Meditation at the Deepest Levels
In 2007 M. A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, opened up a whole new, deeper perspective on why consciousness or pure awareness is the root of self. Even in a Buddhist “no-self” view, Singer’s inquiries leave us with a great deal to unravel. Here are some reasons why Singer’s believes that deep meditation is the highest form of pure awareness in the self as the observing being.
- Deep meditation, beyond the experience of single-pointed concentration, bring you into an experience where you are observing/experiencing consciousness or awareness itself.
- This deep meditative experience is consciousness pointed back to itself. It is ultimate you!
- As inner and outer worlds integrate into a single state, you “see” the true nature of self.
Because only deep and prolonged meditation can focus consciousness on our true nature, it is the “highest state” of being. The observing self is the seat of consciousness, your root of all being.- Romana Maharshi’s question of “Who am I?” is fused within this deep meditative state.
- There are no more emotional projections, unending cognitions, rising and falling emotions, incessant evaluations, cravings – just inner peace with observation of the true self. A “felt sense” of safety.
- For some this deep meditative experience is the source of special spiritual experiences.
- The non-attachment to “people, places, and things” allows us to let go of all judgments.
- Our sensory contact with objects, phenomena, experiences is at rest. We no longer have to desire or fear what comes next in life. Just radically accept the now.
- Welcoming impermanence and change without ego infections bring us joy and happiness.
- This you as watcher is the state of your intuitive self, and may be the path to connection with boundless emptiness in space and time. It may be your connect to great wisdom.
- With these new perspectives on personal experience, you suffer less, have more joy, and may attain both personal happiness and great enlightenment.
- Perhaps these are the experiences so valued by Buddha, Christ and Maharshi. This ultimate formlessness may be discomforting for some who may not yet be ready for it. You are the change that so often in the past has caused great suffering. In deep meditation, you learn to allow it all.
For more information refer to Singer, M. A. (200-7). The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself.Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, pp. 31-38.
Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC
From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton Sangha
Author of Mindful Happiness
may be warning signs of limbic surveillance or inner continuity of your inner self-helper – that part of you and your brain that hopes to help you in whatever the situation you are experiencing. Interoceptive awareness is one of the most important mindfulness skills to practice. In the following meditation, we will visit your interoceptive self and augment its power by repeated the practice. In neuroscience a common understanding is that the larger number of neurons activated in more and more brain areas implies the variant of power (potentiation); more neuron firing in more brain areas results in a more significant life experience. This is one reason why PTSD is such a devastating disorder, and why it is NOT easy to treat successfully. Also, let us not forget the ultimate power of LOVE; people gives their lives for it, and people kill others over it. Let’s get into the practice.
In line with the thousands of studies now available supporting the use of mindfulness-based interventions in depression, anxiety, chronic pain and addictions (via emotion regulation and interoception), this post will review recommended mindfulness interventions for trauma and PTSD. The post will note information from two recent books on this topic. Also recognize that meta-analytic research in 2004, 2010, and 2014 have found that mindfulness-based interventions improve depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and emotion regulation. These are common conditions co-occurring with addictions and trauma. Such interventions may be carried out as part of various Western therapies: cognitive, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, and even psychodynamic.
experience of personal happiness. Since our mood, happiness and perhaps long-term health may depend on how we react to emotions, strong mind training is required. When we experience pleasant feelings (sukkah vedana), we are happy. When we experience unpleasant feelings (dukkah vedana), we are unhappy. We chase happiness, but we find endless cycles of ups and downs, the samsaric cycles. The goals of better health and emotional happiness can only be met by deeper understanding of how the human mind works and how to work with our destructive human emotions. The Buddha pointed out that reactions to our impermanent feelings cause us harm.
Now we will select a meditation form and become fully aware of emotions/feelings; we will simply be with them no matter if pleasant or unpleasant. We will be one with them to get to know them better. According to A. Brahm’s