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Hello Nemesis,

I really appreciated your post and resonated deeply with it. As an artist, my mind is often a hurricane of thoughts and ideas. My first real experience with real silence and stillness came while I was on retreat during college seminary. I had been studying the Cloud of Unknowing and its use of the Via Negativa, that is, experiencing God in the nothingness. I finally decided to give myself the space and time to meditate deeply enough to pierce the cloud of unknowing and ascend to this space of complete calm and silence like I had never before experienced. First I had to quiet my mind. Every thought that arose I briefly considered but then immediately put behind me. This process took several minutes and near the end of it, it got super intense and felt like I was transcending not only my thoughts but time and history as well. Once I got to this point, in a matter of a few breaths I felt like I shot straight up like an arrow to the nothingness. I had experienced God many times in my life before but never like this. I felt like I was in the real Presence. There was no me, just the black stillness that had tinges of blue. Coming out of this, my whole being was altered. I was at a starting point all over again. Since then, I have sought to repeat it with sometimes limited success, mostly because I wasn't always allowing myself the time and space necessary to achieve it but I still had that feeling in the core of my being that still resonated and informed my life. I still turn to prayer and mediation to recharge. Now, if I am ever feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or hating life, I just have to take a moment to reconnect to the silence and stillness. As of a year ago, I am a Muslim now and getting to pray 5 times a day really helps keep me connected to this silence and God reality which brings peace to a chaotic world. Life is a test indeed. Muslims believe that this world is but an illusion and a testing ground to see how well we choose. Do we choose God or do we choose our own will and ego? Temptations are those bright and shining things that try to lure us off our paths and make us take the exit ramp before we reach our intended destinations. Prayer keeps us on track and helps maintain that inner silence that feeds us in a substantial way like nothing else can. I hear from so many friends and acquaintances that they can't meditate because they can't sit still long enough and can't quiet their minds. I tell them that like anything, it takes not only intention, but lots of practice. Just keep at it and give yourself that time and space to get to that point. It can literally save your life.

Peace and love to you!

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Great article: I just need to add when we experience the I am stillness mean we stop the game we are playing.we are the co creator of the endless game is hard to stop unless we meet the end to master our life class path journey.our spirit soul leaving the no longer need the human body,You are the positive shining journalist u are needed for your fellow human to wake them up.
Thank you keep up your amazing public service from within help us all how to activate our shining light as a Star Dust seed.
many blessing to you. Earth brother