Beyond the Normal State of Consciousness cont'd

Normal consciousness is where the self resides.  The self is that person we call "Me," or "I."  It is the ego self with all of our values, beliefs, feelings, desires, aspirations, hopes, and fears.  We may go to the edge of normal consciousness (awareness) but the ego self is still there.

The true Self (big Self, Atman, the Absolute, the All, Pure Awareness, the Divine) is all encompassing - one with everything.  The true Self is everlasting and has no ego.  It is the ultimate state of being.  When you experience the true Self there is no duality.  You are no longer isolated and your relationship is with everyone and everything to the nth degree.  The true Self is beyond normal consciousness.

We have all experienced this magnificent state of the true Self at one time or another.  It may have lasted for only a few seconds or minutes but it was unmistakably an unforgettable experience.

When I was a young man I was standing on the bow of a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean one evening as the sun was setting.  The ocean was like a giant blue lake expanding out into infinity with no land in sight.  The sun looked like a big egg yolk as it was trying to descend into the depths of the horizon. Almost immediately, and lasting for about 10 seconds, the sky turned a brilliant gold and for that brief moment there was no longer a "Me."  That was my first encounter with the true Self.

According to Yogic philosophy the true Self is always present and all we have to do is take away the physical and non-physical sheathes or koshas that prevent the true Self from shining through. But that is not an easy thing to do.  We live in a busy an exciting world that has many distractions that keep us from staying in the true Self for any length of time.  So what is a busy person to do?

To be continued on the next post.