In my first month of working with the element of stillness, I've combined my practice of Zhine, which is a Tibetan practice of stillness meditation with the 5 Tibetan Healing sounds. I don't know if these sounds are intended to be used in conjunction with Zhine, but I decided to see what would happen if I focused on using the sounds to attune and manifest the element of stillness in my life and in the process of doing this, I've noticed some interesting results, in terms of the state of consciousness I've experienced while doing the meditation.
I start with just doing Zhine, focusing my awareness on a single point in front of me, blocking out everything else accept that point and myself. After I have been in this state for a time, I vocalize each sound. I'll vocalize each sound numerous times before moving onto the next sound, with the understanding that the vibrations of the sound are being used to attune my internal energy to the sounds, as well as to what I wish to manifest through the sound. In this case, it's stillness, and I use the initial experience of Zhine to set up the experience of stillness and then use the sounds to deepen that experience. As each sound is vocalized the state of stillness is intensified until the final sound, the manifesting sound is vocalized and the the state is held.
When I've done the sounds, and continued otherwise focusing my awareness on the space before me, I've found that I've hit a deeper state of altered awareness. The sound has helped to focus and deepen the manifestation of the element of stillness. I've also noticed an alteration in the light, or rather my perception of the light. This has happened with other meditations as well, but I've noticed that it typically occurs when you are able to sustain a specific state of mind for a longer period of time.
While this work has been done in the context of my stillness work, I think it could also be replicated for other purposes. I certainly see some potential for this intensifying of a state of consciousness for space/time magic work, but also if used for invocation and evocation or any other magical work that requires an altered state of mind.
Book Review: Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy DeGruy
If you want to understand the legacy of slavery in the U.S. then read this book. It will open your eyes to the impact that slavery continues to have on all of us. While the author focuses mostly on the effect slavery has had on people of color, she also explains the effect it has had on White people. What this book illustrates is how even today the institution of racism is in effect, and shows how the trauma of slavery has created a genetic impact that is reinforced by the racism that stills exists in U.S. culture. this book helps us to face these issues head-on and demands of us that we discuss them openly, explore them and continue the necessary conversations to help change this society into one that is truly equitable for all.