Meditation & Consciousness
“Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body”
—Deepak Chopra
“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a candle in a windless place” —Bhagavad Gita
“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.” — Marcus Aurelius
What is Consciousness?
Five or six years ago if you would have asked me what Consciousness was, I would have given an answer along the lines of- Consciousness is being conscientious and aware of everything going on around you. While this is true, my definition of Consciousness has greatly expanded over the last several years as I have delved deeper into my own spiritual practice and progressed through my Maharishi Ayurveda program.
My definition of Consciousness is this- Consciousness IS everything. It is complete and total awareness with a deep inner knowing and understanding of our internal and external existence. Consciousness is our connection to all that is. It is our awareness of ALL the manifested and unmanifested aspects of our mind, body, spirit, as well as our environment along with our experiences. Consciousness is all that exists, and all that is- is consciousness itself manifested. It is the unified field- an eternal fountain that births into existence manifestations of itself. It is the basis for all of creation and all that is.
The field of pure consciousness correlates to the modern unified field as described by modern quantum physics. Consciousness itself is also a single, self-interacting field that gives rise to all that is manifested within the Universe. As we know, Consciousness is everything, because it gives rise to everything through its self-interaction with dynamism and prakriti to bring the unmanifest to the level of manifestation.
How can you experience Consciousness?
You might be wondering to yourself (or you may not be) how you can experience this in your own life. The answer is a simple one- meditation, specifically Transcendental Meditation. Maharishi brought to us the simple technique of Transcendental Meditation, which helps us to simply and effortlessly transcend to Pure Consciousness and experience Cosmic Consciousness.
Although Maharishi brought to us the simplest method in which to achieve transcendence, there have been many, many people from all walks of life who have experienced transcendence and achieved it in other ways. In his book “The Supreme Awakening,” Dr. Craig Pearson shares experiences of people throughout history who have experienced transcendence without using Transcendental Meditation. He shares the experience of the poet William Wordsworth and his experiences with Transcendental Consciousness as he was walking through nature. Others, through either cultural practice or other known methods, achieve transcendence through chanting, or drumming, or prayer, or ceremony, an many other known means in which to transcend. What impresses me the most, is that as advanced as we find ourselves today in modern society, this knowledge of the importance of transcending has been around for a millennia!
Why is it important to connect with Consciousness?
I remember listening to a talk from Dr. John Haeglin two and a half years ago and I still remember that feeling I had as I listened to him basically solidified everything I knew and believed to be true from a scientific, quantum physics standpoint. And I still use the description he gave when explaining how everything arises from Consciousness. Dr. Haeglin correlates Transcendental Consciousness, also called the Transcendental Field, with the Unified Field as described in quantum physics. He describes it as an ocean of infinite possibilities (now, imagine an actual ocean with a smooth surface and then all the activity occurring under the surface) with all the activity occurring under the surface leading to these tiny effervescent bubbles (let’s really call these rubber bands, or really strings- yes, we’re discussing String Theory). These bubbles, these super strings- they emerge from this ocean, from this field and then they move and vibrate. As they move and vibrate, they converge one with another until matter is formed. The density of this matter depends on the amount of light and heavy strings/bubbles, along with their vibratory rate and energy level. It solidifies to me that everything is just an expression of the Unified Field, of Total and Pure Consciousness.
In another recent live webinar discussion (that many of you readers were likely not privy too- sorry ☹, however he has a lot of other great material that is accessible!), Dr. Haeglin was discussing the Universe and its infinite number of galaxies along with its infinite expansion, because it (the Universe) is an expression of consciousness and the infinite ocean of all possibilities as it manifests from total consciousness. We, as human beings, are also material beings and as such emerge from consciousness as well, from that Unified Field. And so does our mind- our mind emerges from consciousness. This is why meditation is so important. Meditation helps us transcend the mind and reach that absolute simplicity and moments of Cosmic Consciousness. If everyone on this planet meditated- what a different world and planet we would live in!
Meditation has been around and practiced for thousands of years in many cultures across the globe. “Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022), however meditation has many other benefits both physically and mentally. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “The emotional and physical benefits of meditation [in general] can include:
Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress
Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions
Increasing imagination and creativity
Increasing patience and tolerance
Lowering resting heart rate
Lowering resting blood pressure
Improving sleep quality” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022).
As mentioned earlier, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the individual who developed and introduced Transcendental Meditation. Transcendental Meditation (TM) does not involve any kind of religion or specific lifestyle. As Maharishi studied Consciousness himself, he developed this simple technique in which to experience transcendence and connection with Consciousness and introduced it to the world as science. Through his study and introduction of TM, he helped to establish the meditative transcendental stage as the fourth state of consciousness, with the first three stages being waking, sleeping, and dreaming (Pearson, 2016; Cleveland Clinic, 2022). Transcendental Meditation correlates with the fourth state of consciousness. Dr. Pearson has this to say about Transcendental Consciousness:
In this state, attention has settled inward, beyond perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. What remains is the experience of consciousness in its pure form, awake to itself alone- unbounded pure awareness, our innermost Self. Simultaneously the body becomes integrated, suggesting the total brain is awake.
Dr. Craig Pearson, 2016
Since the introduction of TM in the 1950’s there have literally been hundreds of studies conducted that all show the amazing benefits of it. You can find a list of these studies on TM.org or even access them through the David Lynch Foundation (I’ve listed the website under the references at the bottom). The benefits of TM that have been discovered through the various studies that have been conducted on TM over the years are vast. Some of the benefits include:
Physical Benefits
Lower blood pressure: The Transcendental Meditation technique has been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Studies have shown the TM technique may be as effective at reducing blood pressure as blood pressure medication.
Improvement in sleep.
Pain management and/or distraction from pain.
Mental Health Benefits
Mental Health Benefits
Reduction in stress, anxiety and depression.
Management of PTSD.
Improvement of self-esteem.
Cognitive Benefits
Increased productivity, performance and problem-solving skills.
Enhanced creativity, intelligence and awareness.
Improved energy, focus and memory.
(Cleveland Clinic, 2022).
Maharishi himself even said, “Any repair on the level of consciousness will always maintain delicate transformation of consciousness into [the] physiology, and then it will be natural growth of physiology. There will be no damage, no pain or suffering, or disease. Nothing” (Mahesh Yogi, 2010). In essence, a balanced consciousness leads to a balanced physiology- including mind, body, and spirit.
It might sound like I’m pushing TM, but I’m really not. I’ve just seen and experienced the benefits in my own life since I began practicing TM almost 3 years ago. Any form of meditation is fantastic and offers so many benefits to us physically, mentally, and spiritually. I have been able to deepen my connection and understanding of not only myself and my internal world, but also of everything around me. My perspective of the world and our connection to everything around us at a microscopic and macroscopic level has grown and deepened exponentially. I encourage everyone to look into mediation of some sort to start your journey to better health mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Until next time!
-Ashley
“Enlightenment is the supreme awakening to the true nature of life.”
-Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
References:
Cleveland Clinic. (January 19, 2022). Transcendental meditation. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22292-transcendental-meditation
Mahesh Yogi, M. (2010). Deviation from the natural path of evolution. “One Period a Day.” Vedic Medicine #4. Maharishi University of Management.
Mayo Clinic Staff (April 29, 2022). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858
Pearson, C. (2016). The supreme awakening- Experiences of enlightenment throughout time- And how you can cultivate them. Second Edition. Maharishi University of Management Press.
