Why You Need a Spiritual Practice

Enlightenment en mass is needed for humanity to progress to the next level in the evolution of consciousness. Yet, the average person needs a viable way to achieve this. We need a way to cut through the noise of our minds, shed our fears and anxieties, and pursue a life of meaning, passion, and purpose. We need a way to connect with our true selves; our authentic selves; our higher selves; our souls.

As discussed in a previous post, modern religious institutions have failed in their quest for spiritual enlightenment. Rampant corruption and blind insistence on theirs being the ‘one true path’ have led many belief systems to miss a key point: humanity must join in unison to achieve a greater conscious identity. Our consumeristic culture and our overbearing governments have created a system that keeps us beaten down and in a perpetual state of striving. This exhausts us and clouds our minds, preventing us from ever realizing there is more to life than our current state of being.

However, this isn’t easy work. In addition to the cultural and societal swamp we need to wade through, we each develop specific hangups through our life experiences. A lot of what gets conditioned into us, which dictates our thoughts, actions, and feelings, is imprinted from a very young age. Entrenched deep in our subconscious, these indelible marks direct our every move. In The Biology of Belief, author and developmental biologist, Dr. Bruce Lipton explains that “our lives are essentially a printout of our subconscious programs, behaviors that were fundamentally acquired from others (our parents, family, and community) before we were six years old.” Furthermore, the “majority of these developmental programs are limiting and disempowering.”

Between the ages of 2 and 6, the human brain functions in a lower frequency state, a range between 4-8 Hz called theta. This brain wave state is often seen in experienced meditation practitioners and is also used by hypnotists to influence their subjects. In this state, the brain is more suggestible and programmable, giving it the ability to process large quantities of information. For a growing child, the rapid intake of information is necessary for survival and inculturation. In a theta brain wave state, information can be downloaded, for better or worse, into the subconscious mind. Some research indicates that subconscious programming can being as early as in utero and continue into late teens, thus expanding the window of subconscious programming.

So it appears that the cards are stacked against us! No doubt some have it harder than others. But no matter where you land on the spectrum of life, you will go through some negative experiences. These will latch onto your subconscious with the potential to fuck with you for the rest of your life if not handled well.

But, we aren’t powerless in combating these negative influences or reversing their effects. And this is why spiritual practice is so important. At the core of spirituality, is self-improvement. Achieving a greater conscious identity starts small, with the individual. One cannot expect to reach a higher realm of existence when burdened with the emotional bullshit that accompanies our physical existence. A spiritual practice leads one out of the mire and into thinking for oneself, into consciously consuming- be it food or information -and living an elevated existence.

A spiritual practice is a means to break free from the shackles that modern society has clasped on our minds. It creates a space for us to look within so that we can in turn, recognize what is outside of us. This inner-to-outer-looking gives us the opportunity to experience the vastness of the universe, which we are all an intricate part of. If every individual can begin to grasp this concept, a higher human consciousness will emerge and a massive force for change will spring forth.

This is why spiritual practice is essential. It allows you to recognize- through meditation, deep breathing, and self-reflection among other modes- what lies within. It allows you to glimpse where your thoughts, acts, and feelings come from, and how to change them for the better. I choose spirituality over say, psychology- which can also help with dealing with negative subconscious beliefs- because psychology is still a science, and science contains an inherent cold calculation. Spirituality is open. It contains within it a belief in something greater than oneself. It empowers you to realize that you are greater than the sum of your negative experiences. How could you not be? After all, you are a representation of the universe itself.

Spiritual practice allows you to pinpoint and analyze the negative past experiences that have lodged themselves deep in your subconscious mind. After which, you can extricate and deal with them in a positive way. The healing of hidden wounds allows you to insert new traits that align with your true purpose and higher self. These new behaviors and thoughts will help you to lead an authentic life and guide you through your life's journey.

But this requires a belief in something greater than yourself. Spiritual practice will lead you there. It allows you to access an increased understanding of what is possible. You will understand that existence is infinite. Infinite existence equals infinite potential and infinite potential equals unlimited possibilities for you and me.

Through the attainment of the higher self, we transcend individualism. If every member of humanity achieves this state, the human potential for good is limitless. This is what spirituality is all about, liberating ourselves from our material existence, from a self-imposed limited mindset. It's about removing the blinders of our restricted perceptions and achieving an awareness that we are all part of the same universal entity; an identity synonymous with love and abundance.

So if you are feeling stuck or like there is something missing in your life, then it's likely that you need a spiritual practice. If you balked at the thought, then you definitely need one! The best place to start is with some inner work, and I would begin by asking yourself why you balked at the idea in the first place.

You need a spiritual practice because it cultivates a positive mindset. Some may argue that this is naïve. But I say it's better to think unconditionally positive even if it means being naïve. At least in naiveté, there is goodness, unlimited potentiality, and an open door to the manifestation of your desires. When you criticize excessive positivity because, for example, “it's unrealistic,” you lose the ability to create with consciousness. This is due to the inherent self-limiting nature of those thoughts. So embrace a spiritual practice, clean your internal house, and be positive! Why choose otherwise?

Turning Wanda Pierce’s saying on its head, with an added tweak of Shakespear’s words, rose-colored glasses will help make the world smell sweet.

"The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self." - Marianne Williamson