Transcendence, raising our vibration: what's involved?

Okay, I will start with transcendence:

First experiences: I see transcendence as experiences or glimpses of resonance with that higher vibration that I'd like to have.

A couple of times while meditating with a friend, I felt an angel entering me (like in the movie Ghost with Whoopi Goldberg, only it was an angel, not Patrick Swazy) and my awareness was heightened in the most extraordinary way.

I used to walk around a lake back then and feel an angel presence in the forest there. I'd ask that angel to help me figure out who I was and what I should do with my life.

Then I started giving readings and teaching people how to tune inward, and while leading a meditation with 8 women who'd come to my house fwhen Patrick Swazy's character entered Whoopi Goldberg, only it was an angel. I began to regard these women with her consciousness. I felt them trembling like baby birds as I spoke to each one. Even though my eyes were closed and hardly knew these women and have a hard time remembering people's names, I knew each woman by name and where they were sitting in the room. I wasn't me. What I said to each one was as I recall simple, but, well, it was just what they needed. And the words didn't matter. It was energy flowing to each one. 

We were all blown away by it. 

I wondered if the angel would come back.  She was always with me guiding me, but would she enter my being like that again?  A few weeks later, she returned twice when I was mediating with a friend I'd been given a room to share while staying in the 1980's at Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox, MA. We hardly spoke to each other during our one-month there, but quite by accident she ended out renting a room in our house when my first daughter was born. We have become life long friends, and I have such high regard for her, especially her kindness. So we meditated together a couple of times, and that's when the angel returned. 

Since that time, I've had other  meditation experiences that I'd call transcendent but very different from the angel. I was meditating at the Vipassana Center in Shelburne falls during a two week silent retreat.  We were told for three days to focus on a spot on the top of our heads, and suddenly, it was if my whole being was lit up like a Fourth of July sparkler.  It started at the top of my head then spread throughout my body. It came in a rush of sparkly light and felt wonderful.  When I asked a teacher there about it, she just said, "don't get attached to this, okay?"  I guess others have had these moments of transendence and they become unhappy if they can't make it happen again. 

More common transcendent experiences I get: When giving a reading, I begin with a meditation.  If the person I'm reading submits to my request that we meditate at the beginning, and they are able to just breathe and be in the present, I have many times begun to notice the room I am in filling up with light. The furniture feels alive. Everything in my view is exquisitely beautiful, dazzling. It's magical and wondrous and I've had these experience many times.

I can easily get these experiences when alone, even right now. I begin to notice energy in every object. At first I see the human energy in the object, i.e., why they put that object there, why it was made that way. It's almost funny! If I turn on that level of perception while walking in the woods, then I feel the energy of every single being in the woods, and it is glorious. The woods are alive. 

@jeanne-mayell  One experience I deeply feel/recall .... I was at my favorite beach , St. George Island,Fla. I always booked a rental right by the state park end and go in October... less people, more tolerable temperatures. I always got up and walked for miles along the shoreline to the end of island ... about an 8 mile round trip...watching the sunrise and the world awaken. As I walked one morning , in solitude , few people out... I walked along feeling the waves lap along my feet as I stepped my course in the sand mingling at the waters edge. As I continued to walk... first feeling the water, the sand beneath my feet, the wind caressing me, the rising sun chasing away the early morning chill, I felt my Self begin to expand ... I simultaneously became the sun,wind,water and earth all at once -and felt myself growing larger and experiencing my Self as One with all. It was an incredible experience that moved me to tears of Gratitude and Joy. It increased my understanding of so many things. It has been 14 years since that happened and it remains within me as clearly as it was then. When I come too much in to the world and man's doing .... I recall this and bring my Self back to doing that which is mine to do.

I think a big part of getting to that plateau is to learn how to, first, value non-human life on this planet and, second, work with non-humans, recognizing ourselves as part of a collective with them. This will help us to shed the loneliness and separation that come from holding limiting notions of human supremacy. 

This thread on transcendence brings up an experience I had when I was 15 years old.  At the time I told no one.  It’s only in the last few years that I have started telling people about the experience.  

When I was 15, I started praying one day and as I sat in prayer, everything around me transformed into blinding white/golden light.  There was no beginning of the light and there was no end to the light.  I felt as though I had been lifted out of my body in the presence of this intense light.  Although no words were spoken,  I knew I was in the presence of a higher power and and felt an overwhelming sense of love. I have never forgotten the shock and intensity of that experience all these years later.  And I remember receiving that great, unconditional love.   It gave me a sense that there is so much more about life and spirit that transcends physical life and our understanding of time.  

I imagine a lot of people who frequent this site have also had unexplained transcendent experiences.

After a very stressful and intense week with little sleep, I had an experience where I felt my ego break down. I went through an experience where thought I felt like what it was like for Jesus when he died on the cross and the complete dissolution of the ego. After this was complete, I felt as one with the whole universe and completely buzzing with intense energy and light of the universe.

I have not had a similar experience since and I am still working out why I had the unique opportunity to experience it 20 years ago.

So to raise one's vibration, I think we need to let go of our egos, let go of the thoughts and head speak that keeps us grounded in the here and now.

Not sure how to do this successfully while still living and interacting in this world. It is finding/seeking out those moments where you can step away to connect as others have already said in this and other posts.

As we need to live in this world and not often have the luxury of time and space away from life, I think just doing something for the greater good by lifting anyone, anything up without the human trappings of ego and morals raises one's vibration. Doing it with/alongside/in conjunction with others amplifies the effect.

While I feel self conscious doing it, even picking up a piece of rubbish while going for a walk is something small but I feel has a positive impact - it is one less item that goes into the ocean for our fellow sea creatures to digest or it improves the wellbeing of others who are not jarred by its sight.

@lightndark Welcome to the forum.  I think you are on to something with your observations and especially like your thinking about working towards the greater good.  Also, how we response to negativity or criticism or even injustice presents us with a moment of potential transcendence. Do we lash back in anger and resentment or do we make a decision to rise, to be our best selves, to respond in loving kindness?

@bluebelle I also experienced that sensation of seeing the brightest/whitest pulsating light imaginable while I was asking/praying to understand "God"...the light passed by an open door (like an old stone ancient one) and in the physical world a light like that should've hurt my very light sensitive eyes. But I could see it slowly move in front of me and it did not hurt to "see" it...my reaction was....yeah...now I remember...

@bluebelle I've never had a "light" moment like that, but I can name several instances in my life where I've been able to manifest a thought into being, or had a song in my head and then it was playing exactly that part when I turned on the radio. It's always been something that shocked my being a bit, but ultimately I pass it off as coincidence. It's awe-inspiring to hear of people who have experiences like yours and feel truly a part of something. Do you ever feel like you have a full understanding of something - or can just about put your finger on something that other people can't? Sometimes it seems like a thought or feeling is just below the surface and I "get" it, but feel no one else does, so I let it go.

@saibh You’re experiencing moments of intuition.  I’ve learned that we all have intuition and that it’s part of our biology, a vestige of sensory perception that probably dates back to earliest humans.  Primitive humans were hunters/gatherers and intuition must have served as a survival skill.  Today we live in a much more complex society and complex environment..  We are influenced by materialism, consumerism, social media, politics-a constant barrage on our senses.  However, our intuition remains intact and those who pay attention to intuition can use it to navigate life.  

And it’s intuition that leads us to consider the larger questions of consciousness and the mysteries of existence.  I’ve decided that I like the mysteries, the sense of there being life beyond life, the sense of higher powers, and our universal connection to humanity and all living things on this planet.  To live a life open to intuition and intuitive experiences leads us into a state of expanded consciousness.  I don’t fully understand all of this, but it is intriguing.

@bluebelle, I had a very similar experience as you, when I was in my mid-to-late 20’s.  It was a very dark and scary time for me, which included a crisis of faith.  I was at a loss of what to believe or what to do next.  So I let go, and I prayed.  I suddenly experienced basking in this warm glow of all encompassing love and light.  It was so powerful that it took my breath away.  I thought "Oh!  So this is who I am."  I didn't want that feeling to end, and I've never forgotten it. 

I had many more of those spiritual encounters, just as powerful, over those next few months.   At the time I probably really needed the reassurance that I was divinely protected, and all was well.  I began to rely on those experiences to carry me through that period of time. 

And then a funny thing happened.  Those powerful feelings of transcendence suddenly stopped.  I never exactly felt abandoned, but I was surprised and disappointed – as if I had done something wrong.  Months later as I was reading some well-known mystical writer, I reached an “aha!” moment.  Those amazing encounters stopped because they turned into an expectation.   I became addicted to how they made me feel.  As I thought more about it, I had to ask myself "am I a Doubting Thomas? Prove it to me, or you’re not there”? 

When those very real and powerful dramatic encounters suddenly ended, I began to open my eyes more, and recognized how active Spirit already was in all areas of my life.   And as I focused more on that, I began to experience more moments of transcendence in much of what I had been taking for granted -- watching squirrels at play, a beautiful sunset, gazing at the moon, listening to a moving piece of music, laughing so hard until I cried, the feel of my dog's soft fur against my skin.  I finally began to understand that Spirit is alive -- in me and everyone and everything -- always and everywhere. 

I don't know if this is the right thread to put this in, but please move it if it isn't.

I've never shared my past experiences with intuition, and I hope to get up the nerve to do so at some point, but stuff happens all the time that weirds me out.

This just happened, and it's not deep and powerful like what you all have shared so far, it's just stupid and funny, but it fits into the bizarre category of what always happens to me. 

I'm lying in bed, awake but lazy and comfortable, and for some reason, I'm thinking about funny scenes from Arachnophobia with Jeff Daniels and chuckling to myself. I switch positions, look up, and directly over me, on the ceiling, is a big-ass spider. Is that intuition? Coincidence?

I named him Buddy and moved to the other side of the bed lol.

@polarberry 

I am assuming that you are talking about seeing an actual spider, and yes, I would say that is intuition.  I find coincidences are often actually intuition.  We are all connected and this connection can give us messages and information in unique ways and beautiful ways.  

@deetoo

I also believe that some of these experiences stop or can be be muted if we expect them.  This has been my experience.

@saibh

Music has played a large roll in my life and my family's life. It is no surprise to me that music has therefore often played a roll in my intuitive life as well.

I also will think of a song, only to have suddenly play on the radio.  Sometimes a song will pop into my head to convey a message and certain songs now mean something specific to me.  If I randomly start hearing Samuels Barber's Adagio for Strings, it is a message that someone well respected will die or a great natural disaster causing death will occur.  I recently heard the song "3 Little Birds" playing repeatedly in my head for days and discovered it was a message to a friend from her father.  

Yes, an actual spider.

The music thing happens to me a lot too.

I get scent messages.  I smell my grandfather's pipe and know he is near.  Nobody smokes in this house, by the way.  I also get songs in my head which correspond to things going on....  it's super cool!

@jovesta and @lovendures, music plays a big part in Spirit's communication to me.  I often get songs in my head, usually when I am grappling with a personal problem and can't find my way out.  Sometimes the song will suddenly appear on the radio.  Some of those can be funny occurrences, once involving a Rolling Stones' song.  Spirit can have a wonderful sense of humor.

I've had scent messages too, one of them from someone I personally don't know.  We live in a house previously owned by a woman, Mrs. Reynolds, who lived in it for over 50 years.  She was the eyes and ears of the neighborhood.  Nurturing.  Sometimes we can smell muffins baking in the morning.  I see that as a sign of comfort -- you're being taken care of.

@deetoo I feel that way too when I sense my granddad.  I am beginning to trust my gifts more.

This is an important message for anyone interested in the topic of transcendence and anything intuitively related.

Jeanne just posted a link an amazing podcast she was interviewed for recently by talented  journalist/writer Dustin Grinnell. Truly the best interview ever!  It is like listening to a mini-master class from Jeanne who shares wonderful thoughts on intuitive wisdom. The questions from Grinnell are both thoughtful and thought provoking. The conversation flows really well. 

The link can be found in a box entitled Curiously,  which is located on the right side of the our forum when using a computer, or at the bottom of the page if using phone. 

LISTEN TO IT!

Listen to it while taking a walk through the woods, at the beach with waves crashing in front of you, while baking something delicious in the kitchen, organizing your home, or having tea and cookies while sitting on a comfy sofa. 

Thank you Jeanne for posting it!  It truly is a beautiful gift for us all. 

@jovesta I smell cigarette smoke at times. I do believe it is my Mom,  who died in 1991.

My father-in-law smoked a pipe. Smells different from cigarettes. We always knew when he came to see us 'cause we could smell his smoke.