Moments of Transcendence
I was reading the book, Ordinary People as Monks & Mystics, and one line on p. 97 struck me:
“During peak moments we come ‘out’ of ourselves and connect with something infinite, beyond self.”
In my meditation practice, I’ve had some peak moments, or moments of transcendence.
If I think about what transcendence means and compare that with the line quoted above, I would say that I’ve definitely had at least a couple peak experiences in my life.
The two most profound examples that I can recall happened either during or right after the meditation retreat I attended in the summer of 2016.
The First Transcendence
The first experience was late in the evening on the third or fourth the day that we had been steadily meditating and the meditation hall was dark except for a few lit candles. I remember going deep into meditation, deeper than I had ever experienced before. I felt a certain stillness come over me. It is difficult to put into words quite what was happening.
As I felt my mind descend deeper into the dark but serene silence, my mind’s chatterings completely ceased. Spontaneous visions of tunnels with colorful light emerged on the screen of my mind.
The first visions were of a blue swirling spiral that seemed to go on to infinity as I progressed through the dark tunnel. The spiral turned into a winding blue brick road and then switched back to a spiral, only this time it was pink.
This new spiral turned into a pink brick road and finally I “arrived” – I got to the pinhole of white light that I had seen as I traversed. When I emerged into this light, it was just nothingness. However, it felt like peace and love had fused all around and within me. There was no beginning and there was no end, just infinite light.
A Gift, From Meditation
Later when I talked to the Buddhist monk leading the retreat, she said that this was a little gift along my meditation path, that I should not try to re-create or to pursue this experience again.
I understood what she meant, with visions dancing in my mind of a pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow relentlessly pursued by a leprechaun, and never quite reaching it. However, I remember thinking that that experience was so incredibly peaceful that should I ever have another, or even if I didn’t, the whole journey would’ve been worth it, just for that.
The Second Transcendence
Yet, I had another moment of transcendence not long after. As I left the meditation center a few days later, I emerged from this secluded area tucked back in the mountains and onto the paved winding roads towards home.
I was struck by a very bittersweet feeling. I at once noticed the immense beauty of my natural surroundings and felt a bit of melancholy in my heart at having to leave such an incredible place. That sad feeling was short-lived.
[bctt tweet=”I discovered that in the golden afternoon sun, rays of light seemed to stick to everything they touched, coating everything in my vision with a golden aura.” username=”n2itvnspiritual”]
Another sense of calm washed over me as if I, too, were bathed in these same golden rays. Whether or not I had that same golden aura surrounding me I could not tell.
Wave After Wave of Peace
But in that moment, it didn’t matter. I just remember feeling wave after wave of peace and bliss caressing my heart and mind, thinking that everything would be all right – that whatever happened in my life, it all paled in comparison to the normal workings of the infinite universe.
That feeling stayed with me for hours. Even after I returned home, for the next couple of days, I still felt residual peace and bliss from the entire experience.
I may have had other peak experiences in my life. But maybe not. If I have, they compare in no way to these occurrences I had on that retreat.
Sure, I recall moments of bliss while out in nature. There were other moments of extraordinary reverence as I prayed rosaries or sang songs in the choir at church when I was growing up. But again, nothing compared to those moments of infinite peace and bliss that I witnessed at the retreat center.
Have you ever had moments of transcendence? I would love to know!
I honestly have never had moments as you described above. But they do sound heavenly and out of this world. Thank you for sharing your awesome experiences with meditation with us and now wishing you a wonderful and enlightened week ahead, my friend. Many hugs xoxo <3
Janine – hey, friend! Hehe. Well, I think transcendence can happen in other ways. I really think that happened for Mother Theresa, for example. She prayed hours and hours every day – rosaries, in mass, and with the people. And I think she experienced the divine. I think it’s possible no matter our path, no matter our own beliefs. It’s just a matter of getting to that silent place (with time and practice and lots of it! lol) and just letting it happen. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I hope you have a fantastic week! oxo
How wonderful to experience those moments of transcendence Cynthia. And how wise that you had a teacher to remind you of there passing nature and to not chase them. I had a tendency to chase them, but am now grateful for those fleeting moments of peace and transcendence.
Brad – I hope you’re well! I hope the new job is going well. 🙂 And thank you for your thoughts here. I am so grateful that I had someone to help guide me through this process and to NOT chase those transcendent experiences. They DO help keep me motivated, however. Motivated to see what’s around the next bend and perhaps to experience something else that might be magical. But, they’re so fleeting. Most of the time, meditation is just sitting in silence, watching my thoughts and taking breaths. It’s so calming in and of itself that I just enjoy that for what it is anyways. 🙂 I hope you’ve had a fantastic couple of weeks. Sending hugs!
I doubt seriously if I’ve ever had moments like that, Lil Sis. Seems like I would remember, right? Sigh! Well, I guess I’ll just keep stumbling along through life and hope I don’t bang my shins on the way. 🙂 Sending you hugs, my wonderful sojourner.
Big Bro – lol, don’t bang your shins! That hurts! lol. I love the word “sojourner” – indeed, that is what we are all doing, right? Daily sojourns through the twisting, or gently curving road of life, depending on what’s going on.
Those fleeting moments are certainly a gift and help to keep me motivated, but yes, most of the time it’s a matter of settling down the brain and spending time in solitude and silence – which is such a treat, especially in this day and age.
Sending you hugs from Cackalack. I hope you’ve had a wonderful June so far.
One experience that I always recall with clarity is waking up after a nap and not being able to move…I couldn’t speak or even open my eyes more than halfway. At first I was terrified, wondering if I’d had a stroke. Then a wave of calm came over me, and I knew I needed to go back to sleep…I needed to go through the experience rather than fight it. When I awoke again, I was ‘normal.’ This experience stayed with me for days…fear transcended by peace. A few days later I fortuitously met a shaman who explained that I’d been astral projecting during sleep, and I awoke before my spirit had completely re-entered my body. This began my journey through fear and acceptance of the unknown, the ethereal experiences of our true nature. Thank you, my lovely friend, for sharing your enlightening journey with us ❤️
Tina – WOW. I LOVED reading about your experience. As soon as you started to say that you woke up and couldn’t move, I was thinking of astral projection and that you hadn’t quite “returned to yourself, yet.” Oh, that reminds me of those Spirit Science videos on Youtube. Have you seen those? I learned a lot about astral projection from the narrator of those videos. And that “began the journey through fear and acceptance of the unknown, the ethereal experiences of our true nature.” <– That is incredibly poetic, poignant and thoughtful. And so powerful. I’m working on acceptance and working through my fears through this journey. I’ve come face to face with a lot of things about myself, but I know it’s all to become the best version of myself. Here’s to this higher journey. Thank YOU for sharing this experience. How powerful. Ooh, if you see this comment and want to respond, do you remember the content of your dream? Or if you were dreaming before you woke up? Just curious. In astral travel, the things we see are often projected through our dreams – or so I’ve heard. I have not had an experience like that. But it sounds riveting and powerful. Sending you hugs!
I don’t recall the specifics, Cynthia, but remember the experience as quite vivid and realistic. I felt that I’d visited a faraway place that was somehow familiar. When you first have an experience like this, it can be a little shocking, but it also feels as if you’ve gone home. I wish all of this and more for you, my friend ❤️
Tina – wow! So neat. Thank you for sharing that. A…faraway place that was somehow familiar…that’s incredibly powerful. What a gift. Thank you for sharing that with me. I wish this for both of us: that feeling of going home and being in bliss. That makes me smile! Sending you the biggest hugs! xoxo
Dear Cynthia,
This is a powerful post – reminding us of our spiritual capacities and the role we all play in the grand scheme of the Universe.
Beautiful work – hope you are having a peaceful week.
Love,
Maria.
Mar – I hope you’ve had a wonderful June so far. I have been thinking about you lots. Spiritual capacities and the role we play – these words are well-chosen. I love this path. I love the people I’ve met and the encouragement I feel. I love what I’m learning and the wisdom I’ve gained. Thank you for your thoughts and for coming over. Sending you big, big hugs! xoxo
I think you teacher in the meditation retreat was wise, for if we try to recreate and force an experience it will never happen..
So I was delighted a few days later you received another ‘Gift’ 🙂 of Peace.. Such a wonderful feeling no words can describe..
I have had both moment of peace and moments of profound out of body travelling, which we have touched on in our communications..
I am loving the chant you introduced me to.. Sa Ta Na Ma… and it’s in my vibration most of the day.. When I wish my train of thought to take another tac.. The Chant gets going.. 🙂
And I am shedding pounds of shoulder weight.. LOL.. You do not really see just how much weight you are carrying until you let it go..
Transcendence is also about releasing and letting go, clearing out blocked thought patterns and ingrained deep programming..
Something I have been working on this year..
And I am beginning to ‘feel’ the release as I go deeper still into meditation..
I love you said about the white spot of light..
Often when drifting to sleep, I see a sea of faces, swirling before me.. As if they were me or I am connected to them.. I find the white spot and travel into it.. And then sleep overtakes.. 🙂
Wonderful shares Cynthia.. I know your awareness will only open up even more and more.. And I am very excited for your path.. <3
LOVE and Blessings my friend.. And thank you for BE-ing YOU..
Sue – another wonderful comment that sparks such imagination and thoughtfulness in my mind! I loved my meditation teacher at that retreat. She was (and still is!) an American who, at one time, had been a preacher! She’d also started a business, was married, had five kids, drove a corvette and exchanged it all for the monastic life. She was such an interesting person to talk to. She ended up seeing everyone equally as love and when she asked for a divorce from her husband, he said that he didn’t feel “special” anymore because she loved EVERYONE. lol. He said that he’d seen it coming and that with his blessing he told her to be the best little monk she could be. lol. I’m not sure why I just shared that other than I love people who are interesting and do whatever it takes to stay with their convictions. Thankfully I’m not called to do the same thing as she did. Hehe.
And I thought of you as I was writing this post, the things you have shared and your incredible experiences – what they mean, their symbolism and so much more…
I love that Sa Ta Na Ma chant. And there’s a “movement” to it that you can do. You know about the mudras, yes? (You are so wise in these things!). When you are meditating and touching the index finger to the thumb, you start with Sa. Then you touch the middle finger to the thumb, and that is the Ta. Then the ring finger to the thumb is Na. The pinky to the thumb is the Ma. Over and over you touch your different fingers to the thumb to go with the different sounds. I feel like it can increase the spiritual experience. I find myself touching my fingers to my thumbs throughout the day after doing this. It helps to bring me back to a mindful state.
I love that you are shedding that shoulder weight. OOOH! You just gave me an idea!! I learned during my coursework about yoga nidra. It’s essentially a meditative body scan, but it’s almost like getting four hours of sleep in a half-hour meditation, too. It brings your brain to a low delta-wave state. I NEED TO WRITE AND DO A YOGA NIDRA meditation!! Thank you for this idea! See!? The things you do to my mind! lol. But I feel so much tension in my shoulders: that’s one place where my body holds tension. The other place is in my belly: when I’m nervous about something, I often get an upset tummy. But yoga nidra somehow helps SO MUCH to let the things you are carrying go. So, SO powerful.
Releasing and letting go as part of transcendence. I love your perspective on that. I had another moment of transcendence last week. In total, I have now had three. This one was with the Reiki session I went to. The woman who did the Reiki was so humble and so unassuming. I instantly took a liking to her. She did Shamanic drumming as part of my session. 😮 She didn’t normally do that, especially meeting someone the first time, but she said that something told her to bring her drum to my session. I can’t even begin to describe the incredible, incredible experience that was. I had to write about it in my journal for my coursework and it was FIVE PAGES LONG! lol. I never knew about Reiki/shamanic drumming as energy healing, but my Reiki person went on to say how drumming is sacred and that we would all do well to treat it as a sacred practice. I’ve been thinking about the drumming ever since I went to that last week. I think I need…to go back…and investigate this drumming. I feel like this needs to be part of my…teaching? Soul? Being? I don’t know, but I can’t stop thinking about it.
As for the white spot of light…I’m nodding my head in KNOWING. I know of what you speak. It’s all-enveloping. It’s all-encompassing. More steps along this journey. More awakening.
I told my Reiki person that I’m on a “journey of awakening.” I stopped for a moment, and then added, “Or at least maybe I am. I am not totally sure.” (I stopped because in my mind, awakening is not an easy path. It’s not conventional, people don’t understand it, and it can be hard to keep going – that can all be quite scary. As I was thinking these thoughts, she interrupted me. “No, I believe you really are on the Journey of Awakening. And there’s a reason you came here to me today.” I got shivers up my spine. I don’t know what she did to me, lol, but I think I gotta go back…
Love and blessings to you. I’m holding your heart in mine and smiling at all that you are! Sending love!!
Yes Drumming is powerful, My drum was hand made for me by a member of my spiritual group, who learnt how to make a drum out of hessian sacking.. LOL.. yes, I painted on it, you have no doubt seen it .. As a thank you gift I painted on his drum.. A bear and raven were his symbols.. While I painted my totem animals I connected with strongly at the time on my drum.. When you get a circle of drummers together, it is powerful
We would start slow and raise the beat faster, A little like the chant link I sent you. It allowed vibrations to alter and would be helpful in opening up energies for our trance group and communication..
Again thank you for all of your in-depth replies,as to your teacher.. I think sometimes there comes a point where we need to follow our instincts for the greater good.. Her experience and that of her husband who if he perhaps had been more open to sharing could have come to accept that Love holds many forms.. But you see we are conditioned early on to ‘own’.. to have and to hold… Not have and share.. 🙂 Ownership then becomes controlling and manipulating by so many.
Stepping out into her present path took great courage and strength, but also showed how your teachers dedication was true to herself and her path.. And the true path, which is LOVE.. Which reminds me so much of the Eight-fold path.
Right thought (Samma sankappa)
Right speech (Samma vaca)
Right action (Samma kammanta)
Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
Right effort (Samma vayama)
Right mindfulness (Samma sati)
Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
We are not all destined to share such paths, but we each travel our various routes through trials and tribulations which come to test us along the way..
I know my own spiritual journey tested me many times.. From having those who wished to control my development circle which had grown so popular, that they waited until I was on holiday to change things.. But I did no more than just trust spirit and ask them for guidance..
I secured another venue, I rented a room from the local authorities, and asked those who still wished to stay with me and my methods of teaching they were welcome, and no hard feelings if they left to stay with the church.. I had twenty two in my circle.. and twenty chose to follow me.. We grew from strength to strength and I took them with me to my spiritual demo’s and services giving them a chance to exercise their skills at communication with spirit.. It is my pleasure to know that many I taught mediumistic skills too are still today doing their circuits within the spiritualist movement and healing-circles
While I retired four years ago, I also retired from my spiritual circles, to spend more time with my husband.. Following the flow… is what your teacher did.. following the flow we continue to do.
As for your upset tummy.. Ditto.. I too have everything hit my solar plexus, I but my post will explain a little I hope of how I have been shedding the weight, by just releasing and letting go and to accept that which is.. Darkness and all..
I hope you too will bare with me, I know you will, I need not ask.. But I find I need to detach from the internet, and its vibrations for a time, I am getting to feel depleted when I stay on it for any length of time.. So I turn the modem off for days.. 😀
Loved my evening chatter.. and catch up with you.. Take care, and keep following your own flow and doing what you feel is comfortable …
Love and Blessings dear friend..
Sue <3
Sue – you have a hand-made drum!? I think I’ve seen it on your blog, but I can’t quite remember. I knew you were cool, but that makes you supremely awesomely cool. Hehe. That is INCREDIBLE! And do drum in a circle – a sacred circle – seems like that would something akin to taking you into a trance. When the woman at her Reiki center did that, I had never experienced anything quite like it. I love that you would make the beat faster – I love that in Krishna Das’ music.
Taking that Noble Path takes courage. I admit, I often don’t know the next steps. When I “trust,” I know the journey always works out. It’s not always easy to trust in the journey every day, in every situation. I’m still very much a student there. 🙂 For example, I’m finding it difficult to be patient to come out on the other side of the retreat at the end of July. They are supposed to teach us about the marketing and business end of teaching and creating a meditation business. I find myself wondering what my “focus” will be. But just when that happens, I am more-often remembering to step back and take some deep breaths. All will be revealed in good time. Still…it’s not always easy to do. Hehe.
I think that’s a perfect time to think of the 8-fold path. I am a grasshopper who hopes to one day be a master that gets to Samadhi. Ah, but the process of getting there is just as good. You’re absolutely right: trials and tribulations in our particular path are meant to get us ready – to make us stronger and more prepared on our journey.
That’s quite the story you shared about teaching meditation there. Oh, Sue. I so wish we were neighbors. I just know that we’d meet for tea and we could share our experiences. When I have questions about these things, most people I know have no idea what I’m talking about. Then you have the outside influences from western society and I feel like it’s so easy to take a wayward, unnecessary shortcut on the path. But then I always get back on my main path. Hehe.
But you know, it’s so interesting to read your story about the meditation group you had and how you changed venues and the people who came with you…wow. I do not yet know my teaching path. I thought I would do the bulk of it online, but then I’m like, well, I COULD lead retreats all over the country and abroad…or open a meditation center or…maybe teach a specific modality – like meditation through mandalas. I know this will all be revealed to me. I have a thick head sometimes and the messages don’t get through or when they do, I don’t always understand. Discerning the signs is a skill I am not great at, yet. But this is the time when I’m going to be honing my “clair” skills (clarivoyance, clairaudience, etc.). I hope that with all this meditation, the answers will come more easily moving forward. 🙂 It’s a process, though, no?
The courage and tenacity you demonstrated was so true to your character. You have such a gift with your abilities and relating to other people. I relish the connection we have. That group of folks was so right to follow you and your teaching!
Can’t wait to see your posts about shedding the weight, letting go…
In the meantime, I will work on keeping my flow, and doing what I feel is comfortable. I learned something called, “Self-Inquiry” meditation and one question you can ask is, “What is your heart’s desire?” You put the question out there and wait for the answers. Once you get the answers, then when you start your regular meditation, you express your heart’s desires – without attachment. Over time, if they are congruent with your values and what your Calling is, they would manifest. I love that! So I did this particular self-inquiry meditation (it was also part of my coursework) and a set of answers came to me. Things like wanting to be a teacher, wanting to help my family, traveling to sacred places, that sort of thing. They bring a smile to my face when I think about them now. 🙂 Well, this answer is turning into a blog post! lol. I think I’ll sign off and let your eyes rest. Hehe. Sending you the biggest hugs and so much love! Thank you for all your heartfelt answers. They mean so much to me. xo
Oh yes!! I’m currently combining prayer with a little meditation afterwards or during and I swear, it’s changing the way I look at life. Things feel a lot less stressful and a lot more peaceful and full of love. I struggle to meditate, but with the help of a few apps that have nature sounds, I’ve found it something I look forward to just about every day. I love reading about your spiritual journey and seeing it snowball into your artwork, writing and other aspects of your life. By the way… your blog is looking SO AMAZING – well done sweet friend, you’re soaring leaps and bounds here! xx
Melanie – so fun to read this! Meditation is subtle and while practicing, it can often feel like nothing is happening. And then, suddenly we realize that other areas of our lives are changing. And then we’re “struck” by it. Pretty incredible, actually. And nature sounds – that’s a powerful way to meditate. It can be quite grounding to do. I look so forward to doing my morning and afternoon meditations. And it’s TAKING OVER MY LIFE! lol. you’re right: it’s seeping into my writing, it’s seeping into my artwork, it’s even seeping into my gardening! HAHA.
And thank you for your feedback about my blog here. It’s a work in progress (just like everything else) but I love the calm colors and themes. Thank you for noticing – that means a lot! Here’s to soaring and leaping all around! xoxo
You definitely experienced moments of trascendence and “integration”…
Meditation could be so beneficial… I have had my own experiences in this field… but, far from yours, not in such a deep way.
A retreat would be a perfect choice for all of us who are trying to both detach from certain things and connect with ourselves and our surroundings in a more complete way. Great post dear Cynthia… happy week ahead 💛🤗 love and best wishes 😘
Aquileana – thanks for stopping by and for your thoughtful comment. 🙂 How awesome that you’ve had transcendent moments, too. They help keep the motivation high when you have a meditation practice. I loved the retreat I went on: there were no distractions from the act of meditation. We did service work in silence, silent meditation, walked in silence, ate in silence, read “dharma” material – it was all pretty amazing and conducive to “finding the higher self.” I bet there are some incredible retreat centers over there in Spain. In fact, I might have to look into going to some myself! It’s high time I get back to Spain for a visit. <3
Thanks Cynthia. I dropped the new job, realizing that it wasn’t a good fit for me. I’d really like to find or create work that is fulfilling. I’m glad you have the motivation and balance to keep growing and following your dreams. Kudos my friend.
Brad – you know, it takes courage to know yourself well enough to understand when a job situation is or is not good for you. Good for you for recognizing that. I’m a multipotentialite myself: I don’t like to do any one thing for too long, lest I go slightly nuts (the jury is out whether am already nuts or not, lol). Motivation and balance are required to follow dreams – yes! Thanks for that. Kudos to YOU!
Thank you Cynthia! I admire your courage and willingness to keep trying things.
You too, Brad. 🙂
Hello Cynthia. I had one of those transcendent meditations tonight. I meditate most nights for a little while. Tonight I decided to do something a little different. I usually go to a sacred place in my mind to meditate. A calm beautiful place where I relax and let God show me what He feels I need to know. But tonight I decided to be a ‘blank slate’ for God. I began my meditation with a mantra of ‘blessed, true and right’. Then I emptied my mind of everything… my sacred place, my hopes, everything. Blackness, receptiveness. After a while I sensed a congregation of people around me chanting ‘Om’. I joined them and again became a blank receptive mind. After a few minutes, I felt my soul shoot straight up in the air. I was looking at the world like I was on top of a mountain. I saw mountains, sensed oceans and people. I was one with the world. I flew into outer space, past stars and planets. It was so calm and quiet. Just the feeling of moving and sensing. There was no destination or end point, just calm and peace. I don’t remember any more but I came out of my meditation with the same feeling… calm and peaceful.
Marcia, that sounds like a beautiful, transcendent experience. I’m glad that you find the time to meditate most nights. It is when we have an established meditation practice that things like this are allowed to happen. It’s as if our minds get primed to have these beautiful experiences. I love the description of your transcendent event. It sounds like it was an experience of truly letting go, and feeling at one with the universe and God. It is these experiences, among others, that keep me going strong with my practice. That sense of peace and love is so potent and so incredible, that the couple of experiences I’ve had, have made this whole journey worth it, even if I never experience another one. The amount of peace I feel in my life these days I attribute directly to my practice. May you continue to feel love and peace, and walk on the path. Have a wonderful week!