“What do you do in order to hear the Voice for God / Holy Spirit?” (March 3, 2015)
I receive this question, or some variant of it, fairly frequently, so it seems a worthwhile topic for the blog.
My experience of “hearing” Holy Spirit has changed many times over the years. When I first started studying ACIM, I recognized that the many synchronicities and signs I experienced daily (really throughout my life) were actually an opening to connect more deeply with Spirit. I paid attention to these as I started asking for more clear, direct communication with Spirit. I found I needed to practice spending more time in silence in order to hear Spirit more clearly. I’ve done this through meditation and through practicing Presence (Leonard Jacobson’s teaching is very helpful for me in going deeper into Presence.)
Anything that allows us to have a less cluttered mind, in order to hear Spirit more clearly is helpful. There are a lot of practices available to learn this. ACIM’s lessons are a fantastic way to deepen our willingness to be still and listen. For myself, in addition to the lessons, I find it very helpful to focus on my breath in combination with practicing Presence. I allow myself to surrender into Presence more and more frequently throughout the day so that I remember to put Spirit in charge. I continue to go about my day, while I am as Present as I can be, which is usually filled with phone calls, emails, finance reports, marketing, etc. Often, the length of time my mind is quiet, when I practice in this way, is very short, a few seconds or a minute or two, but every little bit helps! Along with being Present throughout the day, I make an effort to spend time in the morning and in the evening in deeper Presence or meditation.
Allowing our mind to be silent is less about total silence for an extended length of time (although if you are able to do that and keep going through the day, that is not a bad thing!) and more about giving Spirit time and space to communicate while we listen intently. The more devoted we are to exploring this communication, the stronger the communication gets and it is easier to hear.
It is also helpful to know that hearing Spirit may look quite different from person to person. We each have a unique curriculum and Spirit is working with us wherever we are at on our path. Some people are able to sit in silence, ask Spirit for guidance and hear an answer, but not everyone receives guidance in this way. Some receive it as a direct knowing. Some receive it while writing. Some receive it through an intuitive knowing while they are moving, walking, exercising or dancing. Some receive it as inner vision or music that is translated into words or knowing. These are a few examples of experiences I’ve had or have heard about. What is important is that you trust your own experience with communicating with Holy Spirit. Trust yourself without judgment or comparison.
I find, as I go deeper into Presence, there is a greater foundation to be Present with emotions as they arise and less reactivity. I’m able to see my judgments, projections and un-investigated beliefs more and more quickly so that I can hand them over to Spirit. This means, my life is more Peaceful, more Joyful and there is less daily drama stirred up by the ego thought system.
Blessings to you!
sparolove 