Tag: consciousness

The Witness

Exploring Consciousness and the Mindful Journey

Consciousness is a paradox. It’s the fabric of our existence yet remains one of the most profound mysteries of human life. Philosophers, neuroscientists, and spiritual seekers have questioned the self, awareness, and act of being. What if the key to unlocking these questions lies not in grand theories but in subtle, everyday practices that reveal the nature of the witness within us—the quiet observer of all experience?

What Is the Witness?

Let’s start with the basics: who—or what—are we? Beyond our roles, names, and the narrative we construct about ourselves, there’s the observer—the part of us that watches life unfold without judgment or attachment. This distinction, often called “the self and the witness,” is central to mindfulness and the study of consciousness. As Psychology Today explains, the witness is the aspect of our awareness that is present, even when the mind is distracted by thoughts. It’s the one that notices when you’re angry, reflects on why you’re anxious, or marvels at the beauty of a sunset. Cultivating this witness isn’t just an esoteric idea; it’s a practical way to step out of the chaos of daily life and into clarity.

There is an unchanging witness to every passing thought, emotion, and sensation. Find it, and you find yourself.
Mooji

Conflict Drives Growth

Engaging with consciousness often begins with tension. Our modern lives are geared toward doing—checking off tasks, solving problems, striving for success. Sitting still, focusing on the breath, or observing thoughts without judgment feels counterintuitive, even wasteful. Yet, this very conflict is the heart of transformation. As neuroscientific research reveals, our brains are wired to learn and adapt through mistakes and conflict. We create space for growth when we pause and observe instead of reacting impulsively. The witness becomes visible in this pause, helping us shift from reacting to responding.

The path to truth is littered with the ruins of certainties.
Alfred North Whitehead

The Ticking Clock of the Present Moment

Why should we care about cultivating awareness? Because life, in all its beauty and brevity, is slipping through our fingers. Mindfulness reminds us that every moment is fleeting—a chance to engage fully or let it pass unnoticed. Think of your day: how many moments were spent mindlessly scrolling through your phone? How many passed without a single thought of gratitude? By becoming aware of the ticking clock, mindfulness transforms time from something we try to outrun into something we savor.

In the stillness, the world is not empty, but full of presence.
Martin Heidegger

Ignorance vs. Awareness

One of the more surprising insights about consciousness is our resistance to awareness. Studies have shown that people often choose ignorance, even when awareness could lead to better outcomes. Why? Because confronting the truth can be uncomfortable. Mindfulness challenges this tendency. By gently observing discomfort instead of avoiding it, we discover that the things we fear aren’t as overwhelming as they seem. Awareness becomes a tool for liberation, breaking the cycle of avoidance and enabling us to live more authentically.

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.
Henri Bergson

Altering Consciousness

Research into mindfulness-based programs reveals that these practices can induce lasting changes in our consciousness—sometimes up to a year after initial training. This isn’t about achieving mystical experiences but about reshaping how we experience life. Through mindfulness, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. A walk in the park isn’t just a walk; it’s a symphony of sensations, from the crunch of leaves underfoot to the warmth of sunlight on your face. This shift in perception is consciousness evolving in real-time.

Expanding Consciousness

Is It More Than the Brain? Beyond mindfulness lies an even deeper question: is consciousness purely a product of the brain, or is it something more? Some theories suggest that consciousness may exist as a fundamental dimension of reality, much like time or space. While these ideas remain speculative, they offer a compelling perspective: our journey inward might also connect us to something universal. The witness within could be a doorway to understanding ourselves and the nature of existence.

Why Love Is the Answer

At its core, mindfulness isn’t just about observing life; it’s about engaging with it to foster love and connection. Whether it’s love for yourself, others, or the world, mindfulness teaches us how to show up with compassion. As Psychology Today notes, this is how we transcend isolation and build bridges of understanding. In this context, love isn’t merely an emotion; it’s a state of being. It’s what happens when we let go of judgment and meet each moment with openness.

Transcending the Matrix of Conditioning

Finally, mindfulness offers a way to step outside the societal and mental conditioning that often defines us. As described in Psychology Today, transcending the “matrix” means seeing life not through the lens of what we’ve been taught but through direct experience. This doesn’t mean rejecting the world but engaging with it more authentically. By stepping outside habitual patterns, we open ourselves to freedom and possibility.

When you release the belief that you are what you’ve been taught to see, you glimpse the infinite.
Nisargadatta Maharaj

An Invitation to Explore

The journey into consciousness is both universal and deeply personal. It doesn’t require grand gestures or drastic changes—just a willingness to pause, breathe, and notice. As you begin cultivating the witness within, you might find that the answers you seek were with you all along. So, what might you discover if you stopped and listened? Let the exploration begin.

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December 11
Chaos Consciousness and Serenity

Navigating the Edges of Chaos Consciousness

Chaos consciousness is not a fixed phenomenon but a living, breathing process. It oscillates, expands, and contracts, shaped by our environments, the rhythms we follow, and the mysteries we dare to explore. If you think about it, our existence is a dance—a paradoxical interplay of chaos and order, noise and silence, individuality and infinity.

What if our most significant task isn’t to solve the mystery of consciousness but to live it fully?

Podcast Discussion

Blue as the Color of the Mind’s Edge

Imagine this: you’re standing at the shoreline, the horizon stretching into a seemingly infinite blue. This is not just a picturesque moment; it’s a dialogue with something primal. Water doesn’t merely sustain us physically—it cradles our psyche. Blue spaces reflect to us the boundless yet fluid nature of our minds. (Coincidentally? Blue is associated with consciousness in the Diamond Approach and other teachings.)

But there’s an irony here. Water’s calm can only exist because of its chaos—its waves, hidden currents, and ceaseless motion. In a sense, our minds are like this, too. Stillness is never truly still; it’s alive, teeming with the unseen mechanics of thought and memory, chaos quietly disguised as serenity.

Be like water making its way through cracks.
Adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it.
Bruce Lee

Wallace J. Nichols’ “blue mind” theory suggests that our brains sync with water’s rhythm, offering a respite from life’s relentless noise. But perhaps it’s not just about calming down—it’s also about seeing how chaos is part of the beauty. Like our thoughts, the sea is vast, unknowable, and strangely intimate.

The Power of Chaos

Chaos has a bad reputation. It’s a word that evokes stress, disorder, and unpredictability. But as science reveals, chaos isn’t the antithesis of order—it’s the birthplace of creativity. Your brain, in its learning state, thrives on what seems like disorder. Neurons firing in no apparent pattern reorganize themselves, rewriting their internal clocks, making sense of the nonsensical. This isn’t a bug in the system; it’s the system’s genius.

What if we embraced it instead of fighting chaos as the playground of possibility? Nature does. Fractal patterns emerge from what seems random. The universe is governed by entropy, yet here we are—organisms carved from the clay of disorder.

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.
Sun Tzu

The same holds for our minds. When we stop demanding neatness and let go of the need for control, we give ourselves to something far more expansive. Chaos consciousness isn’t the enemy of peace; it’s the force that makes peace meaningful.

Chaos Consciousness as a Multi-Dimensional Tapestry

Let’s dive deeper. If learning thrives on chaos, dreaming thrives on escape. The waking mind operates in three dimensions, chained to linear time. But in dreams, those chains dissolve. Consciousness becomes unbound, exploring realms where logic is suspended and everything is possible.

Science suggests these dreamscapes may mirror principles of quantum mechanics, where particles exist in superposition, holding multiple realities simultaneously. In our dream states, our minds become explorers of these infinite dimensions, rehearsing, playing, and processing. This isn’t just your brain “defragging” itself; it’s a profound expression of your mind’s creativity and adaptability.

And yet, isn’t dreaming also a reminder that we’re more than the stories we tell ourselves in waking life? If our consciousness can exist so fluidly in one state, who’s to say it doesn’t ripple outward, touching realities we can’t yet fathom?

You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Where Stillness Meets Infinity

If dreams are the mind’s cosmic playground, meditation is its return to the void. Advanced practices like Jhana meditation lead practitioners to profound stillness, where the boundaries of self dissolve, leaving only awareness. Here, chaos is absent—or so it seems.

But the paradox persists. Quieting the mind is itself an engagement with its noise. It’s a surrender, not a domination, of thought. Neuroscience backs this up: the brain in deep meditation shows a harmonious alignment of its waves, a coherence that feels like peace. Yet that peace is born of the mind’s initial cacophony.

Silence is not an absence but a presence.
Anne D. LeClaire

Perhaps the stillness of meditation isn’t about escaping chaos but integrating it. It’s the moment when the tumult becomes rhythm when the randomness becomes music.

The Symphony of Electric Chaos

Zooming out, what is consciousness but an electric symphony? Recent studies suggest that the strange electric fields generated by our brains are not side effects of thought but integral to it. Thoughts aren’t just chemical or mechanical—they’re electrical patterns dancing in chaotic, beautiful ways.

These fields might even hint at the “secret” of consciousness, challenging the notion that our minds are confined to our skulls. If consciousness is electric, isn’t it also expansive, rippling outward in ways we can’t yet measure?

Here, science meets mystery. Chaos, again, becomes not a threat but a promise. The same unpredictability that powers neurons, drives learning, and fills dreams also points to something far larger.

Midnight’s Mind

And yet, for all its boundless potential, the mind has limits. After midnight, our cognitive clarity fades, giving way to impulsive decisions and distorted emotions. Why? It’s not just fatigue—the brain’s rhythms slipping into disarray.

Dreams are illustrations… from the book your soul is writing about you.
Marsha Norman

This disarray, however, isn’t failure; it’s transition. The midnight mind reminds us that consciousness is cyclical; just as water ebbs and flows, neurons pulse and rest, and our awareness waxes and wanes. These rhythms, when respected, guide us toward balance.

Quantum Immortality

Let’s take this one step further. What if your mind doesn’t just shift within itself but across dimensions? Quantum theories of consciousness suggest that your sense of self might persist in parallel universes, each decision branching into new realities.

Whether or not this is true in a literal sense, the idea mirrors how we experience life. Every choice we make births new possibilities. Every dream we dream explores roads not taken. Every meditation connects us to something infinite.

Chaos Consciousness, Stillness, and the Unifying Thread

So, where does this leave us? The serene pull of blue spaces, the chaotic creativity of learning, the multi-dimensional journeys of dreams, and the deep stillness of meditation are not separate phenomena. They’re threads in the same tapestry, weaving a picture of consciousness as infinitely complex and profoundly simple.

Perhaps the greatest insight isn’t about solving the puzzle of consciousness but about experiencing it as fully as possible. Chaos is not the opposite of peace; it makes peace possible. Stillness is not the absence of thought but the harmony of thought’s rhythm.

And consciousness? It’s not a thing to be grasped but a process to be lived—a paradox, a dance, a mystery that refuses to be tamed.

A Question to Ponder: What if you stopped trying to quiet your mind and instead learned to listen to its symphony? What melodies might you discover in its chaos? What oceans might you find in its stillness?

November 27
A Journey Into the Nature of Consciousness
Wheeler’s U and the Treasure’s Longing

What does it mean for the universe to exist? Is it an intricate dance of particles and waves observed into being or the expression of a primordial longing for self-recognition? When John Archibald Wheeler’s “U” meets the mystical proclamation, “I was a treasure longing to be known, so I created the universe,” we find ourselves at the crossroads of science and mysticism. These two perspectives—one rooted in quantum physics, the other in spiritual poetics—invite us to explore not just the nature of reality but the role of the observer in shaping it.

Podcast Discussion

A profound challenge underlies this exploration: the human sense of being a separate, independent entity—a perception born of dualism and the biological comparing mind. This illusion not only obscures consciousness’s unified, cosmic nature but also reinforces the belief that external events create reality. In truth, both Wheeler’s vision and the treasure’s longing point to a more profound recognition: consciousness is not produced by external events but is the fundamental nature of existence. The world arises from consciousness.

The Universe as Participatory Consciousness

Wheeler’s U depicts the universe as a participatory system, where observation is not passive but an active force shaping reality. The quantum foam at the universe’s origin symbolizes infinite potential, a seething field of possibilities. Human consciousness interacts with this potential in the present moment, collapsing it into specific forms through acts of observation.

This participatory framework challenges the classical view of an objective, independent reality. Instead, Wheeler’s model suggests that consciousness and reality are intertwined: without observers, the universe remains an undifferentiated sea of possibilities. However, Wheeler’s insight goes further—it hints that the observer is not an isolated individual but part of a greater, collective consciousness that participates in shaping the cosmos.

The Universe as Conscious Self-Expression

The mystical phrase “I was a treasure longing to be known, so I created the universe” offers a complementary perspective. Here, creation is portrayed not as a mechanical unfolding but as an act of divine self-expression. The hidden treasure symbolizes infinite, unmanifested consciousness. To know itself, it manifests the universe—a reflection of its essence.

This vision emphasizes that the world does not give rise to consciousness; rather, the world arises from consciousness. As conscious observers, human beings fulfill the treasure’s longing by perceiving, knowing, and embodying the divine essence. The act of observation, whether scientific or spiritual, is not separate from creation itself—it is the very means by which the treasure reveals and experiences its truth.

The Illusion of Separation

The recognition that consciousness is the fundamental nature of existence is obscured by the human tendency to see ourselves as separate, independent entities. This illusion arises from:
1. Dualism:
  Our perception divides reality into subject and object, self and other, creating the false impression of separateness.
2. The Comparing Mind:
  The brain, wired for survival, constantly evaluates and categorizes experiences, reinforcing a sense of individuality. This comparison-based perception limits our ability to see the interconnected nature of existence.
3. Subjective Bias:
  Each observer interprets reality through their unique lens of personal experiences, beliefs, and emotions. This subjectivity creates a fragmented view, making it difficult to grasp the unified nature of consciousness.
These factors challenge the recognition that the individual observer is not the sole creator of reality but part of a collective, unified consciousness. The world we see is not an objective external reality but a subjective projection shaped by individual and collective awareness.

“In His Image”

The biblical phrase, “God created man in his image,” takes on profound significance in this context. This statement does not refer to physical form but to the unique human capacity to reflect universal consciousness. Just as the treasure longs to know itself, human beings possess the ability to observe, create, and know—a mirror of the divine process.

This capacity is expressed in:
1. Creative Power:
  Like the treasure, humans bring potential into form through imagination, intention, and action.
2. Self-Awareness:
  The ability to reflect on one’s existence mirrors the treasure’s act of knowing itself through creation.
3. Recognition of Unity:
  By transcending the illusion of separateness, humans can recognize their role as participants in a universal consciousness.
Consciousness as the Source of Reality

Both Wheeler’s U and the treasure’s longing converge in their deeper implication: consciousness is primary, and the world arises from it. This perspective overturns the belief that consciousness is a byproduct of external events or physical processes. Instead, it suggests:
Reality is not “out there”:
The external world is not independent of consciousness but arises from it, much like a dream arises from the dreamer’s mind.

The Observer is Integral to Creation:
As Wheeler’s observers collapse quantum potentials into reality, human consciousness creates the perceived world.

Unity Underlies Diversity:
Despite the apparent diversity of forms and experiences, all phenomena emerge from a single, unified field of consciousness.
Toward a Unified Understanding

To embrace this cosmic view requires transcending the limitations of the comparing mind and dualistic perception. It invites us to:
1. Recognize the Illusion of Separateness:
  The sense of being an independent entity is a construct of the mind. In truth, we are expressions of the same universal consciousness.
2. Shift from Individual to Collective Awareness:
  Reality is not shaped by isolated individuals but by the collective participation of all consciousness. Recognizing this dissolves the boundaries between self and other.
3. See the World as Arising from Consciousness:
  The external world is not something we observe passively but something we co-create. This realization aligns us with the deeper truth of our being.
The Ultimate Recognition

Wheeler’s U and the treasure’s longing lead us to a profound recognition: consciousness is the foundation of existence. In all its forms and phenomena, the universe expresses this consciousness seeking to know itself. To observe the world is to participate in its creation; to inquire into the nature of reality is to journey toward the heart of the treasure.

In this recognition, the boundaries between observer and observed dissolve. The world ceases to be a collection of external events and becomes an intimate reflection of consciousness itself. The treasure’s longing is fulfilled not through some distant, transcendent act but in the simple, profound act of being aware. In that awareness, we find not only the universe but the eternal presence of the treasure, shimmering at the core of all that is.
November 15
Books That Opened My Mind to New Realms of Consciousness

Early in my spiritual journey, I encountered three remarkable books—The Star Rover, Through the Curtain, and The Tiger’s Fang—that opened my mind to vistas I had never imagined. These books brought me into worlds where the boundaries of ordinary perception melted away, revealing the possibility of a consciousness that reaches far beyond our limited, everyday sense of self.

The Star Rover

by Jack London: A Visionary Journey of Past Lives

In The Star Rover, Jack London uses the story of Darrell Standing, a prisoner subjected to severe solitary confinement, to explore the powers of consciousness and transcendence. Standing discovers a way to enter trances that transport him into his past lives across different eras and cultures. Through these trance states, he recalls previous existences with such vivid detail that they feel as real as his current life. Standing’s experiences offer readers a metaphysical exploration of the soul’s journey through time, questioning the nature of reality and memory.

The novel’s ambiguous ending, referencing an oar from one of Standing’s past lives supposedly held in the Smithsonian Institute, leaves readers between fiction and possibility. The oar becomes a powerful symbol of the novel’s central themes, suggesting that perhaps the mysteries of the human psyche contain remnants of lifetimes lived. London’s novel ultimately underscores the idea that reality is vast and malleable, accessible to those willing to push the limits of consciousness.

Through the Curtain

by Viola Petitt Neal and Shafica Karagulla: Investigating the Psychic Realms

Written by Viola Petitt Neal, an American psychic, and Shafica Karagulla, a psychiatrist interested in paranormal phenomena, Through the Curtain combines psychic experiences with scientific inquiry. This book bridges mystical experiences and clinical observation, seeking to explain psychic phenomena such as clairvoyance and spiritual healing within a scientific framework. The authors delve into the “curtain” between ordinary reality and the hidden layers of consciousness, presenting a perspective that views human awareness as a multidimensional experience.

Set partly in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Karagulla worked in mental health, the book draws upon personal and clinical experiences to explore psychic perception as a legitimate human faculty. By treating psychic experiences as real and investigable, Neal and Karagulla present a daring alternative to traditional Western psychology, proposing that realms of experience beyond the physical world are open to those sensitive enough to perceive them. Their work suggests that consciousness is not limited to the physical senses and can extend into unseen dimensions—a recurring theme across the three books.

The Tiger’s Fang

by Paul Twitchell: The Journey Beyond the Physical Plane

The Tiger’s Fang, written by Paul Twitchell, founder of the spiritual movement Eckankar, narrates a remarkable journey across spiritual planes guided by Twitchell’s spiritual teacher, Rebazar Tarzs. Twitchell recounts traversing numerous spiritual realms beyond the physical and astral planes, each unveiling a deeper level of spiritual truth and understanding. These realms are depicted as vibrantly alive, representing states of consciousness that move beyond earthly limitations.

Twitchell’s journey is an allegory for the spiritual seeker’s quest for self-realization and enlightenment. The Tiger’s Fang describes each plane as a station in the soul’s evolution, each with unique lessons and experiences. His encounters in these realms resonate with themes found in Neal and Karagulla’s work in that they explore a layered consciousness that bridges earthly and spiritual dimensions. Through Twitchell’s perspective, readers are invited to consider spiritual liberation as a process of ascending beyond the ego into realms of pure awareness.

Consciousness and Transcendence

These three books reveal different yet intersecting paths of exploring consciousness and transcendence. The Star Rover presents past lives as gateways to a collective memory that transcends the individual. Through the Curtain examines psychic perception as a tangible extension of the mind, proposing that each person holds the potential to reach beyond the ordinary. The Tiger’s Fang presents a structured journey across spiritual planes, suggesting a cosmic map of consciousness that leads to the ultimate realization of one’s divine nature.

All three books challenge conventional views of reality, inviting readers to look beyond what the physical senses can perceive. Whether through mystical vision, psychic insight, or spiritual guidance, each narrative suggests that reality is layered, with each layer offering deeper truths about existence and the soul. These works encourage a journey beyond self-imposed limits, hinting that consciousness, in its vast capacity, holds the power to transcend, connect, and awaken us to our most profound potential.

So, what if we loosen our beliefs about what is possible? These books dare us to imagine that there may be realms and forces at play right now, just beyond our perception, inviting us to explore consciousness without boundaries.

Have you read books that challenged your view of reality or took you to places beyond the ordinary? Share them—let’s keep this exploration going together.

November 6
Planes and Dimensions of Reality
Reality is greater than the multiverse

Are spiritual dimensions and planes of existence/reality the same, similar, different?

Exploring and discussing the dimensions and planes of existence of the two spiritual paths i have studied.

The map and cosmology of the Diamond Approach addresses five boundless dimensions. These dimensions are coemergent, meaning they interpenetrate each other and all of manifestation down to the tiniest particulars, visible and invisible, this world and the other worlds. These dimensions are a ‘oneness’ and only artificially separated and conceptualized to discuss the contribution of each to the experience of reality. They are:
- The Absolute – The absolute dimension is the boundless, infinite expanse whose nature is the black mystery of the absolute. When we experience it we experience the absolute, because it is the absolute that is appearing as a dimension; whereas the absolute is not a dimension, but rather the ultimate mystery and source of all dimensions, the unmanifest true nature. Because of this differentiation it becomes ambiguous sometimes to say that the absolute is the unmanifest when we are experiencing the absolute dimension, because a boundless and infinite dimension is necessarily a manifestation. – A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home
- The Logos – The logos is the boundless dimension of true nature that is both presence and creative dynamism. Logos refers to the fact that true nature is inherently dynamic and creative. Logos is the creative matrix of all manifestation. Logos is the manifesting dimension, but it is also all manifestation, for it manifests everything from its own substance, its own presence. – A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home
- The Nameless – The nature of the Nameless is pure consciousness, consciousness that is conscious of consciousness, without labeling or knowing anything. There is consciousness, but there is no knowing of what is known, or what knows; there are no conceptual categories. – A. H. Almaas, The Pearl Beyond Price
- The Supreme – On the level of the Supreme (the dimension of Pure Presence or Pure Being), for example, you realize that everything is a translucent Beingness. You see that it is not as though translucent Beingness is in everything or that everything exists in it, but that everything is the translucence. It is inside things, outside things, and in between them. There is no place that is not translucent Beingness. On this level of the Supreme, there is no separation between what we call appearance and reality, the form and the meaning. They are all one thing; there is a unity. – A. H. Almaas, Facets of Unity
- Divine Love – Divine love is the dimension of true nature responsible for the arising of qualities, feelings, and affects in experience. It is not only light, which is consciousness, but also love. Love is the primordial feeling, the source of all affects. – A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home
The cosmology of Eckankar includes “lower worlds” and “higher worlds,” or planes of existence. In this post, I will only mention the higher worlds as they are nondual in nature as are the boundless dimensions discussed in the Diamond Approach.

As you see in the partial graphic of the Worlds of Eck ( ECK (Hindi word for “one;” Sanskrit eka ) is defined as “the totality of all awareness,” “the audible life stream,” “the living power that embraces the whole universes of God;” in brief, the essence of the Divine.) each plane is a “lok.”

Loka (world) refers to the various planes of consciousness within and beyond the mind. Lok: to see; to perceive; to shine; to acknowledge; to know. So a lok is dimension or plane of consciousness that includes attributes of awareness, radiance and knowing.

Anami (Sanskrit) “the endless plane of God.” It signifies the idea that there is always another stage of enlightenment.

Agam (Sanskrit) origin “Light of god”.

Hukikat means ‘reality.”

Alaya a Sanskrit word meaning “abode, dwelling.” In the Yogacara school of Buddhism it is usually employed in connection with the word vijñ?na (consciousness) as ?layavijñ?na (“store-house consciousness”).

Alakh means “one which cannot be seen (perceived);” beyond identifying features.

Atma a Sanskrit word which means “essence, breath, soul.”

Eckankar teaches that each plane or lok has a lord or purusha (Sanskrit) a complex concept whose meaning evolved in Vedic and Upanishadic times. Depending on source and historical timeline, it means the cosmic being or self, consciousness, and universal principle.

Eckankar also teaches that each lord or plane creates the one below it. This is seen and understood as the cosmic current/sound morphing to a lower vibration or frequency. It is one continual current of sound/vibration but it manifests different planes or dimensions of frequencies.

The lords of these planes can be understood as personifications of their respective frequency or “a face to the consciousness.”

What has changed in my orientation to planes of existence and dimensions of reality over the years is a shift from “travelling to have experience” to “openness to be affected and changed.”

All religions and spiritual teachings address dimensions or planes of existence/reality/heaven. Often one has to trace references back to original language and context to get the insight hidden in plain sight.

In my Father’s house are many mansions.
January 7
Death Wish: A Meditation Dream

Go ahead, make my day…

The gun didn’t scare me, nor did the guy holding it that was going to kill me. In fact, I was intrigued, curious to the nth degree – what would death be like? What would I experience? Would I experience? Who would experience, if there was experience? If there was experience, would there be a transition from one state of awareness and consciousness to another?

I leaned into the gun until the muzzle was touching my forehead – directly at the third eye. “Go ahead,” I invited. I relaxed and centered my focus and on simple being – breathe grasshopper…

Did the gun fire? Is my body dead while my awareness/consciousness remains? If death was instantaneous, I probably wouldn’t have registered the event. “What’s my experience now?,” goes through my head(?), mind(?), consciousness(?).

“If my brain is dead,” I think(?), “then I probably wouldn’t be thinking like this.” What would the experience be?

My state is suddenly much more subtle – not so much heavy self-reflective thinking, more like deep, relaxed meditation. I recognize this state and am aware that if grasped at, it will disappear. Relaxing more (who/what relaxes?), the state envelopes me(?) more – absorbs me(?) – just the state now. A self-aware state. No where to go, no where to be – a simple experience, complete in itself.

“Wait a sec,” I think(?) “What about all those different planes/dimensions of existence that many spiritual traditions speak of?”

I realize that I am dreaming and have the freedom to explore possibilities beyond the limits of waking life. I head out for the far country where I can be many, any I(s). Where living, dying, flying and enlightenment are possibilities.

I wake up on Easter Sunday, I’m a year older. Now there is a miracle – overnight, I aged a year!

April 6