Meditation: Gateway to Spiritual Gifts

When I was first introduced to the work of Edgar Cayce in 1974, I was in my early twenties, looking for help for my young daughter. She was living in an institution for handicapped children, and the medical doctors did not know how to help her. A co-worker at the Toronto Star handed me the book, There Is A River: The Story of Edgar Cayce, and my mind was instantly opened to this amazing phenomenon. As demonstrated by Mr. Cayce, through a specialized meditative process, one could find information beyond the limits of conscious perception. At the time, I didn’t know the difference between meditation and vegetation, but over the years, and under the guidance of my mentor, Ross Peterson (“the new Edgar Cayce”), I came to understand that meditation is the gateway to all of the spiritual gifts.

Meditation is an active state of mind, rather than a passive one, as some would believe. Meditation can be thought of as a state of mind that is “above attention.” It is a process in which the ordinary thoughts of the day and the conscious mind are put to rest or brought under control. You might say it is a willful attempt to allow the dust to settle or the clutter to get out of the way, so the higher states of mind can be approached. Most forms of meditation include a means by which the conscious mind is focused on or engaged with some task. This may include an image in the mind’s eye, or mindful awareness on the breathing. However, meditation can also happen spontaneously, while you are engaged in a relaxing task such as gardening, walking along the beach, or simply driving on a sunny street. Have you ever had the experience when you were doing such an activity, and you lost track of time? Perhaps you suddenly became aware of the present moment, unable to account for what you were doing just prior to that. Minutes have gone by, in the blink of an eye. Some would say that you were day-dreaming or that your mind had “wandered.” In fact, your mind had shifted, and you had entered a deep meditative state. 

When you meditate, you enter into the greater aspects of mind, opening ways to come in contact with your High Self and other dimensions that are beyond the physical world of time and space. In so doing, you acquire the ability to sense a higher force that lies beyond your conscious mind. Focusing your mind’s eye on a singular issue allows for the intuitive mind to open and instantly a bolt of inspiration or a revelation occurs, in answer to some question or problem in life. If prayer is the act of asking for something from a consciousness, force, or power in the Great Beyond, then meditation is the process through which your prayers are acknowledged and the answers are given. Through the wisdom of your soul, meditation permits you to be guided without restriction through circumstances of your present life. As the state of meditation is an accepting one, you are better able to receive the truth, guidance and direction you seek. 

You might consider the states of meditation as the holiest of holies. To touch upon this state of mind is to touch upon that spark within you that is of God and from God: the soul itself. This is why it is regarded as a very important practice by the world’s major religions. It is a spiritual practice. It is a healing practice. It is a communion practice. It aligns all of the bodies within you to a single, balanced point, conjoining all your physical and spiritual aspects. It produces therapeutic effects in the body, such as normalizing the metabolism, lowering blood pressure, restoring the physical body and bringing peace into every cell. During meditation, you can monitor the body and go through it, system by system, organ by organ, part by part, to bring about a curative, healing force within it, in order to come to some peaceful resolve. This may involve visualization, as the language of the mind is pictorial. One of the greatest benefits of meditation is to bring peace into the body and the mind, to calm the flighty emotional states, and to bring all aspects of yourself into control. It is a loving, self-loving practice.

Generally speaking, meditation should only be practiced when there is time to do so, when the body is relaxed, and there is some question that needs an answer. The body should not be tired, but it should be a little relaxed or taxed. Engage in some simple bending and stretching exercises, such as yoga or tai chi. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and ensure the body has no physical wants or needs. The body should be in a state of equilibrium. There should be no cares in the mind. It is not easy to allow the mind to continue thinking, but without thinking about certain things. Therefore, think about something that is nondescript and without judgment or purpose (such as a blue band or circle). Allow your mind to come out of the shell in which it has resided for most of the day. It does not wander too far away, but it returns with some invigorating emotional sensations. Your low self becomes subdued and brought in control, while your High Self exudes a state of well-being, love, confidence, and unselfish giving. 

With practice, you may learn to relax deeper and deeper. As the conscious mind is directed towards something, or is focused on something such as your breathing, the deeper levels or states of mind become active. You are able to receive answers with a greater degree of objectivity and clarity, as you become removed and detached from the conscious mind and its many influences, perspectives, and interpretations. With the body put on hold, so to speak, the mind is free to roam wherever it is sent. The enquiring mind may visit physically far-off places and return with information, observations or comments concerning the present state of mind. It may even connect with the ever-present moment or the Akashic Field, which is a storehouse of all information out of our physical space and time. In meditation, the mind is able to comprehend and dig into far-off objects and things, without being influenced. This allows for greater clarity within the interpretation or the observation. 

The gift that Mr. Cayce gave to the world is his demonstration of this immense ability, and the seemingly endless scope of applicability. He inspires us to follow his example and emulate the same ability in our own practice. How you choose to apply the information we intuitively receive through our meditations is up to you. I encourage you to share the information with others, so that all may benefit, and have evidence in their own lives that the larger spiritual dimensions “out there” are, in fact, real places that await to be experienced. 

You may also be interested in: "Prayer and Meditation: Fundamentals for Finding Our Way Home."