The Role of Relaxation In Deep Mental States

As time goes by, the more I realize the fundamental Importance of Deep Relaxation In Achieving Transcendental States. In my experience, to achieve transcendental states, altered states of consciousness, deep mental states, and elevated states of spiritual awareness, and to do so completely naturally, the ability to relax deeply is the key.

First, my definition of transcendental, altered states, deep mental and spiritual states is entirely subjective. It is mostly from experience, and attempting to describe and classify. These states exist on a spectrum of intensity. Everybody has experiences with a range of emotions. Days when we are as low and broken as we have ever been, and days when we are soaring.

I believe that we can soar intentionally.

The extreme end of the normal range, just touching the abnormal range — or the extraordinary. There is a spectrum of mental-emotional-spiritual experience beyond the normal range.

The difference between these types of days, and it is hard to describe well with words. Everybody knows this. I don’t want to describe it, nor go in to either biological reasons for this dealing with hormones and neurotransmitters, or potential psychological explanations. That is not the concern here.

There is a different type of feeling that you get when you are locked in. When everything is clicking in your life. When you are doing good work.

Physical Training As A Teacher

Ironically, one of the clues that I had towards this understanding is from consistent experiences of overtraining physically and overworking mentally. I have a comprehensive schedule that takes up most of every day in a (fairly-well) regimented way. Whenever there is an excess in physical training, excess of mental work, my experience of flow state, being locked in, doing high-quality work and high-quality training, in every other area of my life, is negatively effected. [Note I]

What this means, is that there is a finely-tuned balance that must be maintained when we are extremely busy in our lives. Some people have a life with peace in their environment and day-to-day. Others of us must find that peace — more relevantly here, relaxation — amidst high-strain. Relaxation in the process, serenity amidst noise, and a calmness in motion.

Deep States of Flow Require Relaxation

Excess stimulation is not the answer to get yourself consistently and reliably into altered states of consciousness. (Not in my opinion, at least — from a person whose hands are not entirely clean. Mostly. But not entirely.) Dreaming is the most naturally psychedelic experience that humans have, which the majority of us have every single night. Dreaming takes place when we are asleep. In other words, when we are at our most relaxed.

One of the theories that I have operated by, is that altered states of awareness can take place naturally when we are highly relaxed. When we are on the verge of sleep, not in terms of exhaustion necessarily, but in terms of relaxation, but simply deeply, calmly engaged in a task without strain, we can do some high-quality work.

Some of our most active imagination, creativity, thinking, and so on takes place when we are the most relaxed. Of course life is not so black-and-white. Other times it is intense coffee- and nicotine-infused days from morning until evening, when you do your best work. In my experience, it is better to find a balance between. To be able to navigate each in your daily life, but more importantly, to know how to switch between these phases. Just to stay sane.