Unity Spiritual Tool: The Silence
The Silence is a holy place, a place of stillness and peace. It is not far away—it is right where you are now.
What Is the Silence?
It is right where you are whenever you shut the doors of your senses, still the importuning of your thoughts, and turn to God. When you enter, the world outside and its troubles melt away. When you leave, your body and mind are refreshed and restored.
What Is an Example of the Silence?
The Silence is experienced through the practice of meditation. It is not necessarily the absence of any sound around you, but a silence of human thought that brings peace to the troubled heart. In the Silence, the whole being becomes a place of prayer, a holy temple set on a hill. There, you know God as a living presence and yourself as God's child.
How to Experience the Silence
By James Dillet Freeman
In preparing to experience the Silence, try to relax your body and open your mind. Remember, you cannot fight your way through to God; you can only let go and let God.
As you quiet yourself, feel the presence of God freeing you from tension. Let your whole body—every nerve, every muscle, every cell—relax and let go. Wherever you feel any tension, relax and let go. If you feel tense across your forehead, say “Relax and let go.” If your eyes feel strained, say “Relax and let go.”
If you are tense in any part of your body, say “Relax and let go,” until, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, you are perfectly relaxed. This is the first step in experiencing the Silence.
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10) Say this silently until the words take on new meaning, a living meaning, and you feel the stillness with your whole mind, your whole being. This is the second step in experiencing the Silence, and perhaps the most important.
“Be still, and know that I am God!” Let this thought fill your mind completely. Be comfortable, relaxed and still. You are in the presence of God.
In the stillness, when your thoughts and feelings are quieted and the doors of your senses are shut, feel your unity with God. It is not through your human powers or understanding that you find the blessings of God, but by letting go of your doubts, by limiting your personal claims, and by turning your whole attention to God.
A Better Way
In experiencing the Silence, you may find using affirmations helpful. They may help you direct your thoughts to God. But, as you do, do not lose sight of the fact there is a surer speech than that of syllables, a higher communion than that of words.
God hears your innermost thoughts. Your faith and love speak for you, helping you experience your oneness with God. Your faith and love make your mind God's mind, your body God's body, your spirit God's spirit, your life God's life, and your will God's will.
Remember, friend, you do not have to cajole or coerce God; God's love has already encompassed the fulfillment of your needs.
Using Affirmative Thoughts
When you enter the Silence, let your affirmations help change you. Use them to direct your thoughts, to make them clear and sharp; then be still and listen. It is God's voice that you wish to hear.
I am the light of the world. Be still until you actually sense the light of Spirit flowing through you and over you. Be still until you feel yourself immersed in a sea of light, until you feel your whole being illumined and uplifted.
I have divine intelligence. The mind of God is a reservoir of good ideas that are yours to draw upon, yours to use. Open your mind to the inspiration of God. You are alive, awake, alert, joyous, and enthusiastic. You have divine intelligence.
All power is given to me in mind and body. Feel the power of God working through you to free you from any negative influence. You are a child of God. You have the power to control your thoughts, to revitalize your body, to be successful, and to bless others. Unleash the power within your mind and body.
Your Oneness with God
Now out of the stillness comes the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), not a human voice speaking, but the voice of God, which speaks as an inner knowing, a strong conviction, and carries to your listening heart the assurance that all is well.
“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7).
You have asked, and blessings are freely coming to you. You have searched, and the way to perfection is being revealed. You have knocked, and the doors of the kingdom are open. Fulfillment is yours. The power to bless others is yours.
Adapted from “In the Silence” by James Dillet Freeman.