Hi Matthew-
You ask good questions!

From my personal experience, we go through  a series of transitions. (These check out one for one with Swami Satchitananda's book on the [sychic states of development. You can find the similarity in Tibetan material, but it's more obscure and hidden under jargon.) At birth we're ignorant, and learnof the world of people and things. Then we learn of the values that transcend ego and selfishness, such as caring for others, not taking ourselves too seriously, not craving after everything, telling the truth etc, and we stop creating negative karma. Yogis call this satchitananda - it turns out to be a logical approach to life and not at all mysterious. To get there we simply stop imposing on others, and we take responsibility for making life work.

Next we focus as we learn to meditate more deeply, and we discover that the entire universe is a single "thing" in the sense that it all works as a collective unit. The governing organizational principle to that organization is often called "the Cosmic Consciousnes".  As we encounter it it gives us the sense of being part of the big collectivity, all questions answered, all negations removed, but also a sense that we are a part, and still not the One. This is sarvastarka samadhi (no opposition or separation), also called sarvakalpa samadhi.

With further meditation we reach a state in which there are no qualifying conditions. There is just Beingness without attribution. (Thisis not actually describable, because our language is limited, but this is sufficient to recognize it.).In this state we have abandoned all distinctions and separations, and all there is is Oneness. This is nirvastarka samadhi also called nirvakalpa samadhi (negation of sttributes). It is reached by abandonment of all the attachments that bind out awareness to the physical world.

The next phase is to go on living in the world with the realization that everything is One, yet it is projected as Many so that we can work with it to find our way as we "chop wood and carry water". As compared to the feelings at the start, no longer do we identify with a title, a job, with possessions or anything else. We just "are", and instead of being the one who is owning and being owned by them,  we have access to various tools that are attached to us by externals, with which we do whatever is appropriate.

You can find the same kind of message in most of the deeper writings. For example, Jesus told people to "take up your cross and follow me ... I am the way..." In terms of yoga this means, abandon your egoistic connections that define you as thus and such a person, as a title and noble rank, as different or superior and all the othere things that cause us to be distinct and distinguished - we thus become "no-thing" and "no-body"  in the sense of no longer having a fixed definition - we live only in the dynamic present. (It's scary for those who fail to realize that there is something besides the physical world.) In this state of freedom, we become identical with the human aspects of Jesus and all the other advanced souls, rishis, gurus, yogis , saints etc who have discovered God. (Jesus the man is not the same as the idea of the Christ. as the Christ is a name for the projected nature of God - and of course we are all ultimately That, although we generally are afraid to realize it.) Then, being like Jesus, we have "followed him and "he is the way", because that's the only door, and everyone who goes through it is the same in the sense of having abandoned distinctions.

When yogis go through that door, they too are not different from Jesus. However, they focus on other explanations. Put backwards, Jesus went through by adopting the principles of yoga.

The time from Start to God realization, according to Swami Satchitananda. is about 6 months for a dedicated student.

In this sequence we progressively come more and more into unity with the "Cosmic Consciousness" - the manifestation of the logic that runs things. (I personally identify it with the manifestation of the Holy Ghost, but that's a personal perspective based on my personal background.) More and more we become sensitive to this overlying logical reality, and it fills information into our awareness that more or less replaces all the ego stuff that was previously there. Life in general presents an ongoing divine scenario and message.

To the degree that we focus on exotic experiences and blinking lights etc, we lose contact with the ultimate.  It's like the guy who has a small perfect diamond but drops it when he sees a big piece of broken glass glinting in the sun. This sidetripping can go on for several ifetimes. Then, when we get back on track it feels as if we are discovering a divine message or some such. In addition, prayer becomes more effective, so if you ask, you get an answer that tells you what you need to know. (It might be disguised in a different form, but it's there.)

Hope this is helpful-
PUL
dave

Beautiful post Dave, we can see east meeting west here 

Quote:


Hi Dave.
   I agree that prayer is effective, just so long as you receive an answer. I don't pray very often; but when I do I usually get some form of an answer. Ever since I have achieved a mental balance, I have been receiving divine messages. The blinking lights of the mind machine aren't exotic or mesmerizing. They work in the same manner as binaural beeps for entrainment of consciousness. It's only a tool for meditational assistance. The blue light from the sun that I saw was probably just a physical reaction of the eye. The light, however, acted as a means of focus that enabled me to put to good use while entering altered states of thought. I use whatever helpful tools that I can for reaching higher states of consciousness. Nothing lost, but much to be gained. I can tell when I'm on the right track to gaining useful knowledge in my quest for wisdom.

Sincerely,
Ralph

Ralph-
You're paying the proper attention to the proper blinking lights. Keep doing it. One of my few really deep pleasures is watching the growth and development of some of the people on this forum, and sharing the experiences of others as they move step by step into the "Ultimate Unity". 

I agree with Alyssia, you got a miracle - but in the end, it's all a miracle. So keep doing it.

The blinking lights that are thwe problem are the ones that accompany a strong dose of hallucinogenic stuff, or the equivalent,  and that lead us into chasing after more "fun experiences".  It's like the difference between the hippie who is into "recreational experiences" and spends the evening making his head tight and acting stupid, and the yogi, who is smoking the same thing, but who regards it as a sacrament sacred to Shiva, the Hindu name for the Creator of the universe, and who uses the experience to gain insight. The hippie can keep on doing his thing forever and never get anywhere, he just keeps on watching the spectacular stuff and acting stupid, but the sincere yogi (or whatever you want to call a true seeker) will bend any means whatsoever to serve the one ultimate end.

There's a saying that the right means for the wrong person gives the wrong result, whereas the wrong means for the right person leads to God.

What I was trying to express to Matthew is that the essence of the "divine revelation" or the "spiritual message" or whatever, is not so much because there appears a "Divine Speaker", but rather, that as we focus and abandon the interfering things we do to stay attached to the everyday world, then we become the "Divine Listener", and the messages that already are everywhere around us start to pour in.

Maybe what I need to do is to learn to be more concise!



d