The mystery that is life surrounds us. As we go about taking care of our responsibilities throughout the day, we can choose to take a few moments to be with what is greater than ourselves and revel in it (HuffPost).

What is Transcendence in Simple Terms?

What’s a moment you go back in time that you will never forget? A moment of pure stillness. You remember everything about it. It was as if time stopped. Your constant stream of thinking ceased. You weren’t focused on your problems or all the other things you had to get done that day. You were fully in that moment, basking in all the beauty and joy right before your eyes. Some memories from my life that are the most profound are the birth of my three children. The moment I held them for the first time. Looked into their eyes for the first time. Felt the touch of their skin next to mine. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about those moments! These were moments of transcendence.

Moments of Transcendence are Rare Experiences for Many

The problem is many of us can only think of a few moments in our lives where we have had these moments of transcendence. Many times, it takes moments of rush and excitement, such a skydiving or climbing a mountain, that brings you into a state of transcendence. On the flip side, perhaps you have experienced moments of immense sadness where time stopped and you were forced into a moment of transcendence. Thinking stops, time is not a concern, your never-ending to do list is washed away, and it is just you, and the present moment. These moments are rare for many people, through our fast paced, constantly rushed way of life.

Live Moment to Moment to Experience Transcendence

The good news is, you don’t have to wait till you jump out of a plane to experience a moment of transcendence. You can experience these moments of depth in your everyday by slowing down and living in the present moment.

• “First, move into the present moment by taking a few deep breaths.”
• “Second, you can step out of the stream of negative thinking by placing your attention on the feeling of aliveness in your body: in your hands, your arms, your legs, and so on.”
• “A third method you can use is to place all of your attention on an object in your environment”. (Eckhart Tolle)

Examples may be looking at a flower, watching a sunset, observing cloud formations, gazing into a loved ones eyes, meditation, or a variety of other daily practices. When you enter into a state of transcendence, you will feel a consciousness behind your eyes, beyond your thoughts. “That which remains when the stream of thinking subsides (Eckhart Tolle). That is entering a state of transcendence.

It’s vital to live fully even in the most mundane daily experiences. The feeling of hot water on your skin, the way clothes feel as you fold them, the touch of the carpet on your feet, the creak of the steps as you walk on them. Using your 5-senses to observe each moment allows your thoughts to calm and for you to focus on the current moment in time. By pulling your attention to what you are currently experiencing allows you to live in the present, which is the entryway to transcendence. Taking moments to soak in what you are doing, rather than the thoughts in your head, allow you to take a break from your recurring and incessant thoughts and to fully soak in the now. “Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is (Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now).” 

Time to Practice

The gateway to enter into a state of transcendence is to be aware of the present moment. Pay attention to your breathing. Focus on observing objects and people around you, not judging or labeling them. You may noticed there is anxiety, fear, excitement, joy within you, but you become the space for it. Being able to experience the state of transcendence in your everyday life is like finding a treasure many have been searching for their whole lives. It is what you have been missing, through living in a rushed state. It is realizing the “being” dimension within you, which is the spiritual dimension. It is the purpose of why you are here on this earth. To discover your inner being, the energy and vitality of your true inner self.

All you know is there is an underlying sense of presence, of being-ness, that is at once still, alert, and vitally alive (Eckhart Tolle).

Click below to begin a journal prompt on state of transcendence.

Check out my post, The Realization that Changed my Life, here.

Life is too short to not experience moments of transcendence in your everyday. Let’s start now!

Talk soon!
Merr