I’m curious about various disciplines which you might say have a spiritual component. Whether it’s meditation, yoga, Wim Hof breathing, silent retreats, light or sense deprivation, text/scripture study and research, visualization techniques, or verbal declarations, I’m feeling a desire to explore potentials. I’m also thinking about whether or not they are, to some degree, completely pointless. By that I mean many of these “spiritual” (as in grounded in the non physical which we now know via modern science makes up over 99.9999999999996% of reality) practices might simply be tools in the physical realm to position the mind, heart, soul, Chakras, (insert your preferred word here) to better perceive, receive, and even manipulate the signals which many different traditions argue make up our conscious experience. If time and space are mostly an illusion, then are these disciplined practices (which in some cases take more than a decade to master) also an illusion? Is what we seek at the end of such a journey already within us and immediately accessible or must we, like a trained athlete, go through the daily work of lifting weights and exercise to prepare the mind and body? When it comes to the “powers” often attributed to spiritual masters, it makes sense to think only those with the deepest levels of commitment and dedication would be allowed to reach them or else the very fabric of reality might be at the whim of any uninitiated, undisciplined child.
And yet, I wonder. What if there is a shortcut? Spiritual technologies or ancient plant medicines are sometimes described as shortcuts or cheat codes for this consciousness training simulator. I’ve explored this route briefly and for my personal journey, I’m not yet convinced this is my path. Like Neo in the Matrix or Luke Skywalker of Star Wars, both of which were considered too old to start their training, is there a pathway that is simply meant to be and doesn’t follow the traditional order of things? At the same time, they both could not escape their training, even if it did seem a bit abbreviated (Neo going from some basic training right into facing agents, Skywalker leaving Yoda and Degobah prematurely to face Vader). On the surface, it may seem silly to gain insight from fictions, but I’m beginning to think there is something fractal in nature related to the stories we tell and their relationship to our own hero’s journey.
Maybe I want there to be a shortcut which doesn’t require a decade or more of isolated training at all hours of the day and night because I want to live in a world with billions of transcendent beings, fully in touch with source consciousness. I want to live in a world where those seeking enlightenment can also maintain families, relationships, and responsibilities in this physical world.
Or maybe I’m just lazy.
Maybe I’m afraid of wasting my time.
Maybe I know deep down there is no shortcut. It’s possible the various practices are simply rules of creation which must be followed without exception. Like math, they work only when you follow the process. If so, which process is the most efficient for my individual DNA and level of awareness? Why waste time exploring approaches which aren’t efficient or ideal? Also, how to distinguish between a practice which isn’t a fit for a given individual and the inevitable difficulty which must be overcome by any disciplined practice? These seem like good questions to ponder and good questions lead to breakthroughs.
What are some good questions you are asking yourself along these lines?
