The Art of Seeing
And, Riding the Dragon
--Zacciah Blackburn, PhD
(includes an in depth meditative practice)
The veils are thinning. More and more of us are gaining conscious perception of, connection to, interaction with, guidance and healing from, and direct wisdom experiences through subtle realm realities. Subtle energies are, fundamentally, those derived as less dense, more subtle than our normal 3rd dimensional realities, or perceptions (physical time and space). They are where the impulses of other dimensional realities arise from, until we are able to fully perceive and interact with them, as if they were the same as, or one with, this dimensional state we have learned to focus our attention upon. That is a statement which is a distinct clue upon how to see into other worlds, which I will focus on in this article. As, it is where we place or focus our attention which creates or sustains our current reality.
I have always been a proponent of developing attention to our most subtle physical senses as a doorway to subtle world perceptions. To me, one is the extension of the other. There is not such a separation as most of us imagine. Indeed, the imagination of separation is a large part of why the other world realities appear to be separate to most of us. It is more a shift in frequency from one state to the other, but it can be perceived much like a vocal exercise, slowing raising one’s voice from low C on a piano, to high C. The differentiation and attendance to a specific note is, in actuality, a human intervention. While, in reality, all pitches, all frequencies, all subtle vibrations between one ‘pure note’ and the next, co-exist at all times. It is only because we focus on one C or the other that we do not perceive the C# plus a quarter note dimensional state of consciousness, if you can follow this analogy. If not, we shall give you others.
Yet, as we pay attention to the subtle differences, as they emerge in our own lives, such as, that soft whisper we thought we imagined in our ear, or in our head, that subtle gesture of another, even an animal or insect, that simple sensation within us, somewhere in our body, where we just ‘know’ something other than what we are being led to believe, to be true, the thoughts arising just before the wind comes up and caresses our cheek… as we pay attention to these subtle sensations of the physical dense, and give them value and respect, as we honor them, we come to realize they often arise from the underlying threads of illumination and connection that bind us all together in the woven tapestry of creation. How fascinating, then, that the word ‘subtle’ actually is derived from the fine thread ‘beneath’ the ‘primary’ lengthwise threads of a loom, that we weave together, in the creation of the literal tapestries of our lives.
We shall discuss this more, and offer a practice derived from the Yogic traditions, to see into other worlds.
We, indeed, are all a part of one fabric of life. And, whether we can imagine that are not, it is the subtle nature of reality. Even modern physics talks, literally, about the woven fabrics of time, space, gravity, and such. It is one of the ways the Ancients guided, and continue to guide us. Their ‘stories’ may not have been as metaphorical as we have come to believe, such as the “Grandmother Spider” weaving the fabric of life together. Those fabrics in part, arise from our own consciousness, and the consciousness of others, in which every thought, word, and deed, creates a stream of consciousness which is visible in the subtle worlds. We can follow the tapestry of the streams we have woven together for years, eons, lifetimes, with others, should we choose to. Some of us may wish to unravel some of those streams, or cut the cords. This is not always a necessary solution.
But, more so, I am speaking about an underlying principal of interconnectedness between all living things, which arises from the very source of Creation. Once we recognize this interconnectedness of life, we, one, find our place within it, and, two, feel the sustained movement of the fabric of life. It is what some of you have heard me speak of, and do practices with, regarding the “Rhythm of Giving and Taking in Harmony with All Life,” which is one of the Elders’ ways of interpreting or illuminating this deeper truth. That is, if, and once, we step into a harmonious relationship with All Life (the Heart of Creation, the fabric which binds us all together,) we then feel the support and interaction with that undulating rhythm, current, and energy of All Life, which weaves through and around us, supports us, and speaks through us, as much as others. We get it. We are part of it. We feel its support, versus the chaos and turmoil we see around us. We feel part of life. We can step out of the chaos. Indeed, the wisdom surrounding one practice one elder gave me to enter this “Rhythm of Giving and Taking in Harmony with All Life,” was given, specifically, to assist us in moving beyond the chaos and stress so many of us experience in these Times, meaning these profound times of change and Transformation we ALL are experiencing. It is part of the prophesied times of change so many are speaking of in the 2012 phenomena. There are, in actuality, easy solutions.
We do not have to live in victimhood, or in oppression, or in a place of feeling the world is not supporting us. There is enough. We are enough. There is no lack.
We have the power to guide our lives.
Riding the Dragon
That chaos and turmoil may continue to unfold. But, the more we step into, and abide in, the universal rhythm, the universal fabric of life, the more we feel its fundamental undulating current, waves, resonance, vibration, of which we are a part, within our lives. And, the chaos subsides. And, as we tune into it, and attune to it, and embrace and embody it, the more it envelopes us in its universal support of All Life. Like the theme of the movie Thrive, once we get the connection, we are connected to that Life Force which moves through all things, which gives life to, and encourages all life to THRIVE in harmony with its principals. The principles are there. The energies are there. The life force is there. The abundance is there. If we are out of harmony, that is what we experience. Disharmony, dissonance, imbalance. And the prophesies clearly indicate that we need to enter right relationship with the fundamental principles of life, to step back into a life of harmony, and move, individually, and collectively, through these times of immense change.
In the greater expanse of this understanding, is the principle of, literally, ‘riding’ the waves of creation. This is depicted in spiritual art and iconography throughout the world in various ways. One of the more prominent one’s, is of Quan Yin, often depicted as Riding the Dragon. While this is a depiction of someone in complete mastery over the fundamental forces of creation, it is our inherent nature and birthright. Once we come into great enough stability, awareness, and acceptance of the principles of creation, and our own inherent nature and birthright as co-creators, we can, literally, step upon these waves of undulating currents, which form all life into manifest creation, and call upon it to do our bidding. The principles of Riding the Dragon include much deeper mysteries, such as the nature of elemental consciousness, the fundamental forces of creation (th gunas), surrendering to one’s true self, and, the pure nature of all consciousness that recognizes nothing outside of itself. Tara, the goddess mother of compassion in Tibetan understanding, for instance, is said to have come into enlightenment because she realized she does not exist. These are truly magnificent teachings, once one is able to step out of the way of one’s own disempowerment enough, to see it.
The downfall is, if we are not leading a harmonious life, we may not get it.
We may not feel it. We may not be a part of that harmonious current of Life.
What time is it?
I ask again, what time is it? For those of us concerned about, interested in, following the phenomena often referred to as 2012, it is time to pay attention, and to be present. For 2012 is well upon us. If you do not believe the prophesies are real, just look around you, at the up swelling chaos, confusion, and distress, in people’s lives, and in the world. It is beyond time to do something about it. The key window of 12/21/2012 is less than 4 months away. Do you realize how fast time is encroaching? There are key elements that will assist us in preparing for this great shift, and doing our part, collaborating with the universal energies of creation, offering us this vast opportunity, as a humanity, to move into a higher realm of understanding, wisdom, and livelihood.
But we must take part.
We will get to further explanation of this in a while.
Let me just say, for now, for those not familiar with my work, I do not see December 21, 2012 as a time in which sudden, incredible, magical or intense changes are likely to take place. It is not the end of the world. The Maya Calendar does not state this. It states it is the end of one “grand cycle” and the beginning of another. The Maya Elders say it is the “End of Time as We Know It.” They say it is a time of great, profound, foretold cyclical change, that it is the end of immense cycles of time and energy in our universe, in which we are entering a ‘still point,’ a doorway, a gateway into another way of being. We can stand upon the precipice of that doorway, with conscious interaction, and we can build and create from all the immensities of potentials which have arisen in this past age, stretching back at least 26,000 years, to enter this new time, this new age, this new era of humanity, which awaits us. Indeed, the Maya Elders say ‘it is not written,’ what will occur beyond 12/21/12, in their calendar, because it is up to us to create what emerges. Even their High Elders say they do not know when this will emerge, though they give definitive indicators we shall be speaking about, in our upcoming practices, to prepare for, and to cradle and engage in the act of creation, of this new cycle of humanity.
For now, let us get back to The Art of Seeing.
The Art of Seeing, the Art of Knowing.
To directly perceive other world realities is a good first step toward learning how to engage with them more fully and completely in our lives, to integrate them as part of our reality, until we can literally learn how to manifest them from a higher state of embodied consciousness.
For us to more fully understand how to ‘see’ into other worlds, there are several beneficial ways of understanding, which can assist us. One is that ‘seeing’ may not be as we see with our eyes. The nature of ‘seeing’ subtle world reality is through paying attention to every subtle sensation, every feeling. For the world, in actuality, undulates in wave form, and our feeling senses, and subtle consciousness, perceive that before our eyes do. Indeed, that is exactly the way our neurology is designed. And, our feeling senses neurologically ‘interpret’ all information derived from our outer senses, just as they do in the most primordial of animals from which we evolved (even if we skipped a link or two, there are no arguments there….)
The feeling states are what drive our perceptions. Indeed, the very art of “knowing” is “that which is directly perceived.” So, to directly perceive, is the way in which we ‘know.’ This is very important to understand, and, also, very empowering. We can, then, literally, awaken and step directly into our own place of power, for the source of our own knowing and the source of our own power, are directly and intricately interlinked. For, to trust in our own perceptions gives to us, our own authority of knowing, once we learn to truly discern and perceive, rather than having to trust in an outside authority, as most of us have been so fully taught to believe in, and place our faith and power in. This is our ‘gnosis,’direct knowing, direct revelation, which was a part of many cultures’ understanding of how to interact with Spirit, The Divine, The Great Mystery. Unfortunately, there was a split in the Christian church in its early incubation, until the bishops were able to derive power over the ‘Gnostics,’ those who believed in direct revelation as the source of our knowing, and convince society we each needed an intermediary to have divine experience. It simply is not so. Our True Knowing arises from our direct perception. And, co-incidentally, this is exactly how it is defined in Daniel Webster. Look it up. Better yet, sit with this, and see how you ‘feel’ about it.
Knowing is Power
Indeed, Daniel Webster is an extraordinary ally in learning to understand the true meaning of our language. By simply looking up the original, root meanings of words, we can gain tremendous understanding of the Old and even Ancient way of seeing & understanding. I have found it has great value in our lives and in our learning. As it turns out, both “knowing” and “power” have the same root. They are both derived from “to be able.” Thus, to truly know, gives one power. True power is derived from one’s own knowing. Power is not about physical force. Though, with true knowing, one can move tangible objects, one can transform life and lives. Masters the world over have learned these sacred arts of the powers of knowing, the powers of perception and consciousness, known as the “Siddhis” in India. They may be known as the masters and saints of other traditions, the ‘immortals’in Taoist traditions, or ‘medicine men,’ ‘shapeshifters,’ ‘shamans,’ and other terms in indigenous wisdom.
The act of tangible creation, is, also, directly linked to this understanding. Once one “knows” the outcome of one’s conscious thought, even one’s imagination is manifest, then it is so. The Ancient masters taught us this, such as when Yeshua (Jesus) told us, ‘If you say unto that mountain, move you unto the sea, that mountain SHALL move into the sea, IF, you have NO DOUBT, in your hearts.” Once we KNOW it is so, then, it is so.
“Because I say it, it is so.“
This is the lost art of the magician, working with elemental consciousness, creative sound and intent, in sacred union, Riding the Dragon!
It is the art of true knowing which gives us true power. And it is our direct perception which gives us true knowing. Knowledge is power. We have all heard it before, but this may give a different light to it.
To enter into the art of Knowing, and to gain powers over and through our perceptions, we begin with paying attention to every subtle sensation, and vibration. This is fundamentally, what we are doing in many meditative forms, in yoga, etc. If you have not read my last article, with a simple yet astute practice on, “Resting in Nature,” I highly recommend the practice as a simple method of entering direct revelation, or at least deep states of awareness, gratitude, and experiencing connection and oneness.
The Practice
As I have said, there is little difference in the different dimensional states of our being. At least, the threads that interconnect us and those states are more finely woven than we might realize. If we understand these are different vibrational states, and we can more readily perceive them by simply shifting our perception, ever so subtly, we can perceive into the subtle states of being. It is far more easy than many of us realize, or even imagine. There are not vast gates and gaping holes between us and these other dimensional states. We have been trained to focus our awareness upon a very finite, limited perspective of reality, which we call the 3 Dimensional state. As I mentioned in opening the article, if you think more of just lifting your voice from a C to a C# plus a little, you are much closer to understanding how to perceive other realities than thinking it is a complicated procedure. You don’t need to know anything about music. Just trust in your own subtle perception. And, beginning by just finding a quiet space, and a quiet moment, to shift our attention to our subtle feeling states, can easily shift our perception into subtle realities.
Find a place, to rest in, become comfortable, then, quieten, quieten your breath.
Notice things around you. Breathe into your navel, as if you were, literally drawing your breath into and out of the navel, and region just behind it. Breathe out from your navel. Breathe deeper in, behind your navel, and out from that. Find a place your body’s awareness wishes to settle, from slightly behind, and usually below the navel, to deeper, in the pelvis, or the sacrum, at the base of the spine. Just breathe quietly in, taking your time, breathing quietly out, ever deeper, ever more refined within your body, ‘feeling’ a place your body wishes to rest with your energy you are drawing in, and your awareness. Rest there, and continue the breathing practice for several moments. Listening to very quieting, non-distracting music can be beneficial. At a later time I may link a sound practice here to listen to while meditating, so come back and see, or sign up for our newsletter for an announcement.
Settle in for a number of minutes, breathing in, breathing out, letting go of common day to day thoughts and perceptions. If they arise, just acknowledge them, then sink deeper into feeling the quiet gathering of energy and awareness deep in your body, where your own body’s awareness has guided you to settle in. Give yourself permission to be here, and simply gently nudge away any distractions. Rest there, breathing in this way, letting go of all else on the outbreath. Just paying attention to your breath, and thoughts and feelings which arise during the process, allowing them to release through your outbreath.
Gather energy and awareness in this manner for some time.
When you feel ready (not too soon,) when you feel full & ready, slowly shift your breath, and your awareness, on the next outbreath, into your spine. Continue to breathe in, on the in breath, to this gathering vessel deep in your body. On the outbreath, guide your awareness, energy, and breath, ever slowly, up the spine. Do this until you reach the upper shoulders, and back of the neck, simply noticing what you feel or perceive here, possibly spending some time here. You may find you want to even breathe out into the reaches of space behind your heart, upper back, shoulders and neck. If so, do so, then breathe back in to the heart, spine, shoulders, neck, noticing what you perceive here, and continue this for a few moments, or minutes.
Then continue to breathe up the spine into the cranial sac, filling the cranial sac, noticing what you feel or perceive as you do this. Most people feel a definitive lightness, relaxation, or even a luminous quality of soft light filling this region of the brain as they do this. This is actually the beginning of an ancient yogic technique, given by the Saint Patanjali, said to allow us to easily see the perfected beings in the subtle realms. We find it a most beneficial practice. Slowly, slowly, focus your awareness in the region of the third eye, just back behind the bridge of the nose. Let your body know where to guide you. Make a few releasing sounds, like sighs, here, just letting go of any tension, anxiety, or expectation. Become fully present, focusing on a single point of awareness, or consciousness, within the third eye center, deep behind the bridge of the nose. As you focus your attention here, and as you let go of other thoughts even more deeply, slowly notice all you feel and perceive. At some point, imagine there is a soft glow of light around the third eye, or within the cranial sac surrounding the third eye, the entire brain cavity.
As you imagine or perceive it, slowly stretch your awareness out, on each soft breath, as if you were breathing into this region of the brain directly from the third eye. Notice all you perceive, and imagine you are breathing back in from a subtle, very subtle glow of soft light in this region. Do this several times, then begin tuning into that soft glow of light, drawing your awareness back, with your breath, from these regions of light and space around the third eye. Notice all simple, subtle perceptions, but continue to focus on the soft glow of light, breathing out into it, tuning into it, noticing what it feels like, then breathing back from it.
The interesting phenomena is, there are infinite realms of light in the subtle worlds, so you can do this infinitely, breathing out into the soft glow of light around the third eye, noticing what you feel here, tuning into it, then breathing back from it. As you tune into one layer, or level, or frequency, of soft light, another may appear, as you are perceiving into the infinite space of subtle light realms. Tune into the next, and the next frequency, for as long as you feel benefit. Allow your perception to shift, to breathe, to blend into it, without seeking to form or expect what you might perceive in retun….just softening, and, ALLOWING. Breathe back from those realms, noticing all you perceive. You can interact with those realms, even asking questions of guidance or higher knowing. But do not get lost in the wish to make cognitive sense, or form, of it. For now, just bathe in the simple ‘knowing,’ or direct perception, of subtle light. If greater visions or circumstances arise from this practice, how beautiful. Give thanks for that!
But, this is the extent of this particular practice. Take your time, spend time there, do it as often as you like, notice how you feel now, afterward. Even if just a state of calmness, relaxation, isn’t that excellent? If deeper experiences, how wonderful. The more you practice the more you become skilled at greater perceptions. Don’t imagine you will become a great baseball pitcher with a single throw, or even 3 or 4. Take some time to develop the skill to perceive into other worldly realities.
We wish you great blessings, god speed and good fortunes in your journey!
Many blessings,
Zacciah