Introduction
The Inner Journey is one we feel compelled to travel, and once the need for deeper understanding of the mysteries of life, our place in it, and who we are, has arisen in us, the journey has begun.Before continuing, please bear in mind...
Everything said here is in alignment with the teachings and words of the most revered, respected and highly regarded of the great spiritual mystics and sages in history.
But be warned - some of what you will read may seem to disagree with ideas presented by the most popular modern-day spiritual teachers.
So, be prepared, this will almost certainly challenge what you believe you know about the who, when, why and how of ‘spiritual awakening’.
What we do not yet realise is that only at the conclusion of the journey may we discover what we were searching for all along.
Are you sure?
If you are here reading this right now thinking, 'I know what the destination is' - then you should also know that all the great spiritual mystics in history have said we cannot know it.
This is why the Inner Journey is mysterious - it is a mystery - and we each experience it in an entirely unique way - but we are all human, and the underlying process that unfolds within us is essentially always the same.
By understanding what's happening in us we are able to make more sense of the experience, and learn what may still be to come.
How can we know where we are on our own journey?
The process of Awakening will take many turns - you may travel slowly in almost imperceptible steps or stages, or have sudden radical inner realisations.
You may experience inner realities that seem more real than the 'normal' life of the body-mind.
Realisations may seep into your awareness during sleep.
The possibilities are endless.
This series is not about specific individual experiences, it is aimed at being like a map of the overall process. And you will more easily recognise where you are by unfolding the map and looking at it as a whole.
A short summary of the Inner Journey...
Awakening is a process of 'waking up' from the 'normal' egoic state of consciousness.
You might find it helpful to read: What Is Ego?
Until we begin to Awaken from the ego, we believe our mind's capacity to know.
In this 'normal' state of consciousness we believe that we can know the truth of our self and all that is around us through our sense perceptions and mind.
The journey begins when we start to sense a deeper non-rational 'mystical' dimension to life and to who we are.
And Awakening gradually shows us that we are perceiving life as if from within a dense fog.
As we Awaken, the fog dissipates.
The final stage of the Inner Journey is often called Enlightenment.
Enlightenment, based on what the most revered mystics have all said, is when the eternal Divine Light pierces the last remains of the 'fog' and in that moment, Absolute Truth enters the individual self.
What is revealed in the Light?
If you wish to know, here's a link to the last section in this series: Into The Light
NEXT : What is the Fog?