ThemindandnervoussystemareinstrumentsoftheSelf,whichitusestohaveex-
periencesintherealmoftimeandspace,whichithascreatedinmuchthesameway
asapersonfallsasleepanddevelopsanentiredreamworldoutofhisorherown
consciousness.Itisattheunconsciousandsubconsciouslevelswherethemostin-
tensiveworkofYogatakesplace,becauseitisherethattheconsciousidentification
ofapersoncreatesimpressionsinthemindandwheredesiresbasedonthoseim-
pressionsdevelop.Itisthesedesiresthatkeeptheaspirantinvolvedintherealmof
timeandspaceorfreestheaspirantfromtheworldoftimeandspaceiftheyare
sublimatedintothespiritualdesireforenlightenment.Thedesiretoattainenlighten-
mentisnotviewedinthesamemannerasegobaseddesires;itisviewedasbeing
aspiration which is a positive movement.
Externalized consciousness - distracted by egoism and worldly objects.
ThelightoftheSelf(consciousness)shinesthroughthemindandthisiswhatsustainslife.Theflow
ofconsciousnessinmostpeopleisfromwithinmovingoutward.Thiscausesthemtobeexternalized
anddistractedandloseenergy.Wherethemindgoes,energyflows.Haveyouevernoticedthatyou
can“feel”someonelookingatyou?Thisisbecausethereisasubtleenergybeingtransmittedthrough
theirvision(whichisanextensionofthemind).Thosewholiveinthisexternalizedstateofmindare
notawareofthesourceofconsciousness.Meditation,aswellastheotherdisciplinesofyoga,serveto
reversetheflowofconsciousnessonitselfsothatthemindactsasamirrorwhichrevealsthetrue
Self.
Internalized consciousness of a Yogapractitioner.
Mostpeopleareunawarethattherearedeeperlevelstotheirbeingjustastheyareunawareofthefact
thatphysicalrealityisnot“physical.”Quantumphysicsexperimentshaveproventhatthephysical
worldisnotcomposedofmatter,butofenergy.ThissupportsthefindingsoftheancientSageswho
havetaughtforthousandsofyearsthatthereality,whichisexperiencedbythehumansenses,isnot
an“Absolute”reality,butaconditionalone.Therefore,youmuststrivetorisebeyondyourcondi-
tioned mind and senses in order to perceive reality as it truly is.
“Learn to distinguish the real from the unreal.”
Humanbeingsarenotjustcomposedofamind,sensesandaphysicalbody.Beyondthephysicaland
mentallevels,thereisasoullevel.ThisistherealmoftheHigherSelf,whichalloftheteachingsof
mysticalspiritualityandthevariouspracticesofmeditationaredirectedtowardsdiscovering.This
“hidden”aspectofourselveswhichisbeyondthethoughtsisknownasAmun,AsarorAmentainthe
AncientEgyptiansystemofspirituality,asBrahman,inIndianVedantaphilosophy,asGodinChris-
tianity, etc.