The Echoing Practice™ is the loving remembrance1 of one’s dearly beloved2 God3, Unity, spiritual Teacher, Prophet4, or guru. In the first chapter of this online text, from The Emancipated Autism Project™, the meditation will be simply explained. It has been partially inspired by the Bhakti-Sufi movement5, but it is not a Sufi or Hindu path6, way, or method. The book is, in a sense, a prayer or love letter to my dear and precious Lord. Take what you find helpful. Disregard the rest.
I now give you my heart. Although the Practice is intended for Autists and the similarly dissimilar (people who face many of the same issues), it can be followed by nearly anyone. You may, if you wish, share your experiences in the guestbook. My recommendation is to begin only with the meditation. This work is intended as a reference and a resource guide. Simply reading it from beginning to end will be confusing.
Meditation is entering into a relationship with the qualities which we can identify by name. The first chapter of the book will offer some personal suggestions. Please introduce your own variations. We are all different. Find what works just right for you.
For what it’s worth, after struggling for a lifetime to be emancipated from Autism, I unexpectedly discovered this heartfulness, or spiritually heart-centered, methodology. My closed heart began opening to multi-layered unities within unities in just a few months.
The Echoing Practice, as a form of complementary therapy, is intended to produce an inner peace or tranquility, to increase attachment to one’s beloved God or spiritual Teacher, and to acquire spiritual virtues. Please set aside some quiet time, and do your best to find yourself a private space. Whenever possible, turn your phone off. You are encouraged to introduce your own variations and to find what personally works for you. Then imagine, for purposes of the Practice, that your spiritual heart7 is located somewhere around the chest.
You may begin with just one or two of the seven steps. They will be clearly and carefully explained after this paragraph. Little by little, as your comfort level increases, raise the number of steps. The exact order is not important. Some of the steps may even be blended into one. When your eyes are closed, you may, from time to time, open them to check the clock. Alarms, which can obviously be distracting, are best avoided.
In addition, some writers recommend meditating while seated, no sooner than two hours after meals, and at least two hours before bedtime. The explanations frequently provided are: that an individual is more likely to fall asleep while lying down, that the exercises may interfere with metabolism and digestion, and that meditation can decrease tiredness. Although none of these issues creates any noticeable problems for me, your own experiences may, of course, differ. Therefore, it cannot hurt to keep these recommendations in mind, especially when first starting the Practice.
Meditation is, similar to many learning experiences throughout our lives, like riding a bicycle. At first, the possibility of being balancing on two narrow wheels appears to be hopeless. We learn, however, by steps. First, we hold the bike in our hands. Second, we raise the kickstand. Third, while grasping the handlebars, we move one leg over to the other side of the vehicle. Fourth, one foot after the other, we press our feet against the pedals and begin pumping them in circles. Before we know it, the original fuss appears foolish. Riding a bike is easy. As with meditation, we can forget the steps and improvise.
The Echoing Practice has been carefully designed to increase the receptivity of the heart to love and to other positive emotions. Through consistent effort, each of us, while drawing closer to one’s God or spiritual Teacher may experience peace, joy, and the ecstasy of devotion. The spiritual guidance, which is continuously available to the heart, will, more and more, be recognized and accepted with greater ease and a higher degree of confidence. In short, prayer and meditation can help to purify the inner self. Many of the scratches and stains appearing upon it shall be gradually wiped away. Bless you.
Return to the table of contents.
Watchful Echoing is an ecstatic, or a “blissful,” activity. An individual is spellbound by the rhythms and repetitions of word and sound. Indeed, the echoing of holy words can encourage a spiritually suggestible state of mind. While continuing with the meditation, one consciously, intentionally, and heartfully observes one’s feelings and ideas. By entering this prayerful condition of surrender, the lover may be drawn, more closely, to her God or spiritual Teacher.
On the other hand, with the relaxation response, thoughts are never pushed out of the mind. They are irrelevant. Upon becoming aware that one’s thinking has strayed from its course, one effortlessly returns to the mantra. This method was developed following a clinical study of Transcendental Meditation® (TM®), an organization which has spawned a number of imitators. Similarly, in Forceless Echoing, inspired by several related approaches, the heart is, using little effort, emptied of attachments. It is, afterwards, refilled through the disciplines of reciting, reading, contemplation, and reflection.
Personally speaking, my subjective experiences with these two forms of echoing have been significantly different. Although Watchful Echoing has produced ecstatic states of consciousness, Forceless Echoing has been deeply relaxing. By the same token, many of our perceptions and requirements will undoubtedly differ. Therefore, with some people, one of these two heart-centered approaches might be more helpful than the other. These days, for instance, I only practice Watchful Echoing.
Please note that The Echoing Practice has absolutely no connection with the Transcendental Meditation® Program. Since I have never even taken that program’s introductory course, it goes without saying that I am totally unqualified to provide guidance or instructions on any of the specific meditative techniques which are being taught in TM®. If, however, you wish to learn TM®, please visit one of their numerous homepages throughout the world. For those readers living in, or near, the United Kingdom, you may, as an alternative, view the websites maintained under the Meditation Trust.
The list below provides some possibilities for the quiet echoing of sacred names, and brief silent or vocalized prayer, from various sources. Perhaps you can discover others.
Like polish to a mirror, a consistent devotional practice, when accompanied by acts of service and reflection, may, slowly but surely, purify the heart and mind from faults of character. However, during meditation, our human imperfections may be experienced as emotional pain or discomfort. Gradually, our emotions, our thoughts, and, perhaps, even our dreams may, we find, become more godly and positive. This conquest of the human “ego,” on the whole and in relation to specific issues, can be an ongoing process.
Meditation, together with thoughtful prayer, is communion with one’s spiritual Teacher. Some Christian contemplatives, from several denominational backgrounds, have called their approaches to communion, “listening prayer.” Within the beautiful devotional traditions of Roman Catholicism, this type of inner dialogue, whether silent or spoken, is frequently referred to as internal, or mental, prayer. Possibly more than anyone else throughout the histories of the churches, mental prayer has been associated with St. Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582):
By whatever names we call these practices of spiritual devotion, they can become a means by which the human heart and spirit are gradually attuned to spiritual vibrations and to the God or spiritual Teacher. Even so, the choice of a method for approaching the divine Presence may depend upon one’s background and temperament. Since an approach which works quite well for one person may, all in all, be entirely unsuitable for another, the exercises described in this work are only offered as suggestions.
Return to the table of contents.
Please bear in mind that the heartfulness meditation offered in this online text is a spiritual practice. Although I have called The Echoing Practice, “Self-Help Therapy for the Spiritual Heart,” it is not intended as a substitute for psychotherapy. If you are in need of such assistance, my advice is that you consult a properly licensed or certified therapist.
In any event, I am a sociologist (specializing in religious studies, social theory, and clinical sociology) and a college professor. I am not a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a social worker. (My Ph.D. is in sociology and history, not in counseling.) Therefore, I can neither diagnose medical conditions nor treat health-related issues.
If The Echoing Practice, or perhaps only a single aspect of this meditation, brings about unwanted results, I would urge you to stop using it. I cannot be responsible for any experiences which you may consider to be “negative.” Many other meditative systems are available, but I recommend these practices. One way or another, you may, after looking around for a while, find an approach which is better suited to your own current needs and preferences. Generally speaking, however, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (U.S.A.):
Still, it is obviously impractical to remain under the intense spell of heartfulness meditation during certain daily activities. Through excessive serotonin production (so-called kundalini), an individual may, in a manner of speaking, even “overdose” on spiritual intoxication or become sluggish. Considering that a proper balance might well vary from one person to another, my suggestion is to “experiment.” For what it’s worth, however, I can usually get back down to earth (“grounded”) by: reflecting, serving others, pursuing an unrelated interest, and even splashing water on my face.
From my own observations, meditating on internal and external sounds may sometimes, if taken to an extreme, become psychologically obsessive or increase one’s suggestibility to sound. The imaginary “sound current,” which can result, might resemble tinnitus. Unfortunately, focusing upon, or worrying about, the sounds may simply make them stronger. My advice is to: reduce or schedule the echoing, breathe deeply while briefly plugging your ears, or, in order to interrupt the pattern of thought, turn various types of sound on and off several times. Above all, please relax.
Moreover, as I have gotten into the deeper states of my heartfulness meditations, I have noticed that, every once in a while, my muscles or joints will suddenly and rapidly twitch or jerk involuntarily. I am not alone. Others have discussed physical tremors which closely resemble my own. I have also personally observed meditators as they were having similar muscular spasms, contractions, and sensations. In Catch the Fire, one of the newer and more interesting branches of the Christian Charismatic (neo-Pentecostal) movement, “quaking” experiences are connected with the “Toronto blessing.”
At the beginning, I was fairly concerned by this unexpected development. Aside from being an Autistic person, I had two tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures back in the 1980s. Therefore, I wondered whether some deeper neurological issue might be involved. Although I am not, by any means, an expert in kinesiology, a field which is dedicated to the scientific study of human movement, my suspicion now is that each of these “quivering” reactions is a release of pent-up physical stress, tension, or anxiety. Clearly, I am more relaxed after, than before, meditation.
Additionally, many meditators complain, at some point down the road, that their spiritual practice, which once was highly satisfying and pleasurable, has become burdensome and stressful. The ecstasy or relaxation, which they enthusiastically awaited at every meditative session, has largely vanished. Frequent headaches are sometimes reported. However, these problems are not, in my view, a result of the meditation. Rather, the heart, after it has been has been opened wide through a regular devotional activity, can become extremely receptive, suggestible, and sensitive.
Beginning at that point, a constant exposure to certain types of negativity may not only decrease a person’s level of spiritual happiness. One might develop such feelings as irritability, fear, anger, or anxiety. Influences which went, in the past, largely unnoticed are now evident. Television news programs, as an illustration, are often deliberately designed to provoke emotion. By remaining alert to these potential pitfalls, one can, if need be, make appropriate adjustments in one’s activities.
Avoiding hasty judgments may be a good idea. Forceless Echoing seemed, in my case, to result in unusual daytime sleepiness. At first, I decided to err on the side of caution, but I apparently jumped the gun. After briefly stopping the activity, my unusual tiredness, perhaps coincidentally, went away. Fortunately, I seem to have figured out the source of the problem: As a type-2 diabetic, I had become, on and off, careless in my dietary habits. That issue is now corrected, as is the difficulty with constant drowsiness. To dwell upon the obvious, your experiences might not be the same as mine.
In personal relationships, meditation may result in a greater emotional sensitivity to the “mind games” many people play. Through my own meditative practice, I have become much more perceptive of these attempts at manipulation. They are, perhaps, most common on the Internet, but they regularly occur, of course, in face-to-face interactions, too. I have figured out an easily learned skill. It is played, unknowingly, by toddlers, and it can be extremely frustrating to their parents. Seemingly, then, the majority of us had acquired this ability early in our lives. It was lost, but it can be recovered.
I call this method, the “what?” technique. Here is how to do it: When you suspect that someone is playing a game with you, ask, “What?,” “What do you mean?,” “Say that again?,” “Oh?,” “Huh?,” or words to that effect. Since you are merely asking a question, you are not being rude. However, by making her second-guess herself, your response may put her off-guard and stop the game. From my own experience, it works quite well and helps to avoid quarrels. Since the “what?” technique can easily annoy the individual on the other end, my advice is to use it sparingly and sympathetically.
An approach which has a similar objective to the “what?” technique is to grunt, “Huh,” as if to say, “How fascinating.” Be cautious, however, that your tone of voice does not convey any passive-aggressive sarcasm. As suggested by an online friend of mine, one might respond to gossip and backbiting with an inquisitive, “Oh?,” or an affirmative, “Uh, huh.” Then immediately change the subject. By briefly distracting an individual from engaging in idle chatter, you can facilitate a more productive or spiritually centered conversation.
If, on the other hand, an individual brings up an inappropriate topic for discussion, or perhaps asks you an unwarranted question, you might respond, nondefensively, with, “That is an extraordinarily odd question to ask someone.” Hopefully, making such a firm statement will end the conversation in its tracks. Should, however, the person continue, you could follow up with moral outrage, “I am not going to even dignify that subject (or question) with a response.” By focusing upon behavior, you avoid attacking the other person. Being proactive is far better, in my view, than becoming reactive or angry.
Perhaps the best and most useful approach of them all, for dealing with issues in personal conversations, is humor. You certainly do not need to be another Groucho Marx. However, if you are even reasonably quit-witted, turn the comments made by the other person into a joke. For instance, if someone insults you, agree with her. Then, either while laughing or with a straight face, make whatever was just said to you sound even worse. In other words, by constantly being heartful of one’s surroundings, the majority of problems of this type can be resolved fairly easily.
In any event, by permitting an individual’s poor behavior, you are exposing yourself, especially your inner heart, to unhealthful influences. Our time in this world is precious but limited, and we need to use every single moment to the greatest benefit of humanity and our own eternities. Furthermore, you are certainly not doing the other person any favors. If someone knows that, even though no one else will put up with her disunifying conduct, you are willing to let it go, she may have less motivation to change and improve. By reinforcing a bad habit, others could be hurt, in the long term, as well.
Ultimately, if anyone around you continues to be disrespectful, abusive, and disunifying, calmly, but firmly, express your feelings. Be direct and assertive without becoming angry, anxious, or vindictive. Address the behavior without attacking and bullying the individual. Simply say, assertively, “I cannot tolerate your actions,” not, aggressively, “I cannot tolerate you.” Do not be baited into a feud. Arguing against an insult is relatively easy. It is more difficult to disagree with someone else’s emotions.
Speculating on motives, however, is not, in my opinion, an appropriate topic for conversation. Even if you have a pretty good idea of a person’s intentions or psychological problems, your claims can simply be denied. The conversation will then become circular and heated. When all else fails, simply go away. Avoid the individual, if necessary, at least on an informal level. That said, stand up, in righteous indignation, to those who harm or oppress other people.
On an unrelated subject, I question the common usage of the magical kundalini (Sanskrit for coiled serpent power ), in the twenty-first century, as a universal explanation for spiritual experiences. From my own readings, the kundalini of medieval India is now accounted for by serotonin, which is one of the neurotransmitters or chemicals acting within the human nervous system. Serotonin, associated with feelings of happiness and inner peace, can be stimulated by mental focus or by a class of antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
Nevertheless, the “raising” of the kundalini from the base of the spine, as an expression of the Goddess Shriakti (Sanskrit for ability or power), is alleged to be the source of receptivity (suggestibility), ecstasy, and, perhaps resulting from serotonin-induced confusion and mania, psychic powers. In my view, while developing the suggestibility of the heart, or spiritual happiness, should be balanced and controlled, suggestibilities to dangerous psychic neurological conditioning should be strictly avoided. I strongly advise against all forms of psychic phenomena, including:
An individual may easily, even unintentionally, cross the border from mysticism, or communion with God to occult activity. Indeed, to some people, the two concepts are virtually identical. Certain forms of magic, especially Hindu Tantra (Sanskrit for a loom of doctrines) and branches of the so-called “New Age Movement,” focus upon, even require, psychic development.
Much of the resulting “mind control,” so to speak, occurs without the individual even noticing it. Taking proper safeguards against any possible emotional “triggers,” while sometimes challenging, is obviously important. The effectiveness of advertising campaigns, for instance, shows us how easily the heart can be misguided. In many cases, a person may even come to believe that purchasing a certain product, or desiring a particular service, was completely a result of personal preference.
However, manipulation cannot be avoided, across the board, merely by a keener mental awareness. The key is the heart’s devotion to one’s Guide and a longing for the world of spirit. One should also remain detached from physical things, while striving, figuratively, to bury one’s willful self or human ego14 in the dust of love and service to others.
Furthermore, certain forms of enchantment can result from numerous substances and behaviors, sometimes producing dependency. Many of the victims of these harmful suggestions appear to be filling a sensation of inner emptiness with increasing stimulations. A partial list of these habits and addictions might contain: alcohol, gambling, nicotine, overeating, debt, sex, cluttering, procrastination, the Internet, online gaming, emotional difficulties, and mind-altering drugs. Within that last category are a variety of addictive and nonaddictive psychedelics consumed for spiritual purposes (entheogens).
As Marshall McLuhan insightfully wrote, “the medium is the message.” The addictive pseudo-unity of social networking, fueled by websites such as Facebook and Twitter, and wireless “texting” have, it appears to me, exchanged much of the depth of human relationships for superficial and coded half sentences. Personalities flatten. I see college students, raised on gadgets, wandering alone through campus while deeply engaged with their palms. Getting many of them to turn off their devices in class has become a significant behavioral issue. Yet, the ideology of the century appears, so far, to be apathy.
By enabling us to learn and profit from others, suggestibility and receptivity define our humanness. Sadly, not all cultural and social influences are helpful to one’s states of heart and mind. As a result, perhaps, of these addictive rewirings of the brain (neurotransmission), an enormously wealthy industry has rapidly developed of specialized counselors, treatment facilities, and rehabilitation centers. In the event that meditation can, as has been claimed, be used in place of bad habits, the euphoria resulting from the positive addiction of meditation would be a considerably more wholesome alternative.
To wrap up this chapter on precautions, I suggest that the self-delusion of inner knowledge can have disasterous consequences. False claims to hidden awareness are often rooted in varying amounts of egotism and pride. The afflicted individual can, by claiming special revelation or unusual insights, justify, even to herself, behaviors which the majority of people would regard as monstrous. The followers she might have could, based upon their acceptance of her spiritual authority and knowledge, easily excuse the most outrageous conduct, such as abuse, deceit, and manipulation.
The development of a genuine humility, as one explores one’s own heart, is extremely important. Paradoxically, I have heard some people attempt to justify conceit by saying something like, “I don’t believe in false humility.” However, the opposite of, or the remedy for, false humility is not, in my opinion, showing off. The opposite of possessing false humility is developing humility. False humility is making believe one is humble, while inwardly one is really being vain or arrogant. The behavior is insincere and dishonest. Perhaps the individual is trying to impress others by posing or by putting on a show.
When people rely upon subjective or inner knowledge, it can be overpowering. They can fantasize themselves as occupying any position they wish. Many ordinary individuals, throughout history, have claimed to be messiahs or prophets of one sort or another. Through my work as a sociologist of religion, I have personally been acquainted with a few. Clearly, some people who fit the mold have conscious hidden agendas, but most of those I have known appeared sincere.
The major problem, as I see it, with self-delusion and practices based upon it, such as spiritualist (or spiritist) mediumship and modern-day channeling, is the separation of knowledge from love. Of course, many people involved in these activities would flat out reject that statement. To them, the quest for inner knowledge is an act of love. However, spiritual knowledge, in my view, is basically an expression, a type perhaps, of love. From one perspective, spiritual love and spiritual knowledge are virtually identical. Seeking spiritual knowledge, for its own sake, can lead to self-delusion.
Return to the table of contents.
Echoes of Cosmic Unity™, which is a simplification of The Unicentric Paradigm™, combines my personal understandings of certain Teachings of the Baháʾí Faith with my approach to critical realism. As I see it, the goal of The Echoing Practice, and the purpose of life in general, is to acquire the qualities of the Unity. For more detailed information, you can read this free online book.
Echoes of Cosmic Unity, directly below, is a model of unity (nonduality) in diversity (duality):
Return to the table of contents.
Autism15 has become political hardball. Most of the individuals involved may be well-intentioned, but there has been little unity and cooperation between the various factions. Some organizations are operated by parents, without any Autists, and promote nonscientific “cures” for Autism. Others are run only by Autists and, while advocating for support, oppose cures at all. Then there are minority views. Many transhumanists, for instance, believe that Autism, especially Asperger’s Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1), should be taken as a model for the generalized improvement of the human species.
The online community of Autists and the mental health community have been relatively disconnected. This unfortunate separation has mostly been a result of the neurodiversity movement and its focus upon creating a unique Autistic identity. There are, however, movements related to Autism and to mental health, which, to some extent, run parallel to one another. Descriptions of a number of them are provided on my Brief Outlines of Liberation Movements page. Bridging the gap between these two, and other, disability communities, United Against Neurelitism has developed a Unifying Model of Disability™.
Unity, in diversity, is, as I see it, always preferable over division. In my opinion, the unities of humanity and all beings and things are realities. As humans, we are not cats or dogs or cattle. We are members of the same biological species, homo sapiens, and members of the same subspecies, homo sapiens sapiens. Classifying us by race, ethnicity, and nationality is a human invention. Defining us through our skin color makes no more scientific sense than distinguishing between us based upon hair or eye color. Each of these three traits were evolutionary adaptations. Their variations, based upon climate, resulted from natural selection.
By discovering unity, I became an emancipated Autist. Neurologically, I am presumably still an Autist, and I still have many Autistic characteristics, including my daily rituals. Perhaps, in time, medicine will become more effective in addressing these issues. In other words, I have not been cured of Autism. I am also not a big fan of the twelve-step model and its “diseasing” of life. However, as I have discovered, through prayer and meditation, an enfoldment of unities as the fabric of existence, my level of empathy has continued to develop. I informally define emancipated Autism as including individuals who:
The Unifying Model, while similar to parts of the Empowerment Framework, changes the focus from the individual to “humanity.” In both models, however, a medical client is expected not to be merely a passive recipient of health care services. The attitude, “We know what is best for you,” would be unacceptable. Not only could she choose, or refuse, a particular health care provider. She has the right to reject any treatment. An example of the Empowerment Framework is the recovery movement. It was influenced by the similarly American twelve-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous® and the Civil Rights Movement.
The Unifying Model also borrows from the Social Model of Disability. In the Social Model, the term, “disability” refers to social oppression or discrimination based upon social disadvantages. Disability is not the same as simple human differences. In other words, once the oppression is removed, the disability is eliminated. In United Against Neurelitism, disability is also defined as oppression. However, the medical oppression which results from having a number of usually undesirable neurological traits, especially the difficulties with processing empathy, is incorporated, as well.
As a practical application of social justice, the Unifying Model is not utopian. Simply, each of us should, working together, advocate for one other, not only for ourselves. The development of unified communities and societies is the heart of the model. Identity politics, or movements supporting the partisan interests of individuals with particular disabilities, are discarded. They are replaced with an awareness of the unity of humanity. If we share, together, the physical attributes, the qualities, of the essence of humanity, we are literally, not just figuratively or metaphorically, related to one another.
For example, our global community might, working in unity, develop better treatments, perhaps even targeted cures, for Autism. With a dear Autistic father, I should always have known, better than most people, the importance of discovering scientific medical cures. Second, we Autists, as uncommonly odd individuals, are often bullied. Due to a lack of social skills, we also have much higher-than-average unemployment rates. Cooperatively protecting Autists from all forms of oppression and discrimination, is, I feel, crucial. Every human being has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
Spiritually, the ideal lifestyle for many Autists may be that of a mystic: one who, through prayer or meditation, spends considerable time and effort in drawing closer to one’s Beloved. Within some religious movements, monasticism, the life of a nun or monk, may be an option. Since cloistered, or secluded, communities are not found inside my faith tradition, I often refer to myself as an inner monk. Being home, alone, is my vacation. Although I interact with others at work, by telephone, over the Internet, and in other limited contexts, I mostly engage in solitary actitivies, especially communion with God.
I am in good company. Meditations, heart-centered and otherwise, have positively affected the lives of these Autists, too:
Silently repeating the echo during my daily routines, as an Autist, keeps me spiritually centered. With others, practicing the echo during “stims” (repetitive body movements) may have a similar result. In fact, “getting tired” of sounds or songs I like has never made any sense to me. The redundancy in itself is comforting and quieting. I also find it helpful to reflect on subjects such as, Autistic self-advocacy, civil and other human rights, personal behavior, and, especially, empathy.
Some Autists may also attempt to compensate for their social challenges by relating to people and ideas more intellectually than emotionally. At least for me, a college professor, heart-centered devotional meditation is correcting that imbalance. Although empathy, which is one of the attributes of the unity or essence of humanity, might not be innate or natural within many Autists and others, it can, based on scientific research, often be acquired. Evidence of a relationship between empathy and meditation may be of special interest to many individuals on the Autism spectrum:
Many spiritual and religious experiences are governed by feeling and empathy, and relating to God is a social skill. More acceptable, or understandable, are, for example16: Atheism, Agnosticism, Ignosticism, Apatheism, Rationalism, Transhumanism, Beingism, Sea of Faith, Polydoxy, Brightism, Universism, Apollonianism, Objectivism, Religious Humanism, Ethical Culture, and Yoism. In fact, this observation, along with my meditative experiences and some other factors, eventually led me to reject the strict anti-cure position within some segments of the online Autistic community. In my opinion, many Autists need a devotional system which takes us out of our heads.
In short, I lived most of my life without empathy. Even my relationship with God was intellectual, not emotional. After I discovered empathy, through meditation, I realized how much Autism had damaged, handicapped, my life. However, my peak experiences are not a proof of anything. Anyone can claim to have had inner transformation. Therefore, I will refer to the research. If the closely related constructs of poor theory of mind, mentalizing, and empathy disable a considerable segment of the human population from having an intimate relationship with God, that disability should be healed and corrected as soon as possible.
In our socially fragmented civilization, diagnostic rates for Autism are also, reportedly, on the increase. In the online Autistic movement, libertarianism, as a path of least resistance, is, from my own personal observations, rampant and widespread. It is, at the same time, a socially alienating perspective. Autists, like myself, generally struggle with issues of interpersonal interaction and spirituality or empathy. Although unity can be beneficial, ideologies of individualism and libertarianism are spiritually damaging. Thus, the idolatry of personal liberty, or the deification of the self, is, deceptively, the enemy of Autists.
Return to the table of contents.
My personal model for devotion is the Bhakti or Bhakti-Sufi movement of South Asia, including the Indus Valley. I briefly discuss that historical movement’s spiritual impact in two Internet radio broadcasts (MP3 audio file 1 and MP3 audio file 2). The movement’s influence upon South Asia, and even in the Western world, has endured to the present time. Moreover, this deep stirring of the heart (Arabic, al-qalb) was firmly established in the Sikhism of the great saint Guru Nanak (1469-1539) and in numerous oppressed and underclass communities from South Asia, including throughout India.
In my opinion, the devotional center, and flowering, of the Golden Age of Islam can be found in the Bhakti-Sufi movement. Both the Bhakti and Sufi associations in India arose largely from within subaltern (subordinate, oppressed, dominated, or hegemonized) peasant populations, including women, lower-caste Hindus, and Muslims:
Additionally, in Hinduism, the Acintyabhedaabheda (Sanskrit for inconceivable oneness and difference) bhakti tradition originated in Gaudiya Vaishnava (Sanskrit for Vishnu worship in the Gauda territory of modern-day Bangladesh and Bengal, India). It was founded by Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 A.D.) and more recently popularized, in the West, by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977 A.D.). Caitanya’s teaching, in the Bhakti-Sufi movement, was uncomplicated. Many later leaders complicated it. The following is a complete translation of the only known text authored by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Shikshashtakam (Sanskrit for an instruction in eight stanzas):
Chishti was, and continues to be, one of the Sufi branches, now divided into numerous orders, in South Asia. Widely known for their openness and tolerance, the branch was an important part of the Bhakti-Sufi movement. The founder of Universal Sufism (1914), the Indian-born Hazrat Inayat Khan, 1882-1927, identified most closely with the Chishti orders, but his lineage, or chains of descent, also passed through the Qadiriyah, the Suhrawardiyah, and the Naqshbandiyah branches. He and some of his successors have promoted a generic, as contrasted with a “brand-name,” Islam. In a sense, Universal Sufism has been a modern revival of the Bhakti-Sufi movement:
Few Sufi groups, outside India and the West, have taken inclusive approaches of this type. However, in North America, Europe, Australia, and so forth, Khan’s impression upon Sufism, and on public perceptions of it, has been similar to the effect of Swami Vivekananda with Hinduism. Both men came from India, a land of contrasts. Each of them redefined his spiritual tradition by universalizing it. Vivekananda’s impact has been much greater and more widespread. Nevertheless, virtually all modern Sufi movements have benefited, directly or not, from Khan’s reformulation of Sufism.
One example of Khan’s universalizing influence, now faded from the limelight, is the non-Islamic Shah Movement. It is grounded in the Naqshbandi, not the Chishti, Sufi tradition. The approaches taken by the brothers, Idries Shah and Omar Ali-Shah differed in some areas. However, many of their shared viewpoints, including universalism, resembled Inayat Khan’s. Although observing the religious laws of the Prophet is expected of devotees in the vast majority of traditional Sufi orders, there is no such requirement in either the Shah Movement or Universal Sufism.
Hazrat Sultan Bahu, as a Sufi from the South Asian subcontinent, was another beautiful exemplar of that traditionally commingled, or interfaith, devotional experience. Like Guru Nanak and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Bahu became a brilliant luminary of the Bhakti-Sufi movement (approximately 800-1700 A.D.):
I am not a Muslim, but I have been inspired by the deep Sufism of the heart in the poetry and prose of Sultan Bahu. While a mystic by temperament, Bahu also emphasized the importance of faithfulness to the legal codes within the beautiful religion of Islam. In my view, Sultan Bahu, is among the finest fruits of the religion of Islam. He has been accurately designated, the Chief of Mystic Knowers or Gnostics. I have lovingly and sincerely cherished his blessed soul through my inner spiritual relationship with him.
Beloved Bahu, God bless his soul with peace, is, I feel, my dear guardian angel. Acting from the world beyond, I believe he was among the spiritual sources of the visionary flashing white lights, lightning bolts, or chalices of pure light. Through Bahu, the discovery of Sufi meditation, and Sufism more broadly, became, to my understanding, an instrument of healing from my heart-based deficits as an Autist. Indeed, although I only recognized the eminent Bahu’s influence upon me in 2011, he may have been with me, guiding me, for my entire life.
God led me to Himself, I believe, through a Sufi-type meditation. When I began the Echoing Practice in 2010, dear Bahu, a Muslim during the Age of Islam, entered into my heart and, I strongly feel, showed me the way to my dear Lord. For some unexplained reason of the heart, I was drawn, above all else, to beloved Bahu while studying Sufism. My first sensations of empathy, as an Autist, revolved around, first, the pure soul of Bahu and, second, my deep love for the Muhammad as the Source of Sufism. He has been the Object of such misunderstanding. By turning to this man of the heart, I got my own. As Bahu wrote in two of his books:
Once Bahu rejected disunity or dualism for unity or nonduality, he was emancipated:
Since I was a child, I have been passionate about both Islamicate, or Islamically contextualized, thought and Indian traditions, including Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma (Sanskrit for eternal support), Sikhism, and Surat Sabda Yoga. Following a meditation on August 17, 2013, I realized that my lifelong inner connection with dear Bahu might have kindled these twofold interests. Current illustrations include Sufi Information Central™ and the Echoing Practice, my love for British phliosopher Roy Bhaskar’s philosophy of metaReality. This latest version of his Critical Realism was significantly influenced by a journey toward rediscovering his own Hindu family background, including bhakti yoga.
Specifically, I have been attracted to the Bhakti-Sufi movement throughout my life. Before I ultimately joined the Baháʾí Faith, I seriously considered becoming a Sikh. I was deeply disappointed after discovering, through mail correspondence with the Sikh Temple in Stockton, CA, that baptized Sikhs needed to carry a sword and to wear both a turban and long underwear draped around the knees. Since I was already being bullied as an Autist, such unusual accoutrements, especially in the gym locker room, would have only made matters worse. I was not told that not all Sikhs follow those conventions. Perhaps dear Bahu was protecting me for the Baháʾí Faith.
Although I was unsuccessful at astral projection or out-of-body experiences, I did come close to joining the neo-Sikh Eckankar organization. It incorporates a similar practice to astral projection. This Americanized branch of the highly schismatic Surat Sabda Yoga (Arabized Sanskrit for union through attention to the word) was founded by John “Paul” Twitchell (1909-1971) in 1965. As I recall, only a minor postal miscommunication between me, at around thirteen-years old, and the headquarters (then in Las Vegas, NV), possibly through Bahu’s intercession, prevented me from becoming a member. Their return letter may have dampened my enthusiasm, but I had already lost interest.
Yet, in my continuing search for angelic contact, I was initiated, after becoming a Baháʾí, into three other Surat Sabda Yoga “divisions” or groups: Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra Satsang (named for the founder of the organization, Sri Sri Thakura Anukulacandra, 1888-1969), Sant Mat (Sanskrit, Sant Mat, the realized one’s doctrine or path), and Spiritual Freedom Satsang (an offshoot of Twitchell’s Eckankar). Any movement, like Surat Sabda Yoga, which promotes a primary reliance upon subjective knowledge, or gnosis, of alleged beings, locations, lights, and sounds in supposedly higher worlds or dimensions of otherworldly existence can rapidly factionalize.
As a matter of record, his angelic presence Sultan Bahu, a Punjabi, was born in Agra (India) around 1628 A.D., and he died about 1691. His mausoleum is located in Garh Maharaja (a Pakistani fort). “Ba is the Persian preposition for “with,” while hu is the Arabic pronoun for “he” (referring here to God). Therefore, Bahu, which was Sultan Bahu’s given name (from his mother, Bibi Rasti, Persian for madam truth), can be translated as “with God.” His name came to define his noble character. As Bahu wrote, in one of his poems, referring to the modest spelling differences between two letters:
Bahu is regarded as the pathfinder or founder of the Sarvari Qadiriyah Sufi Order. Although he would not designate an heir, much as Rebbe Nahman (1772-1810) of Bratslav Hasidic Judaism refused to establish a dynasty (Hebrew, ha-sadiqm, the righteous ones), each has had one or more claimants to succession. Qadiriyah is named after the traditional founder of the original order, ʿAbd al-Qadir al-Gilani. Al-Qadir (the capable or competent one) is one of the ninety-nine names of Allah. Sarvari (Persian, Hindi, and Urdu for chiefship) refers here to the ʿUwaysi transmission, by Muhammad’s blessing, to Bahu.
Briefly, the word, “ʿUwaysi,” was adopted from the reported case of His Blessed Presence Muhammad’s contemporary, ʿUways al-Qarani. According to traditional accounts, he swore or, literally, “sold,” with a metaphorical handshake (more precisely, a handclasp), his allegiance to the Prophet of Islam wholly in the world of spirits. The two men never met physically. Although the circumstances surrounding the life of ʿUways al-Qarani may be legendary, or partially so, he has inspired individuals to claim inner spiritual direction, and sometimes even authority over Sufi orders, as a result of similar experiences.
In an ʿUwaysi transmission, authorization (al-ijaza) is allegedly conveyed, entirely within the heavenly realms, by an outwardly unrelated entity (living, deceased, or even mythological). They have included the dear Prophet Muhammad, the legendary al-Khidr (the Green One), and departed Sufi shaykhs (elders), such as the founders of Sufi orders. Soul to soul, sometimes through inspired dreams and visions, vows of Sufi loyalty, like the oaths made to a European feudal lord in the Middle Ages, will be pledged one to another.
Hazrat Sultan Bahu, God bless his soul, formulated tasavvur-i ism-i dhat (conceptualizing the personal name of God) or, in Arabic, al-tasawwur al-ism al-dhat. The discipline involves visualizing the word, ﷲ (Allah), being inscribed upon one’s own heart (Arabic, al-qalb). When, through the intercession of the exalted Bahu, I was inspired, resurrected, and lovingly emancipated as an Autist, I incorporated my own revised version of the exercise into the methodology of the Echoing Practice. That spiritual application remains the devotional center of The Emancipated Autism Project™.
Intriguingly, before I was even consciously aware of beloved Bahu, I sought out and received personal instruction from an authorized disciple of Gohar Shahi (Persian and Urdu, royal jewel). Shahi taught various meditative practices, including a type of tasavvur-i ism-i dhat. Much later, I discovered that Shahi, after claiming to have an inward, mystical experience with Bahu, founded a similarly ʿUwaysi branch of Bahu’s Tariqa, the Religion of God. Born in 1941, and now possibly deceased, Shahi is, I feel, my fellow traveller under Bahu’s watchful eye.
On September 8, 2013, during a reflection, I realized that Bahu reached out, though Gohar Shahi, and connected more deeply with me. Shahi was, at the time, still in this world:
Return to the table of contents.
Some people claim not to meditate. I would suggest that, perhaps, they are using the term much too narrowly. Broadly speaking, all of us meditate. In fact, we do so on a regular basis. The scientist meditates while developing the theories or explanations for her observations. Likewise, the contemporary artist ponders the physical universe using a visual analogy. Actually, in each of our lives, we meditate from moment to moment. However, the focus of that meditation might not always be ideal, and, due to the absence of self-mastery, an individual may easily become distracted.
Our human minds should, through effort and persistence, be properly regulated, as well as educated, not silenced or repressed. As a result of meditation, a particular echo can become, over time, what is termed in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) an anchor. The concept is quite similar to Ivan Pavlov’s conditioned stimulus and conditioned response. Through regular practice and patient persistence, silently repeating the echo may arouse the desired mentality.
In the 1970s, when I was an undergraduate student, Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) began a campaign called, “How’s Your Love Life?” The reference was to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Carnival-style machines, which supposedly measured one’s love life, were exhibited on campus. At the time, a cartoon appeared in the university’s student newspaper. The text read, “How’s Your Love Life? ... or how to sell religion like vacuum cleaners.” The remainder made reference to a prostitute short-circuiting the device. The organization requested an apology, but, as I recall, none was ever given.
Along similar lines, while meditation can, even when divorced from any spiritual objectives, often be beneficial, it has, in recent decades, been marketed and advertised, frequently using sexually provocative models, as a “feel-good” technique, a stress reliever, or an approach to physical and psychological wellness. People are told that, by regularly following certain costly instructions, by taking a series of expensive classes, by downloading a number of prepaid audio files, or by purchasing a collection of CDs or DVDs, they will, over time, become happier, healthier, or even wealthier.
Even though a disciplined application of meditation may produce many positive, even wonderful, experiences, meditation itself should not be treated as merely a series of subjective observations. Rather, by engaging in the concentrated devotion of meditation, the human mind is trained to keep its emphasis upon the God or spiritual Teacher. Steadily, through persistent effort, spiritual receptivity may become a conscious habit. Therefore, the fruit of a regular meditative practice can be a personal transformation and, together with it, a gradual reduction in egotism.
Unfortunately, some schools of meditation present, perhaps at times misrepresent, various research findings which allegedly demonstrate the superiority of their own methods of meditative practice over those of others. As a result, for many individuals, meditation has been thoroughly disconnected from anything even remotely resembling spiritual development or devotion. Rather, in place of a genuine love, worship, and compassion, we find merely another commercial medium for hedonism, or personal pleasure seeking, consumerism, and capitalist materialism.
Here are several pages of links to web-based resources on meditation, mysticism, and related topics:
The Echoing Practice has, for the most part, been inspired by my personal understandings of the Baháʾí Faith. If you are not a Baháʾí, I invite you to investigate this global religion or even to become a member online. The Baháʾí Faith teaches: the Oneness of God, the oneness of God’s revealed religions, the oneness of humanity, and the importance of daily communion with God. It is not a branch of the beautiful religion which is followed by Muslims. However, just as Christianity is rooted in ancient Judaism, the source of the Baháʾí Faith is Islam.
In addition, The Echoing Practice is a tailor-made version of Heartfulness Inquiry™, which is used in Unities of All Things™. Both practices are devotional and ecstatic (or “blissful”). In neither of the practices is a mantra conceived, as it is in some traditions, to be a form of “sound magic.” Echoing is the habit of loving devotion to one’s God or spiritual Teacher. It is not a mechanical method for obtaining something. Nevertheless, much more information, about other ways of meditating and on topics related to the Baháʾí Faith, has been provided with Heartfulness Inquiry.
Return to the table of contents.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Return to the original text.
Member, The Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education |
Allah
|
Lifetime Member
|