The Phenomenal

January 23, 2024

Heartfulness meditation begins by sitting in a comfortable position and then relaxing the body. Relaxation is vital because tensions indicate a disturbance on some level that can distract us during meditation. So, loosening the tightness in our body overrides potential distractions. Once relaxed, the body is a vehicle in which we enter a new state of consciousness.

In Heartfulness meditation, after we scan our body to ensure we are relaxed from the top of our head to our toes, we focus on the feet as they absorb the energy from Mother Earth, the ground of our being. Then we drop into our heart and allow the Source of the light within our heart to draw us inward. Then, the three centers of intelligence reach a balance during meditation: our heart, lower abdomen, and mind.

When thoughts naturally come during meditation, we do not fight or entertain them; we let them go. The result is an inner peace that grows during the experience. The peace radiates from our hearts to all regions of our body. It is phenomenal to experience the absence of thought and pure presence, but why?

The absence of thought translates into being totally present to the Divine. The Divine may speak through our body, heart, or mind, and in meditation, it has no distractions blocking it. Our minds are usually so full of chatter that it is a challenge to be completely open to the Divine. But openness to the Divine subdues our ego, who would gladly lead us. So, to do this, we can learn from Type Five's Holy Idea of Holy Transparency and Holy Omniscience.

Holy Transparency is not "Holy Opaqueness." Instead, it is our complete interfacing with the Divine without even the thinnest of veils. The word transparency comes from Medieval Latin, the present participle which is to "show light through," It comes from the Latin trans, "across, beyond; through" and “parere,” “come in sight, appear, etc. We are transparent before the Divine, and because of our unobscured openness, the Divine Light shows through and comes into sight without the screens or filters our egos impose. We are present in the presence of Pure Presence.

Holy Omniscience originates from the Latin omnis, meaning "all," and scientia, meaning "knowledge." Omniscience is the phenomenon of knowing all there is to know. This Holy Idea affirms that as creatures of the Divine, we may be exposed to what God knows if we are transparent enough to perceive it. By being open to all knowledge, we gain wisdom. This wisdom is not gained through study only but by seeking to live all day in the same presence we attain in meditation.

Inquiry: What reasons would you give for not meditating?

Dear God,

Make me an instrument of your peace. Amen

To receive Dr. Howell’s Reflections in your inbox everyday, complete the form below to begin your journey into who God has made you to be. The path to wholeness starts now!