If you go down the path of studying your inner world and looking for ways to improve the quality of your life, you will likely encounter a dilemma that I once faced.
One type of teacher/books will tell you that there is only the present moment and that there is only one “should” in life- to be fully aware of the present moment and your experience in it.
Another group will say that you will improve your life through prayers that you will apply in transitional states of consciousness, most often before going to sleep or right upon waking. “Prayer” here does not mean reciting learned texts to an imaginary God; rather, it’s the sincere creation of mental images and the feelings that go with them.
The first group of teachers seems to ignore the existence of the unconscious, and reduce existence to balancing on the thin wire of present-moment awareness devoid of desires and fears.
The second group, in contrast, seems to only address the subconscious by imprinting imagined, desired images on it at moments when the gates of the subconscious are opening and the gates of consciousness have not yet closed.
So, who is right?
This is a false dilemma, both approaches are correct and the contradiction between them is an illusion. Neither the first approach says that desires should not exist, nor does the second approach say that awareness does not matter.
Both of these approaches are, in fact, only one. Awareness is the only thing that matters. Awareness of everything. As you move through this 3D world while awake, be aware of it. Be aware of what you are doing, and what you are feeling. Yes, be aware of the thoughts that come to you, including desires.
And when it’s time to sleep, it’s time for spirituality. But again, awareness is the key. As you prepare to sleep, in your bed, maintain awareness. Move to your desired realm in fantasy, but behave as if in reality and the present moment. While in the imaginary world, be there fully, feel the feelings that arise, and get in touch with your senses.
In Slavic languages, the word “awareness” is similar to the word “light”, and the word “imagination” means that everything is possible. It is no accident. There are many realities that you can choose with your imagination, but awareness, which will shine light on them, is one.
