Whenyouareactiveandnotpracticingorexperiencingthewisdomofmysticalspirituality,youare
distractedfromtherealyou.Thisdistractionwhichcomesfromthedesires,cravingsandendlessmo-
tionofthoughtsinthemindistheveilwhichblocksyourperceptionofyourdeeperessence,theSu-
premeSelf.Thesedistractionskeepyouinvolvedwiththemind,senses,andbodythatyouhave
cometobelieveistherealyou.Whenyourbodyismotionlessandyouarethinkingandfeeling,you
aremostlyassociatedwithyourmind.Attimeswhenyouarenotthinking,suchasinthedreamless
sleepstate,thenyouareassociatedwithyourHigherSelf.However,thisconnectioninthedreamless
sleepstateisveiledbyignorancebecauseyouareasleepandnotawareoftheexperience.Inorderto
discoverthisrealm,youmustconsciouslyturnawayfromthephenomenalworldwhichisdistracting
youfromyourinnerreality.Thepracticeofmysticalspiritualityaccomplishesthistask.Meditation,
whenbackedupbytheotherdisciplinesofmysticalspirituality,isthemostpowerfulagentofself-
discovery.Thepracticeofmeditationallowsonetocreateahigherawareness,whichaffectsallas-
pectsofone’slife,butmostimportantly,itgivestheaspirantexperientialknowledgeofhis/histrue
Self.
What is the Goal of Meditation?
Meditationmaybethoughtofordefinedasthepracticeofmentalexercisesanddisciplinestoenable
themeditatortoachievecontroloverthemind,specifically,tostopthevibrationsoftheminddueto
unwanted thoughts, imaginations, etc.
Consciousnessreferstotheawarenessofbeingaliveandofhavinganidentity.Itisthischaracteristic
whichseparateshumansfromtheanimalkingdom.Animalscannotbecomeawareoftheirownexist-
enceandponderthequestionssuchasWhoamI?,WhereamIgoinginlife?,WheredoIcomefrom?,
etc.Theycannotwritebooksonhistoryandcreateelaboratesystemsofsocialhistorybasedonances-
try,etc.Consciousnessexpressesitselfinthreemodes.Theseare:Waking,Dream-Sleepand
Dreamless-Deep-Sleep.
Ordinaryhumanlifeisonlypartiallyconscious.Whenyouaredrivingorwalking,yousometimes
losetrackofthepresentmoment.Allofasuddenyouarriveatyourdestinationwithouthavingcon-
sciousawarenessoftheroadwhichyouhavejusttraveled.Yourmindwentintoan“automatic”mode
ofconsciousness.Thisautomaticmodeofconsciousnessrepresentsatemporarywithdrawalfromthe
wakingworld.Thisstateissimilartoadaydream(adreamlikemusingorfantasy).Thisformofexist-
enceiswhatmostpeopleconsideras“normal”everydaywakingconsciousness.Itiswhatpeople
consider to be the extent of the human capacity to experience or be conscious.