This is an article about practical spirituality, for our modern minds. After studying Yoga intensively for twelve years (six years in India), and living for
six years in a monastic interfaith environment, studying Native American, Hindu, Sufi, Christian, New Age philosophies and techniques, my eclectic
German mind has synthesized many of these techniques and methods for greater effectiveness. My desire now is to offer to others what I have
simplified and integrated from my metaphysical studies.

One of the most important discoveries for me was that once a person is in a trance or an altered state of consciousness, this person is basically hooked
up to the "spiritual Internet". Once in such a state, a person can contact and communicate with all kinds of people and spirit beings from anywhere,
from any time period . . . or even invite a personal discussion group, a sort of spiritual chat room. In such a state of consciousness, you can access
your personal data bank and memory files from present as well as past lives. Your mind is like an interface that translates between higher mind and
lower mind using symbols, concepts, emotions; even graphs if you ask for them. You can even build a little cyber-world in your mind like an "inner
sanctum, a place where you can retreat, be nourished, and communicate with those you have invited in.

And it works very effectively, as your Higher Self is the perfect search engine, finding the lifetimes, situations, and memories that you need to
re-experience for your best growth, giving you the information visually or conceptually, or in any other means that resonate with you.

The spiritual internet is the place where the veil of ignorance that has clouded humankind since time immemorial can be lifted to varying degrees.
Shamans, yogis and mystics of old have described this realm of
human experience in their own terms and cultural analogies. The spiritual internet is a means for our time.

So, how do you get on the spiritual internet? Sometimes by grace it just happens to you. You have a vision, or you know something is going to happen,
and you dont know why, or you may have a conversation with a passed-on dear one in your dreams. Because this type of access happens spontaneously,
it is not under our control.

Traditionally, those who wanted self-controlled access to the spiritual internet did so by ingesting natural drugs like many shamans, or by fasting from sleep,
food, water, or indulging in physical exertion, or extreme heat, such as in a sweat lodge. Unless these methods are monitored by adepts, they can be
dangerous, physically, emotionally and mentally. The austerities involved can also be discouraging.

Other systems cultivate the personal life force (chi, ki or prana) through proper nutrition, physical exercise, visualization, prayer, control and manipulation of
life force, and abstinence of talk, sex, human contact, or other energy-consuming activities. The drawback of these methods is that they take more time,
discipline, and effort than most people have. So it is understandable why I was so excited to have made it to the "other side" in the comfort of a trance.

Now, after a decade of surfing the spiritual internet, I have isolated two essentials that I believe need to be realized before accessing the spiritual internet.

Relaxation
For many people, deep relaxation is quite a new experience. It was the basic training for beginning yogis to de-stress their physical bodies through exercises
such as the stretching and postures (asanas) of hatha yoga, as well as to learn to allow the body to relax while using proper posture. Only after posture is
mastered  may the disciple proceed to meditation. The idea is simple: how can you meditate when your back hurts?  We can achieve the effect of relaxing
our bodies to a point where we don't feel them anymore anymore (the way you feel after a time in a flotation tank or after a good massage) by going through
a progressive relaxation sequence in a guided meditation.

Full relaxation cannot happen without mental detachment. A mind that is attached to certain results cannot relax completely. Also, only an impartial mind can
see the truth in an unbiased way. I have found that most people can easily achieve temporary mental detachment through a properly guided meditation. Once
a person's mind is detached, they can see themselves more clearly, look at their life more objectively, go to their places of fear with more courage, and, more
importantly, allow thought forms (images or mental concepts) to pop into their minds without judging and rejecting them.

Protection
Another necessary ingredient for spiritual surfing is security, or protection. In the same way your computer requires a virus protection program, so do you
need protection from negative influences. Just as in everyday life, some people come from a love vibration, there are some people that are predators. One
does not always know who is who, so one needs protection. Before each session, I ask for the protection and guidance of such beings as the Archangel
Michael, Mother Mary, and the angels of love and light. Their presence is generally felt quite easily and instills great confidence in the one so protected.

There are many stories to tell from the spiritual internet, such as sites we visited, beings we have met, futures we have seen, discussions we have had, as well
personal stories of lives that have been greatly enhanced, traumas healed, and anguish turned to love and acceptance through understanding.

e-mail: heartsongs8@yahoo.com
copyright 2004 - Heartsongs by Ishani