Ways To Alter Consciousness

I have wished I could go on a silent retreat since perhaps 1999 or so when I first heard about them. Then the desire became stronger when I did a silent group walking meditation. It was a powerful exercise to walk with a large group of complete strangers in the woods and beside the lake- without a word uttered. There comes a communion and a feeling of love for all. It is as if you know them intimately, and they you. Spontaneous hugs are given afterward, which no-one has to suggest.

So here is what I have heard about silent retreats...

The first few days are hell...

You are trapped in a Dante's Inferno of quiet that you can't speak into, with only 399 billion thoughts in your own head to keep you company.

Then your brain stops chattering and hell turns to heaven.

You feel a common love and forgiveness for all. And you are profoundly affected by having felt that space of peace. And the affect lasts into your future.

I found this quote on a website where I was browsing for silent retreat locations.

"We're all searching for ways to bring peace into our lives, and the simple act of being quiet is a wonderful way to do it."...Ironically, the most intimidating factor about silent retreats for the novice meditator is the constant quietness.

http://www.yogabound.com/yoga/art_silent_retreats.htm

As of yet, I have not gone on a silent retreat. But as another powerful way to alter consciousness, I plan to. Comment on this page if you have ever gone on one, and tell us what it is like.

Below is an excerpt from my latest article on one of my other blogs entitled. I hope you will visit the site:
MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, ANOTHER TRAGIC SECOND HAND ADDICT

As far as I can tell, Mackenzie Phillips was a Second Hand Addict before she ever became an addict. In other words she was living as a young woman 'at the effect' of the drug addiction or abuse of other people. And who knows from whence her father's alleged abuse and violations came. Certainly the drugs warping his brain must have played a role. And perhaps he was also a child victim himself- as incest is known to be passed down in families.
www.secondhandaddiction.blogspot.com

"But you can also alter the way you experience the world naturally by learning to 'get high' by controlling your own brain wave patterns with music, trance dancing, drumming, lucid dreaming, meditation & guided visualizations, chanting, brainwave tweaking 'mind machines', or some of these other ancient and modern mind-altering modern and ancient shamanic techniques."

http://www.catanna.com/altered_states.htm

I read this quote on a very interesting website I found while thinking of other ways to alter consciousness naturally- or get high on life. I thought back to some amazing experiences I had when I used to attend something known as a drumming circle. Africans and Native Americans have known about this marvelous way to alter your consciousness for centuries. But I first experienced it about 5 years ago.

There certainly is no high on earth like the one I felt that night. And it was even more poignant because I would never forget the experience, or be ashamed of it- as I might with drugs or alcohol.

I recall sitting in one drumming circle. It was in a Yoga center. A large room with a wooden floor and twenty or so drums all around. We started drumming and the beat quickly became all encompassing. Soon there was drumming, drumming, drumming. I was doing the drumming, hearing the drumming, and being the drumming. After a while there was nothing but beat. Eventually the beat took me out of my seat to the center of the circle. Now I was in the center of a tribal dance. I felt there was a fire and I was circling it. I was calling some force, some power to the tribe. I was the rain man, the medicine woman. I was bringing fertility and plenty. I was all- powerful and all-knowing. And I was circling with my feet that stomped some long ago forgotten steps, from lives gone past. I could feel the force of the universe being pulled to our beat. Positive energy swirled the room, and I swirled with it- carrying it to its home. Somehow, I knew just what to do as I brought the life force to our holy ground.

When the song ended there was silence. A holy feeling of spirit was present. Each person had done their part in the circle, and each person was drained. But somehow we were all fuller than we had been when we came. At that point we total strangers had become one.

Drumming Circles. Another amazing way to alter consciousness naturally and get high on life.

I also invite you to read some of my other writings on other subjects. Here is an excerpt from my newest article on my hub, "On Heaven, Hell, and The Law of Attraction Energy."

www.hubpages.com/hub/Law-Of-Attraction-Energy

Let us consider that Jesus' point was not that we become Christians, then get the prize- which is the Kingdom of Heaven. After all there was no such thing as Christianity at the time, so how could he be discussing that. So instead let us suppose that the point Jesus was making was that we become Christ-like. The point was that we follow the light of God within us, as taught by Jesus. (And coincidentally as also taught by Ghandi, Buddha, Martin Luther King Jr., and many other great spiritual leaders.) Let us suppose that when we become Christ-like, regardless of our religion, we have found eternal life. Because being Christ-like, in its highest sense, encompasses our light, and our love, and all that is good and beautiful. And GOD is the life/light/love force in the universe. So he, and we, are eternal.

The concept of ways to alter consciousness is a tricky one, especially in this very 'complicated' day and age. And to alter is safely and naturally- that is another good trick.

Because if you're like me, you have a lot on your plate. You are working three jobs- looking for the one that will finally inspire you and also pay you what you deserve. You are working, paying bills, cleaning the house, quite possibly a single mom or dad, doing the laundry, buying the food. Perhaps you are fighting as I am for custody of your children. Perhaps you love someone with an addiction- or some other problem- which complicates life even more. (www.secondhandaddiction.blogspot.com) And like me, you probably wish you had a lot more time to devote to your children.

A familiar story, is it not?

Now the Law of Attraction states that it is very important to maintain a positive outlook. One cannot bask in self pity or negative thoughts if one wants to move forward in a positive direction. This is especially true the more that you have chaos or turmoil in your life. This is not only the law of attraction- but it is also just good common sense. Negative breeds negative and fear brings you even more of what you are afraid of.
Hence the bible tells us to have faith because even a tiny bit of faith can move a mountain.

Still we are all human, and sometimes we struggle with how to remain truly positive. This is especially true in this time of 'no time'- where it is tough to find a few minutes to meditate, listen to hypnotherapy CDs, or even go to the gym. All of these, by the way, are excellent tools that I highly recommend.

So the other day I created my own set of personalized affirmations. I thought about it for a while, and jotted down notes as I went through my day, because I wanted them to be meaningful to me personally. But you can get excellent affirmations by Louise Hay- a famous affirmation guru- at any Barnes and Noble. Then I printed them up and put them in the places where I spend the most time- next to my bed, in my car, and in my bag for work. Of course all of this was devised as a way to alter consciousness- or the way I thought and felt at the given moment.

Well the next day I was at my workstation and feeling kind of low. I knew I was not generating the positive, so I pulled out the affirmations and began to say them to myself. I did not force happiness, but just said them. I began to feel better and soon I shared them with a coworker. We talked and she felt better. And soon I spoke about them to a customer and she felt better. And pretty soon I was feeling just great. And so was everyone around me. And funny thing, I never had to talk about or clear out the negative- as sometimes I do. ('Clearing out' being different than 'wallowing in.') But this time it was just enough to say those affirmations.

How amazing is the power of the positive as a way to alter consciousness? It spreads like a flood, and douses the wildfire of all that is negative. So as you follow your path, do not forget the power of simple positive thoughts and affirmations. Whether you believe them or not in the moment, they will impact you and the world around you if they are used.

So if we all spread positive energy, and we do this especially in the area of money and the economy, we can truly change our world- one thought and one person at a time. Altering our consciousness naturally, getting high on life.

Everyone's talking about this thing called 'ways to alter consciousness.' But what does it all mean?

Some say it means improving our IQ or memory or sleep patterns. Others think it is becoming psychic, meditating and levitating, or clairvoyance. Still others say it's all about being able to roll with the punches- and be calm in the face of any storm. Perhaps it is all of this. I'm inclined to think that altering consciousness is shifting, at our core, our entire way of thinking and being in the world in order to live a better life.

I know this sounds very new-age and far-out. That's because it is.

For instance, when I speak of this you probably think of Echart Tolle and THE POWER OF NOW or A NEW EARTH. I bet you also consider THE SECRET and manifesting your dreams. You may think of an life-shifting course called The Landmark Forum. But you also may consider time-honored things like Yoga, meditation, Buddhism, and karma. I'll bet some of you even bring to mind various world religions or even Christianity. I know when I think of ways to alter consciousness, I think of timeless quotes like "There but for the Grace of God Go I" and "Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you."

But as people ponder all of this, they sometimes realize one profound thing... the idea of altering consciousness is not so very new.

As a race, humans have desired to alter their consciousness for eons now. And we've had some great ideas. We've had the idea of living in peace and harmony with others. We've thought it would be great to have tolerance for others, good judgment, and a love for all. We've longed to help people instead of hurt them. We have actually contemplated what it would be like if all beings lived their lives in joy, happiness, and with a high level of life fulfillment. We've pondered a world where everyone on the planet was fed, clothed, and educated.

No, the idea is not a new one. So then what is new here? Obviously there is something that makes the concept of altering consciousness hit our world, and rock it like an atom bomb. Here's what I believe. I believe that lots of people are dropping the bomb of possibility for a new new world order right on top of our heads. And we, for the first time ever, are actually able to see what it is. Masses of us now believe that we may be able to alter our lives and the world, by altering our consciousness. And this is a totally new phenomenon. Now we don't say it's definite. We don't say it will be easy. But many of us do say "This could happen." And that's big, and it's brand spankin' new.

Now here is what none of us is quite sure of- will we annihilate ourselves before we become this possibility of a whole new world?

Well I'm an optimist. I'm looking to beat the clock on this issue. So in future articles I will help you explore various ways to alter consciousness, both for yourself and for the world at large. Some of the ways I will offer you are as old as Methusula. They may take practice, but they definitely work. Others, like brain entrainment, are new and purported to work quickly and with ease. So stay tuned as we explore a whole new look at some very old ideas. Namaste and peace to you and yours.

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