This is a compilation of Questions and Answers with John-Roger about Spiritual Exercises, first published in The Movement Newspaper.
Q: You recommend two hours of spiritual exercises in one sitting every day. In my case it’s a miracle if I can get out of bed in the morning to do 45 minutes. Then I’m busy until late at night. If I can fit in 45 minutes at other times, does it all have to be in one sitting? And if I pay attention, wouldn’t a shorter time do?
A: You can do spiritual exercises as frequent or seldom as you choose. The choice is always yours in all ways. I only suggest what I know works in Spirit from my experience. From your questions I get that you want to bargain with Spirit. I suggest that you take a look at your approach, i.e. “… it’s a miracle if I can get out of bed…to do 45 minutes…” Perhaps you choosing discipline rather than indulgence might be just the miracle you need to walk the path with God, which is what spiritual exercises are. You ask, “If I pay attention wouldn’t a shorter time do?” My friend, if you were paying attention (to Spirit, that is), you wouldn’t be asking that question.
Q: During spiritual exercises, lots of times my body twitches in different places, in my legs or my back, for example. I’ve just assumed it was a release of tension. Is it anything I need to pay attention to?
A: It may be a release of tension, and it also may be that new (higher and stronger) spiritual energies are coming through and your body is not as yet used to the force of this frequency. You can check it out for yourself. If it’s tension, you can move your body to a more comfortable position, or stretch. If it’s spiritual energy, you can practice focusing the energy coming in through your crown (top of head) and letting it flow through your body as you chant your tone. In time, your body will be able to handle this energy without twitching or jerking.
Q: When I experience what I believe to be traveling outside my body during spiritual exercises (s.e.’s), I retain awareness of my physical body. Am I actually traveling outside my body if I am still conscious of it?
A: It is possible, however, I can’t give you a definite yes or no, because traveling to other realms of Spirit has little, if anything, to do with awareness of your physical body. Of course we continue our responsibility to our physical bodies even while Soul traveling. And a great deal of traveling in the spiritual realms is done without awareness. In time, with practice, the opportunity for greater awareness will present itself.
Q: I often feel a lump in my throat while I’m doing spiritual exercises. I am aware of it at other times, but during s.e.’s my awareness of the tension in my throat intensifies. I seem to be able to relax everything except my throat chakra. Why is that so? What can I do to relax that area during s.e.’s?
A: I would first see a qualified practitioner to check out your throat medically. If everything checks out all right, then I suggest that during s.e.’s, you send the Light and your tone (chanting the name of the Lord) to your throat; and if the tension persists, perhaps ask for clarification (for the highest good) so that you may understand what information is being offered that may be blocked by the tension in that area.
Q: What happens if I play a Soul Travel meditation, s.e. innerphasing, a SAT/lnitiate/Minister’s/personal tape while I sleep? Would this hinder or facilitate soul travel? Would this help build the spiritual energies within my consciousness? Is my subconscious getting the message?
A: This will not hinder Soul traveling. As a matter of fact, it may enhance it. Yes, your subconscious gets the message. However, it is more important that your conscious self not only gets the information but directs you (and your basic) toward behavior that is uplifting for you, and others.
Q: Since I’ve recently moved “up” to doing 2 hours of SEs in the a.m. (at 5 a.m.) I feel like I might be sleeping, and sometimes I don’t think I’m chanting—is this still doing SEs?
A: It’s valuable for you to know whether you’re doing S.E.s or S.Z.zzzzsss. Do what you have to in order to ensure that you are fully awake before starting spiritual exercises, lessening the opportunities for falling asleep.
Q: I want to do God’s will. How do I discern between all the voices of the personality level, and the voices of Spirit?
A: Do more consistent spiritual exercises and service, and you will have the opportunity to develop your discernment. Also be aware that even though the personality and mind cannot go to the highest realms of Spirit, for you to be aware of the spiritual experience and direction, the information must come through the mind, which is often textured with your personality. The way to figure out if the information is valid spiritually is simply to determine if it is for your upliftment. Does it produce more joy and clarity?
Q: Is the AUM mantra from the positive realms of Spirit? If so, is it as high as the HU? Lower? If not, where in the negative realms is it from?
A: HU is the highest spiritual chant. AUM, a beautiful sound in Spirit, comes from the High Mental realms of Spirit.
Q: Sometimes when my life isn’t working the way I’d like it to, I find myself feeling angry toward the Light and God–and you. I don’t like feeling this anger, but I don’t know what to do with it.
A: First, it might be a good thing to look at where your responsibility is for your life and how you create the way it is. I have never said that I’ll “do it for you.” I have never taken responsibility for your life. I do give you guidelines and keys to work with–but it’s up to you to work them.
Are you doing spiritual exercises regularly? If not, you might want to consider doing that. (If you’re not sure what these are, you can get the MSIA publication, “Inner Worlds of Meditation,” where several are described.) Are you going to seminars regularly? Reading your discourses regularly? All these things will assist you in releasing the accumulated day-to-day karma and keep you clearer in your consciousness.
If you don’t give yourself the opportunity to clear the karma and release the blocks, it all just starts building up and “sitting on you” and then you feel pretty heavy about life. Be a little easier on yourself. Don’t let your expectations run you. Be open to what is, and, if you want to change it, take positive steps toward changing it, rather than just getting angry about it.
Q: Could you explain the origin of the sacred tones on earth (i.e. Sanskrit, Hebrew, etc.)?
A: The sacred tones came from God through the Holy Spirit in the form of a Vibratory frequency. “In the beginning was the word,” refers to the sacred tone. These were then translated to the verbal levels so that speaking humans could reawaken to such divine energies. The sounds reproduced in various languages are but phonetic attempts at this recreation. The phonetics in any language are of little value if the spiritual energy behind them is not present. For instance, I could say, “I love you” but if the integrity of my heart is not involved, they are just three little words. It is the energy that makes the words come alive. Similarly with sacred tones. They become sacred through the energy of the one that brings them forward from the higher realms.
Q: Have Spiritual Exercises always been an effective way to disperse physical, emotional, and mental disturbances?
A: The prime purpose of Spiritual Exercises is Soul transcendence. With enough practice, consistency, commitment, and loving, it is, and always has been, an effective method of bypassing lower level distractions.
Q: In other answers you have given for this column, you’ve said service is a way of handling the 10-percent level. Does this work in the same way Spiritual Exercises do?
A: No. I have said that service is the highest expression on this physical level. That is giving for the joy of giving, with no recompense. One of the great values of service is the alignment a person can have on the physical level, with the energy of Spirit.
Spiritual Exercises are not an expression intended for this physical level. S.E.’s are, in fact, the exercises that permit the consciousness to transcend the physical, and awaken to the glory of Spirit in the higher realms.
Q: Does the discipline of regularly doing spiritual exercises get one free of karma and raise the level of consciousness?
A: A partial yes. The other part of it is your attitude towards your spiritual exercises. If you do them as a form of punishment, as martyrdom or bitchiness, the answer to your question is that they may not do too much. But if you do them in a form of sacredness and holiness and use the time as a spiritual time you are taking with you and God, the answer to your question is “yes.”
Baruch Bashan
WATCH JOHN-ROGER ON “HOW TO DO SPIRITUAL EXERCISES”
Thanks. I enjoyed the Questions and J R s answers immensely. Love Gary Kading