| Higher states of consciousness are naturally | | | | reach a higher state of consciousness often fails but |
| interesting to people because we all inherently know | | | | that a person who returns to the effort again after |
| that things are simply easier to understand when we | | | | years of "giving up" is almost sure to reach those |
| aren't lost in our usual day to day problems that | | | | higher states which they first set out to attain. |
| plague us from day to day. There are rare | | | | The basic effort that is required to reach these |
| experiences when we are able to see the higher | | | | states has to do with letting go of negative emotions |
| meaning of our lives and these moments help us to | | | | and becoming more aware of ourselves in the |
| achieve greater clarity and value in the things we do. | | | | present moment. We can practice these things each |
| In addition to the higher value and clarity that we can | | | | day but often find that they are very hard to |
| all achieve in a higher state of consciousness, we can | | | | achieve for any extended period of time. Letting go |
| also alleviate the negative feelings that come from | | | | of our grief, anger, fear and guilt are all part of what |
| our normal day to day routine. Higher states of | | | | spiritual effort is all about but actually doing these |
| consciousness transcend all of our negative emotions | | | | things turns out to be much harder than we first |
| and leave us feeling as though we were "floating on | | | | imagined. Watching ourselves, observing our thoughts |
| air" in a perfect state of peace and contentedness. | | | | and coming to understand ourselves better are also |
| With such great promise as this, it is a great wonder | | | | important elements of spiritual effort but these things |
| that these higher states are so rarely reached and | | | | only come slowly over years of work and long hours |
| that the secret to their achievement often seems so | | | | of reading, writing and participating in spiritual groups. |
| hard to discover. | | | | The efforts sometimes seem to much for many |
| The reason why the difficulties arise has to do with a | | | | people after one or two years and they eventually |
| fundamental difference between what is called | | | | become distracted by something and fall away from |
| "theory" and what is called "application". In "theory", | | | | their path. |
| we know that higher states of consciousness exist | | | | Falling away from the path is a normal part of spiritual |
| and we can talk about them, read about them and | | | | growth and can actually be viewed as a positive step |
| think about them to no end. In "application", however, | | | | forward after some initial effort has truly been |
| we find that we must actually begin to do things that | | | | expended. If the person who falls away from their |
| are more real and concrete. | | | | path doesn't fall too far off course, they can often |
| Thinking and reading and talking are all very concrete | | | | find a renewed hope in the idea that there is a |
| things and yet they often aren't concrete enough to | | | | "second wind". This second wind is something that |
| bring about a higher state of consciousness. Our | | | | often indicates a true spiritual seeker and someone |
| thinking and our books can only take us so far until | | | | who has come to understand the true meaning of |
| we find that we actually need to transcend ourselves | | | | devotion and dedication to spiritual principles. |
| and go even further. This makes spiritual work seem | | | | If you are intent on reaching a higher state of |
| extremely hard or even impossible for most people. | | | | consciousness, it will be important for you not to |
| We often decide to just "give up" and later on we | | | | forget your second wind. Many people begin on a |
| discover that our "giving up" was actually part of the | | | | spiritual path and even reach certain higher states of |
| spiritual process which was necessary in order that | | | | consciousness in the beginning. The true spiritual |
| we approach our task from a new angle. | | | | devotee, however, is that person who has come to |
| Having "given up" on spiritual efforts, we discover | | | | a seeming end in their path and has actually fallen |
| that there is still a part of us which seeks those | | | | away for a time to wonder how a higher state of |
| same higher states of consciousness that we | | | | consciousness can truly be reached. It is only after |
| originally set out to achieve. With a new strategy and | | | | their second wind that they truly come to see what |
| a more open attitude, we reach a proverbial "second | | | | higher states of consciousness are really all about. |
| wind" which is mentioned in the classic spiritual book | | | | Good luck to you on your path and don't forget your |
| The Cloud of Unknowing. In this book, the | | | | second wind! |
| anonymous writer explains how an initial effort to | | | | |