Hi Semira,

Thanks for your sharing about out-of-body experiences. It may be that I can help shed some light on what you're experiencing but first I'd really like to know in some more detail exactly what you feel you are experiencing. Could you therefore please answer the following questions for me...

1. Can you describe what exactly are you experiencing during the meditations. You say for example you are still in the room - are you looking down on your body? Can you still feel your body?

2. What does "meditation" mean to you? What is your objective in this is it "just to see things more clearly in life"? Does it have a spiritual purpose? Where would you say you are at spiritually?

3. What Meditative technique/s are you using?

If you can answer these as fully as possible that would be great

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thank you for your reply. In answer to your questions,

1. During meditation, I have not actually left my body. I sense that I am about to leave. I know this because it is the same sensation I have when having out of body experiences. The sensation begins with losing feeling of my physical body, which I enjoy. But then I feel my body start to buzz and I know if I don't stop, I will come 'out'! I have had a number of spontaneous oobe's over the years. These begin with sleep paralysis or sometimes, if I relax, they happen on their own, beginning with a sensation of my whole being spinning, from the third eye chakra, where I can see a golden flower like shape. I have been up at the ceiling and looked around my room from there. I feel as though I am in a very light body, although I can't see it. I have gone through the ceiling once but I usually feel afraid and return to my physical body on the bed.

2. Meditation for me at this time, is a way of centering myself and seeing things more clearly. I am a very emotional person and I would like to use meditation to calm and heal myself. I want to listen to my inner voice and allow it to lead me on my true path in life. I want to get in touch with my dreams and what makes me fulfilled. I guess I am at the very beginning of my spiritual journey, because it is only now that I am ready to do what makes me fulfilled, despite how others may react.

3. When I meditate I relax my whole body. My aim is usually to visualise the healing and balancing of my chakras. I would like to go further and explore meditation techniques more fully. I would like to feel a sense that my mind has expanded and become clear and more at one with the universal life energy.

Thank you

Semira

Hi Semira,

That clarifies a lot about the situation - thanks for your continued sharing.

In our work we often do a meditation where we get people to first feel and relax the tightness throughout the physical body from the crown downwards. They then might feel a sense of lightness or tingling as the contrast between the denseness of the physical and lightness of the soul comes more strongly into awareness. They might for example experience a sense of expansion, rising, tingling - it feels like what you are describing as "buzzing".

Always though we encourage people to connect with their inner feelings so that they don't go out of body. Our approach is to discover the Universe inside ourselves rather than leaving the body which we feel is not a positive experience. The key is to bring and unfold spirit within us.

Perhaps one of the key issues here is that you're using visualisation of the chakras which can be a higher mental experience. It feels to me like it would be of much greater benefit to go into your internal feelings and release tension and effort - the actual experience of healing that you are currently instead visualising.

If you begin to release the tension and effort this way, its likely that you'll unfold you're consciousness in line with your purpose but you'll unfold that within you rather than external to you.

As this happens, it is also important then to relate the changes through our daily life. So we'll witness an effect within our usual activities. Certain attachments or distortion behaviour patterns may arise through synchronistic patterning of events for example.

It is just as important to concentrate then on releasing these distortions by expressing our perceived higher truth instead. In this way we become the Observers of all our life's experiences and we are in fact meditating in daily life - which for us at Openhand is a key objective.

The Universal life energy flows through everything that we do. It offers the opportunity to align with this higher truth - but we must observe, listen to and follow it for it to really be activated within our lives.

So in summary I think meditation would help greatly but I would suggest you try not visualising but rather feeling what's happening in your body - then I would adopt the place of the Observer in your daily life and observe the effects choosing as much as possible your higher truth. To me, this is what it truly means to be 'walking the path'.

I sincerely hope this helps you! (please feel free to continue the discussion further)

With love and best wishes

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thank you for such an indepth reply. Yes, it makes much sense to me...all of what you are saying. I will focus on my bodily sensations rather than on my mind, and practice being the observer in my life. Two excellent places to begin. Thank you for your guidance. It means a lot to have feedback from someone who understands

Semira

Chris,
I read with interest the thread posted by Semira and your response and felt it might be useful to share my out of body experiences, some of which are similar whilst others are different.

I have had a number of these ‘events’ over the years, either where I rise up out of my body towards the ceiling surveying the scene below or where I ‘lose contact with where my head is!’. A third situation occurred last night where I seemed to be flipping from inside to outside my body, back and forth in quick succession. This was following a self-administered Reiki session, with the general intent of tuning in to universal energy for my greater good using my chakras. I visualised each chakra coming into balance as I centred myself. Incidentally, the theme of the session turned out to be a strong soul connection with a much loved pet, which died several years ago.

Apart from the last case, I had not been meditating or engaging in any visualisations prior to going out of body. The occasions where I lose ‘head contact’ are intriguing to me as they seem to repeat themselves. I can only describe the feeling as suddenly waking up and not knowing where I am, losing my bearings and having no reference points (as if my brain’s information filter is temporarily disengaged). There follows a disconcerting moment where I am unable to tell whether my head is located at the foot or head of the bed and I am floating in limbo, before realisation kicks in.

Taking on board the advice you gave to Semira, I will focus on my bodily sensations rather than visualisations in my mind and also practice being the Observer in my daily life but not externally. I think where I have come across visualisations before is linked in with affirmations when you focus on a perceived successful outcome such as a new job, relationship or recovery to good health (for example, visualising a tumour shrinking as an adjunct to the main medical treatment itself) rather than trusting in higher, divine guidance.

Chris (or anyone else), do you have any further thoughts, advice or feedback?

Thanks,

AndyC

Hi AndyC,

Sounds like you're having some truly profound experiences - thanks for your continued sharing.

I believe you're beginning to experience something I often refer to as "Absoluteness". In the background of all activity is an awesomely ordinary state of pure presence. It has no boundaries, no definitions and no reference points. It just simply "is".

This is what we all are. We are pure presence, pure potential before all else arises. From my perspective it is this pure state of liberation that we are seeking in and through all things (although we don't necessarily know it).

So for example when we drink a glass of wine and feel the struggle of the world fall away; or when we have a comforting meal with a friend; when we have a financial "windfall" and feel secure inside. All of these experiences (and indeed ALL experiences) are simply reflections inviting us to let go of the need for any secure reference at all and just surrender into inner completeness - that which we are.

When this happens for the first time however, it is likely that fear will arise - why so? Because it is so awesomely liberated that the ego (our personality) cannot cope with it. It feels like a death - in a sense our ego is dieing and we feel that (in actual fact it's only our attachment to the ego that is dieing).

So a resistance might build internally to this letting go. The resistance arises as all kinds of things - fear is one.

You speak frequently of "visualising" certain outcomes - the outcomes you want (such as healing). I know this is quite common in healing practices across the planet right now. From my perspective this is actually detrimental to our unfolding because we're imposing intention across the natural flow of energy. Maybe you're meant to experience blocked chakras until you untangle the issues you face in your daily life?

The chakras directly relate to our outer experience. So we can bring light into them but then the light will create patterns and circumstances in our outer lives inviting us to let go of those distortions. It is only then that the balance of consciousness will shift within the chakras and they will truly open up. True "Healing" is really self realisation and we can't avoid it if we want to be truly healed.

Finally this brings me to the experience you describe "flipping from inside to outside my body, back and forth in quick succession". To me this is a wonderful confirmation of "Unity Consciousness" - the energy that unites all. There comes a time when we each move into a state that may be defined as "Constant Unity Consciousness". It's a truly amazing experience where the inner and outer worlds unfold into one. The duality dissolves. I believe this is what you were being shown.

Constant Unity Consciousness is a reflection of Absoluteness - the pure potential out of which Constant Unity Consciousness arises.

What we're talking about here are pointers to what some have called "The Holy Trinity". The "Father" represents the "Absolute" (the pure potential or "source"). The "Holy Spirit" represents Constant Unity Consciousness which arises from the source and the "Son" represents our unique expression of that consciousness - the "soul".

It is possible to hold all three experiences simultaneously inside yourself at once. This is what you might call "Enlightenment".

So in summary, it seems like you're being given some wonderful experiencial pointers to these states - you're profoundly blessed!
However my advice for helping these develop and unfold would be to let go of the intention - the intentioned visualisation - and let go of the need to heal. Instead allow to aise whatever wants to arise and explore yourself within that.

Unity Consciousness is profoundly intelligent. It is the cosmic library of all knowing. It know's exactly what to do when it flows through our bodies. If we can summon the trust to go into our bodies and just let go, it will flow through us like a crystal clear mountain stream guiding us back to the Ocean!

With heartfelt best wishes on your journey.

Chris

Hi Andy and Semira

I wondered if my own experiences might help your own.

I too went through a stage of slipping out of my body in an uncontrolled way, it worried me enough to talk to Chris about it last year. At any given moment I'd be off, flying through the clouds, it felt as though my soul was trying to escape my body on a daily basis. Chris suggested I had overly identified with my soul, turning it into 'something' rather than it just 'being'. (Am I using the right words here Chris?) Once he'd said that I realsied it was true, and the shift was rapid. Now I'm always everywhere, I can't even say part of me is one place and another part elsewhere, I just 'am'. When I'm 'up in the clouds' I am also grounded, and visa versa, I'm able to shift my awareness to where ever it needs to be at the time. The effect it has had on my life can't be measured.

Good luck with your journeys .... mine's still work in progress and amazes me daily.

With Love
Michelle x

Hi there everyone

I just wanted to give you an update on how I've been getting on since my first post. Well, since my awareness has shifted, I have felt firmly grounded! I took your advise Chris, about practicing being the observer and sensing when I am tense. I also downloaded a copy of your book and have read up to the end of gateway 2 so far. I can identify with the awakening stage.

I'm not sure, but an awakening seemed to have happened to me years ago. There was a time after I had completed a psychology degree, when I began reading all the spiritual books I could get my hands on! They filled in the blanks and answered questions that psychology simply couldn't. I had so many 'light bulb moments' and feelings of connection during that time. I remember once walking to collect my son from school. Everywhere was bathed in a golden light and I felt as though I was walking on air. I felt as sense of detachment from everything, while at the same time feeling at one with everything.

That period of time did not last and although I continued my reading, I became swamped once more by the emotional issues and behaviour patterns still haunting me. It took many years before I began to change and mature into who I am now.

Although I knew what changes I needed to make in my life a long time ago, it is only recently that I have felt ready and able to make those changes. This website is playing a large part in steering me in the right direction. I often log on and look around, and on Chris' advice, have been practising being the observer and feeling my emotions without trying to change them. I have been having wonderful results!

I have realised that when I stop and feel the feeling, if I do it a few times, the situation that caused the feeling dissolves. For example, a man was rather rude to me today. I knew it was because last week I had been impatient with him. His rudeness made me feel bad (no doubt because I felt guilty of how I'd behaved!). I could feel a tension in my chest and stomach area that wouldn't go away, and so I just felt the feeling. I had to do this a few times, whenever I remembered him being rude to me. I then laughed to myself because I saw the beauty in what was happening.. I was being given an opportunity to learn patience.

Eventually, I found that I could think about the man without getting any negative feelings in my body at all. This is a revelation to me! I have tried this technique in the past, but back then I found I could not detach from the situation like I can now. This must truly be the right time for me. It is so exciting!

When I was a child, I remember feeling this sense of 'homesickness'. Ironically, it happened most when surrounded by my family. As I grew up, I tried to identify the feeling, and I concluded it was a feeling of 'dread'! In my adult years, I decided it was a feeling of 'not wanting to grow up'. To be honest I still don't know what it is, and I continue to get it occasionally when with family. It's like this sudden dramatic pull of energy downwards in the pit of my stomach and it's very unpleasant. The funny thing is, now I can't wait to get the feeling again, so I can just 'feel' it.

I am also practicing being the observer, although, I am not entirely sure how. At work, it is so busy, and because I am seeing to everyone's needs, I find I do not have a chance to observe myself. Yet this is the time I would really like to observe myself as I think it would help me a great deal. If anyone has advice or personal experience of being the observer I would love to hear it

Thank you kindly...

Semira

Hi Semira,

Thankyou so much for taking the time to write and share your journey with us. Our website is now receiving in excess of 150,000 page reads a month; I know for a fact that your sharing will be helping many others having similar, thoughts, considerations and experiences.

You said in your post...

"I remember once walking to collect my son from school. Everywhere was bathed in a golden light and I felt as though I was walking on air. I felt as sense of detachment from everything, while at the same time feeling at one with everything."

This definitely speaks of an Awakening experience to me and a beautiful one at that. You mention that it did not last...

"That period of time did not last and although I continued my reading, I became swamped once more by the emotional issues and behaviour patterns still haunting me. It took many years before I began to change and mature into who I am now."

You'll notice in our book (Gateways of Light for other readers) that we talk under Gateway 1 about a "pre-Awakening" period. It's frequently the case that we have such a wonderful experience as the one you describe, an internal efforting can arise once more to try to maintain that state - so for example it's typical that people go into a lengthy period of reading, researching and practice.

However, if efforting does arise due to this 'quest', the tendency is to create inner tightness again (although for a different reason ) and so our spirit - the soul - gets sucked up into the internal processing; it cannot expand out into universal awareness (so to speak).

At this point, if we are to awaken once more, it is important that we move more and more to the place of the Observer of ourselves. Why is this so important? Well if we continue to be engaged in the external drama without watching ourselves in it, then in effect, the drama itself is dictating our thoughts, feelings and actions. We have no control over them.

Imagine for example you're driving your car one day and at the next traffic lights someone runs into the back of you. What happens next? Well you can imagine the typical scenario: driver leaps out of car in shock and perhaps a degree of rage and so begins a potentially negative loop of activity beyond our control. Our consciousness is sucked into the drama which we then become identified with.

Another classic is at work - in the office for example. The typical office environment is literally teaming on a daily basis with tightness and frustration with people locked into the drama of trying to meet targets, deadlines and schedules. Not to mention the emotional energies of other people all with their own daily dramas going on. It's so easy for us to become identified and lost.

It happens when we loose perspective - when we think that the job or our personal goals is what life is all about when in fact our true purpose (at least from my perspective) is to realise who we are within this drama - to find our most natural and highest expression - that of the soul.

When we realise this, we have a choice, the first authentic one we're ever likely to make; do we keep running this loop just like the mouse on a spinning wheel? Or do we find the courage to break free...

"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Anais Nin

So how do we extract ourselves when we've finally had enough of this endless merry-go-round?

As we've mentioned it is to become the Observer. Which means to begin to watch ourselves in and through all circumstances. Yes its not easy in the beginning. We notice we keep going back into the drama again (for example, when reading this post, are you also watching and feeling both your body and the external surroundings?). The key is when you get lost once more, to find a way to keep remembering.

I remember in the beginning for me, it helped to see an internal image of a candle flame - which represented my inner light. So if I noticed I'd stopped watching myself, I would just see the flame for a moment or two. Then interestingly over time, feelings began to emerge with the flame - a quiet inner vibration which then became a warmth.

I found that meditating really helped - with breathing, the vibration expanded into a feeling of inner peace. Breathing then became the key for me. If ever I got lost, wherever I was, I would just practice breathing for a moment or two and notice the feelings inside. Then I'd be restored to the place of the Observer.

As things continued, an awareness unfolded out of the breathing which was always present (what I've termed the "Seer" in the book). The Seer is now always present in me and so I no longer need the breathing technique to get there...

"Be a lamp unto yourself.
Don't search for light anywhere else;
the light is already there, the fire is already there.
Just probe a little deeper into your being, enquire.
Maybe much ash has gathered around the fire...
Just probe deep inside, and you will find the spark again.
And once you have found a single spark inside you,
you will become a flame, soon you will be a fire...
a fire that purifies, a fire that transforms,
a fire that gives you a new birth and a new being.
Be a lamp unto yourself."
Last words of Gautama, the Buddha

We will each have a key to unlock the door. If you truly want to step out of the prison, simple ask the question of the Universe "please show me my key". The watch over the following minutes, hours and days. A symbolic representation will appear - maybe the words in a song, the picture of an animal, cloud formations etc etc.

Whatever it is, if you're open to it and attentive, something will arise to help you remember. The if you keep applying that tool, you'll continue to move to the place of the Observer until the experiences of the pre-Awakening unfold once more.

I hope this helps!

Love and best wishes

Chris

Hi and thank you so much Chris for taking the time to reply.

Those are some really helpful ideas on how to regain my centre in order to observe myself. I look forward to seeing how I get on at work

There are just so many things I wish to tell everyone and so many questions I have to ask. But I think I would be on the PC all day!

For now I am going to go away and practice observing and feeling. Already, I have been able to make changes that have been waiting to happen for years. It's amazing how life can change in the matter of an instant isn't it?

Love Semira

As a child, I was very artistic and would paint, write poetry, stories, dance, compose music and so on. There would be a point during these activities where I would become so engrossed in them, that I would go into a trance like state. My vision goes sort of different (hard to explain!) and my body deeply relaxed and tingly. No matter what hustle and bustle was going on around me, I could remain in this blissful state (it happened a lot during lessons at school). You know, when people are trying to get your attention but your eyes are glazed over.. you can hear them but don't want to snap out of it!

As an adult, I rarely get this feeling, but sometimes it arises, for example, when I watch someone write, or when I read a description of the treatments offered at a health spa (it's great, I only have to read about a 'holistic aromatherapy treatment' to get the benefit of the relaxation!)

It came to me today, that this state is the one in which I need to find myself, not only to observe myself, but to be in the moment

Hi Semira,

What a wonderful description of your previous blissful childlike state. Zoning out of the chaos and attuning to the light is a wonderful quality in a world where it seems there are infinite alluring things to be sucked into, taking us away from our essential nature.

In being present, I feel it so important to maintain consciousness throughout the environment in which we are in, whilst experiencing the peace of flowing completely with universal consciousness. So often in the past have I just slipped off into another world. It took me a great deal of practice and encouragement (thanks Chris!) to become more 'here'.

I often (although not often enough) find myself in a state of bliss when I am surrounded by nattering people, although it is something I am still working on. 'Tis as if the world slows down to a crawl being drawn to only that which is necessary.

Warm Wishes
Trin

"'Tis as if the world slows down to a crawl being drawn to only that which is necessary"

Yes, that's exactly it Trin! Thanks for your sharing x

Glad to hear that we're on the same page
Thank you for your sharing too!

Hi Semira,

Thanks for your continued sharing.
The trance like state you describe, being here and yet not, sounds to me like your consciousness is touching the experience of absoluteness - in other words you're dissolving into the place of infinite potential from which all arises.

When we practice being the Observer of ourselves often and long enough, we start dissolving into pure awareness. To me, this is what it means to be in an enlightened state.

When this arises, it can indeed be experienced as bliss although I hasten to add we don't have to be in bliss to be in enlightenment. To be truly enlightened is to be enlightened by all conditions and experiences - in other words to be in a state of non-attachment not matter what is happening.

It's quite easy to do this as a child (providing the world is being quite gentle with us) but it tends to get harder (much harder) as we grow up because we build conditioned behaviours based on repetitive actions that attach us to the drama and pull us out of that state - it normally happens because we no longer experience the unconditional love we felt in the womb so we go off in search of that feeling through the outer world of effects rather than the inner one of causality.

If you keep centering in this state when it arises, you'll begin to notice a totally ordinary and yet awesome state of perception through it all - so beyond the bliss. We might call this your centre.

Once you've truly located your centre, then the next "challenge" becomes staying in this centre no matter what happens in the external world. To me when we can do this all the time, it is to be in a state of Enlightenment and it is our destiny - from my perspective its what we really came here to discover.

This state feels a bit like zoning out when in fact what we're really doing is zoning in to what's really real!

Chris

Day dreaming

This thread is really interesting as when I was aged about 12 or 13 I can remember being a dream like state on a regular basis (I have an old photo which captures how I was feeling at that time). The response I received at school and home was very much of the order of ‘snap out of it’ and ‘he’s a dozey…(!)…who needs to improve his concentration in lessons etc’.
Sometimes, I think it was a way for me to insulate myself and disengage from my surroundings and the people around me as I felt shy and fearful of the ‘big wide world’. Not long after, I was described on school reports as ‘cold and rather reserved’.

I feel as though I broadly understand what you mean, Chris, in your last reply when you say:

“To be truly enlightened is to be enlightened by all conditions and experiences - in other words to be in a state of non-attachment no matter what is happening”

However, I am a little confused about the difference between non-attachment to all outcomes and experiences and simultaneously being able to care about those around you, especially family and friends. In other words, if I do not show any reactions at all I may feel detached and on the edge of the event or action, but on the other hand I can see that if I am involved my feelings are usually only being triggered through the external drama (often linked to past experiences in childhood)-rather than being linked to the centre of my true being (I think).

I would really appreciate any further advice or insights drawn from personal experience.

Best wishes,

AndyC

Hi Andy,

You asked a very interesting and important question when you said...

"I am a little confused about the difference between non-attachment to all outcomes and experiences and simultaneously being able to care about those around you, especially family and friends."

So let's look at what I really mean by being "non-attached to the outcome of all experiences" because I definitely DON'T mean not to care about our friends, family and circumstances - in fact far from it. In an enlightened state you care like you've never cared before - you care UNCONDITIONALLY.

They key to none-attachment is to make the ultimate realisation of what this "game" we call life is really all about. In absolute reality, every single thing is formed from One Life - One Being. So at the highest level you and I are just having a conversation with ourselves.

As the One Life we have created the concept of relativity in order to have an experience of life. In other words we had to create multiplicity of form; you can't know this without that, up without down, hot without cold, you without me.

The One Life achieved the concept of relativity and therefore multiplicity and therefore experience by a seemingly complex illusion. It separated itself into apparently individual and yet interconnected parts - we are each as waves on an infinite ocean...

"Know that this Universe is nothing but a dream,
a bluff of nature
to test your consciousness of immortality.
Paramahansa Yogananda

It then caused some of the parts (souls) to loose themselves with in the concept of separation. In other words we created the illusion of time and space between the separate parts. Time and space create "distance" from the source and therefore forgetfulness that we are each the source.

When we are able to grasp this truth and actually experience the Oneness, we realise that we are actually beyond the separation - beyond the physical Universe; that we can't die or go anywhere because we exist everywhere; that nothing can truly harm us or cause us pain unless we allow it to happen because we are attached to the experience of pain.

When we realise that all pain and suffering is simply a choice, we can be free from the illusion - it doesn't mean that pain goes away. It just means we look at it differently. The very word "pain" conjures all kind of visions, feelings and realities for most people but "pain" is just a judgement of an experience - due to conditioning we allow ourselves to experience pain in a particular way instead of going through and beyond it.

There can be few experiences that cause greater pain than child birth and yet some women have become so surrendered, so masterful of pain that they go into multiple orgasm at the very height of the pain itself.

If you are attached to pain, you fight it or try to ignore it which only gives it more energy thereby making it worse. However if you go right into the very centre of the pain and ask yourself "so what?"; if you can pause just long enough without reacting to the conditioning, you're likely to find another feeling which is helps you become none attached.

Its exactly the same as hunger. If we are hungry we might feel an emptiness inside and judge that emptiness as discomfort and therefore feel the need to eat. However if instead of immediately responding to the conditioning we stop for a moment and go deep into the feeling of hunger, you may find it becomes something else. For me it becomes openness and lightness. Correspondingly I feel my energy rising. Have you ever tried fasting for a few days? The hunger pains pass away after a couple of days and the experience can be truly profound.

Many are attached to being in relationship - we'll do anything just to hold onto our partner even if that relationship is no longer serving us. Over time this one attachment is likely to breed others; we become increasingly entangled in a false way of life.

None-attachment and realisation of Oneness may happen during one life defining moment such as a near death experience for example or it could come as a progressive unfolding where we continually confront our attachments and let them go.

In letting go of our attachments however, the magical day will dawn when we realise the only purpose of life at all is to experience the boundless, unconstrained joy of the soul - total liberation.

And yet with total liberation comes a divine paradox. We don't care less about those around us - we are liberated to care MORE. We can allow them to be exactly who they choose to be without needing them to be a particular way. We don't need them to be kind to us or loving. We can dive headfirst into love without fear of the outcome such as ultimate rejection for example.

Ultimately we can truly push the envelope and walk down the blade edge between life and death without fear because we are none-attached. The key is to continually confront those attachments - those fears - and go deeply into them so that we may be released. Ultimately the only thing to fear is fear itself.

Hope this helps!

Chris

Hi Andy,

I read your post with great interest. I can especially relate when you say:

"...if I do not show any reactions at all I may feel detached and on the edge of the event or action, but on the other hand I can see that if I am involved my feelings are usually only being triggered through the external drama".

In my personal experience, I found it very difficult not to be pulled into the drama when it came to a certain close family member. There always seemed to be something she would say that just got to me, and I reacted.....It is not easy at first, to stay centred!

In this particular relationship, much of what this person said to me, I felt, was an attempt to bring me down - or at least - not encourage me to move forward. I know deep down that she is just afraid of me changing. Because this in turn would change her experience.

Knowing this deep down, allows me to find a peace inside whenever I am beginning to feel pulled into the drama. When she says something that would normally make me feel hurt or impatient, I remember where her words are coming from, and I begin to feel compassion.

I hope to hear more about how you're getting on in the near future!

Semira x

On a completely different buy equally interesting topic!

This evening I cooked Trinity's 'Sunset Curry'. Well, what can I say. It is truly delicious...AND so easy to make! I had had a block of coconut sitting in my cupboard for months, not knowing what to do with it.....Maybe it was just waiting for this recipe!

I am most impressed Semira! Do let us know if you do another one and we'll all come around
Totally off topic here but for anyone else who is tempted here's the recipe link: http://www.openhandweb.org/recipes_for_conscious_eating_main_dishes#comm...

Thanks, Chris for your profound and detailed reply on the subject of 'none attachment', and apologies for the delay in responding.

My attention is drawn to the following paragraphs when you say:

"Time and space create "distance" from the source and therefore forgetfulness that we are each the source."

"When we are able to grasp this truth and actually experience the Oneness, we realise that we are actually beyond the separation - beyond the physical Universe; that we can't die or go anywhere because we exist everywhere..."

Whilst I can take these statements on board intellectually to some degree, I don't feel able (at this time) to make the necessary leap of faith (without efforting) to believe they are true in my heart. Perhaps this my fear of the unknown coming to the surface and wanting to control what might happen. I can certainly see my mind searching for definitive answers to everything (and therefore imposing limits on myself in the process!) rather than trusting the outcome, whatever it is.

In one sense I am attached to a scientific approach which rarely (if ever) comes close to explaining the 'miracles' (religious or otherwise) happening on a regular basis in the world at large. What's more, despite all man's technological advancement, some people argue that he only possesses a fraction of the knowledge about the workings of the solar system/universe (and many other things) due to its infinite nature! I guess it would be pretty boring, though, if science had a rational explanation to account for all happenings (saying that Chris, when you describe the origins of the physical universe you do have a very clear picture of the sequence of events which took place).

The other point which comes to mind is my limited awareness of the presence of God (in whatever form).
However, I am going to share one of the few mystical experiences I have had in my life, which has remained with me to this day. This is not something I have mentioned to anyone else before.
I was aged about 8 or 9, lying in bed, and the sensation I had was of a spirit or soul being forced to flee out of my body accompanied by a wailing noise. It was if there was no room for it to remain because of my ego, and the only way I can describe the feeling since then is that something appears to be missing from my life on a spiritual level. This event seems significant but remains an enigma to me.

For now, there are several poems on the Openhand website which talk about making a leap of faith so perhaps it would be a good idea to revisit them.

Best wishes,

AndyC

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your continued sharing - its wonderful that you have the courage to be so open and honest. From my perspective, this is always the first step to spiritual unfolding.

As I read your post, much flowed within me from a higher perspective. First let me deal with the whole issue of "leap of faith". You wrote...

"Whilst I can take these statements on board intellectually to some degree, I don't feel able (at this time) to make the necessary leap of faith (without efforting) to believe they are true in my heart."

The journey of the soul is a divine paradox. We feel a pull to do something and then the mind often takes over. But this happens on both sides of the coin - so we might feel a pull to "jump" but the mind might talk us out of it. However it could also be that the soul is simply "testing us". Its pushing to the brink to contemplate how we really feel about jumping but then pulls us back - unless of course the mind owns it once again and actually jumps!

To me this is what the Buddha actually meant when he spoke of walking the middle path - my experience is it's like walking along a blade edge.

The second thing that arises for me in responding, is I sense expectation of how spiritual experience should be. Writing about spiritual experiences on this website (and in my book), I have long realised that we're providing a double edged sword - we're helping to explain what people might be experiencing but then others may take the words literally and think they should experience that too instead of 'stepping through the lines' to identify what is really real for them.

I remember reaching the place that others have described as Enlightenment (I can't actually know that what I experience and they experience are the same thing of course!). A wave of realisation washed over me as to how ordinary it really is - my life had come full circle. I gone through a magical roller coaster ride, stripped away thought, emotion, mind and body and arrived right back at the same place I began!

Yes I can identify etheric experiences in my reality, but at the same time it feels amazingly grounded. I have exactly the same issues as everyone else does - uncertainty about whether to do this or that; uncertainity as to what my soul is really revealing and yes sometimes even fear. The difference now is that I have located a simple state of perception that is always present in the background and I know WITHOUT doubt that I am that. I cannot go anywhere because that perception is everywhere. It cannot be damaged, tarnished or violated.

I realised EVERY experience is a spiritual experience: pain, frustration, anguish, fear. The key is not to fight for them to go away - not to want anything else to replace them. In which case they tend to dissolve anyway because no such distortion can stand for too long in the face of absolute inviolable truth.

This leads me to the final point you raise...

"the sensation I had was of a spirit or soul being forced to flee out of my body accompanied by a wailing noise."

I'd like to hear more about the incident but my intuition does already speak very loudly about this. It feels to me like its all about Opposing Consciousness - hence the wailing sound.

As I refer to in my book, I (and many others) experience an Opposing Consciousness operating in the surrounding energy field. It's purpose is to retard our evolution. One way it does this is by "driving the soul of out the body" so to speak. In other words, by the use of fear (or delusion), it causes us to desensitise to various aspects of our bodymind. So for example fear might cause us to tighten so that we can't feel our true sensitivity any longer. Alternatively delusion might cause us to flee to higher, dreamier realms - hence people often go into some ungrounded floaty state.

The real key to combating Opposing Consciousness and therefore bringing full realisation into this place here and now, is to bring spirit totally into the moment by being absolutely grounded and embracing everything that is arising without avoiding it. So if there is fear, go right into the heart of it. If there is pain, drink it in through every cell. Don't try to switch or 'reframe' - be prepared to go through the fires of hell if need be and if you can do that, you will, without a doubt, find awesome okayness. There will be nothing left for fear to be sustainable. It may arise but it will also just as quickly dissolve.

Intuiton is the key. Trust in your intuiton - that it will ALWAYS bring you exactly to the right place for what you now need to be learning (remembering actually). So you are in exactly the right place and experience right now. What is the moment revealing to you about yourself? Not about others, not their feelings and issues but YOU? What is really real about you and what is illusion? You don't even have to know for sure, you just have to feel what it could be and go with that. Do you feel shy? Then be shy. Does that now serve you? Do you feel angry? Be angry. Does that now serve you? Do you feel confused? Be confused and ask does that now serve you.

If you do this, you'll peel away layer upon layer until you get to what's really you - but here's the paradox - you won't even know what that is until it reveals itself in the moment. You will be completely undefinable - completely free to be you.

Finaly, I am given to share this affirmation with you. It adorns my altar and I read it practically every day...

"I stand behind me
in line with my self and my path,
illuminated...
I trust my love and intuition,
and I am whole,
Open to the future.
Consciously earthing my spirit
I see light born from darkness,
The son of the mother.
My vision returns."
Rainbow Jo

Chris

Hello everyone,

Since my last post, things have appeared to slow down a lot. After that night when I had the pressure on my crown, I had another such event. I could not sleep all night and the pressure and tingling in my head was intense. I could also feel a cool tingling sensation across my lower back and my heart felt much pressure at times too. My mind was racing and despite knowng that I should let go, I could not let go of the fear. The next morning I felt desperate. I looked in the mirror and my pupils were huge. I felt I needed to find someone to help me. I could not do it alone. I phoned a friend of mine who I thought cold help me but he couldn't. As I explained what had been happening to me, he told me I should 'be careful', that I might change forever and may even lose my children. I became frustrated that he wasn't understanding me and made my excuses to get off the phone. It was only then tha I realised he had just relayed all of my fears right back to me! I still felt strange and I needed someone to talk to about this..now. As I walked through town, I felt wonderfully liberated. Normally I feel very tight in crowded shops but now I felt expanded, light and almost 'above' everything. The first place I thought to go was the local buddist meditation centre. But it was closed. I began to shed tears because I felt desperate to talk to someone who could relate to what I was going through. I wanted someone I could call in the middle of the night to helpg uide me through.

To cut a long story short, I never did find anyone to talk to. Instead I treated myself to a lovely dinner and I managed to sleep soundly that night. Days later I did this chakra test online, which claimed to be able to show me which of my chakras were open and which were not. I was sceptical but the results rang true. While my upper chakras were open, my lower ones especially the base chakra was very under-active. I am a very analytical person with many ideas however, I do have a tendancy to be anxious and self-conscious. I realised that what I needed was to ground myself.

UP until now I am using the grounding technique provided by Trinity. I am having great success with it although there is still a way to go, I feel. I remember something Chris once said about bobbing up to the surface every now and again and I can relate to this. Sometimes, I have felt that because the pressure in my head went away, I have gone backwards on my spiritual journey. But these things cannot be rushed and I believe I am now processing a lot out of my system. I still get pressure in my head and tingling and when I close my eyes there is almost always a violet circle there. Curiously, I have also noticed twice now, a flicker of vivid blue light around me in my peripheral vision; once on my chest and last night on my palm. I do not have the internet now (all a part of the plan!) but I check the site when I can and just felt like sharing what has been happening with me lately.

Love and light to you all,

Semira

Dear Semira,

I'm delighted to hear that you are still checking in. I recognise all the things you talk of from my own journey. These things are all valuable experiences that invite us to peel back all those things that no longer serve.

It seems normal to go through periods of intense experiences, followed by apparent calm. The more gentle periods give time for the integration of new layers of consciousness into our every day living. It can be rather pleasant if this is gentle, especially if you have a tendency to experience powerful shifts.

I agree wholeheartedly in that it is best not to rush unfolding. There is a natural pace unique to us all, depending what we are ready for.

I love reading of your meditational experience. Awesome!

With Love
Trinity

P.S. Further info here on grounding:
""Connecting to the etheric whilst grounded...""

Ok.. here it goes.

I had my first out of body experience 1 week ago and it was traumatic because I saw a little girl falling throw a window and felt that girl was related to me. The shock was big and I was pulled back to my body in a traumatic way I found myself like around the room screaming and my body on the bed after some seconds I was back.

Just 2 days ago it was just horrible…I woke up and felt someone was beside me but I could not see, then I felt that entity digging on my stomach and pressed very hard that I even felt pain very uncomfortable. I tried to push away the entity and could not. Then I said on my mind “in the name of jesus go away” twice and it finished. When I opened my eyes saw a light twisting on the ceiling of my room like start shape.

This is the first time in my life I feel this thing and it is totally scary. I do not want even be asleep after this.

Someone can explain to me about the lights? The stranger? The hands on my stomach? I think maybe someone with more experience on this area. I have seen lights on the ceiling when I wake up then those disappear.

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum. The first thing I would say is to stay calm and not to be afraid - at the end of the day try to remember this is all an illusion. Every experiential phenomenon is simply created by consciousness as a mirror to experience who and what we really are; that we are one life, whole and complete expressing itself through multiplicity of form. You exist everywhere, cannot be harmed and you cannot die.

That said, I completely empathise with you - when you're in the middle of these experiences they feel totally real.

I can respond to your questions intuitively to help give you some direction. My guidance comes from a higher state of perception where our souls meet. However, I would also say, you must pass any guidance I give through your own inner feelings and processing. At the end of the day, we must learn to interpret and master our own experiences.

So here goes...

The little girl is indeed related to you. She is in actual fact a part of you. She is what you might call the "inner child". What exactly is this? When we are born we are being completely and wholey at one with the Universe. In other words we are being our unique and divine expression of the One Life - the soul. We are so at one with everything that we don't even know where we end and our mother begins. We experience ourselves as the same thing.

However, over time we are conditioned by our environment into believing we are separate from everything else, that there is no unifying consciousness and generally the love we receive is conditional; we are chastised for being 'bad' and rewarded for being 'good'. In response to this we begin to build conditioned behavioural patterns. These form fixed neural pathways in the brain of conditioned responses to external stimuli. For example: "I'm hungry, I don't feel complete, if I cry I'll get fed". This is just a simple one but over time they build into a complex web interlinked with visual imagery, emotions, thoughts and feelings. This complex web becomes an inner identity because now all of our impulses are filtered through this web. This is what is known as the "inner child".

We become so wrapped up in the drama of how the inner child relates to the world that we forget our inherent sense of completeness and awesome okayness of the soul. Instead we identify with the inner child - we actually sense becoming it. Furthermore since our reality in the external world is shaped by what we're being on the inside, we create a complete false life style to go with our false identity.

When we begin to wake up, we're actually releasing ourselves from this prison. It may happen because the tightness caused by the inner child is so dense that the soul may feel like it needs a brief rest from the drama - which is why you had the out of body experience. What was actually happening was that you were stepping through the window into absolute authentic reality - which is why you saw the little girl falling through the window.

As this happens two things tend to occur. We may feel joy, completeness and love as we are suddenly liberated and we may also feel fear. This is because a part of the soul is still identifying with the child and is afraid of its own death. Although this may feel real, it is only our attachment to identity that is dieing - in actual fact it is an amazing liberation.

When we come back into the body we may also feel the constriction, tightness, doubt, worry and fear that coming into incarnation tends to feel like until the soul becomes fully adept with the experience. Over time, if we follow our soul led journey of awakening, the conditioned neural pathways that form the inner child will dissolve and we will step permanently through the window of life into our absolute authentic reality where all is one and inter connected.

The digging in your stomach feeling was to do with "Opposing Consciousness". Acting through the external field is a consciousness which is trying to prevent our natural evolution by invoking fear, doubt and worry. In fact most of society is being influenced in this way. When we are in such tightness, we emit emotional energy - Opposing Consciousness can assimilate this energy just as we can food. Opposing Consciousness tends to act through the solar plexus chakra in the area of the stomach which is why you felt what you did.

In many ways your response was intuitive and exactly the right thing. You projected the power of your "Warrior Energy" - your will - into the surrounding field and pushed them away. So you learned a valuable lesson.

They are many other things you can do to protect yourself. You might like to take a browse through these two threads...
Combating psychic attack
Tips on raising my vibration

It feels to me like you are going through a pre-Awakening prior to having a full blown awakening experience. You're about to step onto the super highway of internally guided spiritual evolution. Its a miraculous roller coaster ride leading to your eventual Enlightenment (hence the lights on your bedroom ceiling). It is not to be feared by embraced - this is the purpose of life itself and you're about to get some very powerful and wonderfully rewarding lessons.

I believe it would greatly benefit you to buy a copy of our book "Gateways of Light" which explains in great detail all about the process you and others are going through. It provides first hand accounts together with tools and practices for facilitating the unfolding at the various stages of our lives. You can preview it and buy a copy here...Gateways of Light

It would also greatly benefit you to get involved in some kind of meditation and perhaps spiritual unfolding courses like the ones we run. Our level 1 course "Unfolding into Light" would be ideal. You can read about it here...Unfolding into Light

I hope this helps!

Love and best wishes

Chris

Dear Chris

I do appreciate your response. I feel more relaxed now. I was in anguish as did not know the right person to ask. Someone pressing and touching your stomach it is not a pleasant experience it rather intruding and annoying.

I will follow your advises. However, I would like to know how can I distinguish between a "Opposing Consciousness" or karmic thing with an attack of a bad energy of lower vibration perhaps taking advantage of a crack in my etheric body or aura.? I had 2 operations on my stomach for a bowel obstruction and this areas of my body has been an issue to me whole my life. In fact a was born with a bowel obstruction and operated after 2 days born.

Thank you very much for your comment
God bless
Monica

Hi Monica,

Opposing Consciousness is a huge issue to deal with. From my perspective it has created and continues to dominate every aspect of the society in which we live. At the same time, most people cannot touch, taste, feel or see it. We mistakenly believe that all our thoughts, feelings and emotions are entirely our own when frequently they are not. All too often buttons of conditioned behaviours and predictable reactions are being pressed for us.

I am given to write some quite indepth work about the phenomenon and I cannot really give it full justice here in one comment so I'd invite you to tune in as we add to the body of work.

Suffice it to say for now, the key to combating Opposing Consciousness is self awareness. Opposing Consciousness cannot do anything physical to harm you - it can however influence you to harm yourself by deceiving you into making choices that are not in your best interest - the food we eat for example and the conditioning we expose ourselves to on TV.

In becoming more self aware, it is important to begin to watch our motivations for doing things. Are they selfish actions inspired by fear, worry, desire or the perceived need for something outside of ourselves to make us feel whole? Or are our actions inspired instead by a higher altruism - the authentic inner yearning to find and express that aspect of beingness which most completely defines who and what we truly feel we are? Opposing Consciousness tries to support the former approach by attaching us to physicality thus disempowering us. Benevolent Consciousness on the other hand empowers us to find self completeness.

You might like to try this approach to decision making in life and following only those inspirations that come from the higher self...Openhand Approach

You might also like to read more about how we are hindered and supported in our unfolding...Benevolent hand, Opposing hand

So until I write the more detailed response, I trust this will help.

With love and best wishes

Chris