The Science of Prayer

Whether you consider yourself religious or spiritual, the concept of prayer is probably not foreign to you. Prayer has been an effective tool to ease the stress of the mind, to bring focus to our attention, and to generate good will within consciousness. Though, I would admit, that most of us have never really been taught the truth about prayer, how its done (properly), and the metaphysical laws which govern its practice. I shall offer some insight into these area's here, so as to ensure that the next time you SYBD (Sit Your But Down) to pray, you'll have a clearer idea of what your actually doing.

One Mind

The most important thing to realize and understand about prayer, is what it is not. Many would have you believe that one is organizing a series of thoughts in their own mind, directing it to an outside source (the object of prayer, deity, etc..), to offer some degree of benefit. A person gets into an accident, and those close to them offer prayers. You need one more run to win the game, out comes the prayer-book. 

What is fundamentally flawed about this concept is that prayer is seen as some sort of Divine lucky charm that, when exercised, can tip the bar in our favor. This model of prayer does not coincide with what we can learn about The Law, nor does it reveal where the true power of prayer lies. Clearing up this misconception can transform our experience of prayer, as well as the personal experience of the Divine in our lives. 

The first confusion that arises in this model of prayer is the illusion of Separation. This is the most consistent and widespread illusion of the human experience. I am separate from you. We each have two, separate minds, which are also separate (and insignificant) to the mind of God. Correcting these false idea's will lead to a deepened experience of prayer, and wholeness.

Correct the idea of separation by embracing the truth, that we each SHARE the One Mind of God. We are not separate entities, rather, we are seemingly separate individuation's of this one mind. I say seemingly because if we were to look beneath mere appearances we would discover that we are all connected at the quint-essential dimension of being (Mind). Much like we see that there are many separate tree's, we will find that they are all connected by the same element (Earth), and therefore are joined in roots to the same "ground of being". (Pardon the pun..)

How does this revelation transform the nature of our prayer? 

Coupled with the fact that what we hold in consciousness with consistency, has the potential of manifesting in our experience, Prayer becomes an activity in consciousness, of shedding the false idea's surrounding the conditions of phenomenal experience and embracing the true nature of reality. If someone we know falls ill, we do not pray for their well being (which in truth is us empowering the idea of sickness), but instead release the idea of sickness in our mind entirely. We pray to cleanse all falsehoods and illusions from Mind so as to not remain fooled by appearances, and to allow the Truth of God and of Life to be expressed naturally. 

Correction

Typically we are moved to pray whenever something "bad" happens in our experience, or if we perceive the need to add a little "luck" to our endeavors. ("Dear God, please don't let me slip and fall as I accept my award"). This is the classical form prayer takes, and is the reason why we've become accustomed to having our prayers go 'un-answered'. The practice of prayer is not a means to bring Spirit into our human-hood, and this is why the effects of our prayer have been so inconsistent. 

Again, this idea is another misconception, generated by the illusion of separation. We believe that there are two worlds, a world of form made up of physical, gross matter. And then there is a world of Spirit, and this is where God is. These idea's are what have confused mankind for thousands of years, and in many ways has made prayer very ineffective. The correction that must be made in consciousness is that there is not two worlds, but One, expressed in two different ways. 

When one clears this misunderstanding, then the use of prayer becomes about dissolving/releasing our beliefs and idea's surrounding our human nature, so as to allow our Spiritual/Divine nature to find expression through us. Can sickness touch Spirit? Can Death? Can Misfortune? No. Only if we accept the idea that we are merely human can such concepts have an effect in our experience.Therefore prayer is not about increasing the quality of our human experience, but to deepen the experience (and subsequent expression) of our Spirit. 

Does this mean that it is useless to pray for others?

Not at all. 

In fact, our prayers become more potent, because we now understand that we do not pray to alter/influence/change the conditions of form. Instead our prayers for others becomes about cleansing our consciousness (which is the one consciousness we share), of all the thoughts and idea's which brought such experiences to bear in the first place. We seek to hold in mind the perfect vision of our Brothers and Sisters, and hold in consciousness the Truth about who and what they really are. This is the true power of our prayer. Not to fall into the illusion of temporary forms, but to bear the fruit of Truth in our consciousness. 

Praying for World Peace

There are times when, while we pray, we offer good will to all the world in the hopes of bringing an end to the widespread violence, hate, and sickness that plagues so many people. This is beautiful. Yet, people have been praying for this for a very long time, and in no wise has the human situation changed on planet earth. There is still war, violence, sickness, and brutality. Daily.

How does our new understanding of prayer apply to all of the world, and its turmoils?

The crises and problems of the world are merely the same issues and confusions we experience as individuals, but scaled to the entire collective. If we seek to bring about world peace through prayer, we will fall victim to the illusions mentioned above. Instead, the effect of our prayers -- of holding Truth in our consciousness -- translates into the ascension of our own consciousness. This ascension brings us out of the gross experience of life, and releases us into the grace of God, where the turmoils of the world are no longer entertained as truth. 

It is from this transformation of consciousness that we "change the world". By going within and treating the false idea's which are born from being hypnotized by outside appearances, we create a space in mind where we become expressions of this Divine Reality. There may be violence in some part of the world, but here and now, while you are held in the light of truth, such violence cannot take place. And where ever in the world that you travel, you shall bring with you this altitude of consciousness. You shall be anchored in spirit, and that light will shine in the minds of everyone with whom you join with in consciousness. 

This becomes the nature of your prayer. To transform the falsehoods held in mind with the light of Truth, the light of Spirit. To deny the false appearances of form and to correct these thoughts in consciousness so as to allow the expression of Divinity through you. Prayer is about cleansing our consciousness, and about sharing this wondrous reality that we have be born again into, with all the world and those that people it. 

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