Demystifying the Silence

Writing about spirituality can be tough, as there’s not much to say about it.

What we call spiritual awareness is an awareness of the silent, tranquil state of mind within us. It is an absence of words and forms. What could I say to accentuate an idea that amounts to little more than doing nothing?

Writing mixes well with silence, but not so much with the absence of thought. If you’re a creative person, it’s good to figure out which compels you more. Do you want to share your art, or delve into a meditative state that’s free from thought – even creative thought?

The goal for many of us is to find a middle ground where creativity can blend with spirituality. We aim to make the act of creating into a spiritual practice. For me, this is where writing comes in.

It’s difficult to imagine that words can encourage genuine spiritual growth, but without the words of countless people who inspired me, I might not know about any of this. Nonetheless, if silence and stillness are all you need, then there’s not much I can add to them.

The deeper I get into meditation, the less I have to say about it despite that my interest in it increases a hundredfold. There is more love but fewer words. More passion but less expression. I’d be okay with this if I didn’t write for a living, but fortunately, it also gives me inspiration.

I find great peace in silencing the mind and simply existing, with no need or desire for anything but the breath. In this space, the thousand scriptures I’ve tried to follow fade away. Strangely, when going back over them, I find that they were trying to demystify the silence.

I knew they were telling me to go within and find truth in emptiness, but I didn’t understand it because I hadn’t experienced it.

These days, I explore the silence through short bursts of meditation. I haven’t been able to sit and explore my subconscious for any substantial period of time, but these little interactions are enough to show me what I was missing.

In the mornings, I arrive at work a few minutes early so I can sit in my car, take 4-5 deep breaths, and let the meditative state reveal itself. This practice is simple and short-lived, but it puts me in a zone in which I’m more content and easier to be around. It blends a positive vibe into my day.

It’s not enlightening, but I can dip my toes in the meditative pool and have a better day because of it.

My hope is to do this more. For small practices like mine, it is ideal to expand upon them as they reveal more of your true self. The brief glimpse of higher consciousness this practice provides could eventually become an all-encompassing vision.

Silence is profound, but we must explore it to know what it really is. Like many others, I’m guilty of filling the silence with music, TV, and podcasts. I get to see and hear a lot of the cool things other people make, but at the consequence of being less connected to the divine.

While so many of us turn away from silence in favor of external things that fill the void, it waits patiently for us to see what it really is. As we try to find it, the work of our favorite writers, musicians, and philosophers amounts to little more than guideposts we can follow.

They will only get us so far. The rest is up to us.

Featured image by Lars_Nissen_Photoart from Pixabay

About Wes Annac:

I’m a twenty-something writer & blogger with an interest in spirituality, love, awareness, activism, and other crazy stuff. I run Openhearted Rebellion – a blog dedicated to sharing wisdom and encouraging a revolution that begins in the heart.

I also run Canna Words – a blog in which I share some of my research and opinions on cannabis. There, I write about everything from legalization to hemp and the various ways people use the cannabis plant.

I’ve contributed to a few awesome websites that include Waking Times, Wake Up World, Golden Age of Gaia, and The Master Shift. I can be found on Facebook (facebook.com/wesannac, facebook.com/cultureofawareness) and Twitter (twitter.com/Wes_Annac, https://twitter.com/love rebellion)

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