We are transported to higher spiritual realms, which has a profound effect on our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, writes Sant Rajinder Singh
One thing in certain in life: There are always problems. Murphy’s law says that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong, and at the worst possible time. At one time or another, we have all experienced this. Everyone has problems. We solve one challenge and a new one springs up. We may struggle financially, trying to make ends meet. We receive a raise to find that our car has broken down and the extra money is needed for repairs or a new car. We settle that problem, to learn that a family member has fallen ill. We find that we have a problem with a co-worker. While straightening that out, our roof leaks, needing repairs. We wonder if there will be a time free of problems. Nobody said life was going to be easy or that everything was going to be perfect. The question is: How do we handle problemsIJ Do we face them as a challenge and solve them, or do we cry about themIJ Research reveals that we compound our problems by worrying because it adds stress that makes us physically sick. Our original problem is supplemented by physical ailments that hamper our ability to act.
We may think we alone are singled out for misfortune. Everyone’s lives are filled with difficulties. There is no end to problems. The pressures of life affect us physically and mentally. People undergo anxiety, fear, depression, and phobias. Offices of psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists are filled with normal, everyday people who cannot cope with life’s struggles, making them unable to deal with problems. They live in fear of economic disaster. Some must handle broken marriages and broken homes. Others have anxieties about loneliness or loss. Some are disappointed in life with no hope for the future.
Stress and tension do not only affect the mind. Research shows a connection between the mind and body. Our state of mind affects the health of the body. Thus, if our mind is positive and happy, we may feel physically better than when our mind is troubled and anxious. Our mental state can cause stress-related illnesses. Studies have shown that when we are angry or emotionally upset, hormones are released in our body preparing us for fight or flight. Since societal norms dictate that we deal with problems calmly and rationally, we tend not to fight or take flight, and instead face the situation, keeping our feelings bottled up inside. The result is that these hormones work on the body, causing stress-related diseases such as high BP, heart disease, breathing problems, digestive disorders, headaches, muscle pains, and skin rashes.
When our anger erupts, we either fight back or run away. Those reactions may create more problems in our relationships. We need an acceptable way to prevent the mental, emotional, and physical effects of stress that make us ill. People have turned to meditation as a solution to the emotional and mental strains of life. Meditation has benefits for our physical or mental well-being. It is safe, effective, and does not cost anything. Once we learn it, we carry within a remedy that can be used at any time and place.
Through meditation on the inner light and sound, we are transported to higher spiritual realms. This experience has a profound effect on our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Putting an end to our problems is like straightening a coil that keeps recoiling; difficulties in life do not go away. To think we can live without troubles is a pipe dream. Through meditation, we can achieve a state of consciousness where we are not affected by these problems. Meditation aids us on two levels: It provides physical relaxation, and puts us in a state where we are absorbed in an enjoyable, blissful experience, making us oblivious to the problems of the outer world.
How does meditation do thisIJ Studies show that in meditation, our brain waves function at a frequency of 5-8 Hz. During this state, there is a sensation of peace and total relaxation. While this figure measures relaxation at the level of the body and mind, it does not describe the added bonus of what we experience at the level of the soul. We come in contact with a powerful current of divine love, consciousness, and bliss. This current provides more than physical relaxation; it bathes us in an intoxication stronger and more lasting than any external intoxication. Our body, mind, and soul experience waves of ecstasy permeating us.
This experience arises from our innermost self — our soul — coming in contact with its own essence in the form of the current of light and sound. This current and our soul are love, consciousness, and bliss. In meditation, when body and mind are stilled, we become aware of our soul. When the soul is withdrawn, it contacts the inner light and sound. When the soul meets this current, it is magnetised to it. It is like a water droplet resting on a table top. If you run a stream of water across it, the drop will attach itself to the rivulet and merge in it. Similarly, when our soul concentrates at the point where the current begins, at the third eye, it will be drawn to merge in it. We then travel on this current. Our soul rises above body consciousness and enjoys a journey into higher realms.
We can practise this process easily. The experience is so exhilarating that it surpasses any thrill in this world. It puts us in a state in which we become oblivious to life’s difficulties. Our problems no longer have the same effect because we are in a state of inner enjoyment. We do not want to be bothered by our problems and they disappear like waves in the sea. We are lifted high above the storm clouds and float in the sunny skies full of radiant inner light.
When we return to physical consciousness, we carry the vivid experience of our meditation. We still have problems, but their effect is subdued for we are lost in the bliss we carry with us. Through meditation, we can tap into this state again and again, remaining unaffected by our problems. We become detached from our suffering because we are connected with a permanent lifeline of divine bliss. With this inner support, we face our problems with a clear mind and find solutions. We make more rational decisions because we see life from a higher angle. The strains of life are reduced. We are filled with intoxication that calms the mind. This, in turn, relaxes the body. Meditation on the light and sound is like having a special retreat where we find relief from the problems of life.
The writer is a spiritual leader