Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => General Discussion => : Anon July 25, 2016, 03:33:51 AM
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A few nights ago I was discussing religious phenomenology with a Christian gentleman in private. I asked him a question that lately I've been asking persons who I think will be receptive to it.
"Have you had any religious, supernatural, or mystical experience?" I said.
"Yes," he said. Then he told me about an incident a decade earlier.
At the time of the incident, he had been studying mystical experiences. One day he prayed for God to give him such an experience. That night, while lying in his bed, he suddenly felt surges of energy in his body, and heard a loud ringing tone emanating from his head. Emotionally, he said, he was in bliss and not dread. He also sensed a presence above him. The next morning he was exhausted from his experience, and needed time to recover. Remarkably, he would continue to hear a subtle ringing tone in his daily life from time to time since the incident.
Fascinated, I mentioned to him that two months prior, I had had a similar experience to what he had. My experience also involved lying in bed while feeling surges of energy in my body and a presence above me. (Note: This is not the dream experience I wrote about at http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,1176.0.html (http://fruitofthecontemplativelife.org/forum/index.php/topic,1176.0.html). The experience I'm referring to now was more lucid and powerful, and occurred while I was awake.) I also mentioned that I had read about the phenomenon of a ringing tone on the Great Western Vehicle website. Remarkably, it turned out that after having his experience, he had also read about the phenomenon on the website (at http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/clairaudience.htm (http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/clairaudience.htm)).
The next evening I was once again talking with him privately about religious phenomenology. We discussed his experience further, and I read him material from the GWV site on the stages of religious experience. In the midst of our discussion, he picked up a glass and went to get water at a water fountain. I followed behind him to get some myself. Then, as he went to turn a corner in the hall we were in, he suddenly collapsed. I was surprised to see him sprawled on the floor with his glass lying next to him.
"Are you all right?" I asked, as I picked up his glass for him.
He rose uneasily, and said, "I'm having the experience again." I felt chills.
After he got to his feet he made his way slowly to the water fountain with me behind to make sure he was all right. His face had become very pale, and he was trembling. At the water fountain, he informed me that the experience was continuing strongly. When I asked him about his fall, he didn't even remember it. I wanted to know what he was going through, but he didn't want to talk about it. I watched over him for the next few minutes as he recovered. When he had returned to a more normal state, he decided to retire for the night.
In the following days I would ask him what happened that night, but he didn't want to say much for fear of triggering the same experience. He did tell me though that falling like he did was unprecedented for him, and the experience he had had was as intense as the first one he had had in his bed.
How do you interpret what happened? Have you experienced similar occurrences?
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This is what many of us here experience every day. It takes great dedication to follow the path of the mystic. Most people drop off along the way, because some of the spiritual experiences that we mystics have are more terrifying than any other experience one can have. The religious experience can be terrifying, because its function is to disintegrate the ego.
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He was visited by love.
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My experiences scared me so much I don't meditate any more. To be honest my mind is too dark to induce these altered states of consciousness. There has to be a willingness and an opening of the heart to experience these scary powerful mental states. I felt like I was tuning into a power that would alter my being. I was not ready for that, but I did learn a lot that I hope I can use in the future. Anyone who takes on this challenge needs our moral support and sympathy. My advice is to forget about the rarified experiences and focus on your genuine happiness. When you're ready these experiences will find you.
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One need not meditate deeper than the 2nd stage of depth in meditation experience for most of one's contemplative life. Doing so well prepare one for greater depth later, when one is ready for the profound experiences of deeper levels of meditation experience.
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Years and years ago when I taught myself to meditate I ran into the same problem as D Dawson - the fear of going into a place and not being able to return etc . It was many years later that I ran into the GWV - I have a member for about 14 years. With in 1 year I began to experience the sounds and have experienced them all the time since. I have experienced all sorts of charisms since since my beginning of meditation as well as obes. A few years ago since joining GWV I entered the Kundalini realms beginning at the heart chakra - I do not do this very often but I know how exciting this is - sometimes they last for several hours - they just happen. Lucid dreaming also. I am rather agoraphobic and generally prefer to be alone. Unfortunately I missed the summer retreat - I recommend attendance - it is great to be with other contemplatives. Meeting Jeffrey is essential. I experience all of the jhanas. Final note of this ramble I have been in the dark night of the soul for several years... Stu
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Thanks, Stu. Good to hear from you.
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Thank you, Stu, for the reminder of how important it is to meet Jeff in person.
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I missed you as well, Stu.