Mini 23
The five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling) keep us grounded—anchored to the physical domain of structure and dense energy.
What we sometimes call the “sixth sense” is really a gateway to eternity. It lets us break the bonds of carnal living to enter the vast cosmos flourishing, in-beyond of us, with spiritual life that is omniscient (all-knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful).
Meditation and contemplation are techniques for switching off the five senses (or at least completely relaxing them) while switching on (or activating) the “sixth sense.” Through meditation and contemplation, we can start to perceive the subtle meta-truths of the cosmos, first as brief impressions and glimpses, then evolving toward an intimate oneness with the all-that-is. With practice, meditation and contemplation unleash the magnificent potential of the human mind.
Referring to the meditation picture, I’ve come to believe that the central chakra—the one in the heart—is our personal key to the cosmos. The other six play important supporting roles in bridging body, mind, and spirit, but the heart chakra is the key to everything.
Which is why, for years, my main spiritual practice has been heart meditation. If you’re interested in trying it, you can see how I do it, or you can see how the experts at the Institute of Heart Math do it.
In any case, I think of heart meditation as the best way to start exploring the vast, timeless cosmos.
As my British friends* the Moody Blues like to say…
(Song: Best Way to Travel. Album: In Search of the Lost Chord. Artist: Moody Blues.)
*Those British musicians feel like close friends of mine even though we’ve never met.
As my other British friends* the Beatles like to say…
**Jai guru deva, AUM, or जय गुरु देव, ॐ, means Glory to the divine teacher, AUM
(Song: Across the Universe. Album: Let it Be. Artist: Beatles.)
Macy Afterlife: The Beacon 
Hooray for you and the Moody Blues and the Beatles!
In explaining the words of John 3:13-14 in the SRF edited book “The Yoga of Jesus”, Yoganandaji says, on page 55:
“As souls we were all originally in God’s bosom. Spirit projects the desire to create and individualized expression of Itself. The soul becomes manifest and projects the idea of the body in causal form. The idea becomes energy, or the lifetronic astral body. The astral body becomes condensed into the physical body. Through the integrated spinal passageway of these three instrumental media, the soul descends into identification with the material body and gross matter.”
On the next page Yogananda writes, ” No human body has ascended into heaven, the etheric essence of which does not accommodate corporeal forms; but all souls can and will enter the supernal realms when, through death or through spiritual transformation, they cast of physical consciousness and know themselves as angelic beings garbed in thought and light.”
Wow, John, that really ties everything together nicely. Yogananda explains it all in such greater depth and clarity.
Thanks a lot for that,
M
It got me searching and led me to this article about “Guru Dev,” the spiritual teacher of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who tapped John Lennon and the Beatles into the source through Transcendental Meditation… which allowed the song “Across the Universe” to stream into Lennon’s mind one sleepless night.
Guru Dev’s childhood was pretty amazing!… leaving home at age 9 and being drawn eventually to a life in Himalayan caves inhabited by spiritual masters. Sounds familiar!
Proficuous!
Your recent short writing and your insights therein (on 10-4-25) about Prayer is a very important little addition to your annals, and is much appreciated!
Thanks John, any little thing I can do to shed a little warm light in this time of cold blustering wind….
Mark