One question I and many others who are studying metaphysics and practical mysticism specifically is the place of meditation in Practical Mysticism . I think meditation is one of the most important ways to connect with the Divine within oneself, to probe the boundaries of this world and the eternal, and to communicate with the Divine what our true purpose is in this incarnation. So, what is the place of meditation in practical metaphysics, and even more important, what is the best way to meditate that’s most effective?

Well, this is a loaded question because it’s such a big question. We need to break it down into essentials. Today we will cover the place of meditation in practical mysticism, as it is the fundamental way to connect with the Divine. I will save the meditation and what works for me for the next post.

Meditation is the cornerstone of practical mysticism

 

Meditation is one of the foundations of practical mysticism. One could say it is the cornerstone of mysticism. Dr. Masters calls it Mystical Meditation. It has a specific function. It’s to connect us to the Divine who has been within us from the beginning. It isn’t just important for our physical and mental health, it’s crucial to our spiritual health. It is the hub that connects us and if we neglect to meditate, we do so at our peril. It’s where we make direct contact with the Divine, not just calm our nerves, or de-stress, though mystical meditation can do that.

I believe that meditation is pivotal to our evolution as living spiritual beings, and without meditation, and mystical meditation specifically helps break through the ego, which I call the external or outer soul, what others call the personality so that we can have a conversation with the Divine, which may be the first time this has happened in our current incarnation. And it’s not a formal practice.

Meditation lets us hear what the Divine has to say to us, personally

In my life, and I imagine in yours, we get so distracted by the hustle, bustle and worries of the everyday world. We get lost in what’s happened in our life, what might happen, and what if we “miss the boat” We hurry through the day, we get caught up in things that we can’t think of anything else, but what we can see right in front of us. These are blinders that keep us from seeing and hearing the Divine and what is in alignment for us, what our purpose is. God/The Creator, or that part of the Creator is speaking, but because of the maya or illusions of what is important, what we should be doing, we are in effect blind and deaf to what is coming from Eternity.

The Divine has so much to show us, to teach us, but we have to take a breath, to slow down and give ourselves a chance to hear it, So, why is it that we make everything so deafening? Why aren’t we allowing the Higher Self, the Creator from being heard? Because we are told we have things we should be doing. That we don’t have the time to sit still for 5 minutes or 15 or even an hour, that we shouldn’t just “moon after dreams” but do what needs to be done in the here and now. That’s assuming we can sit still for 5 minutes, let alone an hour,  in the first place.

I think another reason we drown the Creator out, the Mind of God, is that we are afraid that we are after the wrong things that we put so much investment in, and we don’t want to hear that that was wrong all along. We simply don’t want to hear that what our spirit yearned for was right all along, and that we listened to the wrong people, though they meant well (or not), and focused too much on what others wanted for us, which might have been right for them, but it’s not right for us.

But meditation allows us to balance those fears with what we yearn for. That it allows us to find the purpose we entered this incarnation. It clarifies things for us, sets things in its proper perspective, not what we think we yearn for.

Meditation calms and centers us

In my life, growing up, I didn’t meditate; couldn’t seem to be able sit still, and I fretted about everything. I can’t think of a moment when I was actually calm, let alone centered. I wanted everything right then, the biggest house (because I lived in a small house, and in my limited ego’s perspective, it limited in what I could see; it wasn’t enough. I wanted all the luxuries. I definitely wasn’t centered!

But the Divine waited for me at a point when I was ready. My Higher Self not to mention other pantheons knew I would be ready, and then they could teach me a better way. It’s when I started slowly in bits a spurts to attempt to meditate, to breathe, to slow down, then I started seeing things in a different way.

I began to realize while I wanted this stuff, I didn’t need it, and some of what I wanted like a big house was not only not a priority, I started wanting a more minimalistic, though not spartan home.The idea of all that square footage in a McMansion left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

 I didn’t need the fancy car or whatever, something that would work and be more utilitarian was better for me. I started to feel more centered. It just started to feel “wrong”. And then, funny thing, I found I didn’t want it after all. I wanted balance, even craved it.

 I started considering the difference between want and need. I’ve recently started asking myself, “When does want become need? ” And when does it become greed and avarice? I started finding myself focused on knowing myself and started working towards balance and not excess, because “excess brings ruin.”

 I’m not saying I don’t crave the creature comforts, or that I don’t backslide, but they happen less often and don’t stay as long, and I go back to something that’s more likely to keep me centered.

 Do I have this stuff yet? Nope! But my dreams are becoming more attuned to who I am becoming, and that’s a start in the right direction, I think. 😉

It focuses us on what’s really important-Our relationship with the Mind of God

 I don’t think what’s important to us is important to what people call God, the Divine, The Firms as my husband and I call them from the lyrics of Rolling Stones’ “Flip the switch’:

 “I’m not going to burn in hell

I cased the joint

And I know it well

Maybe my carcass

Can feed the worms

I’m working for the other firm”

written by Keith Richards & MIck Jagger

 You may be familiar with them, pantheons, gods like Apollo, Zeus, Odin, Thor, Hermes, to name just a few. They don’t see things the way we do, What’s really important, the bigger picture. Not just the now, but what’s up the line, what helps us evolve. What spurs that evolution, and not the formal, stilted relationship of God/Worshipper, but the informal relationship between friends. A partnership, not parent and child, though that is part of it too. But friends. It’s what’s needed for us. A better life, a better understanding of the fabric or reality.

Conclusion

In this post, I discussed the place of meditation in practical mysticism, and that its purpose is to keep us from “slipping our leash”, and being in daily contact with the Divine, and conversing it, and hearing what the Divine had to say. That is pivotal and critical to not just our mental and physical health, but our spiritual health as well. It helps us focus on what centers us, what calms us, the Divine, and yes, can even be fun. It’s not a drudgery, a chore to be on our to-do list because we are expected to do it, but it’s something that we can look forward to each day.

“I have not discussed the ways to meditate, so that it has a place in practical mysticism, or the best ways to do that. However, I will be discussing that in my next post: The ADHD Mystic’s Path: Finding Divine Connection through Movement and Flow. I’ll also discuss what works for me and what doesn’t–and whyI have not discussed the ways to meditate, so that it has a place in practical mysticism, or the best ways to do that. However, I will be discussing that in my next post. I’ll also discuss what works for me and what doesn’t–and why.