One evening in the winter of 1985, I was sitting with my blind friend, G. He and I were exploring the state of consciousness being opened by 5g of the potent Amazonian strain of P. cubensis, which was distributed by Terence McKenna's company, Lux Natura. This was a fairly frequent event for us that winter.
I was working with applying mindful breathing to navigate the psilocybin trance. As the trance had developed and deepened, we found ourselves drawn into a peaceful, silent stillness. While remaining focused on the breath, I suddenly noticed a humming vibration, and looking up, I saw with my inner eye, focused in one-pointed concentration, that a blue sphere of light had entered the room. I was not unfamiliar with these types of visionary phenomena, but this one was particularly compelling as its presence instantaneously brought a noticable shift in consciousness. Body, heart, and mind were all affected by its presence. The body felt a deeply soothing, yet alerting vibration that brought it into a state of entranced rapture. The heart opened into peace and joy. The mind became totally silent and clear, with awareness crystallizing into a diamond jewel of perfect lucidity. The ordinary mind dominated by thought was recognized as a pale shadow in contrast to what is possible for the mind when all its energy is gathered and concentrated into a one-pointed awareness.
As soon as I notice this humming, vibrating blue sphere, it comes in closer, and as it approaches, I begin to notice that the mind is being absorbed by this manifestation of universal intelligence. I recognize it as something deeply sacred and profound that has revealed itself and in so doing, I recognize myself as one of its manifestations. I begin to remember who I really am.
G. then asks me, "Do you see it?"
I say, "What do you see?"
He responds, "The blue sphere hovering in the air."
I respond, "Indeed!"
As the blue sphere enters my body it simultaneously expands to fill the room. Our human consciousness is completely absorbed into this deeper mind and we feel that we have at last come home to who we truly are. Then the sphere begins rapidly moving. First, it arrives in the Arctic, with the night sky and aurora borealis surging above. I find myself sitting naked on the polar ice cap, feeling the cold as energy moving through the body and mind, purifying and opening awareness to the realization that the space sustaining the glittering stars above is my mind. Only there is no "my" in Mind, it is vast and universal and the true nature of all mind. The realization arises that awareness is space.
Awareness then moves swiftly to the South, to the equatorial zones, teeming with life and activity. Consciousness becomes aware of the diversity of life and its rapid transformation, ancient in being, yet, like the stars, Mind-Space sustains life forms, but is not contained by life forms. The Mind then expands to envelope the earth and the realization arises that Gaia is awake and aware of itself in the field of Mind.
I return to the room I'm sitting in with G. and the blue sphere, and realize that this Mind is now looking out through the eyes of this body and the little "me" that used to think it was this body, is no longer. This body is a manifestation of the mind of Gaia and the Universal mind as much as the trees and flowers, mountains and lakes, planets and suns, stars and galaxies. The little "me" has been swept away into the ocean of Being and is one more particle of energy shifting and transforming in the vast movement of impermanence, birth and death. All that remains is silent stillness, which extends inwardly and outwardly into infinity.
This is the touchstone by which mind now navigates life. In all action, resting in awareness of what is happening now, letting go of resistance to life.
Elphstone