“I am more than my physical body. Because I am more than physical matter, I can perceive that which is greater than the physical world”. –Robert Monroe
The Universal Subconscious can also be called Cosmic
Consciousness. It refers to consciousness that is beyond human
perception. It could also be called Metaphysical consciousness. Metaphysics
represents the beliefs of Unity Church and Science of Mind. They study what is
possible with the concept of our Oneness with God and all living things. Ernest
Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind, defines it as the creative intelligence
of the Universe. He says there is nothing supernatural about the study of the
metaphysical viewpoint. He says what seems supernatural today will be
understood in the future by many and found to be part of the natural order.
Many teach that we are headed to our next steps of growth as spiritual beings
through an understanding of the cosmic realm.
Our ancestors lived close to nature. They lived in a
dimension based on symbols and rituals, causing a trance state of consciousness
and thus connecting them to the universal subconscious. Even though there were
tribes of people all over the world, many of the same healing practices,
values, and wisdom can be found in each of them. As Howard Thurman
says, "There is plenty of evidence to support the belief that the
universal subconscious mind is the connecting link between the finite mind of
man and Infinite Intelligence of God. It is the intermediary through which one
may draw upon the forces of Infinite Intelligence at will. It, alone, contains
the secret process by which mental impulses are modified and changed into their
spiritual equivalent. It, alone, is the medium through which prayer may be
transmitted to the source capable of answering prayer.” In other words, we
all can tap into universal creativity and intelligence. The more we use it, the
stronger it becomes in our lives. I believe it is through the universal subconscious
that we can find the same path to wisdom and healing as our ancestors.
For thousands of years, our ancestors found, on every
continent, used trance as a bridge to the subconscious. Mainstream groups such
as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sufi (Islamic mystics) also use trance as a
spiritual journey. Psychological work for the treatment of P.T.S.D. and
addiction uses the induction of trance for healing. Trance is defined as an
altered form of consciousness in which a person is neither fully awake nor
fully asleep. We experience a fleeting state of trance just before we go to
sleep and our conscious mind is winding down and right before we wake up.
Entering a trance state happens when we can bypass the critical chattering
conscious mind. In a trance, we can communicate directly with the subconscious
mind. A trance can help us access deeper states of awareness and experience
mystical or Maslow’s peak experiences. Often, they can have life-changing
effects.
Defining a mystical or peak experience is difficult. I had
one several years ago. It was an out-of- mind experience, I was full of awe and
wonder. It happened when I was 30 years old, and it started my spiritual quest
for truth. I remember it like it happened yesterday.
I
was a hospice volunteer, and I spent the day and evening with an elderly man who
was dying. He was conscious most of the time. He shared stories about his
beloved wife and described how he felt so lost since she died a year before. He
shared in vivid, colorful detail the gardens she planted and tended. He missed
her homemade bread. He missed the smells she created in their home. It was like
we were on a sense tour together through his life with his wife. He shared the
gentle touch of their first kiss.
When he first came into the Hospice that day, he joyfully
proclaimed, “Today is the day I am going to die.” I didn’t believe that was
true, as most people are there for several days before they die. He was excited
because he knew it was the day he would be with his wife again. The energy
around him was alive and joyful, but I just didn’t see how he could be dying that
day. It did not fit the usual pattern I saw many times before him. Several
hours passed, and his energy became quieter. He slept on and off. For most of
the day, I was there with him alone. He didn’t have children. As he told me,
“It was just the two of us building castles in the sky.”
Around nine and after dinner, he was unconscious. He
really was dying today! His pastor came to give him the last rites. It was the
first time I was a part of this very holy ceremony. My body tingled with awe
and wonder as the pastor’s gentle words cradled the energy in the room. Soon, our patient peacefully took his last breath and was gone. After he died, I went
out into the night and looked up at a sky full of stars. They twinkled so
close; I could touch them. At that moment, I knew I would never doubt there is
a Presence some call God. The reality of an all-powerful God was a flash that
felt more real than anything else in my life. Suddenly, my sense of self was
free and full of Love.
