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The past few decades have seen the renewal of
interest in the healing world and the spiritual path, with more and
more people seeking ways to make their lives more meaningful. Yet the
old-fashioned spiritual paths involving either asceticism or religious
dogma are no longer appealing to those of us living in modern day
America. We need a spirituality that is both meaningful and practical,
that is an enhancement of the life we are living rather than a
renunciation of it. This is the time when practical mysticism is at
its greatest relevance.
There are several concepts that are essential for us if we are to be
spiritual people living in the real world of every day life. The first
is the understanding of the dynamics of the unconscious. Although in
our culture, psychology us often thought of as unrelated to
spirituality, the literal definition of psychology is 'the study of
the soul' and for most of us it is an important component for our
return to a spiritual lifestyle and is essential to living a good
life. It allows us to take the judgment out of why people do what they
do. It allows us not to take things personally. It gives us a bird's
eye view of life to understand that every single feeling and statement
and action that is made has it's root in the inner landscape of our
being. And most of what we do and what others do that baffles us is
related to the misunderstood nature of the unconscious. Regardless of
how illogical or irrational an action or statement may be, it has a
reason for existing that, at least in the beginning, had a purpose
that served us. It may be very outdated now, but some part of our
psyche usually does not know this. Understanding the nature of the
unconscious and how to respond to it is one of the most freeing gifts
we can give ourselves in our search for meaning and a spiritual life.
Some say that the doorway to God is through the unconscious.
Secondly, practical mystics understand that we live in an ocean of
unseen energies. Just like the radio waves and microwaves that
surround us everywhere, there also exist mental and emotional energies
that we may not be able to see, but which can be felt quite easily.
Think of the last time you walked into a room full of people and your
mood changed instantly. Think of someone that you consider as having
"good vibes," that you enjoy being around. All of this is from our
innate capacity to sense and experience the unseen realm. As an aspect
of this, practical mystics believe that in the unseen world there also
exists an Angelic realm, beings who are part of the Divine plan,
beings who have specific purpose although they may not have physical
bodies. The Bible, the Torah and the Quran all speak about the
presence of the angels as Divine emissaries of God who have different
laws of existence than we do. They cannot fulfill their purpose unless
invited. Universal law states that all beings of light can only
involve themselves with humanity or other conscious beings by
invitation only. Therefore part of our role in the healing world is
not necessarily that we do the work, but that we ask those who know
how, to come and intercede for those in need. This is a primary
function of prayer. And we can pray as easily in a traffic jam, or in
line at the supermarket, as we can in church. We can ask that a Divine
emissary come as a healing presence to the situation no matter where
we are.
Finally, many of us have a tendency to "pick things up" in this unseen
realm of energy. Without realizing it, other peoples' feelings and
"stuff" sticks to us like velcro as we walk through the world. And
some of us are more sensitive to this than others, often processing
other peoples' emotions as if they were our own. We all clean our
bodies every day, yet our energetic bodies are often so filled that we
look like Pigpen in the Charlie Brown cartoon. With a tool to clean
our energy field, we can restore a sense of vitality and well-being we
may not have realized is possible. We are often deeply affected by the
energetic velcro effect, whereby in an interaction with another we
walk away feeling worse while the other feels better. But there are
time-tested clearing tools that the great mystics have worked with for
hundreds of years. One example of such a tool is the use of the
whirlwind, which can be done anywhere. Simply imagine a vortex of
light like a tornado descending from above you and surrounding your
entire body, ultimately dropping into the earth, pulling away all
unnecessary clutter from your being. If it is hard to visualize, try
putting a flame or light on the edge and following it around, allowing
the flame to burn away all the dross as it circles around you. This is
a practical use of the mind to effect an energetic change that truly
works. Although the whirlwind will not remove the wounds or
difficulties that are your own, it will in effect vacuum away the
residual "junk" of others which may be affecting you. The next time
you return home from the mall, try using the vortex and see if you
feel more energy as a result.
All of these are examples of practical but powerful tools for how we
can live a more meaningful life. As we understand how to use the mind
as a tool for positive change, we create opportunities for healing and
a means of bringing the Divine light into every day life. Perhaps over
time if enough of us use our thoughts, words and actions as a force
for good in the world, peace truly will prevail on earth.
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