Contacting The Super-Conscious Mind

If you have sufficiently assimilated the lesson on "The Training of the Conscious Mind," you should be able to direct your mental energies to this lesson with greater efficiency. Also, if you have digested the instruction on "The Training of The Higher Powers" and have commenced activating and arousing the inner forces through affirmations and positive mental demands, then this lesson will be of greater benefit.

The moral of this lesson is the closer to the source of power you establish yourself, the greater will be your powers for mastery.

The fact that the human organism is animated by some force or power is self evident. The results of this force is registered by electro-encephalograph machines. Its actions can be readily explained through mechanical terms because it functions according to definite, unalterable laws. But the nature of the force can never be explained or understood through material terms. Logic, reason, and physics can not explain to us what our mind can not comprehend.

This does not mean that we can not experience directly this unknowable force. But on the contrary, we can not only experience this energy, we can also draw upon it for wisdom and unlimited power.

The reason so few people receive so little assistance from the higher powers of the mind is, so few of them ever call the forces into action. The majority of people have been conditioned into mechanical thinking. Though they have vast knowledge in many areas, they have no knowledge of the higher aspects of their own life force.

The materialist scoffs at the idea of a Life Principle of a mentative nature. To him the idea of an unexplainable, intelligent power, functioning in and through all things, ever living, ever changing, evolving, yet in essence forever remaining itself, is so unscientific he classifies it as "metaphysical gibberish" and promptly dismisses it in favor of mechanical explanations of life. Careful analysis of the mechanical theories of life reveal that these explanations merely describe the results of this force functioning through the physical and reveals nothing of life itself, which by its nature is unexplainable.

The individual who throughout his life has thought only in terms of tangible objects and concrete ideas, often has difficulty comprehending that which lies beyond the scope of his limited vision. This includes not only the common laborer but the "conditioned" scientist as well. To suggest to such a person that the Infinite Intelligence responsible for the unknowable secrets of nature and life is the same reality that is continuously reporting through him, "I AM," is to be rejected as unreasonable. And to even mention that by turning one's mental gaze inward one could realize a union with the source of all life, sticks a thorn into his materialistic flesh which is too "far-fetched" for his narrow understanding.

The practice of using one's own mind as an instrument of introspection and investigation of Life's inner secrets, is a science so ancient it is impossible to say when it originated or who was its first practitioner. But as far back as written records go, we find consistently repeated the admonishment of the ancient masters, "man know thyself, and thou shalt know the universe." This process of getting to know one's Self we know today as the art and science of meditation.

The purpose of this lesson is to destroy all myths and misconceptions concerning the art and science of meditation. To give clear and practical instructions on the principles and purposes of meditation and how to enter a form of mental training that will absolutely transform the individual's life, mind and circumstances. This we intend to do by training the student to contact his own life source. This will result quite naturally in a vital realization, a positive knowing concerning his life and its potential. This establishes his understanding and faith as unquestionable. The student is then introduced to the highest form of meditation, the only meditation worth concerning one's Self with--A LIVING MEDITATION. What happens from this moment on is quite unpredictable.

For many this subject is shrouded by a mist of mystery and misunderstanding. It is no wonder that so few people derive the full benefits of this art, owing to the many myths which have emerged concerning the subject.

One of the most common misconceptions is that meditation is a trance one enters. The fact is most of us spend our entire waking life in a trance. If anything, mediation is a method for becoming "untranced."

Another popular myth is that meditation is a discipline we force ourselves to do. Far from this, meditation is not something we force ourselves to do; rather it is a natural process we train ourselves to let happen. If we are "forcing" we are not meditating.

Many persons are of the opinion that meditation is a form of religion. Meditation is an intensely personal experience, whether you attribute religious connotations to it is entirely up to you. The internal experience is the essence of all religions.

Another falsehood that discourages many investigators is that it takes years of dedicated practice to get results from meditation. If proper techniques are used, the results are quite instantaneous and easily obtained by anyone who will dedicate the time and effort to contact directly his own life source. At last, meditation being a natural process is a simple one. The only hard part is penetrating through the maze of our own thought processes and releasing ourselves from our innumerable attachments.

The self imposed barriers of conditioned thinking prevent you from experiencing one of life's most gratifying experiences--a glimpse of your own finite nature. Though the highest forces are with us, we give ourselves little chance of linking up with them, and are consequently unable to use them.

No course designed to help the student enter a higher life could be complete without instructions on how to contact the highest within you. The results of this lesson we know will always be in direct proportion to the practitioners development and spiritual unfoldment. The individual will always extract from the experience exactly what he needs or wishes to experience. The expectations with which one enters the experience, greatly determines the type of experience one has.

Unless you are a very special person, you will not experience the highest stages of meditation on your first attempts. Most likely what you will experience is a restless mind and a continuous flow of thoughts. Recognize these as obstacles to meditation and vow to overcome them. The object of meditation is to calm the mind and to get beyond thought to the source of thought power.

A subtle form of energy is continuously flowing through our mind like a stream. Our mind continuously forms this energy into thought and thought patterns. This it has done since the moment you began to think and this it will continue to do so long as you are conscious, or until you train your Self to NOT THINK.

The mind has often been referred to as the slayer of the real, because its continuous flow of creations draws our attention away from the Reality behind the creations. Your consciousness not formed into anything possessing form or color is naturally void. Not Dead or lifeless, but still, silent and unformed.

To experience ones own consciousness not formed into anything is to glimpse pure consciousness, i.e., consciousness of self instead of consciousness of things.

The person that wishes to become in rapport with the higher powers within must first put his mind in order. The one prerequisite to putting the mind in order is the ability to put the mind in an extremely calm and quiet state. Before the mind can be in a condition of quiet calmness, the body must be in a state of complete relaxation.

When you have been under stress or when you are tired, the most natural way to relax is to flop limply into a chair or bed and let go of the breath with a long sigh. In this action is one of natures great secrets of relaxation, LETTING GO.

Try this simple experiment. Take an alarm clock and place it on the floor so that the alarm clock is about ten feet from your head; now listen carefully and try to hear the ticking. After concentrating on trying to hear this faint sound for a minute or two, take close notice of how you are breathing. Herein lies the secret of bringing the conscious mind into a state of perfect calm and quiet. BREATHING! While in the deepest stages of relaxation, concentration and meditation, the breathing will be barely perceptible.

By combining the two natural methods of "letting go" and "breath control," we can prepare our minds for contacting and receiving knowledge from the higher mind.

Lie down or sit in a comfortable position and after letting go as much as possible, begin the full deep breaths as instructed in the last lesson. After ten or fifteen complete breaths, the oxygen supply will be sufficiently increased so that you may begin very slow, steady light breaths. When you reach this stage, every part of the body should be relaxed and calm. At this point, you will become aware that your mind is still racing on. If you are sufficiently trained in the art of concentration, you may readily stop this activity by concentrating on one object. But for the beginner, the hardest task that he has ever been confronted with will be attempting to calm his restless mind. The following exercise is an efficient means for the beginner to reach the deeper stages of meditation or to contact the higher mind.

Meditation I

After you have reached perfect relaxation of the body, focus the attention on the thought processes and notice that there seems to be an endless flow of thoughts continually flowing through your mind. After watching this flow for some time, choose a simple symbol such as a triangle, a leaf, or a star, etc., and concentrate all your mental energies on this symbol or object until you can see it plainly and clearly in your minds eye. When all the mental energies are focused on this one point to the exclusion of all else, see the image or symbol begin to melt from the extremities due to the intense heat of your mind. As the symbol reaches the size of a tiny dot, gather all the mental energies together and concentrate them with full mental force on this tiny diminishing speck. When you have thus concentrated all your mental energies on this speck, watch intently as the speck disappears. With all the mental energies still focused, but with nothing to focus on, you penetrate the realm described variously as the clear light, blissful void, pure consciousness, etc.

"Beyond the restless flowing electricity of life is the ultimate reality--the void. In the Ego Free State, wherein all things are like the void and cloudless sky, and the naked spotless intellect is like a transparent vacuum; at this moment, know your Self and abide in that state." (Timothy Leary--Psychedelic Experience)

It is much easier to explain the methods of meditation than it is to explain what you will experience. We are after all dealing with pure experience. Like the fool throwing a cloak on the wind to perceive its form, the mind attempts to clothe the invisible reality in the garments of Perception. The mind reaches out to grasp the Real and clutches space!

As the identity of the "I" unfolds into greater self knowledge, it amplifies the report with greater intensity.

"I AM"

and it is here and here only that you may experience that which is called:

"THE ULTIMATE REALITY"

The face of the real shall remain forever hidden beyond the horizons of the conceptual mind. It behooves thee, O Man, to free thyself from the illusions of the analytical mind by bringing it to a sate of perfect calm.

As this is a course of concentrated lessons, we will give the essence teachings in a nutshell. However, we cannot crack the kernel for you. To taste the almond of peace, you must break for yourself the shell of the restless mind.

The highest instruction any teacher could give concerning contacting the super-conscious mind is:

Bring the Surface Mind to stillness and the REAL shall flood your awareness.

Like the little Dutch boy, we stand plugging the dyke of internal experience with the finger of reason.

The desire for physical and mental experience and the process of thinking, draws our awareness away from the highest experience--Pure Experience. One's own awareness not formed into anything. The Naked Self. The Spirit in its omnipresent reality.

Let's draw upon the lessons of nature at this point. What's the first thing an animal does when it senses danger? IT FREEZES! From the motionless statue of the stork, frozen in the reeds, to the blue-gill in the pepper grass, we see in operation, nature's method of producing peak mental performance; bringing the body and mind motionless. The senses are their keenest and powers of perception are their sharpest when all motion of the body has ceased, and all the mental forces are focused on the act of awareness.

It is with this attitude that we must direct our awareness inward. It is with this one pointed concentration of awareness upon our own inner regions, that we discover the majesty and grandeur of the Real Self. By finding what is real within himself, man finds what is real throughout the universe, throughout time and throughout space--THE ABSOLUTE'

Here are some hints to get you started upon your internal investigations:

I. There are six basic types of meditation:

1. Those in which you meditate upon states of being--life, mind, consciousness, individuality, "I AM," etc.,

2. Those in which you meditate on perfection, law and order, harmony, etc.,

3. Those in which you direct the mind into states of calm, peace, and stillness,

4. Those in which you direct your mind into positive and uplifting thoughts; such as, "I am one with the Infinite," "I am a perfect expression of a perfect Creator," "I surrender myself to the spirit of perfection," or any other form of positive affirmation,

5. Those where you open yourself up to the Divine inflow,

6. And those where you do not think or react, simply experience consciousness unmanifest.

It makes little difference which type of meditation you choose, so long as it is pursued regularly and persistingly until you achieve the desired inner-knowledge.

II. Try to have a special place for your internal voyages. Some place where you can be alone with no fear of interruption. I've always found the seashore, the river bank, the forest, etc., to be most conducive to proper results. But a quiet room will work fine.

III. Choose a definite posture for your meditation. One with the spine straight and where you can let go completely. An easy chair or mat on the floor works fine.

IV. Breathing is all important to meditation, so good ventilation is essential. The mind dances to the tune of the breath. By controlling the breath, we can control the mind.

V. Find the meditation technique you feel most comfortable with and stick with it.

VI. Concentration is a prerequisite to meditation. Learn to direct the attention to one point.

VII. When entering meditation pay strict attention to either the breath as it enters your nostrils or your own thought processes as they flow through your mind. Don't try to control the thoughts or be attached to them, simply observe them as they pass along. This makes you aware of your self as observer and witness. This makes you also aware of your self as existing separate and independent of your breath and thoughts.

VIII. Do not be attached to the sensations of power and wisdom or any other exalting moods. Simply try to EXPERIENCE THAT WHICH IS EXPERIENCING!

As there are many types of Meditation, here is a general rule of thumb for choosing a good one.

1. Any meditation that centers the attention on the "I" is a good one.

2. Any meditation that centers the attention is a good meditation.

3. Any mental action that calms the mind or induces calm, quiet, serenity or silence is a good meditation.

4. Any mental action that strengthens any of the mental powers or causes the mind to reflect upon high ideals is a good meditation.

5. Anything that increases the sense of identity is a good meditation.

6. Anything that reveals to you the workings of law or the presence of Reality striving through form is a good meditation.

7. In general, any inward activity that helps make you better in any way or adds to your well being is a good meditation.

Of the many methods and techniques concerning meditation, always bear this in mind; no matter what technique you use and no matter what inward experiences you have, if they cannot be objectified in your every day life you have all but wasted your time.

If you try a technique of meditation for one week and you can not see a marked change in your self, either you are not executing it properly or the technique is no good.

If any serious investigator follows the proper instructions without interruption, he can see for himself what meditation has in it for him. Let's face it folks, there should be no mystery about something so simple. Anybody that so desires can experience that which really IS!

There are, however, a few simple prerequisites, which surprisingly enough are the natural properties of man.

When we say, "anyone can meditate," we are including all of humanity, down to the level of man, where the "I" has not unfolded into the stages of strong self-awareness. And we can't include the mentally retarded or brain-damaged moron. And we must also exclude the class of person who has closed his mind to all investigations of the higher realities. But anyone else can achieve positive results from meditation.

We are not saying that everybody should or should even want to meditate, we are saying that if you want to, you can with positive results.

Here are the prerequisites to successful meditation:

1. Desire--You must want to explore the inner realities. Otherwise, you will not generate the necessary mental force. It makes no difference why you want to meditate, but there must be a desire to meditate.

2. Will--You need the assistance of the will to help you concentrate the mental faculties. The will is the property of all humanity. We all have some will.

3. And we must have Proper Instruction--Follow the Steps A, B, C.

It may sound too simple, but these are the only three ingredients necessary to achieve results in meditation.

You may ask, "How much mental concentration will I need to get results?"

You need enough concentration to completely separate yourself from your mind and all mental processes for one brief instant. If you know what you are looking for, in that instant you will experience a brief flash of something within you, that for some reason you can't understand.

Once you've caught the first glimpse of this unknowable something, your position is that of the man in the story of the unicorn. Upon seeing it for the first time, it disappears.

Like gazing through the limbs and leaves at the peaceful skies and bringing the squinting eyes flashing across the noon day sun, so is the beginner to meditation in the face of the Real.

It is this flash, the brief glimpse of Reality that starts the process of inner-discovery.

Once you've seen it there, you know it's there. If you know it is there, you can always turn to it for strength and power.

Before leaving this lesson, we would like to remind the student once again that if you can not objectify in your life what you experience in meditation, you are not meditating, only fantasizing.

Here are the last instructions for your internal voyage.

1. Prepare to spend thirty minutes on your first attempt, as it is the most important. If you don't feel like spending 30 minutes, then forget about it all together. Oh yes, don't forget to spend the full 30 minutes in an earnest attempt to bring your mind to perfect stillness. When we say make the mind still, we mean "still" exactly as defined in the dictionary; (a) making no sound; silent (b) free from disturbance or agitation; peaceful; tranquil (c) without movement; motionless.

2. Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can be isolated for the full 30 minutes.

3. Assume a comfortable posture, spine straight, muscles relaxed, eyes closed.

4. Take full, deep breaths; while exhaling send commands to all parts of the body to relax and let go until complete relaxation is established.

5. Witness unattached the flow of breath, then the flow of thoughts. Simply watch them drift by.

6. Direct the inner gaze towards the bridge of the nose and release the mind of its offices of thinking, reasoning, analyzing, figuring, understanding, knowing and creating. This you will not be able to do long, but if you can do it for an instant, and your awareness is keen enough, you will experience a brief glimpse of that which is! Which has been and always will be

THE INFINITE UNMANIFEST.

The Absolute

The Ultimate Reality within you!

7. After the first session, all other sessions should be directed to expanding the flash into more enduring states of consciousness.

8. After you have attained a fair degree of control in making your self completely unattached and can bring your mind to perfect calm quickly and efficiently, you can pursue the other forms of meditation to greater benefit, i.e., meditating on states of being--Life, Mind, Consciousness, Volition, etc.; directing mind to positive thoughts and affirmations, etc.

The most important aspect of the inner-experience is having "what is experienced" in back of your life. Take the realizations of the Inner Reality with you into your everyday affairs. Call on it if need be for strength, for guidance, for power, for wisdom and for peace. For within you, through the "I AM" will you find the source of all these things.

AS THE SUN MELTS INTO THE SEA

TO REVEAL THE EMPTINESS OF SPACE

SO THE MIND MUST SINK INTO THE SELF

TO EXPERIENCE THE OMNIPRESENCE OF LIFE.