Q: Some enlightened beings have said that identification with the content of the mind is the root of all suffering, and learning to detach from this content and observe it dispassionately is the key to becoming enlightened. What is your view on this?
A: We recognize twelve stages of attentional identification and witnessing. These twelve states are:
Attention is identified with the content of the mind
Attention witnesses the content of the mind
Attention witnesses and objective labels the content of the mind, and recognizes with this content is
Attention uncovers the origin of an element of the content of the mind
Attention transcends the origin of the content of the mind, and reposes in Voidness and peace
Attention discovers the attentional principle and gains union with it
Attention discovers the spirit and gains union with it
Attention discovers the ensouling entity and gains union with it
Attention discovers the origin of the spirit
Attention discovers the origin of the ensouling entity
Attention discovers the Soul of the Bridge Path
Attention discovers Satchitananda
Moving off identification with the contents of the mind can be achieved through different modalities:
Basic mindfulness and watching the breath leads attention to stage two, where it can become aware of the content of the mind at different levels.
The practice of Vipassana brings attention to stage three.
Process meditation works at stage four.
The Zen practice of gaining union with the voidness of consciousness, or being, leads attention to stage five.
In Mudrashram®, we introduce aspirants to stages six, seven, and eight in a practice we call the awakening meditation. This meditation is part of one of our intermediate courses, the Accelerated Meditation Program.
In the process of unfolding the ensouling entity and opening the channels of the Nada through the transformational methods of the Mudrashram® system of Integral meditation, the disciple discovers the origin of the spirit (stage nine) and discovers the origin of the ensouling entity (stage ten).
Many meditations that are designed to break identification with the content of the mind do not lead attention beyond stage five, in which attention dwells in union with the Voidness of Consciousness. In some groups, this is regarded as a state of enlightenment; in truth, this is only a very rudimentary stage of meditation.
Associating attention with the three immortal principles—attentional principle, spirit, and ensouling entity—and learning to methods to activate and utilize these essences, empowers the meditator to perform inner work.
In Mudrashram®, we recognize ten aspects of inner work; you learn these ten aspects in our intermediate classes, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation and the by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program. You can read about these ten aspects that make up our Integral meditation training here.
We encourage aspirants to become familiar with all twelve types of attentional identification and witnessing. As you become proficient in detaching from attentional identification, you can reach the level where you can do inner work and transform your life and spiritual essences.
Q: In the Introduction to Meditation program, you frame mindfulness as tool for monitoring the contents of consciousness arising in the present time. Does mindfulness have other uses?
A: Mindfulness begins with the collection of attention, so it is present and inwardly alert. Then it can be focused on the content arising in the present time from the different levels of the Conscious mind. This monitoring of present time experience can be performed at any of the focal points of the Conscious mind. For example:
Waking state of consciousness (Body scan)
Movement center (Walking meditations)
Sensorium (Heightened awareness of sensory experience—sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch)
Deep body awareness (releasing sensations of pain or physical discomfort)
Feeling center (working with emotions arising in the present time—used in psychotherapy)
Mental center (observing thoughts in the present time)
Ego (observing the different roles of the ego organized under discrete “I am” statements)
Preconscious (observing the content of the Subconscious mind that enters conscious awareness)
A deeper function of mindfulness comes into play when attention is applied to not simply monitor the content that arises in the present time, but to actually process the content. Here attention notes the content, releases it, and moves to a deeper layer of the mind. It sinks down into a deeper stratum of the mind that lies just behind the content that arises at the surface.
This processing function of mindfulness has been called Vipassana. This uncovering through process can be performed on different types of mental experience. For example:
You can uncover the core of physical pain in the body and release it.
You can move through an emotional issue that is locked in the body and work it out.
You can sink to the core of confusion and find clarity.
You can encounter a block or obstacle in the mind that keeps you from going deeper meditation and you can break through it.
You can interface with a subpersonality in your unconscious mind and transform or dissolve it.
You can travel across an entire segment of your unconscious mind and reach the Light of Liberation beyond it.
You can trace a karmic impression in your causal body to find the karmic seed at its origin.
We train students in both functions of mindfulness in our meditation classes.
You learn the monitoring functions of mindfulness in the Introduction to Meditation program.
We introduce the processing function in our intermediate meditation courses—the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation and the by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program. In our intermediate courses, you learn the technique of Physical Vipassana, where you are able to sink deeper into the body to ultimately have a breakthrough experience and lift up into the voidness of consciousness of the state of being; you also learn to interface with a subpersonality using the Rainbow Technique.
Mindfulness in its monitoring and processing aspects is a powerful tool for meditation. We suggest it will be beneficial for you to learn how to perform these different applications of mindfulness.
Q: I have gone to Vipassana retreats and experienced deepening insight into my mind, but when I came back from the retreat, I have found it difficult to meditate. Is there some way to go within without the need to completely withdraw from daily life?
A: Absolutely. Your challenge is to find a method that enables you to collect your attention and move it inward along the thread of consciousness. However, what might work for one person to achieve this might not work for you. For this reason, we recommend that you learn a variety of ways to interiorize your attention, and utilize the ones that allow you go within.
Some of the methods that allow you to move your attention within include:
Tratakam, using your intention to move your attention to discrete focal points along the thread of consciousness
Absorption of your attention into inner pranic (life force) or sensory currents—breath, inner sight, and inner sound
Using visual metaphors for deeper levels of your mind, focusing your attention, for example, on steps of a ladder, floors of an elevator, chakras in an inner body of light, centers in an array—like the Sephiroth of the Kabala—or layers of a mandala
Paying attention to your experience in the present time at some level of the mind until you break through into a higher state of consciousness
Use of the Han Sa mantra to collect attention and absorb your attention into the focal points along the thread of consciousness
Praying to God, asking the Divine to guide your attention into higher states of consciousness; this may also take the form of repeating the name(s) of God as a mantra or chanting
Guided meditations, following the suggestion of your meditation teacher to travel within; becoming absorbed in the beam of attunement from a disciple or Initiate and traveling on that current of attunement to the inner worlds of Light
Whether you learn these methods from us or learn them elsewhere, we encourage you to acquire proficiency in a variety of meditation methods to enable you to rapidly interiorize your attention and advance to the level where you can begin to perform inner work—to resolve your life issues; to tap into your Soul’s intuition, abilities, and unconditional love and compassion; and to transform your spiritual evolutionary potentials.
Q: When your attention moves along the thread of consciousness in meditation into an altered state of awareness, is there a concurrent shift in mental functioning? For example, if I move my attention into the field of the senses, will my perception of the world change from the waking state of awareness?
A: There are three major ways that you can travel within along the thread of consciousness.
You feel your awareness deepening, but you have no clear vision of the content at each level of the mind. In this state, you move into greater depths of feeling and energy, but you can’t recognize any landmarks of any vehicle of consciousness through which you are traveling. Your body is immobile and you are in a trance-like, passive state.
You feel your awareness deepening, and you note distinct markers at each level. You can differentiate the content of each focal point. You become aware of the content arising at each level of the mind in the present time. You are inwardly alert and mindful, and can witness and label the content that is arising. For example, you might unite your attention with the focal point of the feeling center and you become aware of a succession of feelings that arise and pass away. Your body is immobile, but inwardly, you are fully conscious.
You feel your awareness deepening, and you intensify and become completely absorbed in a succession of states of mental functioning. This shift of functional set can occur while you are walking around or engaged in other activities. You are aware that you have shifted into a new perceptional and operational mindset in which the content becomes richly alive and vibrant—you may receive insights and revelations as you are in this state.
The beginning meditator often experiences the trance-like movement of attention without clear awareness and differentiation of content. This type of meditation experience commonly culminates in falling asleep.
With greater facility with meditation, the meditator is able to achieve mindful, inner alertness, and is able to witness mental content and differentiate the content of one level of the mind from another. This type of meditation results in you becoming fully aware of your mental contents at each focal point upon which your attention rests.
The most profound state of meditation is when you are able to shift your functional set during your daily activities. On Buddhist Vipassana retreats, for example, they introduce students to this lyrical state of mind through walking meditation. Meditators are initially fully aware of the experience of walking, but as this state deepens, they enter into clear states of intense insight and revelation.
This deepest state of meditation has been referred to as Samadhi, Satori, or a peak experience. This mental shift of perception and functioning appears to pass through 12 discrete states of absorption.
The ground state of awareness – Here you are aware of your attention witnessing the activities of your daily life, and you operate on objects in the environment. You might, for example, be cleaning your house, but the experience of each piece of furniture and environmental surface is intensely vibrant, and every movement seems meaningful and purposive. Your tasks take on a sacred quality.
Movement flow state – When this mental set dawns, you are completely absorbed in your movement. Time seems to slow down and there is an unbroken link between your intention and what your body does. You are capable of peak performance during this state. You feel one with your body and your movement feels effortless.
Heightened sensory state – In this state, the objects in your environment appear to glow with light—you may become aware of energy fields or auras around each object. Colors are rich and luminous. The world around you seems magical and animated. If you are a painter, you may feel compelled to capture this magical experience.
Body absorption – When you shift into this mental set, you become aware of your body in a heightened way. You become aware of each muscle moving, each tendon stretching, the operation of your organs and physiological rhythms. You become aware of your heart beating, the movement of peristalsis, the blood coursing in your veins, and the whole process of breathing. It is almost like you are looking into your body with x-ray vision. Your vision penetrates into each organ, each cell, and each sub-cellular structure—even down to the molecular and atomic level.
Emotional and relational synchrony – Shifting into this mental set, you gain powerful insights into how emotions are linked to thoughts, memories, and attachments to other people. You gain intensified empathy for others’ experience. When you listen to others, you completely connect with them and become one with their experience—they feel completely validated and known. This state inspires great trust and safety in others: they feel profoundly loved—you sense great love and compassion for others while you are in this state. Those therapists and coaches who tap into this state experience their deepest work and most profound therapy or coaching sessions—it is almost like some deep and wise being came through you and moved your interaction with your client to a whole new level.
Logical fascination – When this mental set dawns upon you, you become aware of the computer-like operation of your rational mind. You become aware of the mental commands that govern each movement, the calculations the mind makes to orient your body with the environment, and the chain of causation for each action and event. Your logic operates in a heightened way—your analogical, inferential, and deductive reasoning powers become penetrating and precise. You become capable of connecting sensory details with behavior, and inferring motivation. Like Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective, your ability to investigate and solve crimes is heightened, as your powers of observation and logical deduction are amplified. If you are someone who enjoys solving puzzles or playing games of skill, you may find that you come across the solutions readily. If you are a student, entering this state moves your study to a whole new plateau, and you discover that you are able to do very well on difficult tests.
Egoic union – When you enter this functional state, you become aware of the layers of activity of the ego. You become aware of the egoic octave of will that governs individual units of behavior, and you are acutely aware of your ability to control each vehicle of consciousness within your survey. You become aware of the identify states and the roles you play. You become aware of your story and life narrative. You gain penetrating insight into the layers of psychological defenses and your core life issues. You tap into the joyful, inner child that transcends the stress and suffering of your life. You may feel connected with a great Life within you that is your true essence.
Stream of consciousness – When you enter this state of absorption, you are able to clearly access the rich reservoir of your memories of the past. In this reverie, it feels like you are re-living each moment of your life and you re-view your significant relationships, your greatest lessons, the most important events, and the meanings you have derived from living. You touch a deep wellspring of peace, wisdom, and joy—you sense that behind your life is your ancient, eternal Soul.
Chakra insight – When you shift into this functional mindset, you become aware of the chakras of your Subconscious mind with penetrating clarity. Each petal opens and reveals its creative intelligence and intuitive wisdom. In this state of absorption, you may feel the chakras that operate in yet higher vehicles of consciousness similarly begin to reveal their knowledge and abilities. You gain the highest discernment of each level of your mind. You may experience a full awakening of the energy of awareness, the Kundalini Shakti, rising up into the Soul, and revealing every vehicle of consciousness within you.
Existential illumination – When you become completely absorbed in this state of awareness, you become aware of the Self at the core of your personality, and the state of being that is behind it. You gain the greatest insight into each vehicle of consciousness of the Conscious, Subconscious, and Metaconscious mind, and you become acutely aware of the power of your will to alter your destiny and change your life. In this state, you can make radical life changes, transform your habits, alter your life direction, recommit to new objectives, and create new congruent and authentic goals that capture your passion and powerful desire to achieve them. When you spend time in the transformational state, you can reinvent yourself and transform the way you function in the world.
Atma Samadhi – When your attention is lifted into this ecstatic state, you realize the true nature of the Soul, discover the atom of Divinity within, and experience Gnosis. Knowledge pours through you, revealing each aspect of your nature, each vehicle of consciousness, and each layer of the mind. Your illumined mind (Buddhi) ignites and you are able to discern the nature of the Soul and its reflections on each Plane of Light, and to penetrate and bring forward the knowledge that is contained in each nodal point upon the Soul’s transformational journey of spiritual evolution. When this state becomes actively established in you, you gain the capacity to function as a guide and teacher for others.
Higher Octave Samadhi – Those that work on spiritual Paths outside the cutting edge of spirituality may experience Samadhis with higher aspects of their nature—a nucleus of identity, ensouling entity, or spirit. This transcendent state shares similar features with Atma Samadhi, but revelation and intuitive downpour enlighten another spiritual essence. At the summit of these higher octave Samadhis is union with Satchitananda, the highest state of consciousness—Divine Knowledge or Brahma Vidya—that extends this penetrating insight to every level of consciousness.
Bringing out this deepest level of experience and illumination does not come readily.
Some people may touch this state only once or twice in their lifetime. It dawns upon them and then withdraws, and they cannot go back to that state.
Those who practice a skill for long periods of time and develop it may have more episodes. For example:
The artist may experience stage three.
The physician and healer may drop into stage four.
The psychotherapist and coach may cross the threshold into stage five.
The detective and scientist may go into stage six.
The psychoanalyst may penetrate stage seven.
The fiction writer and poet may encounter stage eight.
The hatha yogi and psychic voyager, who meditate on their chakras, may kindle stage nine.
The existential and humanistic therapists, counselors, and coaches, who work to get their clients in touch with the Self, may trigger existential illumination in themselves.
The meditator who removes the veil over the Soul through patient and methodical inner work uncover the ecstatic state of Atma Samadhi. Those who meditate on higher octaves of being likewise bring about Samadhi for these other essences of consciousness.
Those who meditate can ignite these states after long practice, and sustain them as they train their attention to focus intensely and continuously on different focal points within. We encourage those who meditate to recognize that these Samadhi states exist. We urge them to continue the practice of meditation until they can awaken these most profound states of mind.
For those who complete our advanced course, the Mudrashram® Advanced Course in Meditation, we have a program that trains you in attaining Samadhi in the Superconscious mind called The Online Samadhi Week Program. We start with Atma Samadhi and explore each higher stage of Samadhi in the Superconscious mind.
