Back on The Rapture, I touched on the experience of unending, unimaginable bliss.
The traditional Christian Rapture is portrayed as an event in time associated with the second coming. However I have seen some evidence that this is not an event in time but rather a point in evolution. As we reach that level of connection with the divine within, the divine descends through us and we carry that into the world.
The human physiology is a remarkably flexible and adaptable organism and construct. We can have an experience of happiness beyond imagining then soon get used to it, forgetting that it didn’t used to be like this. Because we experience the world through the value of consciousness we reflect, we soon forget what it was like before. Just consider your memories of being 8 years old. You remember that through how you are now. Memories do not return the state of awareness, just the impressions. After awakening, we forget what it’s like to have an ego until we see one in action. We forget what it’s like to not be happy when happiness is the dominant experience.
As I further explore this process of opening to the divine, there seems to be what one might call a series of raptures. As we open to the divine, if the process is gradual there will be no contrasting experience. Just a nice subtle growth of fullness of the heart. But sometimes in the journey, we allow a door to open that suddenly pours in a much higher grade of experience than before.
You may recall an experience standing before a magnificent sunset, a moving piece of music or a member of the opposite sex that made our hearts leap. A sweeping feeling of love and joy that washed over us.
What I mean by rapture is much like this, only exponentially more so. As a friend joked, it’s preferable it not happen in public. (laughs)
2 examples that are simple to relate.
I was driving down a main road in my truck. Suddenly a wave of happiness washed over me with such intensity that I was laughing out loud and crying at the same time. The sun came through the clouds and bathed the truck in warmth and the radio played a song about being so “f***ing happy I could cry”. Fortunately, the body took care of driving in traffic.
Over at a friend’s house listening to a conference call with an enlightened teacher, a wave of happiness washed over me that was incredibly intense. I was crying profusely with happiness yet attempting to maintain an air of normalcy. Although I wanted to just surrender to it, it was not the place to laugh uncontrollably during a quiet talk. I had to get up and move around to back it off a bit. Most of the people there were concerned that something was wrong. (laughs)
Similarly, when someone awakens in a group or that you know, there can be a sense of opening within that can trigger tears of happiness or laughter. Self just stepped out some more.
Please note that NONE of these are about awakening or enlightenment. They are simply experiences on the path we may encounter. If you have such an experience, be confident that it will never be more than you can take. It may sometimes feel like this but that is the resistance. If you fully allow, you will have opened the door fully.
Amazingly, this intensity soon becomes the usual experience. The overwhelming happiness becomes normal, all the time. Then we approach a new grade of happiness beyond that. And another…
In that sense, we can see a series of raptures, of peak experiences that become integrated and normal with time. Different types of rapture and progressive grades or levels.
Raptures of Happiness or bliss, as suggested above.
Raptures of Love, when we are absorbed in divine love. As I outline in Love Is, just as there are self and Self, there is love and Love. Emotional love and real Love, Love that flows unconditionally without need or lack.
Raptures of Compassion, when we can hold suffering within love. For a sense of scale, we can experience all of the pain and suffering of all beings at once. This is easily contained in infinite love.
Raptures of Union, the goal of Tantra. The complete merger of two awake persons – body, mind, and soul.
Raptures of Intellect, where the intellect cognizes or downloads complete knowledge, such as that of the universe.
Raptures of the World, where the senses are absorbed into wholeness and the divine is fully expressing through form. See After Unity.
There would certainly be other raptures possible in the integration of Oneness. One person is unlikely to experience all of them. Some of these openings will not be experienced as raptures but rather build to a smooth opening and quick integration. In many ways this is superior. Flash is trash and all that. But it is certainly a nice marker to spiritual life to be overwhelmed by God.
Davidya
Last Updated on November 8, 2018 by Davidya
In mentioning Tantra, I got comments seeking to advertise Tantric teachings around improving sexual performance, etc. Anything that focuses just on sex is not real Tantra. Tantra is a spiritual practice that uses sex as part of the process as a way to enliven inner energy.
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Hi Davidya,
Wow! I discovered your blog today and it is blowing me away because you are describing what I have intuitively felt and wondered about for a very long time.
You wrote…
“The traditional Christian Rapture is portrayed as an event in time associated with the second coming. However I have seen some evidence that this is not an event in time but rather a point in evolution.”
Exactly, which is why no one will ever see it coming or know when it will happen because it will happen a person at a time. The momentum appears to be picking up now. Thank you so much for writing this in a clear simple way I could understand.
You wrote….
“After awakening, we forget what it’s like to have an ego until we see one in action. We forget what it’s like to not be happy when happiness is the dominant experience.”
Confirmation of a recent teaching that hit home for me. Happiness is causeless. It is not the result of striving after anything.
The forgetting of ego when it has happened here was the most exquisite peace and naivete.
You write…
“As I further explore this process of opening to the divine, there seems to be what one might call a series of raptures. ”
Yes, That is what happens now here. Thank you for writing about it so much. It clears up confusion the mind has about this and lets it know it can rest. All is well.
You wrote…
“Some of these openings will not be experienced as raptures but rather build to a smooth opening and quick integration.”
I have had ecstatic experiences. I really love them, but lately they are more along the lines of this description. They are short, smooth inner openings inside.
My girl friend knows something is going on, and I haven’t been able to describe it. This will help when the time comes.
Deep Bow of Gratitude!
Ben
Hi Ben
Glad you’ve found some benefit.
Yes, I know a couple of people who who have already had a “second coming”, where they perceive Christ but more as he is in Revelations. However, the form part is personal and not entirely relevant to the process. And not many share such experiences openly.
hmmm – I’m not sure I’d say true happiness is causeless but it’s certainly got nothing to do with what we do or strive for. True happiness is life itself. Life arises out of attention, out of lively alertness. So it has a cause, but not a cause thats of the world. In that sense it’s causeless. A cause that is beyond the dream of the world. In a way, the world is caused by happiness as it’s the liveliness of life that brings forth the dream.
I should note that I don’t see anything as causeless. It’s possible to step right back to the origins of everything. And how it arises from nothing. Its a meaningless question to ask where nothing came from. (laughs) But I certainly understand why some call it causeless. Thats one way of looking at it. Just like some call it emptiness whereas i say fullness. Same thing 😉
While big rapturous experiences are great, some of it speaks to contrast, the push to stretch the physiology. When the system is more ready, less push is needed and it can slip in nicely. Similarly, profound experiences can be less contrasty. When that happens, more detail and clarity is possible and its more likely to be abiding.
(laughs) Yes, when we don’t have the words, how can we describe? It has sometimes taken me a long time before I could put something into words. Adyashanti talks about journalling as part of his personal inquiry process. I don’t describe it quite the same way but do something similar. Buckminster Fuller talked about making your life an experiment and documenting the process. (laughs) I’ve been doing so since. Indeed, I can think of a couple of occasions where this process was the process that lead to an opening.
hmmm – now there’s a blog subject….
Thanks for sharing, Ben
Thank you for writing about the Raptures /Ecstasy. For me some were the milder form, some in a middle range (my own point of reference), and several that were so deep and intense that I was motionless for hours.
Some were points of entry to further awakening and all followed by or included downloads.
Nice for someone to write about this.
You’re welcome, Lorey.
It’s a great sign the refinement side of unfolding is taking place as refinement leads to bliss and bliss cultures soma which increases refinement.
Some have even said that such raptures are nearly a requirement for unfolding the Refined stages of awakening. They’re also a good sign of deep letting go, hence the entry points.
You may also enjoy this more recent article.
https://davidya.ca/2015/06/11/100x-the-bliss/
Thank you so much for the followup and link 🙂 Yes, regarding your comments about the bliss/soma cyclical pattern, also relates to your phrase on direct experience: “experience and become”. I am grateful for the raptures and your encouraging comments.
Your site is like walking through a beautiful forest and finding gems.
Perusing your site and a recent share of a sacred chant shared by one of my TM friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9T0OTh0P2s seems to part of a build up to further refinement, which seems to be another pattern as well.
Synchronized support and points of entry arise to assist. Jai Guru Dev
Jai Guru Dev
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Turns out the texts have described how bliss steps up in stages, though framing it a bit differently.
https://davidya.ca/2015/06/11/100x-the-bliss/
Hi David –
I first read your description of what I’ll call your “sudden upgrade while driving” in your book chapter on Self Realization. From the lyric, I’m guessing that the song you were hearing was “Nice Guys Finish Last” by Green Day. I’m not a big fan of the group but the song is a good one. A day or two after reading the chapter, I was driving home with the radio on and wondering what should be my “awakening theme song,” given that I constantly have some song or other going in my head. I realized immediately that of course it had to be what is probably my very favorite song. Five seconds later, “Here Comes the Sun” came on the radio. Coincidence? I think not! Although it would have been very cool if there had been a sudden upgrade at that moment, it wasn’t quite that. But I did laugh!
Best,
John
Hi John
Yes, Green Day. Also not a fav but I like a couple of their songs. This is just what came on the radio.
.
I wouldn’t call it an “awakening theme song” although it was certainly an opening. Awakening itself is in silence, although there can be special effects for some people.
.
That is funny. Life has a way of prodding us to land a point. Thanks for sharing.