Topics covered included:

• LOVE, and how our understanding of it evolves as we develop spiritually.
• Practical things we can do to go deeper into meditation.
• How attitude and the mind can be useful in preparing for a meditate.
• Discriminating between expectation, imagination and "being in the now".

I will be organising more of these in the future so I hope you can join us. To find out when the next online meditation discussing and philosophical meeting will be sign up to the free meditation newsletter.

The Benefits of Philosophy to a Meditator

Let's be clear about what I mean by "philosophy". I mean an intelligent and light hearted discussion and enquirey into the fundamental aspects of being human and experiencing stillness. Playing with philosophy (it is fun) helps meditators in the following ways:

• You build more ability to understand and integrate those experiences and insights you have within your meditation.
• You can challenge and go beyond your own limiting habits and beliefs to find more flexibility in your personality, allowing you to get more from your meditation.
• You can explore and directly apply teachings from wise philosophers through the ages to your own life and experiences.
• It can create a more fluid experience within meditation as you have better aligned your lower mind with the stillness. Intention is very powerful and so doing philosophy helps orientate your intentions.

A philosophical discussion with like-minded folk:

How: Well we're all over the country (in fact the world!) so let's make the most of technology. We're going to do this using Skype which is a free program that you can download and put on a computer or laptop. Make sure you've got headphones handy and a microphone too (some laptops have mics built in!). When you've got skype installed just look for the skype account "pureenergymeditation" and add it to your contacts. Be sure to provide your full name and where you are to the invite. Skype allows up to 25 people to talk together!

When: Thurs 5th April @ 7pm for about 1 hour(ish). Pop it into your diary now! Sign into Skype at 6:55 and send me a chat message saying you want to join in. I will then add you to the conference call. - simple. I'll stop adding people at 7pm so be on time :) If you live near someone else who is interested then use this as an excuse to get together.

If you've missed this one then sign up to the newsletter to find out about when the next one will be.

Cost: It's FREE

What: This will be the first one so we'll start with ease and see what comes up! Everyone can contribute as much as they want or simply listen in and enjoy. I would recommend that you do a few minutes of meditation before the call to get into a peacefull and relaxed state of mind before we begin.

Who: This is aimed at anyone who is interested in or already doing pure energy meditation. From beginners to experienced...

I look forward to hearing you there.

ps. A few really handy hints to having a great skype experience:

1. Use headphones otherwise the sound quality of what you hear and say will not be so good. It will also be better for the other people. If there are a couple of you round one computer then you may want to get a headphone splitter which is pretty cheap.(here's an example: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001D84CV6)
2. Make sure your mobile phone is not near your computer or microphone as they can create a lot of interference. Go on treat yourself and switch it off for an hour!
3. A strong wi-fi signal will improve the quality of the call.
4. Stop downloading large files or watching youtube videos/facebook during the call. When you watch online videos or download files then there is little bandwidth left for skype and the quality of your call will go down.
5. Make sure the room you are in is quiet - turn off the TV and radio etc. They may sound quite to you but your microphone will pick them up and amplify the signal so that it creates noise for everyone else.
6. If you want to talk privately with other people in your room with you then hit the space bar to put yourself on mute. You will still hear the skype conference but they wont hear you.
7. If unsure then do a skype test call first (https://support.skype.com/en-us/faq/FA265/How-can-I-make-a-test-call) or skype a friend to check everything is setup before the conference call.
8. There will only be audio - no video so you won't need a webcam.

Well I've written about 24,000 words so far which equates to about 150 pages. There is still more to write but I'm very pleased with how it is coming along. The way I work is to have a question and then reflect on it for a while. Often the words come to me very intuitively, when I least expect it so I keep a notepad near me at all times now. When the words are flowing it's a real pleasure as really I'm just letting them come through me so to say. It's a bit like meditation I guess, the more you let go and get out the way then the more cool stuff can happen and energy flows!

Chapter Listing

Below is the current chapter listing. Most of the titles are working titles but it will give you an idea of what to expect. And please feel free to suggest more things if you want them in the final book. The main section headings are in bold.

Spirituality 3

• Believing is Not Being 5
• My Definition of “Spirituality” 7
• What Do You Believe Now? 12
• The Limits of Words 16
• The Trap of Expectations 17
• Stuck With Information? Within Formation? 19
• Why So Many Forms Of Meditation? 21
• What Are You Paying Attention To? 22
• Where Are You Paying Attention From? 24
• You Have Been Meditating All Your Life 26
• The Seven Levels Within Manifest Creation 27
• Awareness Within Manifest Creation 35
• Beyond Manifest Creation 45
• Love 46
• The Big Picture 48
• The Illusion of Self 51
• The Teacher and The Master 54
• The Illusion of a Spiritual Journey 58

Meditation 60

• Preparing For Spiritual Awareness 60
• Attitudes That Support Inner Stillness 62
• Outside Is A Mirror Of Inside 73
• Practical Advice for All Meditation 75
• Meditation Techniques 88
• Personality and State 106
• Lifestyle Factors That Support Stillness 106
• Diet 106
• Drugs 112
• Alcohol & Smoking 117
• Lifestyle 118

Common Misconceptions 118

• "Women Can't Become Enlightened" 119
• Enlightenment Over Many Incarnations 121
• Spiritual Means Behaving a Specific Way 124
• Can The Blind Lead the Blind? 132
• All Spiritual Phenomena Is Just Chemistry 133
• Spirituality Is Not Entertainment 135
• Waiting Till You Are Ready For Spirituality 138
• You Cannot Get a Certificate in Spirituality 140
• States Do Not Equal Status 142
• You are not invincible 142
• States do not come with instructions 142

Integration 142

• Poles Apart 142
• Understanding Limits, Awareness and Love. 144
• Resistance to Change 153
• Personal Transformation 154
• References 157

Over the years I've taught a number of people this technique, and usually when they really need it. There was my friend who couldn't decide whether to renew his work contract or go for a new job. Using meditation to get him still he knew the answer within minutes. He literally described it being "so obvious, once he had a little bit of space to see it". He had been agonising over the choice for many weeks and it was making him feel sick, so you could imagine his relief!

So this is what I do:

1. Define the question. It might be that I'm working on a creative media project and I've got a bit stuck and so I would like to "get a new idea". Or perhaps it's a choice like "what if I do X, rather than Y?" But finding the answer starts with being clear about the choice/question. If I need more clarity at this stage then I'll simply sit and meditate for about 5 minutes on deep breath techniques before even thinking about what the question is. Once I have it, I tend to write the question down on a piece of paper to "make it tangible".
2. Become still. Whether you are a breath meditator, using a mantra or an advanced pure energy meditator, there is stillness to be had (or more precisely, "to be"). So after step 1, I will read the question once and then literally, "put it down" with the intention that I can let the question go and when I am still I will naturally access the answer. So at this stage I simply go into my meditation and become nice and still and become the space and stillness. The stiller you are the more intuitive you become.
3. Neutrally observe the answer. One of the most amazing aspects of meditation, in relation to the personality, is that it gives us access to states beyond the lower "ego/personality", which is really the personality based on the physical, emotional and mental vehicles. From these higher states we are less biased and are more able to simply observe "what is" rather than "what we want". Sometimes I see the answer, sometimes I simply "know" the answer and other people describe these insights in other ways too. But sometimes the answer will come later which is why...
4. Stay awake. I don't mean become an insomniac! what I mean is that after the meditation stay awake on the inside. The more we learn to stay awake and "coming from the stillness" during our everyday lives then the more awake we are to what is really happening. Many of the insights and realisations I've made about the "human condition" have been while awake in everyday life. I've also had many profound (to say the least) realisations and insights within meditation ;) but that's for another day!

When we are stiller and more awake in life then many of the things that seem like a big deal or hard to resolve seem to just disappear and melt away. The process I've described above is just one way of accessing intuition. One of the things that is really important is to have a clear intention. As energy literally follows thought. Just something to think about ;)

One of my favorite verses from the Tao Te Ching is the following:

"We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel,
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel,
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house,
And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not."

For me this is really about meditation and the way that without stillness there can be no form. But what is really important is for you to ask the question "what do I understand by this?" because it doesn't matter what anyone else understands, only what you understand for yourself. Another person's realisations, no matter how profound will not free you from your own limits.

The first line shows not only how all form is made of other forms, for example a wheel is made of 30 spokes. But this line also shows how we (through our minds) ascribe labels to things. For example when you read the word "wheel" you have an idea of what that wheel would be like. But everyone's idea of the wheel may be different. Is it a bicycle wheel, a wooden wagon wheel, or a thick car wheel. Is it 30 cm across or 100 cm? So the label is not the thing.

Then the second line: "But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends" describes how it is the hole in the middle of the wheel that allows it to be "useful". The wheel by its very design has a purpose, to allow something to move. So it is the hole or absense of form that allows the wheel to carry out its function.

The following lines also carry on this theme of the formless allowing the form to function. It is a metaphor, a hint at meditation. Because in meditation our bodies, much like the clay vessel are our form and we focus our awareness on the "space" inside. This space you can also label as emptyness, stillness, neutrality, balance, inner peace, tranquility and Love. By being aware of this "space" we allow our vessel to realise the function of it's form. Without the "space" it is just another form. The last line brings the two together, unifying form and nothingness to say that one without the other has no use.

This idea that usefulness comes from balance between nothingness and form can be considered from the microcosmic to the macrocosmic; a personality and the stillness within, to the manifest creation and absolute Love.

It is the edges of the wheel that reveal, by contrast, the emptyness in its hub. Each exists, and without the other there is no contrast to recognise the other.

So I wonder what you understood as you read the above verse. But whatever it was, be prepared to change, because as we discover more of our truth by exploring this inner stillness through meditation, what we can understand evolves with our ability to be still. The stiller we get the more clarity and understanding though being we enjoy...

Say Om

In this article they say that saying a mantra like Om can reduce stress and depression by up to 48% according to two studies in the US.

The "Om" sound, like all sounds is a vibration which when repeated internally resonates certain parts of your aura and energy field. A very soothing and calming effect. When I teach people they have the opportunity to experience even more powerful mantras and work with pure sound vibration. Taking their meditation even further into quite frankly amazing depths of stillness and inner peace. What I really love about this is that this is provable! Every person I have taught in the last 10 years has reported that when they use these mantras and other techniques regularly that they actually feel great and get real positive benefits.

Doherty takes up new vice - Tai Chi

This article (page 32) tickled me too. Pete's probably no stranger to altered states of awareness due to his reported drug taking over the years. The problem is that drugs "force" your awareness and consequently cause damage as the shifts are imbalanced. Now he's experiencing "balance and serenety" in a natural way by using Tai Chi - a physical form of meditation.

I have used Tai Chi with three different teachers over the years and it's a fantastic way of gaining physical and etheric balance. As with all meditation techniques the "object" of meditation also defines the limit of where your awareness is expanded. So a physical meditation like Tai Chi which works with the physical body and chi (etheric body) will expand and balance the awareness in the Physical and Etheric planes. This is great for meditators because it then makes it a lot easier to become aware of the more subtle vibrations beyond these bodies. Well done Pete, maybe you're finally waking up! :)

"the more regular a person meditates, then the more they get from their meditation and the more it benefits them in their everyday life".

Maybe you've already noticed this too?

Now, being a busy person I can really appreciate that sometimes life throws obsticles in the way. And I certainly don't give myself a hard time if it's just not possible to meditate. I just look forward to the next meditate even more!

It seems it's a really subtle distinction between what is a genuine reason why one can't meditate as much as one would like as opposed to an excuse to miss it. And the reality is that only you can tell if it's a real reason or a convenient dodge. One of the most inspiring thoughts I've heard on this was from a good friend and long time meditator Dan, who said "When I don't want to meditate, that's when I sit down and meditate".

I really get what he was saying there. You see even when a person has transcended the mind, the personality, which is still there, is certainly not beyond the mind and so can still seem to "get in the way" or to put it better "gain your attention". So it's the attitude that a person fosters within their personality that can help then not get stuck in these unhelpful habits. By developing a good pattern of regular meditation then that pattern gains momentum.

I've known some delightful and naturally gifted meditators who, before they knew it had suddenly not really meditated for months or more because they "got caught up in life". It's always a real shame because it's like watching a light slowly turn down. Once they realise what has happened they start to get back into their meditation and rediscover the stillness and peace and all the other benefits. Sadly though they have lost time they will never get back and, within creation, time certainly is never on anyone's side.

So remember, if you want to then it's a great idea to keep your meditation regular. Like healthy exercise and having fun, the more you do then the better life gets.

Keep your light shining

Mark

I generally encourage people to explore their meditation so I may say: "meditate at different times of the day, notice what is the same, notice what happens when you meditate in the morning as opposed to the evening. Meditate twice a day, do one long meditate and then several short ones... notice what's different."

It also depends on where you are in your meditation.

People who are already meditating on pure energy find it even easier to sit for many hours, whereas if you're just learning the breath meditation, then 5 mins is also great. But to turn it on it's head, I recently sat and meditated for 4 hours with one of the people I am teaching, and despite the fact she had only ever done 45 mins up till then, she found it so easy that she didn't even believe she had actually done 4 hours!

The more people relax, and enter their meditation with a sense of adventure and delight then the easier it is to simply enjoy it without referencing time. I have on a number of occassions, taken time off and sat literally for days meditating between 4 and 10 hours at a time without moving. I recently meditated for 10 days, which was an absolute pleasure. Each day I meditated between maybe 10 and 20 hours. Now years ago when I started, I wouldn't have believed I'd be saying that! My first meditate was 2mins and 13seconds! - yes I actually timed it!

Practical Meditation Advice

So here are some handy hints in reference to meditation and time:

1. Use an alarm clock. If you're meditating and you know that in 30 mins you'll need to do something then set an alarm, otherwise you'll be monitoring the time in the back of your mind and you may struggle to become as still as you could if you let the alarm take care of time.
2. The key is to be regular. it is better to do 30 mins a day than one 2 hour meditate once a week.
3. Mix things up! While regular meditation is a good habit to have, if you are always meditating at the same time, in the same place, for the same duration, then do something different, otherwise you're just becoming more unconscious in the habit and less likely to actually turn up and notice what's happening in your meditation.
4. Take care of your body! Especially when it comes to longer meditates, if your body is well looked after, you'll find it easier to sit and be comfortably still for longer periods... allowing you to enjoy the inner peace and stillness more.
5. Challenge your limits.... like my friend who went from doing 45 mins to 4 hours! She found new levels of stillness and inner love by being willing to challenge her limits :) in a nice way.

There's plenty more I could say but this time I'll stop for now :)

Enjoy your meditation!

It is more accurate to say that "a person becomes still by focussing on the stillness that is present instead of focussing on the mind which is perpetual movement".

Many people have been given well intentioned, but unhelpful advice... like "you must still the mind" or "If there are thoughts then you're doing it wrong" and naturally trying to follow this advice just creates dissapointment and holds you back. It's a shame that so many people give themselves a hard time over their mind in meditation when they don't need to... all because of a mis-interpretation.

I teach people from all kinds of backgrounds how to discover the stillness that is already present and ultimately how to discover a stillness and peace that transcends the mind.

One way of thinking about the nature of the mind and how to become still (while accepting the mind is motion) is to consider a fish tank:

"The tank contains water and fish. Fish are like thoughts and when people look at a tank they are naturally drawn to the fish because they move and have a definate form. They seldom notice the water which surrounds and supports the fish. Meditation is like learning how to notice the water, without having to remove the fish from the tank in the process!"

I hope this helps you.

Peace and Love

Well there's no single answer and it varies from time to time and also from one person to the next. What I have noticed though about the times when I (and those I teach) really get into their meditation is:

• That you really want to be there
• That you are present in the moment
• That you are supported - now this includes being rested, comfortable and happy

I've also noticed that when people meditate together that they can get stiller and more focused. One reason for this is that if they are meditating with more advanced meditators who have access to greater levels of stillness, then they tend to "fall into this stillness" as one person put it. Another reason is feeling supported by the group and motivated by the people around you. It also helps when you get good advice.

As a teacher who works with people individually and in groups it's also a great experience and honor for me to have the chance to meditate with the people I am teaching. It allows me to be more intune with them and give them advice and guidance that is really relavent to where they are.

This blog is a new feature that we have just added and I'm going to be using it to discuss meditation and share my insights and thoughts on the subject.

See you soon

Mark