The feeling of being held and helped by Christ in meditation is so overwhelmingly beautiful and reassuring. I struggle to quiet my chattering mind and it does bother me, even though I aim for equanimity. To think Jesus is at my elbow makes me quite emotional. You’re a poet of human joy Jim. 🫶🏼
Thank you. I've been through much abuse as well, and at the hands of "the church." I am glad that you validate that it is a process, and a Practice. Thank you for sharing. For being an inspiration that even after all the brainwashing and abuse, we can let go into Oneness, and Know we Are Worthy of Oneness.
Thank you for this! Since subscribing to your Substack, I have committed to a twice daily sitting practice.
I am inspired by posts such as these ... and stories you have told in retreat, such as the man who meditated twice a day for decades and was himself transformed.
I do have a question, please, I hope you will consider answering. It is about practice outside of formal practice -- specifically, during time alone "without any addictive props and diversions."
May I please ask what you do/what you have advised your clients to do when tempted to reach for that prop or go down the path of diversion?
I grew up in Kentucky just like you…in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Very similar journey as yours, from a similar childhood to becoming a therapist after years of being in ministry.
You remind me of a man who was both familiar with suffering and also filled with devotion to dedicate all of it to the One who gives this cup to drink.
Thank you for drinking this cup, my dear brother. I am touched by the sincerity of the Heart of Love that you have been given to bear and the grace to share it with all of us.
This is the essence of transformation… freedom from ego consciousness. And YES, how deeply entrenched is our dependence on it! This is why “practice” is the correct term for our meditative sits… because without daily practice, the dualistic ego willingly takes over again and again.
Hi James, thank you for this lovely platform to connect. I actually wished I could ask this to you before I knew this was available, and here we are. What a gift: I’ve been in therapy for 20 yrs and my spiritual director recently asked me to try EMDR because she said she wasn’t qualified to work with my diagnosis of cptsd. So, I did.
I knew of a mystical experience I had for most of my life. I was four and experienced angels pulling my dad into the heavens after he died suddenly. I always thought I was alone when this happened but EMDR opened that my 7 year old brother saw me experiencing this and I saw that I terrified him and he never wanted to be close to me again. What was once a precious gift to me made me realize this was the point of a lifetime of rejection from my family. I’m having a hard time reconciling this new awareness. Like you said above, “Our ego is afraid to open to our unknown depths.” It scares me on many levels. How can one relearn to ground in that mystical place if it was the point of loss with my entire family? Maybe you can’t speak to this here but I thought it’s worth a try.
Breath by breath... thank you
This flutttered into my inbox at the very moment I needed it. Thank you
Pam, glad to hear that 🦋
The feeling of being held and helped by Christ in meditation is so overwhelmingly beautiful and reassuring. I struggle to quiet my chattering mind and it does bother me, even though I aim for equanimity. To think Jesus is at my elbow makes me quite emotional. You’re a poet of human joy Jim. 🫶🏼
🙏🏻❤️
Thank you. I've been through much abuse as well, and at the hands of "the church." I am glad that you validate that it is a process, and a Practice. Thank you for sharing. For being an inspiration that even after all the brainwashing and abuse, we can let go into Oneness, and Know we Are Worthy of Oneness.
Amen Jenny!
Beautifully said. I’ll never forget when you said “I am not God but I am not other than God”. It was like a sacred koan. You are such a blessing!💖🙏🏼
Thank you Eunice!
“…we must learn to die to our illusions about being dualistically other than God. We must also die to any grandiose delusions that we are God.”
This surrender is only possible for me when I know I’m the beloved.
I read this meditation over and over again. Out of surrender comes our transformation. I'm learning to humble myself and ask for help.
beautifully said.
Thank you for this! Since subscribing to your Substack, I have committed to a twice daily sitting practice.
I am inspired by posts such as these ... and stories you have told in retreat, such as the man who meditated twice a day for decades and was himself transformed.
I do have a question, please, I hope you will consider answering. It is about practice outside of formal practice -- specifically, during time alone "without any addictive props and diversions."
May I please ask what you do/what you have advised your clients to do when tempted to reach for that prop or go down the path of diversion?
Respect + gratitude!
Hi Julie, we will have a response from him soon on this. Thank you for the great question!
James,
I grew up in Kentucky just like you…in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Very similar journey as yours, from a similar childhood to becoming a therapist after years of being in ministry.
You remind me of a man who was both familiar with suffering and also filled with devotion to dedicate all of it to the One who gives this cup to drink.
Thank you for drinking this cup, my dear brother. I am touched by the sincerity of the Heart of Love that you have been given to bear and the grace to share it with all of us.
You are loved most affectionately 🙏🏼
Bryan Maynard
Thank you Bryan for the kind words and for sharing with me our common themes.
This is the essence of transformation… freedom from ego consciousness. And YES, how deeply entrenched is our dependence on it! This is why “practice” is the correct term for our meditative sits… because without daily practice, the dualistic ego willingly takes over again and again.
🙏🏻thank you Korie.
Hi James, thank you for this lovely platform to connect. I actually wished I could ask this to you before I knew this was available, and here we are. What a gift: I’ve been in therapy for 20 yrs and my spiritual director recently asked me to try EMDR because she said she wasn’t qualified to work with my diagnosis of cptsd. So, I did.
I knew of a mystical experience I had for most of my life. I was four and experienced angels pulling my dad into the heavens after he died suddenly. I always thought I was alone when this happened but EMDR opened that my 7 year old brother saw me experiencing this and I saw that I terrified him and he never wanted to be close to me again. What was once a precious gift to me made me realize this was the point of a lifetime of rejection from my family. I’m having a hard time reconciling this new awareness. Like you said above, “Our ego is afraid to open to our unknown depths.” It scares me on many levels. How can one relearn to ground in that mystical place if it was the point of loss with my entire family? Maybe you can’t speak to this here but I thought it’s worth a try.
Hi Mary :) we will get back to you on this thoughtful question. Thank you.