All else was swallowed up—eclipsed by the wonderful experiences that came—the Beloved Presences—the vistas of luminous Spirits! This was a state of Super-Consciousness; the awakening of faculties and perceptions before unknown, of being aware, almost without limitation: of KNOWING. Whatever is the nature and state of the real Ego this seemed as near to the Absolute as one could well conceive! There was so much of me! There was so little of me! There were so many and such surpassing Spirits! How one shrinks in the presence of the mighty ones! How one expands in the Knowledge of the Infinite: His Image!
Often in approaching a transcendent Light there would appear an atmosphere of ensphering tints—there would also seem to be a sphere of sound, of surpassing music. On being admitted to that sphere it would prove to be a group of spirits who thus in accord are Light and Harmony. Where one can enter such an “atmosphere” communing with such a group it is because one has need of and is in harmony with the spirits of that group.
Senses Merged in Perception
Objective scenes seemed ever to be adaptations to my state, and would often vanish as I became aware of the minds or spirits suggested by the scenes.
“All human sensations, as sight and hearing, are readily perceived by one awakening to spiritual states to be but manifestations of consciousness through the physical limitations to which the spirit in its mental states of earth becomes accustomed. But here all is merged in perception—where one perceives and understands,” thus said the Guide.
This added consciousness—uniting or releasing the faculties—is not all at once: I found myself thinking in the accustomed channels, in words as well as thoughts, listening for replies instead of knowing that the answer had been thought to me, really was there before I had questioned; of looking for beautiful forms and scenes instead of perceiving the Soul of Beauty which was (is) everywhere.
I became more and more aware that the whole of me, released from the fetters of the bodily senses, could perceive and receive more perfectly the answer to every question, even before its formulation in thought.
“Formulation is a process of limitation, sometimes of hindrance,” said the Guide. “A feeble comparison of what ‘perception’ really is may be found in an artist (of Earth) whose prepared mind (and therefore vision) sees the beauty in a landscape, a sunset sky that another sees not at all, or dimly. Prepared senses are the result of prepared minds, of being pervaded by the awareness of the Spirit,” said the Presence.
It is of little avail, however, to attempt to bring into outward forms of thought and expression the perceptions one is aware of while one is in that inner state, excepting that they relate to conditions under which those loved and loving ones in that state can reach and change for the better the sorrowing hearts in human life, the shadowed conditions of earth existence.