Seeking Stimulation? Try the Sublime Kind

Emocionante in Spanish translates into English as “exciting.” Just count the ways, from morning coffee to evening news, that you seek stimulation. Like any addiction, ever-greater doses are needed to reach the same high and to block out all pain, but the damage also increases. In this love/hate relationship with feelings, “ups” are followed by and matched with “downs;” you fatigue from both, and pain persists.But there is a higher octave of pleasure that is subtler and more sustaining. The experiences at this higher level are considered spiritual goals: Peace, Joy, Bliss, Unconditional Love. These are boring when compared with action movies and family fights, but they become more appealing as we detox from living in constant motion and commotion. These subtler excitements become more enticing as we refine our sensitivity; these sublime feelings are experiences that we all deeply long for once the noise and chaos recede.Just as your five senses help you attend to the body, emotions are a way to relate to your soul. They tell you what your heart longs for, and they convey pain when you don’t get it. They bring fierce energy when your peace is disturbed so that you can protect your sanctity.All the big yet invisible experiences that determine your quality of life—Love, Peace, Contentment, Beauty, Grandeur, Hope, Inspiration—are felt inside. These inner experiences are known through the same sensory system that brings you Anxiety and Hate. “Negative” emotions are, in fact, warning signals pointing to whatever it is that is interfering with your preferred “positive” states.Emotions are the Senses of the Soul. They lead you to light. They let you know where you are on your path from pain-to-peace, alerting you away from suffering and toward deep and sustainable pleasure.As you begin to use emotions to clear up trouble rather than cause it, you will spend more time feeling good and happy. This will become your new normal, and inner peace will become your natural home.                                              from Senses of the Soul