The Silent Soul

When I was a child I accepted the reality I was given by my parents as all children do. When my wife and I raised our own children we did the same thing to them. The indoctrination of an open and growing mind is a powerful thing, and it's unavoidable. We all went through it. We're all living in the reality that is the sum total of everything we've assimilated in our lives. This can make having a truly open mind a little tricky. We all have our own reality and we are, at a certain level, involuntarily functioning from that base. In my own life, there eventually came a time when I was no longer interested in anyone's reality, not even my own. All I wanted was to know what was really true, and I wanted to know it in the worst way. I wanted to know God's reality. If there were no indoctrination, beliefs or opinions, what would be left? What is the pure truth? Let me further explain what I'm getting at. Throughout my various spiritual endeavors, and after several decades of seeking and observation, I eventually arrived at a striking conclusion regarding the truth. I came to believe that God adapts to the reality of each individual so they can learn and grow effectively. God is going to work with the narrow-minded person inside their narrow view. He doesn't try to change our mind. He doesn't try to push us into the truth. He meets us where we are no matter how quirky, absurd or dogmatic our worldview. The strongest evidence I had of this was my own experience. I had some very real spiritual experiences on my path of growth. Many were undeniable and some were life-altering. What I found notable was that these experiences continued throughout the course of varying belief systems. Many of them took place during my extensive experience as a devout Mormon. Some came later, after I had moved on to a whole new way of thinking and a very different perspective. I believed in a completely different God during these various experiences, yet that God always spoke to me and worked with me in ways that fit my existing belief system. Remarkably, meaningful spiritual experiences and growth continued through each philosophy I embraced, which I have come to believe is the case with all of us. This was definitely contrary to the beliefs I was raised with. So, after coming to this realization that God works within each person's reality and beliefs, I wanted answers. Being the persistent seeker that I was, I naturally wanted to discover the ultimate reality. What is the Universe's supreme truth? What is left if I have absolutely no preconceptions or beliefs whatsoever? How does God work with me then? This search has been my quest, and it still continues. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us can fully eject our conditioning. Our upbringing is effectively engrained into our cells. But having tried to do this as much as humanly possible, I can tell you where this intriguing journey has led me. The answers have been profound (at least for me), and those answers mostly have to do with one thing: Silence. When you get rid of all your beliefs, it's pretty quiet. The silent soul is the open soul, and the silence is where I believe truly effective soul evolution begins. It is where the most meaningful aspects of the true reality reside. Divine silence is designed to point us in a direction that is meant to guide us toward our soul's greatest growth. It is intended to direct us gently away from our preconceptions and from this slow-vibrating three-dimensional realm and into new thought and discovery. Inner silence is the portal into the greatest reality available to us. It is, in my experience, where we find God. It is also the path to profound peace, something I think we are all seeking whether we realize it or not. When we are able to find true inner peace, we then realize that this is what we are really looking for, even if not on a conscious level. It's the object of the longing we all feel once we silence the distractions. Indeed, silence is golden, and the process of finding it is a genuine adventure. I can't think of anything more worthwhile than to embark on a journey into the silent center of our own souls. There is a vast inner universe to explore, and the search for this hidden realm is a magical and rewarding path.