Step 4 - How do I proceed?

The first signs of awakening
Spiritual awakening is not something about believing in this or that, but rather stepping out of identification of the internal dialog, the recurring thoughts, the stream of thinking. Waking up and experience a stillness or a deeper consciousness.

'Many people who are going through the early stages of the awakening process are no longer certain what their outer purpose is. What drives the world no longer drives them. Seeing the madness of our civilization so clearly, they feel somewhat alienated from the culture around them. Some feel that they inhabit a no-man's-land between two worlds. They are no longer run by the ego, yet the arising awareness has not yet become fully integrated into their lives, Inner and outer purpose have not merged.'   Eckhart Tolle

It takes time to increase the level of consciousness! Be patient. All the time spent on meditation exercise, is time well spent. It took me years before I could fully understand the content of following film clips for example:

Here is a link to a film with following theme: What you think about yourself, you become. What you think about the world around you, becomes your reality of the world...

Here follows a link to a film that encourage us to think differently, in order to break habits that causes stress for example...

Here is a link to a film with quotes of the Buddha...

This link, explanes how bad it is to think negative thoughts, at bedtime...

This link also points out how important it is to break negative think patterns..

Try this link and see if any quote of the Buddha, resonates in your body...

Reward
After a longer period of practicing mindfulness/ meditation, it is common to be encouraged by the positive effect these exercises provide. At this point it is common to let mindfulness become a natural part of everyday life, without associated feelings of sacrifice or stress. One of the benefits of practicing mindfulness for a long time, is that it is faster to get into the meditative state where time and space disappear, and it opens the possibility to go even deeper into calm awareness. Your openness and honesty will now become more obvious when the meditation is enhanced.

" When we let our mind rest, we open the door to the spiritual dimension and get in contact with ourselves."

Try to find the courage to maintain your openness in meetings with other people. Primarily with people you trust, but also try to challenge yourself in meetings with others. This will further strip away the layers of your old self and allow more of your full potential to emerge.

" Non of us are lacking anything. We have never been lacking anything. We've just thought that we've been lacking something."

Search for connection with people who have the same interest in mindfulness as you do, where you can share your feelings, ideas and questions. People who have not practiced mindfulness to the extent that you have, will have a hard time understanding what you experience.

" What you seek is seeking you."   Rumi

The text below can be considered difficult to understand, but I perceive these feelings from many who practiced mindfulness/ meditation for a long time. A feeling that everything is related. That we are all interconnected. That we are all made ​​up of energy that not only are contained in our physical body, but which can also be transmitted and felt outside the body. The feeling of energy can be felt relatively quickly when you start to meditate. Especially significant is this feeling when meditating in a group such as on a retreat or on a course. You might recognize the effect already from an aerobics session. Group energy provides extra strength.
This feeling doesn't have any religious affiliation. It is all about a feeling of togetherness in a universal consciousness. I don't mean that the long experience of mindfulness provides a permanent peace, always harmonious, loving and without emotional outbursts. No, when something tears in one's emotional wounds, this could still unravel distressing feelings that cause fear and aggression, but now there is a more stable place inside yourself, which you can turn to and find peace and which suppress the reflex to fall directly into emotions. Keep in mind that the openness gained through mindfulness, does not remain at a constant level. It changes like the tide. Sometimes you feel more open and sometimes more closed. That is a natural part of life. This should not be seen as a setback or failure, but as natural as the weather alternates between rain and sunshine.

" All these pains are there because of longing to be one with others. It is another expression of love."   in memory of Meera

Perhaps you can see meditation as an increased opportunity to view the world/ life from a new/ truer perspective when your mind is more opened, the filter of fear become thinner and cultural imprinting are questioned. Another option is to do as astronaut Edgar Mitchell, by actually view the Earth from a completely different place. On his way back to Earth in Apollo 14, he expressed: "I am filled with an inner conviction, as certain as any mathematical equation Iv'e ever solved. This beautiful Blue World is part of a living system, harmonious and whole and we all participate in a universe of consciousness" (link to the quote)

" We think that love comes from outside. That's why the world is full of beggers who is hoping to receive love."

Here is a link to a film clip, where thoughts are expressed about affinity and universal energy...

The reason we so gladly are seeking happiness, freedom, trust, compassion, is that we all have this within us, but due to conditioning from people around us, we don't see it.

" You don't have to struggle. The universe holds you. It doesn't care about what you refer to as your shortcomings. The universe knows that you are important."

Have you ever felt a wonderful sense of unity with others? Perhaps you have been to a concert or a sports event where you've felt an inexplicable fulfilling sense of love and belonging with the world. A few times when I've been exercising sports to music in a group of people, I have been filled with a sense of openness, joy, safety and unity with the world. Hard to describe. The feeling of excitement fills the whole mind. Everything else disappear.

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