The Stages of the JourneyThe Stages of the Journey

From Thoughts to Attention From Thoughts to Attention

to Freedomto Freedom

The ‘ego’The ‘ego’

The ‘self’The ‘self’

The role of meditationThe role of meditation

Meditation creates awareness that we are more Meditation creates awareness that we are more than our surface self.than our surface self.

We discover thatWe discover that “The Kingdom of God” , the “The Kingdom of God” , the ‘spark of the soul’, the ‘Christ consciousness’, the ‘spark of the soul’, the ‘Christ consciousness’, the

‘true self’ lives within us.‘true self’ lives within us.

We remember that we areWe remember that we are“children of God”, (2 “children of God”, (2 Cor 7) Cor 7) that we are that we are “the temple of the Holy Spirit”,“the temple of the Holy Spirit”, (1 Cor 3)and that (1 Cor 3)and that “the consciousness that was in “the consciousness that was in

Christ is also in us”.Christ is also in us”.

“ “Meditation is a way of breaking through Meditation is a way of breaking through from a world of illusion into the pure light of from a world of illusion into the pure light of

reality.”reality.” (John Main) (John Main)

““All the while the soul dwells in this corruptible All the while the soul dwells in this corruptible body, the clarity of our spiritual body, the clarity of our spiritual

understanding, especially of God is touched understanding, especially of God is touched with some sort of distortion.”with some sort of distortion.”

(Cloud of Unknowing)(Cloud of Unknowing)

““If we If we cleanse the doors of cleanse the doors of perception we will see reality as perception we will see reality as

it is, infinite! (William Blake)it is, infinite! (William Blake)

PerceptionPerception

The BrainThe Brain

Brain and AttentionBrain and Attention

• Increased activity in attention cells of pre-Increased activity in attention cells of pre-frontal cortexfrontal cortex

• Decreased activity in thought cells of pre-Decreased activity in thought cells of pre-frontal cortex. As a consequence decrease in frontal cortex. As a consequence decrease in ‘‘beta waves’beta waves’ – our thinking waves. – our thinking waves.

• Deeper attention -Deeper attention -‘Flight or fight’‘Flight or fight’ changes to changes to ‘relaxation response’‘relaxation response’ – more ‘ – more ‘alpha and alpha and theta’theta’ relaxation waves relaxation waves

• Even deeper attention: decreased activity in Even deeper attention: decreased activity in the parietal lobe – lessening of orientation in the parietal lobe – lessening of orientation in time and space and self/non-self boundary.time and space and self/non-self boundary.

Effect of attention on body and Effect of attention on body and mindmind

• Lowers breathing rateLowers breathing rate• Lowers blood pressureLowers blood pressure• Lowers heart rateLowers heart rate• Counteracts effects of stress, anxiety and Counteracts effects of stress, anxiety and

even paineven pain• Improves general health and mental outlookImproves general health and mental outlook• Decreases urge involved in addiction of Decreases urge involved in addiction of

many kindsmany kinds• Stills the body and the mindStills the body and the mind

One-pointed attention?One-pointed attention?

Attention and detachmentAttention and detachment

““The light of the body is the eye; if therefore The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be

full of light” full of light” (Matt 6:22)(Matt 6:22)

““He who wants to be a follower of mine needs He who wants to be a follower of mine needs to leave self behind.”to leave self behind.”

““Teach us to care and not to care.” Teach us to care and not to care.” (T.S.Eliot)(T.S.Eliot)

Surface mindSurface mind

““the chaotic din of a mind ravaged by so the chaotic din of a mind ravaged by so much exposure to trivia and distraction” much exposure to trivia and distraction”

(John Main)(John Main)

““the monkey mind level of distraction”. the monkey mind level of distraction”. (Laurence Freeman)(Laurence Freeman)

Different thoughtsDifferent thoughts

• Trivial thoughtsTrivial thoughts

• Deeper thoughtsDeeper thoughts

• PreparationPreparation

• NamingNaming

• Becoming aware of Becoming aware of conditioning in the conditioning in the family and societyfamily and society

PreparationPreparation

““For whatever our soul was thinking about For whatever our soul was thinking about before the time of prayer inevitably occurs before the time of prayer inevitably occurs

to us when we pray as a result of the to us when we pray as a result of the operation of the memory. Hence we must operation of the memory. Hence we must

prepare ourselves before the time of prepare ourselves before the time of prayer to be the prayerful persons that we prayer to be the prayerful persons that we

wish to be.” wish to be.” (Cassian)(Cassian)

““You can’t stop the waves, but you You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”can learn to surf”

AcceptanceAcceptance

Conditioning thoughtsConditioning thoughts

““The limits of my language [thoughts] are The limits of my language [thoughts] are the limits of my world.” the limits of my world.” (Wittgenstein)(Wittgenstein)

What we are today comes from our thoughts What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. creation of our mind. (Dhammapada)(Dhammapada)

ConditioningConditioning

• Parents and siblingsParents and siblings

• EnvironmentEnvironment

• CultureCulture

• ReligionReligion

• Survival needs: love, security, esteem, Survival needs: love, security, esteem, power, control and pleasurepower, control and pleasure

Who am I?Who am I?

Who do you think Who do you think you are?you are?

““Nothing is as Nothing is as difficult as not difficult as not deceiving oneself.” deceiving oneself.” (Wittgenstein)(Wittgenstein)

Me and my shadowMe and my shadow

““Projections change Projections change the world into the the world into the replica of our own replica of our own unknown face.” unknown face.” (Jung)(Jung)

FearFear

The difficulty of changeThe difficulty of change

““We cannot step into the same river twice.” We cannot step into the same river twice.” (Heraclites 5(Heraclites 5thth c B.C.) c B.C.)

““Everything flows on and on like this river, Everything flows on and on like this river, without pause, day and night.” without pause, day and night.” (Confucius (Confucius

55thth c B.C.) c B.C.)

Ploys of the ego on the surface Ploys of the ego on the surface levellevel

• Increase awareness of thoughtsIncrease awareness of thoughts

• Boring repetitionBoring repetition

• Don’t just sit there, do something!Don’t just sit there, do something!

• Is this really the right mantra?Is this really the right mantra?

• Is this the right type of meditation?Is this the right type of meditation?

• Better group leader would help!Better group leader would help!

• This is self-indulgentThis is self-indulgent

• Pernicious peace – ‘holy dozing’Pernicious peace – ‘holy dozing’

Ploys of the ego - ‘Ploys of the ego - ‘Unmet need’Unmet need’ tapestapes

““Here we meet the ego in its most frazzled state, Here we meet the ego in its most frazzled state, dressed in the ever-changing costumes of daily dressed in the ever-changing costumes of daily

life.” (Laurence Freeman)life.” (Laurence Freeman)

• ‘‘God can’t love you unconditionally. You God can’t love you unconditionally. You are not lovable!’are not lovable!’

• ‘‘Aren’t you out of control?’Aren’t you out of control?’

• ‘‘I don’t know whether this is safe!’I don’t know whether this is safe!’

• ‘‘No one prays like this. You are the odd No one prays like this. You are the odd one out!’one out!’

Religious Conditioning and images Religious Conditioning and images of Godof God

• ‘‘This is not prayer as I was taught!’This is not prayer as I was taught!’

• ‘‘This is not the way my parents pray. I can’t be This is not the way my parents pray. I can’t be disloyal to them.’disloyal to them.’

• ‘‘I can’t relate to God the Father.’I can’t relate to God the Father.’

• There is no such thing as ‘unconditional love’!There is no such thing as ‘unconditional love’!

Personal UnconsciousPersonal Unconscious

““Here we meet the “ego dressed in the more Here we meet the “ego dressed in the more dramatic period costumes of the different dramatic period costumes of the different

stages of our psychological history” stages of our psychological history” (Laurence Freeman)(Laurence Freeman)

This is “the darker level of consciousness of This is “the darker level of consciousness of repressed fears and anxieties” repressed fears and anxieties” (John Main)(John Main)

““Just name your demons and your heart will Just name your demons and your heart will tolerate them better.”tolerate them better.”

SignsSigns

• Sudden tearsSudden tears• Feeling of irritationFeeling of irritation• Waves of angerWaves of anger• BoredomBoredom• Feelings of dryness and pointlessnessFeelings of dryness and pointlessness• Ego questions: ‘What is the point if I Ego questions: ‘What is the point if I

feel worse afterwards?’ and ‘It is feel worse afterwards?’ and ‘It is better to let the past be!’better to let the past be!’

We have a friend.We have a friend.

Awareness of the Presence of GodAwareness of the Presence of God

““Lost in the music heard so Lost in the music heard so deeplydeeply

That it is not heard at allThat it is not heard at all

But you are the music while But you are the music while the music lasts” the music lasts”

(T.S.Eliot)(T.S.Eliot)

““The whole purpose of this The whole purpose of this life is to restore to health life is to restore to health the eye of the heart by the eye of the heart by

which God may be seen.” which God may be seen.” (St Augustine)(St Augustine)

Integration of the ‘ego’ and the Integration of the ‘ego’ and the ‘self’‘self’

This is the level of silence, where we see This is the level of silence, where we see with wonder the light of our own spirit and with wonder the light of our own spirit and where we contact the ground of our own where we contact the ground of our own

being.” being.” (John Main)(John Main)

““We confront the ego in its naked existence, We confront the ego in its naked existence, all the costumes temporarily laid aside.” all the costumes temporarily laid aside.”

(Laurence Freeman)(Laurence Freeman)