I received the following question:
“For people in recovery, a sense of spirituality and self, as well as an honest appraisal of conditioning that has obscured the self, seem to me to be essential. I wonder if you have any more thoughts on this?”
To which I respond:
“You are absolutely correct. In particular, the direct experience of deeper values of the self is profoundly healing in recovery. That is why our meditation can help tremendously.”
I agree that a healthy spiritual life is a very powerful tool for recovery. I am not certain if the original question referred to recovering from compulsive / addictive behavior (substance abuse) or recovering from prior violence (emotional / physical abuse), but I have found the Surya and Surya Ram meditation powerful for both. I have been meditating almost 20 years. It seemed like the relief started immediately and has continued, gradually and incrementally, over the years.
Years ago, the meditation helped ease my reliance on alcohol and cigarettes. Even during the time that I meditated AND still smoked and consumed alcohol, the meditation was, in my experience, enlivening something deeper in me than the more superficial level of myself that had the damaging habits. I was aware of both levels. I think this may have been the “obscured self” to which the original question referred. I got to where I did not want to drink alcohol because it messed up my sleep and my meditation, which were more fun. Even now, I suspect the meditation is helping my lungs heal from the past smoking.
This meditation has, over time, removed impressions from my mind that were left over from a history of violence. During meditation sometimes, I can feel the impressions energetically and emotionally lifting. I think that even my body, which was holding onto defense mechanisms, has changed as a result. It seems the conditioning had taken a real, physical hold on me.
I like the response!
I am not sure if my personal experience is the experience of the deeper values of the self that brings about healing. There were times I started out a round of meditation feeling rough, at something or someone, peaceful feeling surfaced as I was transcending deeper. Things were not as serious as I thought they were. I think I understand it better now when people say: “it doesn’t really matter!” It’s my deep identity with something that made it serious. I feel fortunate to be doing Surya Ram Meditation. Everything about it is just natural!