How Do You Connect To "Spirit"?

Hey ATS....

Just curious, as I have been working on a project along these lines for a bit now, how different people connect to spirit/GOD/consciousness/etc?

It seems the idea of major organized religions, while still massive, is slowly crumbling away and people are defining what it means to be "spiritual" for themselves and picking and choosing pieces of lots of different cultures and backgrounds to do that.

For me, I find that the basic Buddhist precepts, and the practice of meditation, are a good foundation. Also, the foundation of living in Mindful Awareness and practicing daily gratitude have probably been the greatest lessons I have learned thus far.

I also incorporate a lot of teachings found in the old Hermetic and Gnostic texts, the ideas around walking the middle path, striving for unity and clearly seeing the illusion of duality. That we are nothing and everything simultaneously. I also find the teachings around energy and consciousness resonate deeply with me.

I also have an "altar" at home, where I keep a buddha and some other things, prayer beads, quartz, candles, a carving from Peru. This is where I meditate or give daily gratitude.

Connecting to nature has been a big plus for me as well, and getting together with friends to hold a sacred ceremony, once or twice a year, is a definite must!

Anyways, thanks for sharing! I'm looking forward to a diversity of answers....

I can relate to your journey as I feel I'm on a very similar path.
The thing I have realized is no matter the religion/faith, all roads eventually lead back home. Its just some resonate within whilst others don't.
Do you have any books that you can recommend?

That's a great question my friend. I've heard from people that they connect with beings or spirits while in the Astral Realm. I've never archieved something like this, but I am learning.

thanks for your replies, i am not talking about connecting to spirits in terms of angels or being but just trying to find a word more comfortable than God as people don't like using that word...

In terms of books, there are many out there and most are free. I would try -

holybooks.com
sacredtexts.com
esotericonline.com

there are a lot of there with a quick google search you can find'em. Good luck!

reply to post by wrdwzrd


What's your definition of "spirit?"

i enjoy living dangerously. the closer you come to physical death, the closer you come to knowing God.

the only times I can say I saw the real was when when surrounded by people that would enjoy destroying me.

reply to post by michaelbrux


interesting! wasn't anticipating that response but thanks so much for a different perspective....

reply to post by LesMisanthrope


there are many definitions which is why I'm trying my best to be broad about it. By spirit I mean, God, consciousness, the angels, Lucifer, '___' elves, Vishnu, Jesus, Allah, Satan, etc. whatever IT is that someone prays, meditates, sings, dances or gives thanks too.

I'm interested in the alternatives from major religions. Most Christians pray to Jesus but I'm guessing most people who are into metaphysics probably don't.....so what do they do? I know what I do, which is what I shared, I'm curious about others....

What do you do?

reply to post by wrdwzrd

You could also simply call it "That" and that would sufffice

Originally posted by wrdwzrd
reply to post by LesMisanthrope

 

there are many definitions which is why I'm trying my best to be broad about it. By spirit I mean, God, consciousness, the angels, Lucifer, '___' elves, Vishnu, Jesus, Allah, Satan, etc. whatever IT is that someone prays, meditates, sings, dances or gives thanks too.

I'm interested in the alternatives from major religions. Most Christians pray to Jesus but I'm guessing most people who are into metaphysics probably don't.....so what do they do? I know what I do, which is what I shared, I'm curious about others....

What do you do?

Hi, and thanks for a thread.

Sorry about the edit

Originally posted by wrdwzrd
reply to post by LesMisanthrope

 

there are many definitions which is why I'm trying my best to be broad about it. By spirit I mean, God, consciousness, the angels, Lucifer, '___' elves, Vishnu, Jesus, Allah, Satan, etc. whatever IT is that someone prays, meditates, sings, dances or gives thanks too.

I'm interested in the alternatives from major religions. Most Christians pray to Jesus but I'm guessing most people who are into metaphysics probably don't.....so what do they do? I know what I do, which is what I shared, I'm curious about others....

What do you do?

Personally, I'm not quite convinced there is a traditional spirit or spirit world. I have trouble basing my metaphysical foundation on the analogies, perspectives and hearsay of others. Since I haven't experienced anything that constitutes a spirit or a spirit world, even though I've meditated, prayed and hoped most of my life, my judgement on the matter is suspended until I experience otherwise. I just couldn't live my life in disappointment any more.

For the moment, the spirit world is, to me, the realm of ideas—the place where not only God, but every ideal imaginable, can exist. I can reach the spirit world by simply thinking and engaging in introspection. Through this, and creativity I can see God, Santa Clause, a unicorn, the past, the future etc.

My method may not be conventional, or well-recieved for that matter, but it does work for me.

reply to post by wrdwzrd

The Spirit of God is a person...
...the only criteria to connecting to Him is to know and believe the Gospel.

The Spirit is everywhere like the atmosphere but most refuse to believe and breathe.

For me its like this. Awareness is prior to thought/ego, and Oneness (Absolute Infinite Beingness) is prior to Awareness.

All 3 of these have correlations with the physical body.

Thought/ego actually originates and has its source in the physical heart and when going into deep sleep, is where this mechanism goes to rest. Upon waking, travels from the heart to the head, where intellectual knowing takes place.

Pure awareness has as its center, a place in the middle of the head. Perhaps the pineal or pituitary gland. It is the observer of thoughts, and by observing the observer, you come to solidify and wake up pure awareness. It also the gateway for awareness being able to leave the body at will, while awake, at any time when mastered.

The Oneness/Absolute Beingness is accessible both in the depths of the heart, as well as stomach. Its at the very bottom of the breath,and between the in and out breath.

To see that you are not the mind/ego/thoughts is wisdom. To be aware of the source of thought is wisdom. To be aware that the body is also not you, but a vehicle for awareness is wisdom.

God can be experienced as Oneness in the heart as Love, or in the stomach as pure naked Absolute Beingness

reply to post by wrdwzrd


This is hard to answer since I do not know of a universally accepted definition of "spirit" (as you seem wise to put in quotes).

"Spirit" is difficult to talk about because it is above something language can describe.

I use physiological tools (aka meditation, aka bodily awareness) to enhance my feelings of bodily contentment and this emotional well being. Posture also matters, so I have studied healthy posture and more in a book written my Esther Gokhale. (That may be misspelled.) If you can't sit or stand correctly, breathing is difficult. Breathing properly leads to better health and having your alignment ready to maximize meditative benefits. Crowley also stated not to trust him EXCEPT when it came to one thing. He said to learn how to breath properly.

I think the roads we take are unique for us. Don't mistake that someone can tell you the way. They can only guide you to a few different paths for you to take. Try them and see which ones works for you for wherever you are. Do not let others around you criticize you for your beliefs. Never has what is popular been what was right, in my opinion. If you are "weird" or "out of place," you may very well be on the path you should be on!

reply to post by dominicus


u r funny how u classify truth in ur head

u miss the essential point then, that what is true is real itself never related to anything else first

so saying that important thing is wisdom and that other fact is wisdom and that shape is wisdom, is actually killing wisdom, for what it denies and reject that wisdom is then first alone smthg always more alone real then

btw what is wisdom> it surely is from what u point everything being bc of it, but why wisdom what does this word mean? how is it a word the explain smthg? how wisdom is more object then objective perspective of things??

reply to post by absolutely

u r funny how u classify truth in ur head

Actually, the way i broke it all down, is the way that i found it is, not just in myself from direct experiences from 10 years on the path, but also from researching each inner finding on the web to realize that buddhism, zen, mysticism, and rare other paths also found these things to be true. It seems this is how all people are constructed, yet individually they themselves express it differently and within their confines and language of their own culture.

u miss the essential point then, that what is true is real itself never related to anything else first

Have i directly said so in my post? Please reread. The absolute Beingness is itself Absolute. There are no words to desribe That. To say its not related is limiting and unlimited and confining the what cannot be confined. Im not here to argue or debate. I found how humans work by study how i work, found myself, found the real me to be unified w the all and that all my findingscorrespond directly to the esoteric cores of the most mysticism based religions.

so saying that important thing is wisdom and that other fact is wisdom and that shape is wisdom, is actually killing wisdom, for what it denies and reject that wisdom is then first alone smthg always more alone real then

Wisdom = what is known on a relative level through direct experiences, a direct knowing instead of just theorized knowledge. So your saying im killin wisdom? I dont get it.

I just see wisdom as pieces of small truths which eventually lead one to better themselves and come closer and closer to an experience of Direct Truth as experiencing Absolute Beingness where there is no more you, no more illusion. I found these pieces to be relatively true, corresponding to those found by great mystics and teachers, and that nothing can trump the Absolute, yet it includes all things in it

everyone has their own ways, people have their own vices, I personally come into contact and receive knowledge and love from all spirits of all frequencies through psychedelics like mushrooms, dmt and acid, with acid I just meditate with solfeggio frequency tones and the experience itself is mindblowing.

Maybe stop trying to connect?

Spirit will find you instead.

Then the "Hey! That's it! It was here the whole time right under me' butt!" thing happens.

The connection is already there.

reply to post by wrdwzrd

For me, I find that the basic Buddhist precepts, and the practice of meditation, are a good foundation. Also, the foundation of living in Mindful Awareness and practicing daily gratitude have probably been the greatest lessons I have learned thus far.

Hello, friend. I too found mediation in the Buddhist Teachings. First came onto it with a book I read a long time ago....
Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World by Lama Surya Das A most amazing story, well worth the read.

I also incorporate a lot of teachings found in the old Hermetic and Gnostic texts, the ideas around walking the middle path, striving for unity and clearly seeing the illusion of duality. That we are nothing and everything simultaneously. I also find the teachings around energy and consciousness resonate deeply with me.

Me also. Learned a great many things from the study of the Occult Knowledge, the Hermetic Traditions, the Native American ways and traditions. I learned to walk the Middle Path, that which lies between the Material World and the Spiritual World. The Path between Good and Evil. It is not an easy path to walk, in fact, I would say the easiest path is just going to church and listening to the preacher, and then believing it all like it was your knowledge to begin with. The hard path is going against the Establishment.

I also have an "altar" at home, where I keep a buddha and some other things, prayer beads, quartz, candles, a carving from Peru. This is where I meditate or give daily gratitude.

Connecting to nature has been a big plus for me as well, and getting together with friends to hold a sacred ceremony, once or twice a year, is a definite must!

Me also. I have a statue of Kwin Yin, the Asian Goddess of Peace, and protector of Woman and children that is older than me. The statue stood on my favorite Aunt's home for years, and then was brought inside, and then it came to me. I too love and revere Nature, and often go outside, which is my church, and just raise my arms and give thanks to the Great Mother for all of her beauty and majesty, and for all that she provides for me and mine.

Originally posted by jewells
I can relate to your journey as I feel I'm on a very similar path.
The thing I have realized is no matter the religion/faith, all roads eventually lead back home. Its just some resonate within whilst others don't.
Do you have any books that you can recommend?