MINDFULLNESS: The KEY TO HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS
and his tongue is the clapper;
for what his heart thinks
his tongue speaks.
I'm a dreamer...have been since I was a youth. Like most dreamers I've been overwhelmed with the relentless tide of war, despair, poverty, abuse, and suffering we humans seem to heap upon ourselves. However, I am deeply grateful for a spiritual path that has moved me beyond the heavy awareness and soul burden of the human condition into a vision of hope and understanding. One essential key to this transition to a loving and peaceful condition of heart and soul and mind has been, for me at least, mindfulness. Mindfulness is a simple thing really. It just takes a little guidance and a little practice and one is on their way. So let's begin, shall we?
We humans are fascinating creatures, not only do we have our five senses but we have a sixth sense, or state of awareness. We sense subtle energies we generate ourselves but we also sense energies from other people, places, other living creatures, things, conditions, and situations. Let me share something with you that you already know, but may have never put into words: Everything is energy. Everything. And we can learn to be conscious of all these energies. And just as one can refine and develop consciousness and move from one level to another, so too can one develop exquisite mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a feeling state in the moment, in the Now. Here is a little sample: right now put your attention on your big toe, or if you please, on your elbow. Don't keep reading. Do it, please. Let your mind become aware of the sensations in your toe/elbow.
For those of you who did this little exercise you felt your toe or elbow didn't you? You were not aware of any sensation in your toe until you directed your mind to it. You see, even though we are constantly gathering sensory perceptions our minds limit what they will respond to simply because they are unable to compute all of the energies at once. So you directed the mind to be mindful.
Now I suspect some of you skipped over this little exercise, and I know who you are, and I'm not going to upvote any of your comments! Kidding, just kidding. But you had another energy experience didn't you? What did you feel? Hmnnn? Did you have a very subtle thought of: 'Nah, don't need to. I know what my toe feels like. I'm just going to keep reading.' Did you feel a micro moment of independence from following my instruction? Or are you impatient and don't have much time for such things so you are essentially scanning or speed reading? Is that what you felt? Impatience? My point is you either felt your toe or you had another energy flit across your mind telling you to do something else. What was the energy in your mind? To know that energy, that feeling, is to be mindful. Acting without being aware why you acted is a form of ignorance. Knowing why you do things is greater consciousness, aided by mindfulness.
Our minds can only deal with a certain amount of sense input at any given moment, so even though our bodies, our psyches, our hearts, are gathering all sorts of energy input the mind limits what it recognizes to bare essentials, so as not to be overwhelmed. But we can learn to become masters of mindfulness where nature, life, music, poetry, relationships open up to us on another level entirely. We can learn to rise above the 1st level of consciousness to the 2nd and then the 3rd and ultimately to pure consciousness, pure awareness where the secrets of the very Cosmos open to us. Wow! That last sentence went by fast! Did you get that? The very secrets of the Cosmos are yours if you want them! (For those unfamiliar with the "levels" of consciousness I refer to I suggest you read a post on it.) Here it is:https://steemit.com/psychology/@mistermercury/a-growing-shift-in-consciousness
One can hone their ability to be mindful through meditation, or yoga, or contemplative walks in nature, through music, or poetry. There are many ways, but the first three are the most common. OK here is another mindfulness exercise. Pay attention to what judgement is in your mind as you read the next sentence. I know of many people who use psychedelics to open their minds to energies unavailable in daily 1st level consciousness. Ayahuasca, weed, 'shrooms, even LSD are used by shamans, spiritual questers the world over. OK, what was the energy you felt in your mind? Was there a negative judgmental energy in your mind? Or were you pleased to be validated? Being intimately aware of those energies is mindfulness.
Consciousness is like the voting slider we use to upvote. Using this slider as a gauge of consciousness we would have zero consciousness on the left end, and moving to the right we come eventually to the 1st level of Consciousness or the survival level and then at the extreme right there is pure consciousness ( Or, pure Time, pure Intelligence, pure Light and pure Love, all as One.) Mindfulness is the condition of mind one must develop to move along this slider. One becomes sensitive to the energy of words, thoughts, clothing, jewelry, flowers, cars...everything. The Key to remember is that we already do this, we already gather all these energies! Mindfulness simply opens up our awareness to these energies!
Ah yes, this is the nut we've come to crack, the bulls eye we want to hit, the ... OK, you get it. Why is mindfulness so critical to the future of humanity? Frankly, it is my opinion (and I'm not the only one by far. In fact, as is usual for me, I was one of the last ones to find out!!) that we are on the cusp, the threshold of another Age. We are actually in a pivotal moment in human history. We can create a new reality of Cooperative Abundance, of incredible self expression and self-actualization, of peace, and of love. We can create a world where all life is honored, where governments based on force don't exist. We can raise ourselves to another level of consciousness aided by mindfulness. (Remember the Einstein quote: "You can't solve a problem on the same level of consciousness it was created." Or we can destroy each other. Which will it be?
We have been given a wonderful opportunity here on Steemit to practice Cooperative Abundance (look for a description of this in the next day or two. It's gonna be good! I hope!}. We have within our hands the incubator of a new way of life, but it will require your commitment, your soul, your heart, for what we practice here may very well change the future.
See? I told you I was a dreamer. Let us dream this dream into reality.
Many blessings,
Mistermercury
PS: If there is a call for more information on mindfulness I'll put more out. Obviously this is just an overview. If you are encouraged to go deeper in your current practice, I really recommend a book from Jack Kornfield: The Wise Heart, this will tune you right up. Or you may want a more experiential journey, if so, I suggest you take a look at Animas Valley Institute. They have magnificent adventures in nature that will transform you.
Great article man, you have managed to tie a few things in there, I would be interested to hear some more in depth information.
Lately it's seemed like paying attention to everything and not acting unconsciously is a full time job!
Well, I suppose it could be a full time job. Consider the Tibetan Monks for instance, or Nitch Nhat Hanh. These guys move and live in at a slower pace (usually!) and are contemplative all the time. For us, living in the "real world" life is faster so we learn to walk the Middle Path. We learn to accept things as they are. We calm ourselves down so that our brains can keep peaceful. This is what I practice, and practice and fail and fail, and practice. We are all so human! Blessings.
Blessings @mistermercury. I have a good feeling for what this platform might be, as I start to connect with a lot of genuine seekers, contemplators, and meditators such as yourself
Thanks @phillyc. I hope you have great week. Blessings.
Great style..
Thanks for the comment.
Love those clapping hands!!
Great read, Christopher. I always really relate to your writing. I love the practical exercises and your fun way of dancing with the variety of participation too. Brilliantly done. Of course you know I'm all in on more deeper plunges into all things mindfulness.
source: PositiveSynergy
BTW, I did a few posts this week, which relate to mindfulness of consciousness in a practical sort of way. I was wondering what your thoughts might be.
Have a nice Sunday. Many Blessings to you, my friend.
Hey @positivesynergy good to see you here. And thanks for your valuable support. I'll dash over to your posts. Blessings.
Attention is the raw material of awakening, thank you for sharing your beautiful words, I loved it.
Thats a great thought @mosquedaa. I'll have to remember it. Blessings.
Very well said and written, the exercises you brought to the surface, and asking how we responded was spot on.
I will have to look into these books. Thank you for mentioning them again. :)
Resteemed...
Greetings @earthmother. I trust you safely evaded the fire @wwf posted about. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have great week.
I am in Ontario!! I am pretty safe here... so far we still have snow! Hope you are on the mend! I need to apologize for one of the comments i made on a post a while back. It was meant tongue in cheek, but i removed it, because it was not a high vibrational comment. I'm sorry.
Oh, that's right! I got you confused with a neighbor of @wwf. Oh, and as for the comment you considered low frequency... well... WTH? And there I thought you were perfect. Blessings.
Once again, you have created a great post. This statement in particular was very revealing for me, personally:
If I had read this two years ago, my thoughts and emotions would be very judgemental and closed. Now I read it, and I am excited to come to the point in my journey of understand that all things are given to us for our good ... in the correct dose. And this applies to many things in our life. These substances are just the ones that are currently the most controversial.
Surprisingly, I have no desire to try any of them ... at this time in my life. But I am open to the possibility in the future. I look forward to more posts like this. Your writing is re-igniting the philosopher in me.
I agree. Steemit has opened up a world of possibilities of uniting like-minded people from around the globe . It is exciting to be here at the beginning.
I appreciate your thoughtful comments. I am very grateful you are here and catching a vision of what can be. As far as psychedelics go some people really benefit from them while others, unfortunately, abuse them. However, for some they open up realms of higher consciousness that otherwise are illusive. To tell you the truth I'd not be surprised to discover the Buddha or Christ smoke a doobie on occasion.
That is what I have heard as well about the psychedelics. I have also heard that some people do not need them. I believe if we are open, we will be lead to the things that we need at the best time for us.
I agree. I would not be surprised, either if they did. They are natural substances, and I have come to see them as such.
I look forward to reading more from you @mistermercury.
I'm an astrologer, mystic, shaman, seeker, etc., and in my dealings with hundreds of clients I've found that some people have the "gift"or the depth of soul aiding them in their journeys to higher consciousness without the use of psychedelics, however, many of them use them in addition to their meditations and other practices. I abstained from all drugs and even alcohol until I was 57 and then tried a little weed just to see what the big deal was. Because I am a 29th degree Pisces Moon this simple use of weed opened up realms I had never before seen. It has been one of the exceptional experiences of my life. However, very few get the "juice" out of weed that I did. Look forward to having you in community.
What a fascinating journey! I would also call myself a seeker of truth and knowledge. I certainly enjoy what you have shared. Peace.
I can see how mindfulness can be something hard to get. For some, their feelings lead the way.I am guilty of that and I am also trying to let go of that.
For a long time, I felt like I was being attacked emotionally and I was tired of being mindful as I was the only one who was. So I let go, letting my feelings of hurt take over as I was tired and weak to keep going. But once I got tired of of being in that hard state of mind that was ever so damaging, I became mindful, and showed the other how to be as well. That is what I should have done from the beginning, but that doesn't mean that person was ready to be at that time. Many lessons here. Thank you for your guidance.
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