Paul Brunton was a most scholarly author and spiritual teacher in the 20^th Century. He wrote a number of books, which I read and re-read from time to time. One of his classic works was “The Secret Path,” in which he focused on meditation and other techniques to help us connect to our Higher Self—the term he used was Overself.

In Chapter 11 he has excellent advice to help us connect with the Overself when faced by a problem or challenging event in our daily lives. “To switch off instantly into this quest of the spiritual self, when suddenly faced by an evil event, is to obliterate the power of this event to disturb the mind. Then, whatever necessary action will be taken will be wise and correct because it will be inspired by the Overself.” p.164 The way to do this is to calm the mind firstly by deep breathing and then to meditate upon questions such as: “Whom does this trouble…Whom does this pain?…”

I have found that the difficult part of the above is being quiet enough and patient enough to wait and listen for the Overself’s answer. But it must be worth it because, as Paul Brunton says on the next page: “Unpleasant persons, irritating circumstances and unexpected disappointments…can be nullified by making the effort to reach the divine centre of our being….”

It is interesting to note that he goes on to explain that our Overself is always at peace. “We need to remember that our inmost selfhood is always abiding in an unalterable condition of intense peace.” p.165

This is exactly what it says in A Course in Miracles. Jesus tells us that all our experiences here are illusory and stem from our belief in our separation from God. But this is not possible, he says.“You are at home in God, dreaming of exile but perfectly capable of awakening to reality.” Text page 182. The ego is the part of us that believed it separated from Heaven, and it this part that has to put up with all the trials and tribulations of life on Earth. There is a higher part of us, always connected to God, which is always at peace. When we achieve enlightenment and awaken, we will realise that we have always existed in a state of peace in the Mind of God. “Yet the instant you waken you realize that everything that seemed to happen in the dream did not happen at all.” Wow!