man in front of her. When space allowed for her to unload her groceries onto the belt, the man then turns around, their eyes lock, and then he quips, "so what's the difference between organic and regular eggs? I've been trying to eat more healthy." Preceding the question Karen again felt that he would say something to her, just like in the vision.

Although no match was made on that day, the two again ran into each other about a month later in the same grocery store. "Organic chicken?" "No, eggs," Karen reminded. This second encounter led to the two having their first date, a relationship quickly followed and they have been inseparable ever since - for over two years!

What was taking place during these guided meditations? Karen insists that the act of the repeating visualization cemented a probability of the encounter manifesting, although the actual event was slightly different than she had envisioned. But moreover, considering the hypothesis that time and space may be just a physical construct with no basis in ultimate reality, during deep meditation, one may exit the linear confines and enter the no-time zone, whereby glimpsing any one level of the continuum as the ever present now, including what we call the "future!"

Grof states, "...transpersonal consciousness allows us to experience past and future, leaping across boundaries that clocks, calendars, and the aging of our own bodies seem to make so inexorable." A multitude of findings, primarily within the quantum theoretical framework, clearly give pause for thought on the "no time" hypothesis.

As a footnote, Karen’s dear friend and neighbor Rhonda trialed another Preston guided meditation, called Abundance at the same time Karen was meditating, both beginning in September of 2008. Concurrently, the two also practiced yoga together several mornings a week in Rhonda’s apartment. Rhonda had been repeatedly unsuccessful in bringing a child into this world. She and her husband sorely wanted children. In the guided meditation, Rhonda settled into a vision of seeing she and her husband travelling around the world, with children in tow! The tenacity of that vision as well made an imprint on Rhonda’s consciousness and as a result (directly or indirectly), she became pregnant in November of that same year and now has a healthy young boy!

The implications are staggering– Not only do we create our own reality, but have far more control over the reality we create, and meditation may be a fitting channel to do just that!

One final point that is worth noting: despite the temptation to assign “power” to the things we may use in meditation whether guided meditation cds, crystals, singing bowls, whatever - they are merely tools and nothing more. YOU are the true force that’s creating the results, in whatever form they may take, from finding a mate to having a child to advancing your own psychic attunement. Never forget that and you will truly come to know that the possibilities are endless and you are in the driver’s seat!

Further Reading/References: (Note all titles are available from Amazon.com - Click on the Image below.)

Transcendental Meditation (Formerly Titled: The Science of Being and the Art of Living) - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi


The Living Soul - Mitchell Earl Gibson, M.D.


The Holotropic Mind - Stanislav Grof, M.D. (with Hal Zina Bennett)


Finding A Great Relationship (CD) - Kathy Freston


Abundance (CD) - Kathy Freston

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
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How to Meditate

Upon first glance you may be thinking that this is a step by step guide on how to meditate. This is not at all a treatise about a singular approach. My sense is that there is no such thing as the way to do anything, not the least of which is this ancient practice we call meditation. And frankly, that’s great news! Rather, what we will be exploring here is the myriad ways meditation can be practiced AND be equally effective for your own personal journey. Since I began meditating, well over thirty years ago when my parents "dragged" me to a Transcendental Meditation (TM) class along with them, (and I’m thanking them to this day) I've come to the conclusion that there are probably as many approaches to meditation as there are people partaking in its practice.

What is Meditation?

To meditate: is defined as: 1. To engage in contemplation or reflection; 2. To engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.(Merriam-Webster, 2011)

At its most basic level and now widely accepted understanding, meditation is simply stilling the mind and settling into the ever present "now.” When we also take into consideration that past and future are simply linear constructs and the present is all that exists (and persists), the process for focusing on the now can become a lot easier to experience and the practice of meditation far more effective. Perhaps it would be helpful to meditate on that concept, in and of itself.

In Echkart Tolle’s bestseller, The Power of Now, he explains, “Just become intensely conscious of the present moment. This is a deeply satisfying thing to do. In this way, you draw consciousness away from mind activity and create a gap of no-mind in which you are highly alert and aware but not thinking. This is the essence of meditation.”

Lynne McTaggart, author of The Intention Experiment gives a curiously similar summation as it pertains to the satisfaction of fully experiencing the ever present “now” which in the book she terms mindfulness. “More than just concentration, mindfulness requires that you police the focus of your concentration and maintain that concentration in the present. With practice, you will be able to silence the constant inner chatter of your mind and concentrate on your sensory experience, no matter how mundane – whether it is eating a meal, hugging your child, noticing some pain you are experiencing, or just picking some lint off your sweater.” She goes on, “In time, mindfulness meditation will also heighten your visual perceptions and prevent you from becoming numb to your everyday experience.”

Forms of Effective Meditation

Keep in mind that the practice of meditation aims at accomplishing a deeply contemplative or reflective state, peak awareness or mindfulness, for the purpose of developing a heightened spiritual attentiveness.

Being in Nature

Activities like a walk in nature, listening to birds sing, a jog amid a bright orange sunrise/sunset backdrop or listening to some deeply satisfying music can be incredibly effective in achieving a meditative state. I recall having a discussion with a business colleague about meditation as a form of personal development and empowerment. He quickly commented that his form of meditation involved taking a mid-dawn jog where he could “contemplate and prepare for the day.” Certainly, based on the definition highlighted above, this would constitute a meditative state.

Sound Vibration

There are a number of stimuli that can trigger an alteration of consciousness to induce a meditative state. Sound vibration is one that has become well known to modern practitioners in the west, although much of this approach is rooted in eastern traditional and indigenous cultures. A repetitive sound or tone, such as rhythmic drumming or a single note played repeatedly will enter the nervous system and then be translated by the brain altering its pattern, typically into an alpha brain state; the frequency that is typically associated with meditation. You can use instruments such as Tibetan singing bowls, tincha bells, or even your own voice (i.e. chanting) to achieve this state. I find it interesting that when I use tincha bells, they produce a very high, crisp pitch that I can actually feel reverberating throughout my body (being picked up by my nervous system). If struck repeatedly, this tone will begin to alter the brain pattern and can induce a meditative state.

Physical Movement

Probably the first thing that comes to mind is yoga as a physical activity that incorporates mindfulness and focus with movement to achieve a peak state, but there are other examples of how physical movement can induce a meditative posture. I have seen individuals during ritualistic ceremonies do a variety of movements, such as rocking or swaying. If done repetitively and for prolonged periods, an alteration of consciousness can occur. There is something about repetition in each of these exercises, whether it’s reciting a mantra, chanting or physical movement, sustained for a period of time that again seems to act as a resonator with the brain – shifting it to another level of awareness.

Visual Meditation

Taking in an image and allowing one’s self to be fully engulfed or entranced by it is another effective way to enter the meditative state. Again, the goal is to pick a singular focus (that which we contemplate) at the exclusion of all possible mind intruders, to the point where that ever present now, and the object of focus within it, are all that exist.

I tried an interesting experiment some time ago where I took a photograph of a quartz crystal that I had. This crystal had many natural inclusions, rainbows and other appealing elements that I thought would be interesting to photograph. I was aware from my research that crystals carry a definitive set of frequencies that our own energetic system will vibrate with. Even when a crystal is photographed, its frequency is captured in the image and thus can have an effect on the observer. But here’s where it gets interesting. I then took the image of the crystal and put it into a kaleidoscope generator (an optical instrument that produces intricate shapes, patterns and colors), using non-other than a kaleidoscope application for my smart phone! The app generated this absolutely beautiful flowing mandala, which produced a constant motion and morphing of its design. I simply began focusing on the moving “mandala crystal,” allowing my entire being to be enveloped by its beauty and constant shifting patterns. The result was amazingly effective. I had achieved a meditative or even hypnotic state through gazing at this moving image!

There are indeed so many possibilities in the practice of meditation of which we can benefit.

In the next article, we’ll explore what we want out of our practice of meditation and how it can be beneficial to our overall well being.

References (Titles mentioned are available from Amazon.com. Click on the image below)

The Power of Now - A Guide To Spiritual Enlightenment - Eckhart Tolle


The Intention Experiment - Using Your Thoughts To Change Your Life and The World - Lynne McTaggart

If you enjoyed this article and would like to see the work of Higher Journeys continue, in addition to my broadcast of Conscious Inquiry with Alexis Brooks on CLN, please consider making a small donation today to keep us going! 
...thank you!