Development of Spiritual Awareness

So many times I've wanted to do this - to take a conversation I've been having with one person and open it up for group discussion - but as comfortable as I was at the last forum where I was a member, I never really felt like I could do this kind of thing there. Once more I find myself superlatively grateful for OSH!

[This is really long - I seem unable to express myself succinctly - and I apologize for this. Feel free to sigh at the length of this post and skip it! hee]

This particular conversation, conducted mostly via email, centers on the development of spiritual awareness and coming to an understanding of spiritual perception. The person with whom I'm having this discussion has very recently begun to explore her own spiritual awareness, and we've been talking about the process for, oh, over a month now. She's come a very, very long way in a very short time. This morning I was writing to her again, and thought I'd post in the forum part of what I wrote in the hopes of generating a larger conversation that includes the input and experiences of others. I think there are many different ways to approach the development of spiritual awareness/perception, and I'd love to hear from those who have directly experienced the process themselves.

One thing that's popped up repeatedly in this ongoing discussion is the concept that spiritual perception occurs in a place (using the term loosely) that is beyond words; that it's easiest to perceive spiritual reality when one is not attempting to verbally describe or verbally think about what one is perceiving. That's my own experience; it might be different for others -- and that's part of my reason for opening this discussion; to include the perspectives of others.

So here's an excerpt from this morning's email:

"I wish I could remember how long it took me to get to the point where I
could go to that place beyond words -- I can't stress how important it was for
me to explore how to do this, how to let go of the thought processes that
provide an ongoing verbal description of what I perceived and felt, and to move
into that space where words are simply not part of the perception process.
"I know it took me less than six months to get to the point where I could
meditate in that 'beyond words' state, and it probably would have taken a lot
less time if I'd have had any guidance whatsoever in the process, but then again
I didn't want external guidance. I started with the conclusion that if
spiritual connections are truly available (and I was going on the assumption
that they were), then they are available to anyone, not just a special few. From
there, it was a matter of finding how to connect and become consciously aware of
spiritual reality. It really helped that I believed it was possible, that I
wasn't just looking to see if it could be done, but looking for
how I could do it.

"So I experimented with different approaches to meditation, not methods
suggested by others but just trying different things that made sense to me. I
found that if I started with a question or a concept to explore, the meditation
would certainly begin with word-thoughts, but at some point I'd kind of come to
the end of those thought processes and just will myself (intend) to
listen for more information, and in that part of the meditative process
I found my first connections.

"I was aware of spirit presences at that point, but they scared the snot out
of me, so it wasn't possible to have any direct contact with them; they kept
their distance and guided me when they could through my intuition, which - in
that place that is beyond words - felt, to me, like a new sense of perception
rather than communication. The difference between perception and communication
can be really subtle; I think that's why it's so easy to mistake intuition and
communication from spirit beings for one's own thoughts, and why it can be so
difficult to distinguish intuition, which comes from one's own greater sense of
awareness, from communication with other spirit beings -- intuition and
communication are processed through really similar centers of perception, and
when one is first becoming aware of those perception centers, they all kind of
jumble together, and it's hard to differentiate between one spiritual sense of
perception and another. How I 'hear' or 'see' or 'feel' on a spiritual/energetic
level is, as I've said before, very different from any of those senses on a
physical level.

"I imagine there's a similar process in developing physical perception --
when a child is born, she has no point of reference that separates what she
hears from what she sees or feels; it's all so new, it's not like the child
thinks, oh I'm hearing this sound; I'm seeing that color; I'm feeling this
touch -- it's all, simply, perception. Once she's been around a few months,
the different kinds of perception become more clear, and the child can
differentiate between her senses (this is sound, this is color, this is touch),
and eventually learns how to identify what's perceived, to identify people as
different from objects; to differentiate between communication and ambient
noise; to tell the difference between passive touch (like the surface of a
chair) and being touched, etc.

"Approaching the opening of spiritual awareness, I think it's important to
leave behind expectations regarding perception. In striving to 'hear' or 'see'
spiritual reality, expectations based on the definition of physical hearing and
sight might limit the ability to recognize spiritual perceptions that can only
loosely be defined as 'seeing' and 'hearing'."

And this is where I decided to open the discussion to the folks at OSH. I wrote, "Most folks who are spiritually aware don't actually 'see' or 'hear' anything
through their physical senses..." and realized my reference to "most folks" is based on the conversations I've had with a handful of spiritually aware individuals and may not be accurate. So although I'm interested in any input regarding spiritual perception and awareness (and their development), my direct question is, Do your spiritual/energetic perceptions involve physical processes? When you 'see' and 'hear' on a spiritual/energetic level, does this also involve your physical eyes and ears?

I actually see (with my physical eyes) quite a bit on a spiritual/energetic level, but -- ohh this is so hard to put into words -- it's more a side-effect of spiritual awareness; my most direct experiences, connections and communications occur on a non-physical level. *grimace* Did that make any sense?

Yeesh I could write many more paragraphs but - joy of joys! - think it's best to stop here and see what others have to say.

Thanks to all who slogged through this long post!
plur

At my development class, we are expected to build up our 'power' and 'throw' it forward to the rest of the group and then see who steps forward in the energy.
I have found my own way to 'see' someone (dont tell tutor!) by breathing quickly.
I see thru my third eye. I do it best with my eyes closed, but once I have seen spirit, I can then open them and still see them.

As for hearing, I don't hear, I usually just 'know' something has been told to me.
Probably telepathy.

However, on two occasions I have heard words with my ears, spoken words and neither time did I know who spoke them.

Wow that was fast! Yay!!! Thank you, mia -- you actually came to mind when the idea occurred to me to post this here. Not sure why!

Rats. I don't have time to fully respond; my son just called, and I need to go pick him up (he's coming over today). I'll be watching this thread, but might not be able to write much again until Monday; weekends are when I'm least likely to post in the forum.

Looking forward to hearing more!
plur

Hi Plur,
I feel that spiritual awareness begins when you are aware of yourself. Believing in oneself is an important part of our spiritual path. If we do not know who we are, how can we know if it is spirit that is with us. Meditation is the best way to become aware of your inner self.
I am in a developing circle and have been for nearly two years. I am now no longer classed as a fledgeling as I now do Platform work alone. The circle is important to me as I will always be learning from both spirit and others in the circle. We never stop learning. Never let ego take over because your gift can be distorted and perhaps taken away from you.
A medium is only as good as their last reading. Trusting in spirit and what you get from them will help to keep your feet on the ground, although after doing a church service for more than an hour you can feel humble but elated. Sometimes I feel that my whole body is electrified when I work. I know that it is spiritual energy that is passing through.
I enjoy working for spirit and the comfort that it gives to others. People go to spiritualist churches for comfort and the knowledge that their loved ones are still around. I know that there is life after life.
So keep up with your development and I am certain that your pathway in spiritualism will be fruitfull and satisfying.

Love and blessings,

Marty

Hello

Like all things we all have our time frames and out individaul needs and when we are ready things flow into us.

I so beleive that we are NEVER given more in life than what we can handle and I know at times of great stress we wonder if we will see the light of day and get past it. Sadly some do not make it out but too I have come to embrace that simply be one's life path.

Spiritual Devopment might well go along with the Soul one came in with if one has a more advanced Soul one might well find that path comes easier where if one got say a Jr. Soul then one's journey might well be harder to make progress along. BUT we all have to remember that no matter where we be in our paths it is just that OUR path. We can be advised by other's along the way but we should I feel never let one say they be the master of us.

I know that for me the path I have been on has taken a lifetime so far to get me to the understandings I now have. I til recently would look back and go WHY on WHY to things to life happening to me. Never in a really negative focus way, more in the feeling I was not placed where one should be.

What I have come to realize is that the home I grew up in the family I had the being told to never talk on thigs I say and felt as a child the hard times I had as a teen, the point of almost taking one's life, the NDE I had all made me who I am today. Without those learnings along that path the person I am now would not exist. The knowlege I have in me would not be put forth to others.

I used to feel bad for being a book worn nerdy thing now I see the great value that part of me had in me life. In the discussions I can now have with others of usually much younger years that are just starting to read in things I have over the years. I never had the tools of the internet I had to search out books.

Recently I had a Kundaline Awakening and that experiece opened to me the heart that I out of need for self protection closed off so early on. Knowing too that was the right path for me to have done so but I so wondered why other's felt it so easy to just give a simple embrace where every part of me being said RUN. Part was being empathic the other part was fear of being felt.

We are all enegy we all project energies from our very soul knowing that I had much in me I never put forth it out of fear of being seen odd. In embracing for them most part how very different I am to others with ablilites like me in that I never chose in a path of learing on one of them to use for profits, I am rare I be told. Too that be me path. That be the path that has made me whom I an and a path that has made me happy.

We all have our speed worry not if one is not on the same speed as another we can not all run the minute mile some need the slow park stroll.

Lynn

LOL, Lynn...how true!!!

Sometimes I feel like I am the slow park stroll.....