IST & APPROACH TO SPIRITUALITY
Practicing meditation and wanting spiritual development has become much more widespread over the last few years. There are many traditions and within those traditions are models of theory and a bank of techniques. Many clients I see these days will have already engaged in some spiritual training or practice, for example an aspect of the Mindfulness teachings or Vipassanna to name a couple, there are many more! In that light it feels important to give some rudimentary map of the spiritual approach in which IST is grounded.
Samuel Sagan introduces the pithy motto ‘see for yourself, know for yourself’ in the very first few paragraphs of his book, ‘Awakening the Third Eye’.
This concept underlies the development of a whole system of techniques that reveal subtle organs of perception leading to higher states of consciousness that in turn have a transformative effect on our way of being.
The journey begins with activating the third eye, the first and foundational organ of perception to be revealed. We begin a virtuous circle through gaining perceptions (sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly) that lead to other organs of perception being revealed.
The third eye is a gateway, a switch that activates our energetic body and leads to higher states of consciousness. In these higher states of consciousness we gain clarity, we can penetrate veils of mystery and start to be present to our inner most essence.
Some of the techniques are meditations and through meditating, limits or blockages immediately become apparent, even the inability to sit still is a limit and very common!
I remember first experience of meditating was through the ordinary mind which didn’t take me very far and as subtle organs of perception were revealed the mediations and practices deepened.
The practices aim to develop another virtuous circle. The third eye meditation starts the development of this gateway. What impedes the entry into the inner space becomes obvious. Then as the source of limits becomes obvious the meditations become deeper.
Being told who you are or what blockages you have will only go so far, it is when you see for yourself something changes deeply, bringing self empowerment, choice and freedom.