In a High state of Consciousness - An Experience : Part 2.

( Cont from Part 1 )

With this question in mind, I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes in preparation of the answer I knew, with certainty, I would receive. A faint amount of awareness of the body remained, but not enough to make it move. I became aware of a shapeless force, like a mist or very fine vapor entering all objects. Taking on their shape, it animated and brought life into all forms. Everything, people, plants and animals were lifeless before the mist entered. It was like seeing a hidden hand slip into a limp puppet, bringing it to life.

The mist could take any shape or form. It was pure intelligence. It was gentle. It was Love. It was Consciousness, and I was that consciousness.

How simple it all was. All I had to do was shift my focus. The body is just an empty shell, like the puppet. The body has no life until the Divine hand enters and gives it life.

As I lay contemplating and identified with consciousness, I experienced more joy than any earthly pleasure imaginable. I lost completely my sense of time and had no reason to move my body. After hearing my name repeatedly called, I made several attempts to move but failed until my husband came into the room. I managed finally to open my eyes and saw my husband's form but no longer as before. I was now aware of the mist that gave him life. The same mist that gave me and everything else life.

I went outside and looked at the birds and the sky as if seeing everything with new eyes, and for the first time. Now, I was seeing through the eyes of Love. The oaks and eucalyptus trees were like dear old friends. What indescribable beauty they possessed. I mentally embraced them, and they embraced me in return. There was no difference in any of us, only our forms.

I found it no longer necessary to practice any teachings as they had become my essence. If my children did something wrong, I did not identify them with the act and all correction was said without a tone of condemnation. I felt only pure infinite love towards them. It was not "my" love. Rather, it was the essence of the mist. I found that words sent by the power of a higher frequency, always hit their mark. Then, a correction was made by them without the usual resistance or protest. How true are Swami's words, "Change yourself and you change the world."

By keeping the attention on spirit, the senses become starved from lack of stimulation. It is hard to keep our attention on spirit as our senses enjoy stimulation. We spend most of our lives finding stimulants to feed the insatiable senses. Our body becomes the enjoyer, as we, in turn, become identified with the body. Our ignorance is in thinking that the senses give more pleasure than the spirit.

In that High state all previously conditioned thinking, opinions and judgements were absent. This allowed for Truth to be perceived and experienced

Throughout the few weeks that I was in this higher state of consciousness, I did not speak to anyone about it. Intellectually, I understood that sharing can only occur on a mental level. If there is no awareness, understanding cannot occur. Yet, the urge to share the joy was there.

When I described my condition to a dear friend, I felt a slow descent into humanness. It was almost as if a vacuum drew the mist out of my body and left me with a minimum amount needed to function. The bird had lost its wings, and now I had to walk. Perhaps I should have remembered the warning I had read in several spiritual books, to keep one's spiritual experiences sacred and secret.

On our next trip to India, I asked Swami about the experience, "Swami, what was that experience?" I knew there was no need to elaborate given His omniscience.

"A lot of grace," He replied, "A lot of grace."

If we want to experience God, Swami says, it is very easy. Swami explains that mind is both the cause of bondage and source of liberation.

Only many years later did I understand how I reached such an extraordinary state of consciousness and grace. I had unknowingly practiced what Swami calls "turning the switch to God." Our mind, "the switch," is always turned towards the world. All we have to do is turn the switch towards God.

( The above are extracts from Diana Baskin's book - Divine lessons. This is a wonderful book full of practical lessons that the author has learned in her 40 years of very close association with Swami. Highly recommended.)

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