“Because our representation of reality is so much easier to grasp than reality itself, we tend to confuse the two and to take our concepts and symbols for reality.” – Fritjof Capra, physicist
When a spacecraft is launched from earth it must exert enough power to overcome the extraordinary force of gravity. Once unfettered from this force, the spacecraft floats freely and is propelled by even the slightest thrust of energy.
We can find a good analogy here for understanding meditation. Our concepts of reality create an extremely strong “gravitational force” that compels us to evaluate ourselves and our life from a limited benchmark. Acting as if a thing is true when it is not yields the same results we would get if it were actually true. If a child believes there is a bear under his bed he will have the same reaction of terror he would have if the bear were actually present.
Meditation is a process of exposing our consciousness to the direct activity of God, the Creative Life Force that sustains our being. We all live with many bears under our bed. The primary bear is the belief that there is a power working against us. Just as real bears come in many shapes, colors and sizes, so does our belief in this secondary power take many forms: Satan, bad luck, fate or a faulty gene pool to name a few.
Approaching life successfully through the employment of spiritual principles requires a correct understanding of and first-hand experience with God. In meditation we make the effort to release all preconceptions about God and we present ourselves as receptively teachable individuals equipped with the appropriate faculties that are designed to experience levels beyond “perceived reality.”
While this may sound like a daunting task, successful meditation is more about letting go than attaining knowledge that will carry us into unknown realms. The spiritual dimension is well-known by us but this knowing is covered by much that is not true. Coming to this understanding is essential preparation to a mind ready to rise above the gravity of half truths and false appearances.