Recent Posts in ‘meditation’
Why It’s Important to Lose Your Mind (at least twice a year)
I just got back from leading a 9-day meditation retreat in the wild and cactus-filled desert of Arizona. And I feel exuberant, inspired, and powerfully awake to the presence of immanent and seemingly infinite potential–simply because I took a sustained break from our modern world and its unspoken cultural agreements and assumptions about what’s real
AUDIO: Letting Everything Go
The following audio clip is taken from the first day of Andrew’s recent Being and Becoming Retreat in Arizona. In reference to meditation, Andrew makes the profound point that if we want to experience the freedom of enlightened awareness, we have to be willing, at least temporarily, to let absolutely everything go. [Audio clip:
AUDIO: ‘Going Out of Your Mind’ with Ed and Deb Shapiro
Andrew recently spoke with irreverant spiritual teachers Ed and Deb Shapiro on their radio show ‘Going Out of Your Mind’ about a variety of interesting topics including: the evolution of the guru-disciple relationship within a postmodern context, Andrew’s recent trips to India, their own experiences with some of their respective past gurus, the significance of
How a New World is Born
The ultimate spiritual revelation is that there is no other. There is only One. When any individual goes very deep into a meditative state, momentarily transcending the separate self-sense or narcissistic ego, this profound singularity at the level of consciousness itself is what he or she will find. There is an uncontainable thrill in those
Meditation is Training for Life
If we want to be free, it is important to learn how to directly experience the unbroken chaos and impersonal confusion of our own minds without being disturbed by any of it. Only if we can bear it will we be able to take responsibility for it. If we cannot calmly endure our own minds,
Beyond Limits: “A Portal Through the Pain”
While we usually think of going beyond limits as something reserved for elite athletes performing feats of physical daring, the courageous spirit and self-determination that make such deeds possible can be found in individuals from all walks of life and in every scenario that tests the strength of the human soul. The following story is
AUDIO: ‘A Guide to Freedom’ – Discovering the True Purpose of Meditation
For some individuals who are interested in evolutionary spirituality and ‘getting things done’ in the world, the perennial spiritual practice of meditation can seem like an unnecessary burden that only hinders our deeper engagement with life. After all, why waste time sitting still and doing nothing when you can be out changing the world for
Beyond Limits Series: “I am not the body; I am the soul”
Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have been discontent to stay within the perceived limits of what’s possible. For thousands of years, inspired men and women have continually sought to go beyond limits in all areas of life—pushing into the edge of their physical, intellectual, spiritual and creative capacities. The result of these efforts
A Different Kind of Marathon
For the past three years, EnlightenNext has organized a world-wide Meditation Marathon where individuals from all over the planet join together for up to 24 hours of meditation. What began as a fundraising initiative has evolved into an amazing global celebration of Spirit. “What would compel someone to dedicate 24 hours to being still and
VIDEO: Father Thomas Keating
Saturday, November 10th at 2pm ET (USA), Andrew will be having a virtual dialogue with Father Thomas Keating about meditation. If you’re unfamiliar with Fr. Keating’s work, check out the following videos to get a greater sense of who this amazing man is who has made such a huge contribution to the Christian contemplative path
The Case for Certainty
People with deep spiritual conviction—from religious fundamentalists to high Himalayan mystics—possess the greatest existential gift of all: certainty. But these days, it’s not a gift that we find it easy to appreciate. And for good reason. For the last 60 years or so, ever since the unthinkable devastation of the two great conflagrations of the
Meditation & Freedom
Meditation only becomes real, powerful, authentic, and liberating when it is a practice of letting everything go. Otherwise it is reduced to little more than a psycho-spiritual relaxation technique. It may make you feel better, but it won’t set you free. Feeling better and being free don’t necessarily mean the same thing. Feeling better is
Spiritual Self-Confidence
It’s important to have self-confidence. It’s even more important to have spiritual self-confidence. Spiritual confidence is that unique and palpable sense of absolute conviction that cannot be affected by external or internal fluctuations. It’s being absolutely sure. It’s knowing, before you know, that you know. It’s the highest gift and blessing that comes only from
Part 4 – God Is Love
A Meditation on the Indefinable Nature of the Divine God is Love. How many times have we heard the word “love” being used to define that which is ultimately indefinable? I suppose it is because that’s the only word that can even bring us close to grasping the ungraspable. When we use “love” to define
The Paradox of Meditation
The meditation experience is interesting because on one hand it is about completely letting go of everything, and on the other hand, it is about paying more attention. It’s a paradox. Let go of everything and have the courage and faith and conviction to keep letting go, fearlessly, no matter what arises. But don’t let
Q&A: The Soul, The Ego, and What’s Wrong With The Now
Over the past week, I’ve been responding to quite a few questions on my blog. Below is a selection of my answers. If you have any questions yourself, please post them as comments. From Daniel Schulman: Q: Is my soul part of my ego? Dear Daniel, No. The ego and the soul are different. The
Q&A: Reincarnation, Sangha & Stephen Hawking
Below is a list of questions that people have posted on Andrew’s Facebook page and this blog over the past week, including his answers. If you have any questions, please post them as comments. From Renato Cesar Carvalho: Q: Could you be more specific on what you mean by “let go of everything?” Dear Renato,
Enlightened Free Agency (Quote of the Week)
When the context for our human choices expands to embrace the infinite depths of our cosmic identity, then our unique power of free agency becomes informed and enlightened by the limitless passion of the energy and intelligence that initiated the creative process.
Meditation Is Training for Life (Quote of the Week)
Meditation is training for life. If we want to be free, it is important to learn how to directly experience the unbroken chaos and impersonal confusion of our own minds without being disturbed by any of it. Only if we can bear it will we be able to take responsibility for it. If we cannot
The Foundation of Spiritual Life (Quote of the Week)
The foundation of spiritual life is clarity of intention. Do I want to become a liberated vessel for the evolutionary impulse in this world? We each have to decide: what is most important to me? Once the intention is clear, the mind becomes focused. When the mind is focused there is one-pointedness. When there is
Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, founder of EnlightenNext, and the author of 
