When I first got glasses, I was surprised and delighted to see the individual leaves on trees, I could see the birds in the branches, the bunnies at the side of the road, the butterfly on the walk. An entire new world opened up, a world that had been there all along but unseen by me. I could hear others talk about it, I could imagine it but I didn’t actually experience it. Once my vision was corrected, I could see everything in front of me clearly. It literally expanded my world. I became interested in macro photography, photographing nature close up. It let me experience a world I’d previously been unaware of. I was shocked at how full this new world was, huge communities of plants and animals I had no idea were there before, all in constant communication. A thriving world, parallel to mine, was suddenly opened to me that put my entire life into perspective. Having a spiritual awakening is like that. Awakening in consciousness simply means a broadening of perception, a deepening in realization of a larger world around you than you were previously aware of. Some of these are subtle worlds that you encounter only as you become increasingly still and quiet. Don’t be envious when others describe what they experience. Everyone’s happening is different. Don’t feel you have to compete with the exaggerated claims of friends. You’ll learn the more you see, the less you feel the need to speak of it.  Oh everyone does at first, but with time and practice you learn that as the silent Observer, you experience something that is unavailable to one who thinks and speaks. The act of forming words and speaking them drops you out of the state of consciousness that is available to the Observer. The Observer state can happen spontaneously, and is also the result of successful meditation. My daily practice allows me enter the Observer state twice a day, bringing me back to center.  From that center, the world I find myself in is wildly multidimensional and expressive, rich and immensely fulfilling.

RELATED: Andrea’s Meditation Process and links