The rise of the “Presence”

Focusing our attention on living in the present we will inevitably become aware of a completely new aspect entering our lives, which feels like a Presence, a personification of the present, the here and now, the Stillness surrounding us. This becomes our new silent companion, a “Being” or “Beingness” that in some curious way almost appears external to us but is in fact our intimate partner which desires nothing more than to be united with us. Whenever we chose to merge with this presence, we are rewarded by a feeling of rapture and joy and the only expressions we can respond with are surrender and unconditional love.

One could say that this “Presence” can act as a lever or as an elevator, which can take us into a super dimensional state of consciousness. It is always close at hand, waiting patiently for our attention from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to when we close them at night and it will even be there in our dreams. Poets have referred to it as their lover.

This is a commonly reported phenomena and it has been given many names, such as God, a religious avatar like Jesus, Krishna etc depending on religious conditioning. Atheists (and they are not excluded from realising the higher consciousness), may simply refer to it as the “Observer” or Consciousness. Whatever name we chose to give it, it is thought of as originating from within the right hemisphere of our brain, the area which becomes more activated during regular meditation. We could be forgiven for thinking that it is simply the release of serotonin and a function of the brain activated by a deliberate reprogramming, but this is not the point. Whatever the mechanics the undeniable fact remains that we have opened the lock, even if it is a chemical one, to a higher state of consciousness and reality. The argument put forward by materialistic science, that it is all in the brain, is simply pointless and irrelevant to the actual experience.

Some people regard this ”Presence” coming to the fore as the “Higher Self”. Anthony Peake refers to it in his book as “The Daemon”, a latinised version derived from its Greek origin. Others think of it as their Soul or if they are conditioned by religious belief they may regard it as their Guardian Angel, Jesus or another representative or deity of their religion.

However, names are little more than labels for something that is very much beyond definition. What matters is the reality of being aware that we are not alone, that we have a permanent connection to a higher and truly universal consciousness. In a sense we could regard it as a personalised aspect of this consciousness, which provides a connection that allows us to shift our focus instantly from our mundane everyday world into a greater reality which is truly where we belong.

There can be an instantness to enlightenment, but more often than not enlightenment is a gradual process, which develops from a small overgrown track and into a grand highway the more we travel it using meditation as our transport.

A new illuminated mindset

Along with the transcendence of our consciousness comes a transformation of our senses, which greatly affects our perception, our emotional life, our thinking and how we experience reality.

Here I would like to report how such change may manifest in our everyday life and the effect it has. True to the spirit of this website I can only report the phenomena (in a very limited way) as I have experienced them myself and I am certain that the manifestation will vary according to individual temperament and disposition. We also have to free ourselves from the misconception propagated over the years that this state of consciousness propels us into a category of higher beings, to be revered and worshipped. This is simply nonsense and a remnant of our old spiritual conditioning which puts this natural state of consciousness beyond the reach of ordinary people. We will have to get used to the fact that we are talking about the most natural state of being which should really be regarded as the status quo for every one of us. I simply do not accept that this state of mind will make us stand out from the crowd. I have come across people in my life who would never consider themselves to be enlightened, and yet they fulfilled all the criteria outlined earlier. We also need to consider that the enlightened way is not a closed path, but an infinitely expanding and unwinding road.

Until now I have only presented the most common description which describes the awakened mind from a cognitive viewpoint. There are however other aspects which affect our emotion, perception and subliminal sensory awareness. All this may vary from person to person and is heavily reliant on the individual temperament. In the end it is the experience of the individual to build up their own database, because each one of us is different. The beauty is that each of us will manifest their new universe in their own individual way. My own bias, as an artist, is heavily weighted in favour of visual perception, and it has helped me to unlock an inner space and landscape which I regard as my own particularised manifestation of the greater reality.

Emotional

One of the most powerful signs of an awakening consciousness is the absence of existential fear. Our lack of identification with the phenomena surrounding us gives us a new sense of freedom. There is a constant feeling of ease as we realise we are on home ground wherever we are. Instead of getting involved in the theatre around us we become the audience, watching from a position of stillness without judgement. Sometimes the enjoyment this brings can be a source of entertainment as well as amusement. When faced with tragedy deep empathy and compassion arises and a powerful urge to help to alleviate suffering. At the same time we are also the observer which prevents us from being swallowed up by external events. It’s not the knowledge that events are transient, but the actual experience of the underlying stillness which underpins all events and which allows us such detachment and even peace amidst external turmoil.

Generally life is experienced on a note of calm, ease and peace. Confidence in our place of where we are at any one moment, and an intimate awareness that there is nothing outside of consciousness instills a deep sense of “being at home”. We experience our life as a great privilege and are humbled by the fact that we are given a place in the great arena. Our  constant awareness of the present (and the “Presence”) is often expressed by an intense outpouring of love. We experience a deep connection towards fellow life forms. Being aware that there are underlying causes for everything and our understanding that life is as it is meant to be instills in us a non judgemental attitude towards experiences, events and people.

Instead of defining our own ego and its social attachments, our new consciousness encompasses much more. We have little interest in prestige, acclaim and recognition and the party games of our social selves. Praise and awards are water off a duck’s back. Any former attachments to display ourselves in a “good light” are replaced by authenticity and humility as we are

Quest for Enlightenment - Part 2

The Illuminated Mindset
and what it feels like

constantly shown that we are only one part in an infinite sea of a greater consciousness which embraces all.

Cognitive

Although we may not see the minute intricacies and underlying connections of an external event we are nevertheless aware of an ever evolving flow of causality which prevents us from rushing into conclusion and judgement. This doesn’t prevent us from taking action, but the action is part of the flow of circumstances and never dictated by dogma or prejudice. Our new thinking operates from a vantage point of unity rather than separation. Our action is not hampered by having to represent fixed viewpoints. Instead we adapt dynamically to reality as it is rather than as it appears.  The illuminated mind picks out underlying patterns and observes connections within complex systems.

Sometimes pure genius can be a result of this. This illuminated genius can manifest in any human endeavours, whether it is science, the arts or any other playing field where the mind is employed as a trusted instrument of a higher consciousness. Characterised by detachment from traditional dogma, beliefs and rigid mental constructs, openness to new ideas, spontaneity and a sense of adventure take its place often pursuing very untraditional ways to effect an outcome which can be revolutionary and original.

Taking credit for a positive outcome is never part of an agenda. Dialogues are carried by wisdom and if judgements have to be made they are based on enlightened common sense and not on traditional dictates. Focus and attention on a subject are guided by an inner awareness of their reality and driven towards unity and conclusion. The principles of oneness and unity are paramount in exchanges of thoughts and ideas.

Perceptual

Without the distraction of the internal chatter of our thoughts our attention is more focussed on the moment. Consequently we become much more aware of the sights and sounds surrounding us and entering our awareness.

As I mentioned in a previous chapter on the super dimensional reality, we are operating from a higher dimensional level, which is characterised by a state of order and symmetry. As the universe manifests on the lower material dimensions, chaos is introduced. Our awakened senses of perception are conditioned by the principles of symmetry and harmony which the higher consciousness infuses into our mind from a dimension of unity. As a result it is not unusual for our perception to undergo a dramatic change. Instead of seeing the random chaos  of our material senses we perceive the world around us as a manifestation of a higher order or more accurately, we perceive the order within the chaos. We consider such perception as evidence that the “external” verifiable universe is in essence a projection of consciousness. We manifest our own heaven, our own universe in the way we perceive. For example it can mean that a heightened sense of awareness, does no longer see the pebbles on the path as random, but instead perceives its underlying symmetry which shunts it into a pleasing pattern (see image below). The same may equally apply to the colours which may become more vibrant.

This is not such a far-fetched concept. We only have to

remember what the world looks like when we are depressed or happy, because the outside world is a reflection of our inner world. On the higher state of consciousness what is traditionally regarded as beautiful becomes more beautiful and trance evoking.

Auditory impressions too are no longer experienced as chaotic noise, but are often heard as if being carried by some form of coherent score. Where they are experienced in nature, away from the overbearing loudness of modern life, the sounds blend and harmonise together. The soundscape of nature can be experienced as a form of symphony, perceived as a synchronistic composition.

“A while back I visited an art museum in Munich. While enjoying the paintings I became increasingly aware of the hushed silence of the visitors, who expressed awe and reverence. Soon the whispers and the footsteps began to blend and the subtle underlying echo weaved all the sounds together and instead of looking at the paintings I closed my eyes and listened to their sound score.”

Our other senses become enhanced and purified. Subtle tastes and smells are experienced in a new way and more distinguished.

Repetition becomes a thing of the past. The daily drive to the office is experienced as if for the first time, each time. The reality of newness and non-repetition of the higher plane where creation is a constant renewal, finds its way down in our experience of the worldly reality. This is partly due to the fact that we have stopped comparing with past experience and are learning to appreciate the constant subtle flow of manifestation in any present moment. We can compare this experience to that of a child who investigates the bark of a tree for the first time before it has learned that the tree or its bark have a name. This too points to the fact that our right brain hemisphere adopts a more prominent position in our perception of the world. However, this does not mean that we have to unlearn our language, quite the opposite, words too reveal themselves at a deeper level and give us access to their true meaning and their inner poetry.

Extrasensory

Increased heightened sensitivity to other people, awareness of their inner life and their psychological makeup is simply a result that our perception is no longer filtered through our interpretation and prejudice. We see people for what they are and any gameplay becomes obvious. We can no longer be deceived. Taken to another level and we may even develop clairvoyance. But any new extrasensory skills which may or may not show up are generally regarded with the same attitude as all our other sensual enhancements. They are simply seen as a natural extension to our awareness and regarded with detachment.

This applies to other new sets of skill such as Lucid dreams and Out-of-body experiences, which may naturally occur as we become more aware of our noctural existence.They are rarely pursued for their own sake, because the core of our awareness is rooted in a much higher dimension. These added skills are neither rejected nor given a special place. They are simple integrated as part of our new and enhanced awareness of reality.