Creative meditation - for personal and spiritual development

BASIC MEDITATION

AN ART - A WAY - A TEACHING

Creative Meditation is an art, because real art transfer your attention from the exterior, from the surface, from the well-known to the interior, to what is hidden under the surface, to undiscovered depths. Creative Meditation is an art which reveals your hidden qualities and develop them. At the same time unconscious and not recognized shadows emerge so that they can be confronted and transformed. The meditation will become a process of development where the inner world manifest itself in the outer world and turns out to be a genuine art of life. Creative Meditation is an art - because you are the artist and life is the work of art.

Creative Meditation is a way is a path that leads from who you think you are to the person you really are. The path will take you beyond the limits established by your education, by society, and by culture, as well as by the fear of breaking away and being yourself. You will proceed beyond the limits of your profoundest insights - the limits of your body, your feelings, and your thoughts - and become your Self. This meditation method has deliberately been based on the fact that you are not only a thinking, feeling and acting personality, but that behind this outer nature there is an immortal consciousness as well - you are a soul, which is constantly developing. The path to this reality, and to the building of the bridge between the inner and the outer aspects of your nature, is created through meditation and leads to awareness of the soul.

Creative Meditation is a teaching, is referred to as a teaching, because the recognitions you have gained through the meditation will give you greater and greater understanding. Your insight will gradually reveal the wisdom that the most enlightened figures of history have been bringing to the world for millenniums. Through their direct experience these enlightened souls have realized their inherent potentials and obtained mastery in life. They call on us to train the intellect through a study that stimulates the ability to think intelligently. In this way the mind can balance the feelings, thereby enabling you to interpret what you contact in your meditation with increasing accuracy as your attention sharpens and your consciousness expands

1) Contact and registration: the ability to register and receive impressions from the soul.

2) Interpretation or settlement: the ability to be aware of the subtle impressions.

3) Realization or vitalization: the ability to transform the impressions into action.

In order to keep the thinking mind flexible further study is necessary. Gradually you will be able to transform inner inspiration into outer action. And with that you will bring light, love and power into a world, which needs spiritual values more than ever. In principle the process is very simple but in practice it is more difficult. Nevertheless any seriously interested person is able to learn Creative Meditation. Personally and spiritually the results will be a blessing for the individual and for the world.

Personal development
What is personal development? To answer this question you first have to understand what is meant by the term personality. Everybody thinks, feels and acts. Once your thoughts, feelings and actions are integrated and guided by an alert mind and by a conscious purpose in life, they will constitute a unity. This sums up what we mean by the term personality. It is therefore obvious that personal development is about making thoughts, feelings and body work in harmony. You have to create this teamwork by yourself and the more you observe yourself and consciously co-ordinate your feelings, thoughts and actions to a harmonized whole, the more it advances. With this you will become a "personality" - a strong, self-reliant character.

Thus personal development means that you decide to become a more harmonious and well-functioning person in touch with the surroundings and - above all - with yourself. Creative Meditation brings you in contact with your inherent qualities and potential, as well as with the many impulses of the subconscious. Your inner recognitions and the response from the surroundings to your actions create a process of self-development in which you will unfold and fine-tune your personality. It is a process in which you assume the responsibility for yourself, realize your dreams and establish a healthy contact with the different aspects of your nature.

Spiritual development
Spiritual development is a natural continuation of your personal development and in some areas they overlap. The decisive difference is that the spiritual development-process does not deal with the development of the personality but with its ability to receive higher impulses. So spiritual development is about the growing contact to the soul. The process will develop the qualities of the soul and strengthen your positive qualities. This inner growth will gradually develop your inherent potential.

This meditation program benefits your personal development and at the same time it opens up the spiritual process. In the first phase of the course the aim is therefore:

To activate your personal development

This means that you build a bridge between the three aspects of your personality: the body, the feelings and the mind. In the second phase the aim is:

To activate the creative potentials of the soul

This can only happen by virtue of the soul and through the personality. As the soul begins to manifest more and more through the personality, your focus in life will change and you will become an active, beneficial force in the world. In the third phase of the course the aim is therefore:

That you as a soul will become creative in the development of life.

This explains why kentaur Net calls this meditation program Creative Meditation. 

The golden triad
A healthy growing-process benefit the principal aspects of the human nature so meditation cannot be exercised isolated. When you meditate you will activate a current of energies in the mind, the feelings and the body. The energies must not be accumulated since it will lead to frustration, overloading and perhaps psychic problems.

This is the reason why Kentaur net emphasizes that the meditative work have to be completed by additional studies and that the aim always is to let the inner recognitions take form as active social commitment. In this way you will establish a healthy circulation of the energies and you will fulfil the purpose of Creative meditation: to create development and become a creative power of the development of life.

From a spiritual point of view three principal areas must benefit: the head, the heart and the body. The head refers to consciousness and mental processes. The heart concerns the sensitivity and the emotional and intuitional processes. The body deals with instinctive and behaviour processes. So it is a matter of thinking, feeling and acting - or recognizing, loving and serving. In a more profound personal and spiritual growing-process this takes form through meditation, study and service. Meditation creates the inner contact. Study leads to insight in the learning-processes of life. Service let your qualities take form as an active social commitment.

Where, How, When and How Long
Before you start the actual meditative work some obvious questions arise: Where to meditate? How to arrange your meditation? What is the best time to meditate? And for how long?

First let's take "where". You will need an undisturbed and peaceful place and it should be the same place every day. Creative Meditation will increase your sensitivity and this process requires peace and quiet. No special environmental demands are required but most people try to make the area cosy because this facilitates the meditative state. Furthermore it is best to choose a time of day where you can meditate uninterrupted.

Then let's look at "how". Most people meditate seated on a chair with their necks and backs straight, palms resting on the thighs and legs and feet slightly separated. Others sit cross-legged on a pillow. Both are excellent meditation positions. It is not necessary to assume difficult yoga-positions. But the so-called lotus position is fine if you are able to sit in it without strain. The most important thing is that you are comfortable and free of tension. On the other hand, reclining in a soft armchair or meditating lying down is not recommended since drowsiness is often a problem in the beginning. When you have chosen your meditation position stick to it.

It is important to know "when" and "when not to meditate". The exact time of day is, in fact, not crucial. But it is a great advantage to meditate in the morning before the day's tasks and activities begin. Of course, if morning meditation is impossible you have to choose another time of day. The most important thing is that you do meditate. However there are times when you should not meditate: if you just have eaten, if you are off balance mentally or emotionally, or if you are unwell, ill or in pain. The reason is that meditation intensifies your strengths as well as your weaknesses. If the meditation increases your imbalances, intensifies negative attitudes or evokes feelings and thoughts you cannot control you should consider stopping your meditative work and try to examine your motives.

Finally, you should know "how long". Your daily meditation only requires from 20 minutes to half an hour. One short daily meditation has a greater effect than long, irregular meditations because the positive effects depend on a regular rhythm. In the beginning you may have to struggle to relax your body and calm down your feelings and thoughts. This is a common initial difficulty. Don't give up! Gradually your concentration will increase and finally you will be meditating.

Excuses
"I'm too busy." is a standard excuse to avoid changing your habits and behaviour patterns. If you take a closer look at how you spend your day, you will no doubt realize that you waste a good deal of time on useless things - by this we mean things you do which do not advance your development. Unfortunately, it is easy to convince yourself that you don't have time to meditate today. If this happens frequently you should examine your motives and try to understand what is preventing you from meditating. Always try to do your best .

Does the meditation work?
If you want to know how to evaluate the effect of meditation in your life you need only ask: Am I more effective in my daily life? Do other people see me as a changed and better person? Is there more quality, depth and meaning in my life? If one or more of these questions can be answered affirmatively it is likely that important changes have already begun to manifest themselves.

Can it be dangerous to meditate? Like anything else it is of great importance to use your common sense and learn from the experiences others have harvested through millenniums. There are rules, and for every step you take knowledge is required. A sound meditation never promises quick results. On the contrary you are encouraged to be patient and not to constantly look for results. The process itself becomes the objective because the work itself is the reward.

You will encounter different risks and traps. As a general rule it might be said that meditation becomes dangerous if your motive is egoistic or if there is no motive at all. Furthermore it is dangerous to ignore the warning signals. And of course, advanced meditation tactics are dangerous for beginners.

The risk of absorption in the inner world.
Some people have a tendency to become absorbed in the subjective world. You might say that an inclination to retire from the physical reality arises. Meditation should always lead to a well functioning outer life. The best solution to the problem is to try to express your inner experiences in your physical life.

The risk of emotional overloading
Meditation increases the flow of energy in your life. The negative as well as the positive aspects of your character will emerge. Therefore it is necessary to learn how to handle this increased flow of energy. Emotional weaknesses are revealed. Desires and motives should be studied with care and honesty. Only the best and highest qualities should be integrated in your nature.

The risk of being absorbed in psychic phenomena.
Some people become absorbed in psychic phenomena and inner experiences. Sometimes these phenomena are of interest, but this does not in any way indicate the success of the meditation. On the contrary, a fascination with psychic experiences could derail the entire process. Meditation certainly causes a gradual increase in both energy and sensitivity, and you can expect a growing attraction to the subjective sphere, but the aim is not the development of psychic powers.

The risk of practising empty-mindedness.
Some beginners think that they should practise so-called empty-mindedness and simply be open for the soul or the divine. In such cases a mind without the necessary training will merely be open to the subconscious - it will not establish contact to higher states of consciousness. Practising empty-mindedness is dangerous because in doing this you make yourself vulnerable to psychic forces, which without your conscious knowledge are able to affect you negatively. Always remain alert and aware through an observant mind.

Peace and happiness.
You should neither search for a feeling of peace, nor for one of happiness. Not that these feelings are wrong, but they are not the aim of the meditation. As a matter of fact, we could not really call it meditation if the only result was an emotional experience. This is because feelings are emotional energy, whereas meditation is primarily a mental energy process. A successful meditation process may only give rise to a moderate or no reaction of emotional character - in particular if you have been practising for a long time.

Breathing exercises and chakra exercises
The beginner should always avoid breathing exercises. Only those very experienced in the practice work with breathing. The same applies to concentrating on the chakras in order to activate them. This could cause overloading and open doors to the collective unconscious, which you can only close again with difficulty. The right meditation for our age is a determined mind, concentrated thinking and regular meditation carried out methodically and rhythmically for many years.

Before you start it is important to have as great an understanding of the processes as possible. Furthermore, it is very important that you act in compliance with this and do not assume that you are an exception to the rule. We therefore ask you to read the following main points carefully.

Relaxation
Creative Meditation begins with relaxation. The precondition of meditation is always a natural state of relaxation. Relaxation doesn't mean sleepiness or turning off the mind. It means peace of mind. The fact that peace of mind is associated with activity and awareness is probably a surprise to most. But the truth is that the great turning points in meditation often happen in what we call a state of relaxed awareness. The relaxation phase should only last a few minutes, but in the beginning it will probably require more time. Be seated as comfortably as possible and relax the body beginning with the feet and ending with the head. Feel how the entire body step by step becomes quiet and relaxed - from top to toe. Feel how the breathing finds its own natural rhythm. Then experience how the emotions become calm and peaceful - like the surface of a lake on a calm day. Feel how the peace and stillness grow inside you. Gradually allow your thoughts to calm down. Focusing your thoughts does this. Let them concentrate on the aim of the meditation. Now you are completely relaxed.

Alignment - harmony
Then comes the alignment, which means "to line up". What are you lining up? The answer is your personality. Your body, your feelings and your mind adjust to the soul. How can you know that this is happening? In this process we use the "as if method". This method is based on the fact that if you sincerely imagine something - if you tell yourself it is "as if" it is really happening - the idea will tend to actualize itself. Therefore the process includes affirmation and visualization. You confirm - silently or aloud - that it is so, and the energies of the affirmations begin to manifest themselves. At first it happens imperceptibly but experience shows that in time it will be a powerful tool in your meditative work. The affirmation normally takes a few seconds.

Thereafter the visualization forms part of the alignment and you imagine the soul as a shining focus approximately 30 centimetres above your head. The energy of the soul is present everywhere in and around you. But here above the top of the head there is a special focus, which is situated in continuation of the radiation from the crown-chakra. You can imagine this focus as a radiant sun, a golden sphere, a beautiful lotus or simply a source of light, life and love. Try to find your favourite visualization and stick to it.

Now imagine that light pours from this focus down to the chest and light the sun of the heart. This does not mean your physical heart but the ethereal heart-centre situated in the centre of the chest. Now say the affirmation. Then lift a stream of light from the sun in the heart up to your head. Imagine a bright focus in the centre of the head. You may let the light flow out through the centre between the eyebrows, which is the focus of conscious bridge-building between the personality and the soul. Now you are anchored in your heart-centre with the conscious focus in the head. What happens if it is difficult for you to visualize? It does not matter. Some form clear pictures when they visualize, others rather "hear" than "see". The important isn't that you are able to "see" the pictures, but that you are doing your best to imagine them. Remember that energy follows thought. What you imagine happens.

OOOOOOOOOOMMM
Finally we have the first item of the alignment which here is described at last, namely, how to use the holy word "OM". "OM" is the sound of the soul. Sound makes the energy move. By intoning this sound, "OOOOOOOOOOMMM", you intensify the vibration of the soul and let it reverberate in the personality. Do this one time at the start of the meditation, gently but focused, now being at service for the soul. This fortifies the alignment, cleans and refines the oscillations in your physical-ethereal, emotional and mental energy. "OM" is intoned in one expiration. Place the emphasis on "O" and end with a short "M". The pitch is where you yourself find it naturally. For the sake of your surroundings you can intone "OM" mentally but it is easier to hear the sound than to imagine it.

Meditation on key words.
After the relaxation, the alignment, the intonation of "OM', the visualization and the affirmation we get to the crux of the matter - "meditation on a keyword". But first we will give a brief definition of the word meditation. Every meditation begins as an act concentration. This simply means that you focus the attention in one point. Meditation is a prolonged concentration. When you have practised meditation for many years the mind merge into silence or contemplation and you will enter the transcendent domain of your higher consciousness. The meditation in this folder has no relation to contemplation and the only purpose is to train true concentration and meditation.

The key word of the month is your meditative focus. The key word is an essential soul-quality and you should concentrate your attention on this quality for 5-10 minutes. How do you do this? By giving the quality your full attention. View the keywords as precious stones. They are all unique and reflect facets of different qualities. You study them. You get to the bottom of them. You turn them over. You let them reveal their hidden possibilities and inherent meaning. Observe how they influence you. Try to examine your life in their light. Make it a living process and take your time.

There is a whole month for every quality. If your thoughts go wrong (and they will) then lead them gently back to the key word and continue. Don't be annoyed with yourself. Look at it as an expedition where you become better acquainted with yourself. And remember..... the secret of concentration is interest. Feel a sincere interest in the keyword and let it be a living power in your consciousness.

This material offers you a number of key words for your monthly meditations. We have chosen key words for two courses of 6 months each, a total of l2 key words for a year's meditation work. In the central scriptures and traditions of wisdom, which describe the path to the soul, the key words play a principal part. For example Patanjali´s yoga sutras play a central part in Creative Meditation. Furthermore we have attached significant importance to the essential qualities in the life and teaching of Buddha and Christ. Finally we use the priorities of the Tibetan master Djwhal Khul as known from the works of Alice A. Bailey. In the aggregate the twelve key words are the essential elements in the basic spiritual training.

The keywords or the qualities for the first year
1. Harmlessness. 2. Truthfulness. 3. Discrimination. 4. Detachment. 5. Happiness. 6. Sympathy. 7. Purity. 8. Contentment. 9. Impartiality. 10. Serenity. 11. Love. 12. Service.

Limitations concerning instructions to meditation
Only enlightened souls are able to offer an individually adapted meditation. This requires deep and precise insight into both the spiritual constitution of the individual and into the karmic and personal conditions of his actual life. For this reason Kentaur Net has chosen only to recommend meditation on a number of soul-qualities to which the spiritual literature and the great historical characters always have attached importance, as well as a meditation method the Tibetan recommends in the works of Alice A. Bailey. But we cannot guarantee that the key words or the meditation will be useful for you in your actual situation. This is because the soul-qualities mentioned are general qualities, and because you must rely on your own judgement. The meditation is therefore your personal responsibility and depends on how you judge it's effect on your life. You are the expert in your life. If you on your way feel that the order of the key words should be changed or that others, which according to judgement suit your actual situation better, should replace the soul-qualities, it is all right of course. There are no final demands to the course. The key words are only recommendations which most people will benefit from in their development

It is on the other hand important that you are honest with yourself and don't replace the keyword by reason of laziness, boredom, restlessness or other wrong motives.

Rhythm
Kentaur Net follows the rhythm of the moon and thus the rhythm of the sun. We recommend you to follow a new moon phase changing keyword at new moon and working with this word until next new moon. The meditation rhythm will thereby be a part of the natural ebb and flow which regulate the life in both the inner world and the outer world. The new moon phase is the time where the inner energies are manifesting themselves in the physical world giving birth to the inspirative phase which culminates at full moon. So until the full moon phase you should try to get to the bottom of the month's keyword and understand it to the best of your ability. In the following phase after the full moon you should not search for a new insight but work in order to realize the inspirations and the qualities in your life. This is done by thoroughly considering the practical use of the keyword in the ordinary life and by expressing the qualities when you meet a fellow being. If you start your meditation practice in the middle of a new moon phase (that is at full moon) you simply continue to a time where it is possible to adjust the rhythm.

Anchoring and dedication
The actual meditation phase is followed by the important anchoring phase where your attention gently is led into the personality again. At first you imagine that the light and qualities of the soul flow into the mind and imprint the soul's intention on the mind. Then you let the light flow on into the emotional life where it will clean and refine your emotions and desires. At last the soul light is led into the physical body, which will be vitalized and fit for actions. The process is fortified by a gentle "OM". Finally you turn the attention to the outer world and at the same time you decide to let the effect of the meditation manifest itself in your daily life. At this point you eventually could send light to other people. There are no rules but we recommend you to keep a simple form that is easy to repeat.

Two things are important to remember: 1) Meditation is not a matter of sitting still for 20-30 minutes but a matter of contacting, vitalizing and anchoring the qualities of the soul in your ordinary life. The effects of the meditation therefore should affect the weekdays, and it is a good sign if you in the middle of your chores suddenly remember the inspiration of the morning-meditation. It shows there is a more profound transformation going on. 2) Meditation is a matter of being of use to others through active social commitment. This is the heart of your spiritual life. It is therefore important that the meditation ends with a brief dedication, where you mentally say to yourself: "I dedicate this day to good thoughts, good words and good actions." Then you slowly open your eyes and direct the attention towards the outer world.

Meditation-diary
Kentaur Net recommends getting a little notebook that could be used as meditation-diary. While you are meditating you will get impressions, thoughts, ideas or images. Some of those inspirations could be valuable. The impressions of the meditation will often be transient. After the meditation you remember that the im-pression was important but difficult to make concrete. Therefore Creative meditation emphasizes the final phase because here the important impressions settle - at first in the consciousness and then in the meditation-diary. Thereby the growing connection between the inner and the outer world is fortified in the anchoring phase.

And now the actual meditation:

1. Relaxation
Be seated in upright position with your back straight. See to that you are comfortable. Fold the hands on your lap or let them rest on your knees with the palms upwards. Close your eyes. Relax the body. Let your breathing be quiet and regular.

Now make your emotions calm down. Observe how the emotions clarify. Imagine that your emotions are like the surface of a glassy lake, where everything breathes peace and quiet. Then relax the mind. The inner "chat" of the thoughts will be moderated and fade out. You are now balanced and alertly present. Concentrate the mind on the purpose of the meditation: to create contact with your soul by means of the soul's own qualities.

2. Alignment and affirmation.
Now recite the sound of the soul, "OM" (loud or mentally) with the definite purpose of placing the body, the emotions and the thoughts at disposal for the soul's service.

Imagine the presence of the soul as a shining, radiant focus, about 30 centimetres above your head. Imagine how the light from the soul flows down to your heartcentre in the chest and light the sun of your heart. Then say loud or mentally this affirmation:

"More radiant than the sun, purer than the snow, finer than the ether*" is the Self - the Spirit in my heart. I'm that Self, that Self am I"

(*Here we understand ether as something more subtle or finer than the air, but it also refer to the vitalizing ethereal energy which imbue all. On a deep level "the ether" also means "akasha" or the actual space.)

Thereupon let the light from the sun of the heart flow up to the middle of your head. Let the light shine in your head and keep your focus there.

3. Meditation
Now meditate on the month's keyword for 5-l0 minutes. Let your full attention be focused on the actual quality examining it. If your thoughts go astray you only have to lead them back to the keyword.

4. Anchoring
Now imagine that the light and quality of the soul flow into your mind and imprint the soul's purpose on your thoughts. Let the light flow on into your emotional life so that it is purified and refined. Finally let the light of the soul flow through your body so that it is vitalized and fit for actions in service of the soul. By every anchoring you could intonate "OM" to fortify the anchoring.

5. Dedication
Slowly turn your attention out towards the world and decide to let the effects of the meditation manifest themselves in your ordinary life. Eventually send light to other people. Conclude saying to yourself:

"I dedicate this day to good thoughts, good words and good actions."

1.Forgiveness. 2.Simplicity. 3 Impersonality. 4 Indifference. 5. Humility. 6.Unselfishness. 7.Dispassion. 8. Courage. 9. Patience. 10. Perseverance. 11. Trust. 12. Gratitude. 13. Balance. 14. Strength. 15. Light. 16. Wisdom. 17. Silence. 18. Group love. 19. Identification with others. 20. softness, gentleness, mildness. 21. Determination. 22. Rhythm. 23. Harmony. 24.Justice