existential
Finding Peace and Joy In The ‘No-thingness’
Like Neo in the movie The Matrix (1999) our minds occasionally slip into luminous moments of complete stillness and clarity — tiny mental pauses where all thinking stops just long enough for us to glimpse the truth of all existence.
In these fleeting spaces between our thoughts, it becomes clear that the comings and goings of life are just that… temporary ‘blips’ of experience that arise and pass through our awareness.
I have come to know these moments as realizations of ‘no-thingness.’
In these brief pauses, something quietly opens up within us. We notice the obvious — what has always been there — hidden behind the busy waking mind and its constant commentary. Our awareness shifts from being consumed by temporary events to seeing what’s always there: the background, the container, the eternal.
These silent mental breaks reveal something much deeper and greater than our own existence and awareness.
There’s a word for this in ancient Sanskrit: svabhāva. It means one’s true nature — the essence of who we are beneath the roles, stories, and conditioning. The term is used in many yogic and Vedantic texts to describe the innate reality or unconditioned self beyond our human ego and thoughts.
Our true authentic self is not something we become. It’s something we remember. When we glimpse the silence between thoughts, we’re not discovering something new — we’re reconnecting with our original divine self. Not the self that reacts and worries, but the self that simply is. Svabhāva is the part of us that doesn’t come and go. It’s the constant presence behind every changing moment. It is the essence of living a truly conscious life.
Accessing Your Own Akashic Record
The ability to access the Akashic Records is traditionally considered a special gift that only a select few prophets or gurus are privy to. It is often mistakenly considered an esoteric practice that only the spiritually advanced or those of us with unique mystical abilities can perform.
However, this outdated perception is rapidly changing. The modern spiritual landscape embraces the understanding that, with some dedication and practice, anyone can learn to access their own Akashic ‘file.’ This shift is rooted in the notion that these records are not exclusive, but universal.
The records are a karmic birthright, freely available to all who seek to access them with sincere intentions and an open mind, for the simple reason that having free access to one’s own karmic “data” is beneficial to your soul evolution.
The concept of the Akashic Records has fascinated mystics, spiritual seekers, and esoteric scholars for centuries. Rooted in various religious and spiritual traditions, it is described as a universal compendium of all events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intentions that have ever occurred in the past, present, or future.
This metaphysical “library” or “database” exists in the non-physical and underlies the universal field of consciousness and our entire existence. In Sanskrit, the term Akasha (आकाश) is derived from the root word kas, which means “to radiate,” “to shine,” or “to be visible.” The prefix “a” intensifies or negates the root meaning, giving “Akasha” various interpretations such as “ether,” “space,” or “sky.” In Hindu philosophy Akasha is considered one of the five elements that make up the physical world.
Follow Your Passion And Truth
In Native American tradition, human existence and well-being is based on the Medicine Wheel, also known as the Sacred Hoop, that consists of the Four Directions, Father Sky, Mother Earth, and the Spirit Tree. Together these ‘spokes’ of the wheel honor all aspects of human existence, growth, balance, and well-being: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
In each lifetime, we are destined to achieve progress in one or more of these areas until, finally, after many incarnations, all the ‘spokes’ of our wheel are complete – all the way from the inner hub to the outer rim. At that point, we have completed our various missions through many incarnations in a myriad of schoolrooms, and we finally achieve ascended mastery.
When all our spokes are complete, we leave this dense, earthly dimension and arrive at the highest plane of existence, the realm of the Great Spirit, traditionally known as the ‘Hunting Grounds of the Ancestors,’ and since the arrival of Christianity, as ‘Heaven.’
In this state we never need to descend again, and will remain infinitely in the higher dimension. We are liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth and reach a new level of consciousness and enlightened existence, known as nirvana in Buddhism, moksha in Hindusim, and eternal life in Christianity.
As a result, from a spiritual stand-point, we are offered a smorgasbord of options and choices that we may need for our particular journey in this lifetime. The enthusiasm and passion we feel when we are guided to a particular path is spirit directing us toward the ‘curriculum’ we need to complete in order to achieve our ultimate goal of transcendence in one or more spokes of our wheel.
Gratitude Is The Essential Spiritual Practice
In a fast-paced world with many distractions and challenges, it is easy to overlook gratitude’s transformative power. Cultivating a mindset of appreciation by acknowledging all the good in our life greatly enhances our well-being and quality of life.
Gratitude is advocated in many cultures, religious teachings, and spiritual traditions. It is generally considered the mother of all virtues and the essential spiritual practice. In Judaism, for example, gratitude is considered an essential part of worship. Islam encourages believers to be grateful and express thanks to Allah in all circumstances. Christians are encouraged to praise and give gratitude to God not just in thought and feeling, but also in deeds and action.
Gratitude is also a virtue that Hindus believe should be cultivated in order to live a fulfilling life of inner peace and contentment. Many Buddhist monks begin each day with a chant of gratitude for the blessings in their life. In fact, in Shin Buddhism, gratitude is seen as a primary practice that has priority over meditation and study.
In modern times, scientific research has shed further light on the profound benefits of having an ‘attitude of gratitude.’
While traditionally confined to the realm of philosophy, gratitude has garnered much attention in the field of positive psychology in recent years. Neuroscientists have also begun exploring gratitude from a scientific perspective, seeking to unravel the intricate workings of the brain when we practice and experience gratitude.
Let Spirituality Be Your Guiding Light
In a fast-paced world where superficial, materialistic pursuits tend to dominate our lives, the search for deeper meaning and purpose has become even more significant for many people. Spirituality has always been a guiding light in this quest.
Spirituality offers solace, clarity, and a profound connection to something greater than ourselves. It is inherently personal and subjective, and not limited to religious affiliations, formal belief systems, or cultural traditions.
To be spiritual is to have a deep awareness of the higher self, as well as a heightened connection to God, Goddess, Source, Spirit, the Divine, the Universe.
Our preferred spiritual practice does not have to be some form of dogmatic religion, which tends to involve organized rituals, ceremony, and fixed doctrines. Instead, it can also be an individual exploration of higher consciousness that seeks a direct and personal experience of the sacred and divine.
Spiritual awareness is also not confined to merely a few isolated moments of contemplation, but instead a holistic, consistent state of mind, or way of being in the world, that permeates every aspect of our life.
By integrating spiritual principles and practices into our daily life, we infuse our everyday choices and actions with intention and authenticity, leading to a more balanced, fulfilling, and purposeful existence.
A Near-Death Experience Transformed My Life
Life has a way of revealing profound truths to us through unexpected circumstances.
When I was 20 years old, a life-altering event occurred that forever changed the course of my existence. I was severely injured in a traffic accident which led to a near-death experience (NDE).
It was a profound experience that transcended the ordinary and opened my eyes to the interconnectedness of all things. It ignited a profound spiritual awakening within me.
Expanding Consciousness
In the wake of the accident, a remarkable phenomenon occurred. I found myself stepping out of my physical body, witnessing the unfolding events from a vantage point of expanded consciousness. It was as if a veil had been lifted, allowing me to perceive not only my immediate surroundings, but also the entire location and surrounding city.
My heightened awareness continued to expand, to ultimately the entire planet, until I transcended even that, merging with the boundless expanse of the Universe.
Becoming One
During this extraordinary journey into higher realms, the boundaries of my individual self increasingly dissolved, and I experienced an indescribable sense of unity with the Universe. My consciousness soared past planets to embrace galaxies and ultimately behold the vastness of the entire cosmos.
Am I Really An Alien?
In June 2021, the US intelligence community released a long-awaited report on almost 400 sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), traditionally known as unidentified flying objects (UFOs, over the last several decades.
Why this information had been kept top secret all these years remains a mystery to me. But now that we have it out in the open, it confirms what many people believe: that there must be alien life forms or extraterrestrial intelligence in existence beyond our known universe. I believe these alien entities wish to have contact with us, or has already established some form of contact.
The idea of keeping all of this so secret sis not something that I simply cannot come to terms with. Why were we not told earlier? What could we have done with the information anyway? Panic? Get on a train, ship or plane to remove ourselves for possible danger? Where would we go? Since we cannot leave the planet, the secrecy never made sense to me.
I especially take issue with the pointless secrecy because of the assumption that had been made on our behalf that these alien life forms inevitably may present a major threat to us. Where did that idea arrive from? What is humanity’s prior experience with extraterrestrial beings that led so-called experts to this judgmental assumption?
My personal understanding of life elsewhere is entirely different. I have a complete and distinct memory of where I originate from. It is a place called Jute that it exists in another dimension. I also recall that Jute resonated in the most beautiful shades of blue. Interestingly, since I was a small child here on planet Earth, blue has always my favorite color.