Meditation is a spiritual practice which attempts to quiet the mind in order to reveal the divine reality of conscious awareness that remains hidden from us most of the time. This divine reality of conscious awareness is called many things however, I will call it the Power of the Spirit, because I believe that the divine reality of conscious awareness which is contacted in meditation is the Spirit of God. Whatever you choose to call it, and the name is not as important as the actual practice of communing with this reality through meditation, it is important to understand that the divine reality of consciousness that you contact during meditation is not you. You are its reflection, you are deeply rooted and connected to this Power of the Spirit, but you are not this power. This is why we must meditate, because we are not the Power of the Spirit, but are instead conduits of this Power. However, like an electric appliance cannot work unless it is plugged into an outlet, we too cannot work properly unless we plug ourselves into the Power of the Spirit.
Perhaps at this point you are asking why we should need to plug ourselves into this power, and what would the benefit be? And maybe you are even asking why this so-called divine power should need us to contact it. Why does it not contact us directly, and why do I need to learn how to quiet myself in order to make this connection?
These are very good questions. Let me just say that I cannot explain all the mysteries of the universe, not should I want to! However, through my experience, and through practicing meditation and prayer for many years, I have surmised the following.
First, that the divine reality of consciousness is pure mind, pure infinite thought. How do you communicate with a reality like this? The Book of Isaiah has God saying, “my thoughts are not your thoughts.” I interpret this to mean that our day to day objective thought processes will not help us, and in fact actually hinder us, from communicating with the Power of the Spirit. Meditation quiets the objective mind, and allows you to communicate with it on its terms. Through practice, you become familiar with how the Spirit communicates, and this expands your overall understanding and experience of reality.
Second, that we, and the human race as a whole, are a work in progress. Communicating with, and becoming aware of, the Power of the Spirit effects change in us individually, and the human race as a whole. Once you contact this reality and move within the Power of the Spirit, your life can never be the same. Everything you previously thought about life will change; your goals, your desires, your dreams. You will have changed, become a new creature, a new creation. And human society will be better because of this change which is manifesting in your life.
And third, the divine reality is love (that is its nature) and wishes to have a genuine relationship with us. Genuine relationships can only happen when both parties freely choose to enter into the relationship. The Spirit waits until we are ready to make the first move to find it, and then it reveals itself to us. Not all at once, because we could not handle that, but only in the measure that is best for us, and will help us to grow and develop positively.
There are many other reasons, why we meditation is necessary for linking up with the Power of the Spirit. However, the three I have presented in this article form a good foundation for further inquiry. Look into meditation, and try it out, and begin enjoying its life changing effects.
About the Author:
Dave Wilcox writes articles on topics such as self-improvement, spirituality, diet, and fitness.
If you would like to learn more about self-improvement and meditation visit:
http://thepowerofthespirit.blogspot.com
http://www.squidoo.com/meditation-for-self-improvement
