So I was in deep theta meditation yesterday, and my 4-year-old, Joshua decided I had been doing it long enough. I was in the mind awake/body asleep phase.  He came in with a big grin on his face and started talking.  I was amused because I would usually be stirred out of this trance/meditation by common chatter, but somehow, I maintained my connection to the deep relaxation, the all that is.  

We began to have a conversation.  He still can't understand what I'm doing.  No, I'm not sleeping.  Yes, I am listening to a CD.  But I realized in a profound, all encompassing realization that there is no inherent superiority of the mystical states of astral travel or meditation and the waking state of encounters in our common existence.  Had I contacted a deceased loved one, or flown with angels, it would have not been more important than my conversations and interactions with my son at that point in time.

For a few minutes I was like I imagine Edward Cayce had been (the sleeping prophet), speaking in a relaxed but clear way in a trance while straddling both locales.  Eventually, Joshua's jumping up and down on me, forced the issue, and I was back.  

We search for the answers, and feel that OOB experiences are important, meeting helpers, etc.  The secret of life is that the here and now, in the physical plane is no less wonderful than anything to be found in the astral.  

This is where universal love, appreciation and gratitude come in.  Attributes which we all know about and hear about but which are hollow if imitated, and forced by convention (religions, or personal guilt).  To appreciate all that spirituality has to offer, we have to find love and acceptance in the physical while we are alive.  Otherwise, all the nonphysical experiences,  however compelling, have much less meaning.  

My two cents,

Matthew

Lovely thoughts.  In our search for answers, it’s easy enough to overlook the fact that it’s all right here.  All-that-is is always right here and now.  It’s so easy to become distracted.  I want to note my amazement that you were able to maintain your deep meditative state while your son was doing his best to distract you.  I wonder if love made that possible.  Thanks for sharing your experience.  Much more than two cents worth.

You have my 100% backup on this take!

What I find interesting is the resemblance between what you describe and my experience of the intermediate states of self-hypnosis. In Bruce's article, "What Perceptual Skills Are Required" he makes reference to the impact of the imagination. Emile Coue, the French philosopher made similar observations and my own practice and experience confirms (for me) their discoveries and that too of yours. The major problem in trying to unravel our destiny is the self-imposed misconceptions adopted by so many seekers. If we could rid ourselves of the pile of junk-words that imprison and limit our thought processes we might discover the Road to Damascus.

"We are the stuff that dreams are made of, rounded with a little sleep ".
(Shakespeare)

This is great Matthew.  There's nothing like being a parent, is there.  I would venture to guess, though, that if you had been busy in your meditation with something of importance then your son would not have come in to distract you at that moment.  I believe the things that we need are worked out for us, to happen in their own time.  It sounds like at that moment, the thing you and your son needed was some good old quality time together.  

My first retrieval that I had great success with actually occurred while I was fully consciously awake and my kids were watching and laughing at the television only a few feet away from me.  They were not a distraction to me at all, despite the very deep, concentrated state I was in.  My perception in my retrieval experience culminated to the point of just-like-physical-eyesight seeing in the nonphysical reality I was in, still while my children watched TV next to me.  

This proves to me we don't have to chose between here and there, we can find the balance between the two.

I loved your post Matthew. Very inspiring. I agree with you that this C-1 is not less important than other states of consciousness. I love life but I know I can not have it forever. For that reason I am trying to prepare my way home when the time comes, and my thoughts are almost everyday focus on how I can improve my exercises to experience what you guys have experienced in the area of the afterlife. After I read your post Matthew, I was forgetting how beautiful the simple things in life can be and how fulfilling they are some of them. When I was a little girl most of the people in my family said that I was like a dreaming butterfly, that I lived in my own pink world.  Well, it was my way to express love for everyone what can I said, I was a dreamer and loved people and nature and I have always expressed my feelings towards those things, in words or in paper. However, I have my days, you know everybody does. And…that is life, life experiences, family, friends, job, bills, and other states of consciousness for the ones who wants to explore. My daughter, grandchild, my parents, brothers and sisters, you guys are part of my life and I highly appreciate it with all my heart. I am getting out of the subject here. So, your son was the one who made you realize those feeling you posted about life in C-1, and maybe Joshua was the helper that appeared just in the right moment to give you the answer you were looking for. I don’t know that last thought just came to my head. :-? Thanks! ;)
Love and Gratitude
Marcela

Matthew

As Rob said  - more than just 2 cents worth!!

Thank you for that reminder.  It is all to easy to forget that we do have this life here on C1 and that is the reason why we are here in the first place.  Sometimes we get so busy trying to find out what's "out there" that we tend to forget about the "love and acceptance" here in our physical world.  I remind myself constantly that I have to balance my life and my dealings with family and friends with my quest for what is "out there" - and how we live this life here is just as important - if not more.  I also have to remind myself to translate what I've learnt in my spiritual quest and apply that to my everyday living - living with PUL.  

With love
Irene

so true Matt. the here and now links us to the there and later. two worlds become one.
we seem to have a need to work at it, then a need to relax into play and somewhere in the middle is the answer.
I had a similar experience while meditating when my daughters were 12. only they didn't come jump on me, they just started giggling and said mom's meditating again..which made me start giggling too as I came down slowly from the far away place  I was in. kids are so close to spirit.

love, alysia