The Outer Space of the Mind:
Spiritual practice is like a science. We start with a hypothesis: "This is where I think I'm heading." In the same way, if we were going into outer space we would know our mission and would have what we need to survive. Space flights are just another manifestation of our desire to break through previously accepted limitations. We explore outer space to find our place in the universe. But what is the outer space of the mind? To discover this unknown territory, our senses must be trained for greater perception. And only courageous people who passionately want to know will venture into this vastness. For some, the outer space of the mind is too intriguing to ignore. How can the mind extends beyond its present limitations?
The answer is through concentration. The concentrated mind can extend much further than the undirected mind. When we try to direct our thoughts and other thoughts intrude, energy is divided: "Here is what I want to think, and here is what actually comes through." If we can stop the influx of "other" thoughts, energy can be directed.
When we chant a mantra, for example, the sounds are vibrations. But unless we maintain our focus, the vibrations will not take us where they could. If our focus is on the physical-trying to make our voice sound just right-thoughts of self-criticism can slip in and steal part of the energy. If having a great voice was all it takes, every opera singer would have attained higher consciousness. So there is something else involved-the right focus and the ability to prevent intruding thoughts from diverting attention away from the goal.
What can be described is only the process the practices set out by those who have achieved their goal. When we become aware that others have attained extraordinary results, we may be inspired to try the same methods. Can we get the same results? When we want to duplicate an experiment, we need to observe all of the intricate single steps and take them. We can't skip some or change the order to suit our self. Once we have attained results, we may discover a way to speed up the process. Speeding up is only possible when there is no more resistance. When resistance is dissipated that energy becomes available to us.
What this really means, in terms of spiritual practice, is to persist. Keep a close record and we will see many repeating patterns. In time we will learn to master our states of mind, just as we can wake up from a fearful dream. Each time we move one increment closer until finally we move past our intellect's defenses. Then we will become aware that the intellect, although it has quite some power, does not have unlimited power. If it did, it wouldn't need to fight. So the next step is to decide to use the intellect for discrimination. Question the doubt itself: Why do I doubt?
When we go past resistance, doubt, pride and the emotional impact of egocentricity, we may reach a place in our own mind that was up until now a secret. We didn't know it existed. Many things in life exist, but they have yet to be discovered. We have to discover the existence of the "hidden place of the mind." And as we do, we will strip away the mystery and diminish fear and resistance, which eat up energy. We will become much more aware of how we use energy. Imagine the exhilaration of going into outer space for the first time. Wouldn't we just watch and absorb? We would be overwhelmed and in awe because we had not known exactly what to expect. We had speculated, but we didn't know for sure. We had many assumptions, based on imagination. Now we might find that some of what we imagined or thought possible has proven true, while we have to totally discard other preconceptions.
The journey to the outer space of the mind is actually the very same: we have heard about higher states of consciousness and people who had attained them, so we drew conclusions wrongly or rightly and created our own hypothesis. Now we will find out.
The mind is like space with all the stars and planets: everything exists and is waiting to be discovered, but we can only go so far in our first explorations. Just as the first major voyages in space were to the moon, our first exploration is to the hidden place in our own mind. Just as the moon is able to reflect the light of the sun, we can discover in the mind the place that reflects and absorbs the Light of Divine Wisdom. We cannot take all the Light at once. We must take it in degrees. We may have a great flash, but it is a flash, and does not stay.
The more we overcome the resistance of the intellect, the more often we can travel to the place of Light. As we make repeated visits, we may discover new laws or circumstances that we need to become aware of, like physicists who discover the laws of the physical world or biologists who understand the laws of nature. We may not have given this cosmic law a name or defined it, but it's there. Then we will experience the repercussions of our discovery, which will reshape our entire perspective.
But we can't stop there, just as astronomers can't stop at exploring the moon but want to know about the sun and other stars, and beyond the known stars into previously unseen galaxies. What are the possibilities within the outer space of the mind? We can always discover more and a little more, and a little more. But it is like the study of space: we can never discover it all. However, the journey of discovery alone will expand our perspective and change our view of our capabilities.
