How Meditation Helps Us to Contact the Soul

As we have seen, contacting the soul is a powerful source for psychic and spiritual healing. One time-honored way of experiencing that is through meditation. Meditation quietens the mind so that the soul’s subtle yet powerful presence can be revealed. As one practices meditation regularly over a period of weeks and months, gradually the peaceful, blissful presence of the soul is felt in one’s life.

Practicing presence

“Deep within the constant movement of our thoughts is the Presence of the Divine. Consciousness itself is a gift from the Divine, and behind our every thought the Divine Presence can be known.”

Practicing presence is a key to attaining Divine Consciousness. Behind all the varied expressions of the human experience – whether they be driving the car, caring for children, in emotional difficulty, sickness, the moment of orgasm or even in the passage of death, is the consciousness of the Divine. Why is that? Because consciousness is the energy through which God created the Universe.

Consciousness – the sublime gift of Self-Awareness was given to us by the Divine. How we use that gift is up to us, and it determines who we are and our experiences here on Earth. If we direct our awareness to the highest love we will experience incredible joy, but if we focus on selfishness and greed, we will experience endless suffering.

Whether we know it or not, the Divine is always there in the background of our minds weaving the tapestry of human existence. It is never born and never dies. This capacity to witness ourselves, of being aware of our own consciousness is an expression of the Divine within us. Through it we can become purified, and know the Divine. The Divine Presence is a Potential within us all.

Behind the veil

It says in Genesis that we are made in God’s image. What is meant by that? Is it saying that God has two arms two legs and looks like a person?
Of course not! God is not limited to any form. Genesis is talking about our consciousness – the Divine Potential that is within all us.

Moses asked God “Who are you?”

God replied “I am what I am.”

God is saying that within consciousness – the capacity for self-awareness – is the Divine. That is His gift to us.

By becoming deeply present we can connect with the Divine – the Wellspring that is beyond the chatter of the mind. Within that lies the power of transformation and healing. If we cultivate this power, we can recreate ourselves in the image of the Divine.

Some people say they don’t have the capacity to be present! But we are already doing it all the time. Behind the maelstrom of activity, there is always self-awareness. That is the Divine self-awareness within. Without it if someone asked you “how are you?” or “how did you sleep last night?” you wouldn’t be able to answer. It is only because of the immutable gift of self-awareness that we can answer. This awareness exists even when we are unconscious or asleep. It observes our every thought and emotion, even in our deepest slumber. It is ever-awake, and continues even through the passage of death and beyond.¹

Accessing the Divine Potential that is within us
“The greatest mystery of the universe is within the mind. If you turn your consciousness inwards, all answers will eventually be revealed.”

In this sense we are already masters at being present. Meditation is about tuning into the presence that is already there. So how do we do that?
Behind the activity of your thoughts, there is a stillness – the witness within. It speaks to you in the quiet inner voice of your soul. Your soul is not far away in some distant place, but within you.

Resisting our thoughts and trying to force the mind to be quiet doesn’t work. In fact, whatever we resist in the mind only seems to get stronger.
The following story illustrates this point:

“Whatever you do, don’t think of monkeys!”
Once there was a spiritual master who was teaching his student how to meditate.

“But before I teach you, I must warn you. Never, ever think of monkeys…
Not one thought of monkeys is allowable. No thoughts of monkeys!” He admonished.

So, the disciple sat down to mediate, and all he could think was monkeys. Monkeys surfing, monkeys coming down in parachutes, whole armies of monkeys.

Wringing his hands, he went back to his master in great dismay.

“Oh master, I have failed! Now all I can think of is monkeys!

The master patted the student on the shoulder consolingly.

“I only told you not to think of monkeys to explain a point. Whatever we resist in the mind will only grow. Just relax and patiently bring the mind back to the object of your meditation. Never try to force the mind to obey. It will only rebel. Instead, whenever the mind wanders, just patiently bring it back to your meditation. The more you do that, the more you will develop the habit of gently focusing your mind.”

Forcing the mind to focus is not an effective way to mediate. If we try that, the mind will rebel, and we will get the opposite results. Instead, a relaxed, joyful, even playful attitude is much better. Whenever the mind wanders, simply patiently and lovingly bring it back to the focus of your meditation. Don’t judge yourself, or get frustrated when your thoughts wander, because everyone experiences that.

The mind is like an ocean, constantly in motion. Meditation is about bringing our awareness to the stillness that is beyond the waves of that ocean, beyond our thoughts. Don’t be distracted by the mind’s chaos. Look beyond the chaos to the silence within. Beyond every thought, every emotion, there is a stillness. Through experiencing that we can contact the Divine. We don’t have to wait for some “alone time” to get off by ourselves to do this. We can experience that stillness behind our thoughts throughout the day.

Sure, we get distracted! But don’t let that discourage you. Just patiently return your attention to being present within. We can bring that awareness to every aspect of our lives. Through practicing it we can begin to experience the Divine, for it is an energy already within us, waiting to awaken.

Some think they cannot do this! But believing that is the greatest obstacle. If you don’t give up, you will succeed in realizing the Divine within. It is already there, complete, perfect, waiting for us to listen to It.

An Ancient Practice

The need to make spirituality a part of our daily lives was understood by ancient spiritual adepts. They developed the practice of meditation millennia ago for this purpose. Because of its effectiveness, it has been passed down through the ages.

Meditation is a simple, yet powerful way to achieve higher states of consciousness. All of the benefits gained from my healing sessions (and many more), can be achieved through the regular, long-term practice of meditation.

How to Meditate

Meditation is focusing one’s mind on the Divine. Just as the Divine can have many expressions, there are many different ways to meditate. Choose the one(s) that you are the most drawn to with and that most easily fit into your life.

During meditation, one places one’s attention on different things that bring us closer to the Divine. Or if one is agnostic by nature (as I was when I began my spiritual quest) one can practice mindfulness meditation and simply focus your attention on your thoughts and inner consciousness.

Although the techniques of meditation vary, they all share certain common principles. In meditation we turn our awareness inwards, letting go of outer distractions. This frees the mind to focus on the object of our meditation.

Now, of course, sometimes our mind will wander and we will be caught up in those distractions. At this point many people give up and decide they can’t meditate!

But everyone has these sorts of experiences and they are completely normal. The trick is to just gently bring one’s awareness back to the subject of your meditation. It is important to be persistent and patient in one’s practice. Gently, lovingly, focus your awareness without strain or making too much effort. Just relax and enjoy the process!
Be patient and don’t fret about whether you are getting results. At first the benefits may be very subtle, and you may not notice them at all. But if you stay with the process, even a little bit every day, there will be powerful results. Eventually meditation becomes second nature, and spiritual consciousness becomes a part of our daily lives.

Many paths to the same Source Although there are many different ways to meditate, you do not need to learn them all. For the practice of just one or two can produce great spiritual benefits.

“Be still and know that I am God”²

Ancient spiritual teachings encourage us to draw our awareness within. They say that by doing that the illusion of the ego will eventually part, and the Truth beyond it will be revealed. That Truth is Divine Spirit and the Soul.
Different techniques of meditation:

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation, or practicing inner presence is simply the art of being deeply aware of one’s inner state of consciousness and thoughts. If one does that regularly with deep focus one will begin to realize that there is a silent inner witness that makes this inner awareness possible. This witness is the soul, which is an expression of the Divine.

Mantras and sacred sounds

Some spiritual seekers repeat mantras, or sacred sounds. Examples of these are the Christian invocation amen, or the Hindu mantra aum.³ They can be spoken out loud, or silently within the mind.

Inner light

Others focus on the inner spiritual light, which can be experienced when one closes one’s eyes and gently places one’s inner attention above and in between the physical eyes.⁴ This is the location of the sixth chakra, the seat of Divine Wisdom and Intuition. Although it can be subtle at first, eventually if you persist, you will experience an energy that will grow more powerful over time. Focusing on this point awakens Divine Wisdom, transformation and spiritual realization.

Prayers and affirmations

Another way to meditate is simply to repeat prayers or affirmations (such as “I love you God,” or the Hindu phrase “Om Namah Shiviah” which means “I and the Lord are One.”)

Devotion

Another meditation practice is to simply fill your heart with love for Jesus Christ, Lord Buddha, or some other Spiritual Great One. How do you draw such a Great One into your heart? Just think of Them often and offer Them your love – especially when you pray and meditate. But choose the Teacher and the path you follow wisely, because if they are not of the highest Spiritual Realization, they can lead you astray.

Attunement

The transfer of blessings from a spiritual Master to a student comes through attunement. This occurs when the heart of the student resonates with that of the Master. Thus, if you want to increase the blessings you receive from a Spiritual Great One, simply hold Him (or Her) in your heart. The more love you give, the more blessings you will receive.

Picture the Master as a “tuning fork,” emanating a spiritual vibration. If the disciple opens his heart, then “the tuning fork” of his consciousness begins to resonate at a similar frequency to that of the Master. Through this process, Higher Consciousness is directly transmitted from the Master to the student. Then through many years of spiritual work and effort, the student can come to physically embody the essence of the Master’s Divine Consciousness. In this way spiritual realization is passed on from one generation to the next.

This transfer of spiritual energy will not make the student a carbon copy of his Master. Rather, it will enable the student to become his own unique expression of the Divine. Examples of these types of relationships are Buddha and His disciples, and Jesus Christ and the Apostles. But this transfer of blessings is not limited to famous religious figures and the scriptures. Anyone can attune with a Spiritual Great One by holding Him or Her in their heart.

Meditation and prayer are avenues through which the devotee can receive blessings and guidance from their spiritual master. These practices can be like a spiritual “telephone” through which the heart of the master speaks directly with the heart of the disciple. The spiritual gifts thus conveyed can far exceed one’s wildest dreams.

Finding the right path

Everyone must seek awakening according to their own unique nature. For this reason, there is no one Teacher who is suitable for everyone. How do you know which One is right for you? Listen to your heart – and if He or She is the right One, you will feel a powerful response. If you are fortunate enough to be drawn to One who is a true vehicle for the Divine, He can be of invaluable assistance on your spiritual journey.

But if you aren’t attracted to a specific path or Teacher, that’s ok too. If your heart is sincere, and you stay with it, you will make progress, and unforeseen doors will open. The Divine doesn’t care about what name you call It, or what tradition you follow, as long as you seek It with an open heart.
When I began on the spiritual path, I didn’t believe in the Divine at all. Eventually, through meditation, It touched my heart, and the Romance between us began. The Divine is ever resourceful in the ways It reaches out to us, whether we have a path, or no path at all.

Meditation is a portal through which all those who truly want to can experience spiritual consciousness. Slowly, it brings us ever closer to the Divine, and makes It a part of our lives.

But in addition to meditation there are many other ways of experiencing the Divine. Some spontaneously feel It when they are emersed in the beauty of nature, or other things that evoke joy. Others experience It in a moment of heartfelt prayer. Still others when they are miraculously blessed by Divine Intervention when they are in extreme need, and have nowhere else to turn. I myself had such an experience.⁵

Sometimes a person who has contacted their own soul is able to facilitate the ability to others so that they can contact theirs. Then the student will have their own unique experience of their soul, and that will usher them along in their spiritual progress.

But that doesn’t mean that the one who shared this blessing will do all the spiritual work for the student. It means that once the student has tasted the Divine, it may awaken in them a spark to seek it for themself; and if they are ready, and cherish it and make it grow, it can ignite into the flame of realization.

This is why I facilitate soul-contact in the sessions. Once the individual has experienced this then they have access to the amazing healing power within themself. But if they wish to cultivate that in their life, they will need to put effort into their spiritual progress – for no one else can do that for them.

What form does this work take? This is unique for each individual, according to their nature. Look for it in the areas of your life that give you the most peace and joy. It is the greatest, and most worthwhile journey any person can take.

1. Evidence that consciousness continues after death:
   In 2014 Dr. Sam Parnia was the lead author in the world’s largest study of so called “near death experiences” in which recollections were recorded of patients who were resuscitated after being clinically dead. Many told of their experiences of a Divine Light and meeting a great Spiritual Being.
   In one case a patient’s heart had stopped beating and all brainwave activity had ceased. And yet to the great surprise of the doctors he was later successfully resuscitated. Afterwards the patient described in exact detail procedures that were done to him while he was clinically dead. He was also able to recount precise conversations that took place amongst the medical team – even though at the time they took place he had no heart beat or brain activity. His accounts corresponded perfectly with the chronology of the events and conversations that took place. Dr. Parnas stated that this leant evidence to the reality of consciousness continuing after death. Since then, more research has been done and other similar cases have been documented. Dr. Parnia is the director of Resuscitation Research at the State University of New York at Stoneybrook USA. Source: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2014/10/07-worlds-largest-near-death-experiences-study.page
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2. Psalm 46:10
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3. Both of these sounds are expressions of the Divine Energy of Creation.
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4. The Spiritual Light within the sixth chakra is referred to symbolically in the Bible as the “Star of the East.” It was the wisdom of this Light that guided the three wise men to newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. ↩︎
5. When I was severely injured, I was in so much pain that my soul left my body. I was then met by a Divine Being. He gave me the choice to let my life end, or return to my body and undertake the painful and arduous journey of healing in body and spirit. That experience is described in my book Signs from the Divine.
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