Let me put this out into the space here and see what happens.

About a week ago, I "woke up".

Does anyone here know exactly what I'm talking about?

Derek---Are you a groundhog?...a bear?

Okay, I'll stop giving you a hard time. What do you mean?

Ariel, thank you for your cheery presence here! I'm just curious to know if anyone knows what I'm on about.

Derek, I've heard the term "waking up" used to describe a wide variety of experiences:
- aware of one's awareness;
- awake to oneself as the subject of one's attention;
- intuition of one's being;
- awareness of the wonder of the present moment;
- awareness of God's presence;

What does it mean to you?

Phil, Thanks for your reply. Since you have so much experience in this area, I was hoping you would come on! I can't really talk much about concepts anymore, and all I can speak about is what's happening in the present moment. Right now, perhaps the term that fits best is "falling away of the false self."

I'll add that I've found your "Secret of Life" button very helpful over the last few days!

Derek, yes, sometimes a shift can happen very quickly, almost with a blink of the eye. One moment, there you are in your old familiar patterns of consciousness, and the next, it's as though an entirely new being exists. You still have your memory, skills, etc., but identity is no longer rooted in self-image or anything like that, and conceptual understanding takes a back seat to simply being here in the moment, absorbed in wonder. It sounds like you've come upon something like that, but I don't want to put too many words in your mouth.

That's helpful, Phil. It's been happening like that about 9 days now, but seems to be stabilizing now. Thanks.

Hi Derek,

Keep us posted on how you're doing--if you like. And don't worry about losing yourself too much; you'll get reassembled just fine with God's help.

wishing you much peace,
Shasha

Shasha, thank you so much for your invitation. Things are coming to some sort of completion now. I can concentrate on intellectual tasks again (e.g., reading books), and I can make plans for future days. What a wild ride that was!

Derek, I'm glad to know you're doing well. I'd be interested in hearing more if you decide to talk about it. And thank you for your good humor about my sense of humor.

Thanks, Ariel. You know, now that the whole thing is over (as far as I know), there's nothing I feel a particular need to talk about. It's not that I'm not willing to talk -- just that there's no urge driving me to talk.

Derek,

While you go through these changes, it occurs to me to suggest that you turn to the Romans 12 scripture: offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God. Your body, your consciousness, all of it can be offered for the sake of your growing in holiness.

Thanks, Shasha. I'll check out Romans 12. Your support is much appreciated.

The problem with the mystic experience is that there is a bigger you that is not God. Stepping into and experiencing this bigger you can cause one to think that they have accessed God. The self realization folks consider this bigger you the only thing and that one is God. Which is not actually real.

The simplest way to know when you have truly accessed God is when your heart center really kicks in and tears run down your cheeks and all you can say is thank you. The rest is just you exploring you, hopefully under God's guidance. If things come up power, then it is not God it is you.

love,

tuck