~ Meditation Essenc itnessing ~ The individual is continuously distracted by society and the world. Meditation is turning away from the world and going within to an inner space beyond the mind. The essence of meditation is witnessing, seeing things clearly as they are. Witnessing is a state in which you remain detached and distanced, simply watching everything that happens. This ability to witness can happen during certain moments of our lives. Thus, we should be able to experience it always, in any situation. This can be achieved because it is, in fact, our real nature. To become a witness is to really wake up and become conscious of everything that happens, both within and without. But in reality, there is no within or without. In that state of supreme witnessing, you become the center of everything, just watching all the changes occur. The changes never affect you because now you have become the center, the very life force of everything. Whatever changes, comes and goes, is not reality. The real witness is permanent, unchanging. The process of witnessing or centering can be represented in five stages. Chattering min ensations, thoughts, images and emotions chaotically come and go. The turbulent flow becomes laminar with multiple streams. The laminar flow becomes a single stream with gaps between the thoughts. The single stream flows slower and larger gaps appear between the thoughts. Eventually there is nothing but a gap without thoughts. This is enlightenment. This is the state of no-mind, no-space and no-time, beyond all social and mental constructs. The state of no-mind is pure consciousness, consciousness without an object. No-mind is called turiya, meaning "the fourth", beyond the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. No-mind is also called nirvana and samadhi. It is real living and awareness; all else is death and dreaming. Witnessing is like walking on a tightrope in a dynamic balance, the razor's edge. Firs im your awareness on your chosen focus point. Secon old focus. Thir ose focus. Fourt ecome aware that you've lost focus. Fift epeat the first four steps continuously. To know your self and be your self, go within, beyond the mind, to the innermost center of being.