You’re Invited to Participate in a Demonstration of Short-Term Inner Silence
Many spiritual traditions provide tools for achieving inner silence. One time-honored technique for achieving inner quietude that you can find in virtually every tradition on earth involves focusing your attention on a single object: a mantra that you repeat silently to yourself, your breath, points on your physical body, a mandala, or a candle flame. This technique has been used by mystics of most paths from around the world—not only from Eastern traditions, like Hinduism and Buddhism, but from Western traditions, including almost every denomination of Christianity.
There are also many noisy techniques that also turn off inner chatter. Sufi whirling dervishes focus their minds on Allah and use the movements of their dance to create an expression of devotion that flows from every part of their body. This process turns off all conscious thought--thereby achieving some level of inner silence. Buddhists who practice Bare Attention while active are using the mental state of being present in the moment to turn off the inner dialog. When some charismatic Christians speak in tongues, the practice enables them to turn off the chatter of their minds and focus only on the energy in their hearts that they call the Holy Spirit.
People from religious paths that involve praying to a deity often begin by focusing their minds on the idea of god or goddess. This idea almost always invokes a sense of sacredness and peace--a manifestation of inner quietude.
Later, after making their supplication or expressing their thanks, many religious people stop and listen for communication from god or goddess--which involves emptying their minds so that they can hear messages that come from beyond themselves. The idea that god speaks out of silence or in a still, small voice is almost universal.
Around the world, some form of inner silence is known as the precondition for spiritual insight, whether that means fully listening to your higher self, channeling wisdom from a goddess or god, or meditating long hours to reach Nirvana. Since all thoughts of past and future dwell in the realm of illusion, inner silence enables you to reach beyond the illusory world we live in and contact deity.
There’s no doubt that most readers of this post have already experienced some form of inner silence--especially transitory states of inner stillness that arise spontaneously. You may have experienced inner silence while camping, doing yoga, practicing deep relaxation exercises, going into trance, attending Quaker meeting, practicing telepathy or remote viewing, meditating, reading Tarot cards, doing energy work, jogging (i.e., the runner’s high), making love, rocking a baby to sleep, volunteering for an important cause, taking a risk and succeeding, praying, being totally absorbed in performing music--or listening to it, sunbathing at the beach, while attending a personal development retreat, while enjoying the emptiness that follows catharsis in therapy, or while working on a creative project and stopping to let ideas germinate.
Some of you may have figured out practical ways of generating and using inner silence in daily life. Perhaps you have triumphed over confusion or stress by sitting and closing your eyes, waiting for inner knowledge about the right things to say, write, or do. Some of you may have found that you can use inner silence to improve your writing, for instance, by pausing after each section, letting go of your thoughts, and waiting expectantly for inspiration from your subconscious mind like an unknown but invited guest.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that when you release all of your thoughts and worries, your experience of beauty is far richer. Perhaps you’ve noticed that when you quiet your mind, you open up your consciousness to inspiration, beauty, pleasure, grace, and happiness.
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Inner silence is a key ingredient in a small group dialog method I teach that is called the Chrysalis Wisdom Council. The Chrysalis Wisdom Council is a practical application of short-term inner silence to create an authentic dialog that leads to deep relational knowing, clarity, and wisdom. The results are replicable and reliable.
I'm currently working out the details, but I plan to offer this tool to IONS members from anywhere on the planet over the Internet through video conferencing. There will be no charge to participate. If you find the technique useful, I will ask you to make a donation to IONS or to Shift in Action as payment.
I originally invented the Chrysalis Wisdom Council in the late 90s, and since then, I have taught it to hundreds of people and several organizations. This has caused the method to evolve: for instance, one of the key steps in the process was given to me by the Nine Gates Mystery School.
I will post more details when I've worked them out. If you're interested in participating, email me at globalwisdom (at)sbcglobal.net
You will need a WebCam, soundcard, and headset to participate. The software (available for free for both Mac and PC) will allow all participants to see and hear each other as if we were meeting in my living room in person.
