HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS
The sadhak becomes aware not only of a great, eventually an infinite peace, silence, wideness above us, above the head as it were and
extending into all physical and supraphysical space, but also he can become aware of other things — a vast Force in which is all power, a vast Light in which
is all knowledge, a vast Ananda in which is all bliss and rapture. At first they appear as something essential,
indeterminate, absolute, simple, kevala: a Nirvana into any of these things seems possible. But we can come to
see too that this Force contains all forces, this Light all lights, this Ananda all joy and bliss possible. And
all this can descend into us. Any of them and all of them can come down, not peace alone; only the safest is to
bring down first an absolute calm and peace, for that makes the descent of the rest more secure; otherwise it may
be difficult for the external nature to contain or bear so much Force, Light, Knowledge or Ananda. All these things
together make what we call the higher spiritual or Divine Consciousness. The psychic opening through the heart
puts us primarily into connection with the individual Divine, the Divine in his inner relation with us; it is especially
the source of love and bhakti. This upward opening puts us into direct relation with the whole Divine and can create
in us the divine consciousness and a new birth or births of the spirit.
His being lay down in bright immobile peace
And bathed in wells of pure spiritual light;
It wandered in wide fields of wisdom-self
Lit by the rays of everlasting sun.