I have been meditating to transcend for 10 years now.
Notice that I have a very specific reason to meditate everyday — TO TRANSCEND.
The type of meditation practice that I do is called Automatic Self Transcending (AST). The practice involves innocently thinking a mantra — a sound without meaning to help you effortlessly transcend the thinking and feeling processes to reveal a non-dual state of pure self-awareness — a state of “Being” rather than “Thinking” or “Doing”. This state is also called pure content free or transcendental consciousness.
I like to refer it to as No Mind inspired by this quote from Rupert Spira.
The technique was popularized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and is best described as a dynamic process with alternating sub-stages of Transcendental Consciousness or NoMind (Being) and Physiological Normalization or Stress Release.
When I started on this journey, I was looking to become “Super”man — not to fly through the sky like a plane or a bird, or to see through matter. Rather, I was caught up in the Self Development and Human Optimization trend, and I wanted to increase my cognitive and affective abilities. To my surprise, I organically made a pivot from the process of Self Developing to the process of Self Becoming as I set aside 40 minutes of my day to meditate, transcend, and experience NoMind or Being daily.
What's the difference between Self Development & Self Becoming?
Using programming and app development as an example: When we are Self Developing, we are trying to update our “ME” app from the current version to the best version. However, when we are Self Becoming, we start with the current version of the “ME” app and begin to move inward to interact with the source code itself. Over time, the programming script is revealed to us. Through this daily remembering and experiencing (the AST Practice) of the source code, the “ME” app begins to update itself to the version of the “Me” app that is needed at that time.
No coding is required, nor Self Developing.
These automatic, non-directed, spontaneous updates showed up in many ways in my life. Some were physical, like the end of my 20-year cigarette addiction, which took place overnight. Others were mental updates, such as the dawning of new perspectives on how the world really operates, becoming fearless, and gaining the ability to “accomplish more in less time.”
As I continued to practice daily transcending, I noticed a shift in my overall well-being. My mental clarity improved, my emotional stability became more balanced, and my physical health saw significant improvements. I realized that this journey of Self Becoming was not just about enhancing my cognitive and affective abilities, but also about nurturing a deeper connection with my true self or my Transcendental Self, which in turn allows me to live a more authentic and fulfilling life.
In the realm of Self Development, we tend to focus on setting goals, acquiring skills, and achieving milestones. While these are important aspects of personal growth, they can sometimes lead to a never-ending chase for external validation and success, leaving us feeling incomplete and disconnected from our true selves.
On the other hand, Self Becoming embraces the idea that we already have everything we need within ourselves, and that our true essence is simply waiting to be revealed. As we engage in practices like auto self transcending meditation and experience the NoMind state, we open ourselves up to profound transformation and growth that is natural, unforced, and deeply rooted in our authentic selves.
The journey from Self Developing to Self Becoming is a transformative process that encourages us to look inward and uncover our true selves. By practicing daily transcending, we can cultivate a more authentic and fulfilling life, experience spontaneous growth, and ultimately become the best version of ourselves — not by force or by taking a masterclass, but by allowing our true essence to shine through.
