This article describes one of many techniques developed by Adventures in Spiritual Living to encourage and support personal spiritual experience. It can be used by individuals or enjoyed as a group activity and sharing.
Description
An imagined dialog with your higher self is an effective technique for communicating with your inner spirit. This conversation is, indeed, a talk with your inner spirit. I invite you to imagine a conversation between you and your inner spirit. Even though much of what is communicated to you will lie beyond your consciousness (in your super-conscious), nevertheless, every honest attempt to communicate with your inner spirit meets with certain success. What is in your super-conscious mind is available to you eventually as conscious insight. It is waiting for you to discover it.
I want to share a technique with you for engaging in a written conversation with your divine inner spirit. It is called the Quill Pen technique. Adventures In Spiritual Living has used a very effective technique we call Hot Pen for decades. In that technique we write rapidly and constantly. With the Quill Pen technique we shift into a slower gear.
Long ago people carved a writing tip on the end of a large feather — a quill. They dipped the tip into ink and then wrote until the ink was gone. Then they dipped again and continued writing. The Quill Pen technique resembles that. You relax into a light meditative state and make a statement or pose a question to your beloved inner spirit and wait for thoughts to come. When something occurs to you, pick up your pen and write.
Once that thought is written, return to your conversation with your inner spirit. When another thought occurs, write it down and return to your meditation/conversation.
I have provided three questions you might want to discuss during your conversation with your inner spirit. These are suggestions only. You are free to discuss anything you wish with your inner spirit.
Suggested Questions
- I want to share my inner life with God. How do I do that?
- During this life, I am in the process of transferring the seat of my identity from my material body to my soul by the sincerity, persistence and steadfastness of my God-seeking decisions. What qualifies as a God-seeking decision?
- It is easier for my inner spirit to contact me when I maintain a controlled, directed and constructive inner creativity. How do I control and direct my creativity? What is the role of my imagination in my spiritual life?
Now it is time to go within and try out the Quill Pen technique to converse with your inner spirit.
The Technique
Relax your body and your mind. Inhale deeply and slowly. As you exhale slowly and fully, feel your body and your mind relax. Feel the calmness. Breathe again, and then again. Each time you exhale, feel the increasing relaxation and calm.
Now travel deep within yourself. You will be at a level of mind where you are relaxed, but alert…[pause]…
This is your place in your mind to commune with your divine inner spirit …[pause]…
This is where you will be able to sense most easily your spirit’s presence…[pause]….
Enjoy a moment of silent receptivity to spirit […pause…]
Open yourself for a sense of your inner spirit’s presence […pause…]
Your inner spirit has appeared directly in front of you. You are face to face. [… pause…]
Imagine a wonderful conversation together. Engage in relaxed sensing, thinking, feeling, and exchange of impressions and thoughts for as long as you wish.
Group experience: If you are fortunate enough to have a group who will share their experiences with each other, discuss beforehand the need to create a safe place for each person to share his or her inner thoughts and feelings without criticism or advice. Here are some suggestions to create a safe place:
- Slow down and relax your body and mind.
- Express genuine interest in others.
- Accept their sharing with appreciation.
A member of the group can present the description and suggested questions. When everyone is ready, read the Technique section. Allow about 10 minutes of quiet for the inner conversation. Then invite sharing
