(11/26 Update)

▪️Emotional Stability (Equivalent to the Astral Realm): 15-20 years
1. The "zone of bliss," which occurs rarely when intensely focused (once a year or less): Several years
2. Increased frequency of the "zone of bliss" (once every few months): Several years
3. The "zone of bliss" becomes commonplace (once every few days): Several years
4. Stability of the "zone of bliss" (less fluctuation, more stability): Several years
5. The "zone of bliss" becomes part of daily life (a state of joy even without intense focus): Several years

This is the stage of "Samatha" (concentration) described in meditation. It also corresponds to the stage of "Dharana" (concentration) in Yoga Sutra.

The extreme joy that occasionally arises when repeatedly focusing on hobbies, learning, or even meditation is the "zone," and it is the key to breaking free from a state of blind ignorance. It is an emotional high accompanied by immense happiness. Work efficiency also increases. There is a temporary escape from a state of confinement, which occurs psychologically, but eventually, the joy disappears when the "zone" ends. Initially, it occurs once every few years, but gradually the frequency increases, eventually stabilizes, and the joy spreads to daily life.

What is confusing is that "Vipassana meditation," which is practiced under a certain name, also starts with the same thing. It goes through the same stages as "Samatha" (concentration) and "Dharana" (concentration).

In my experience, the first "zone of bliss" occurred when I was in junior or high school, while creating a shooting game (using machine code, or assembly language, on an MSX, a home computer that existed at the time). When I was concentrating and thinking about various things, I would occasionally experience immense joy and understanding, and I would be able to program quickly and efficiently. This was about 30 years ago. After that, as I entered university, graduated, and started working in the IT industry, the frequency of the "zone of bliss" increased, and when I reached the "zone," my understanding and work speed increased significantly, boosting my performance. This not only helped with work but also had a spiritual aspect. Roughly, this period lasted about 15 years (from junior high school to my early 30s, around 34 years old). Even though there were still mental issues and challenges, I can say that the emotional stage had reached a certain point. Perhaps, as long as one is alive, complete resolution is impossible, and even recently, I am still working on resolving emotions on a subtle level. However, I believe that I achieved a significant level of emotional resolution at that point. At this stage, there were still quite a few traumas remaining, but I had achieved a state of sustained "zone of bliss" through concentration, and a certain level of "zone of bliss" in daily life. In terms of my life, during this period, I worked at IT development companies (which often had issues like moral harassment and power harassment) and felt like I was working above my capabilities. Almost simultaneously with graduating from these emotional stages, I switched to a more stable company. I also think that this was a stage where I was working above my capabilities.

At the time, the IT industry was actively promoting speed and consumerism, but what is truly important is the joy that comes from concentrating on something and accomplishing it. This is the foundation for everything, whether it is work, hobbies, or spirituality.

There is a lot of talk about spirituality, but I think there is a significant difference depending on whether or not this foundation is in place.

Therefore, I am skeptical of "attracting positive realities" and similar spiritual concepts, because I believe that such things do not happen without effort, and if they do, it is likely just a coincidence.

However, especially for women, there may be cases where they are already at or have graduated from a certain stage of this process from birth. In such cases, even if they appear to have not made any effort, they actually have a foundation, and these people tend to have good concentration skills and excel in studies and sports.

▪️In the "zone," one forgets the weight of their body.

When in the "zone," one experiences a feeling of "losing their body" and a "sense of becoming very light," resulting in a state filled with a refreshing feeling.

Because the "zone" is a temporary state, even though it is accompanied by heightened emotions and joy, and accompanied by a deep understanding through concentration and unity with the object, one experiences a feeling of "forgetting their body." In that state, consciousness is only focused on the feeling of unity with the object, so one is in a state of "not being aware of the weight of their body." Therefore, one does not feel the weight as heavy or light, but rather experiences a light feeling along with their consciousness being unified with the "object." In that state of "unity," one does not worry about their weight, and their mind is simply filled with "understanding" of the object.

Objectively, it can be said that the state is either "weightless" or "very light." However, when actually experiencing this state, the actual weight becomes irrelevant. While yoga teachings often mention "feeling lighter," this explanation refers to the point where weight is no longer perceived. It's important to understand that discussions about actual weight are trivial.

Sometimes, people practicing yoga say they "feel weightless" or "have forgotten their body," as if they have reached a high level. While this is a certain level of achievement if it's a constant state, indicating a presence in the causal world or beyond, if it's a temporary state, as with the zone, it simply means a temporary experience of unity in the astral realm, which is not necessarily a significant achievement. Even ordinary people, without any practice, can sometimes reach this level of joy.

In more advanced practice, yoga, Buddhism, or truly exceptional spiritual individuals can literally levitate. At that point, it can be considered genuine (although I have not yet reached that level). However, feeling "light" or "as if the body has disappeared" is not necessarily a significant achievement, especially if it's temporary.

In everyday life, we feel the weight of our bodies, which is why entering the zone or meditating and feeling "weightless" can seem special. However, for those who live in that state constantly, the concept of "weight" is unknown, so it's simply "what's going on?" Someone who has never experienced "weight" cannot understand being told to "lose weight" or "feel weightless." They would simply wonder, "What does it mean to lose weight or feel weightless?" Sometimes, even with a different premise, people get confused and lost by what others say. If someone has never felt "weight," they cannot understand what it means to "lose weight" or "feel weightless." Therefore, while some people might see a yoga teacher saying "I feel weightless" and think, "That's amazing," I sometimes observe an interesting phenomenon where the spiritual progress of the teacher and the student is reversed. This is a very interesting phenomenon. Fundamentally, human cognition is based on "projection," so people see their own image in the teacher.

* People who are still living within the feeling of weight.
* People who can occasionally experience a feeling of weightlessness or lightness in the zone or during meditation.
* People who, without ever having experienced "weight," don't understand the meaning of "weight" or "feeling lighter," and are amazed or reverent when a seemingly impressive teacher says "I feel weightless." (This is a very interesting situation. They are projecting their own state onto the teacher.)

In any case, entering the zone (even temporarily) and transcending the astral emotional world (experiencing unity in the emotional world) results in a feeling of lightness and weightlessness. Those who are not troubled to begin with are naturally light, and everyone experiences a very light feeling, either in their emotions or their body (or they have always lived with that feeling).

▪️The World of Relaxation

A stable zone and a stable state of joy are also a state of relaxation. This is often described as "effortless effort," a seemingly contradictory expression. The premise is still the zone, so there is a basic level of concentration, but even in a stable zone, "effort" as concentration is generally unnecessary (depending on the degree of depth). Therefore, while the expression "effortless" is used, the foundation is actually concentration through effort.

Initially, the zone is supported by effort. However, as the frequency and stability of the zone increase, the joy of the zone gradually spreads into everyday life, becoming commonplace. This may seem to eliminate the need for "effort," but in reality, concentration through effort is the foundation.

Therefore, even if experts or masters say things like "it's important to relax" or "don't make an effort," it's necessary to understand the meaning of those words rather than taking them literally. If you simply think, "Oh, I don't have to make an effort," you're misunderstanding the true meaning. What they mean is that the joy of being in a focused state is a stable state.

This is somewhat like revealing the secret, and explaining it like this might be considered a spoiler and make it less interesting for some people. However, nowadays, many people only seek answers and don't think for themselves, so I think it's necessary to provide clear answers.

Originally, to become an expert in something, you need to verify the truth by using your own eyes, hands, and feet, and think with your own mind. You need to accept the results you obtain as truth, and have the attitude of "seeing with your own eyes and thinking properly with your own mind." If that's the case, you would discover these things on your own.

If you simply take what experts say about "relaxing" or "not making an effort" and think, "Oh, that's right!" you'll just become an "idiot who doesn't make an effort." However, people who think for themselves will quickly realize, "Something's not quite right." Of course, there are people who can't notice that.

In any case, as you become more stable in your zone (a state of focus), your joy becomes more stable, and the joy becomes commonplace in your daily life. This is what is metaphorically referred to as "relaxing" or "not making an effort."

This state can be said to be the achievement of the first stage of spirituality.

It's a relatively sufficient achievement to become an expert and reach a state where you can live a vibrant life in your daily life. Even at this stage, you can say that you've achieved quite a bit.

And this is also an achievement of reaching a zone (through focus), and it's also the foundation for the next stage. Whether or not you have this foundation will determine whether you can move on to the next stage of spirituality.

▪️The World of Causal (Cause)

When joy becomes commonplace due to the stability of emotional fluctuations, you are finally ready to enter the world of "cause." This is a term used in spirituality, referring to the causal realm (in English and theosophical terms) or the karana realm (in Sanskrit). In Japanese, it corresponds to "cause" and refers to the realm beyond the emotional realm, but still within the material world. It's the realm of principles, geometry, logic, reason, and understanding.

First of all, if you haven't gone through the emotional stage mentioned above, your "understanding" at this stage will be insufficient. Many people who are involved in spirituality are not prepared for this stage, but they can still understand it intellectually, which can lead them to become overly intellectual. In that case, they may have the illusion of being at the "causal" stage when they haven't yet fully emerged from the emotional world, so be careful.

In spirituality, about 90% or more are at the initial astral stage, so it's rare to reach the "causal" stage.

When the emotional fluctuations become stable and calm, you are finally ready to prepare for the next stage.

1. Realizing that there is a higher consciousness, often referred to as "another heart" or the higher self. Perceiving the existence of a higher consciousness, separate from the ordinary conscious mind (logical thinking, mind), through meditation, etc. This is the beginning of "vipassana" (observation). This is the initial stage of dhyana (meditation) or basic samadhi (trance).
2. Communicating with "another heart," receiving messages, or receiving gifts. Exchanging feelings.
3. Merging with "another heart." The fusion of the conscious mind and the higher consciousness progresses (gradually).
4. Reaching the "consciousness of silence" (the entrance).

From both a logical and a practical point of view, the existence of this kind of "another heart" is an illusion. Because the consciousness was originally so separated, it may appear that a separate heart (higher consciousness) exists, separate from the thinking mind (the ordinary conscious mind). However, this is a relatively transitional stage, and what appears to be separate at first gradually integrates into one consciousness.

Through this process, you will feel the higher consciousness spreading into your daily life.

This stage corresponds to "Vipassana" (observation) in the literal sense (not referring to Vipassana meditation as a school or practice). It directly corresponds to true meditation (Dharana) and Samadhi (the initial stages).

You may or may not feel something like energy, which is called Kundalini, at some point in these stages. In most cases, it's not that Kundalini itself has awakened, but rather that several energy channels (nadis in yoga) in the body have awakened (or become less blocked), allowing energy to flow more easily, either suddenly or gradually. It's often a matter of Kundalini's energy starting to flow a little. In any case, at some point in these stages, the amount of energy increases, and life becomes more active.

Once you reach this point, you can say that you have more than enough of the general spiritual teachings (for most people). Even at this stage, you can live a happy and peaceful life.

From here on, there may be various things like merging with Purusha (the divine spirit) or Kundalini, but basically, if you reach a state of stillness (of varying depths), it may be sufficient for spiritual growth.

Therefore, it's good to study various things spiritually, but the most important thing is to concentrate on something and enter a state of flow. This is the foundation.

It doesn't matter what it is, whether it's a hobby, work, or even studying. The more often you enter a state of flow, and the more stable that state becomes, the more emotional grievances buried deep within you will be resolved and purified. You will feel and resolve these buried emotions one by one in a state of flow.

This stage is sometimes called "Karma Yoga" in yoga. This is often interpreted as selfless service, but the original meaning is that it doesn't necessarily have to be selfless; it simply means not seeking results from actions, leaving the results to God, predicting the results but not controlling them. Whether it's selfless or not is almost irrelevant. It is through such Karma Yoga that you initially experience emotional joy, and then your emotions become calmer and you reach a state of peace before moving on to the next stage.

It is common to mistakenly believe that you have made progress in your practice simply by belonging to a spiritual group. However, how long you have been affiliated with a spiritual organization is not as important as whether you have intensely focused on something, whether it's a hobby, work, meditation, or selfless service in Karma Yoga, and whether you have reached a state of flow and joy. Once you have reached that state of flow and joy, gradually expand it into your daily life. This is the foundation of spirituality. If you meditate, you may move on to the next stage, or you may not, but at least the state of flow and joy is something that everyone desires, and it has no harmful effects. Therefore, even without considering spirituality, it is a good idea to aim for a state of flow and joy. The state of flow and joy can be achieved simply by concentrating on something, so it doesn't matter what it is; the most important thing is to concentrate.

Some people may have already cleared the initial emotional stage from birth, so there may be cases where they immediately move on to the next stage. Conversely, if you have avoided emotional problems since childhood, you may not know how to deal with them and may not be able to move on to the next stage. There may also be cases where you have not yet resolved your emotional problems but have rushed ahead to the next stage. Unless you have already resolved emotional issues (a rare case), if you simply avoid them or skip ahead, you may encounter emotional problems and not know how to deal with them, leading to "easily angered" or "low-tolerance" spiritual experiences. Therefore, unless you have already dealt with them in a past life, it is generally a good idea to resolve emotional issues (by focusing on something and incorporating them) and then move on to the next stage. That is what I personally think.

People who achieve "flow" in their work prioritize work, while those who achieve it in their hobbies prioritize hobbies, and those who achieve it through training prioritize training. This is also true for sports. For example, people who meditate may prioritize meditation (to achieve "flow"), or people who achieve "flow" through yoga (through physical postures) may prioritize yoga. In reality, when it comes to "flow," the type of activity doesn't seem to matter.

To move beyond the stability of "flow," some kind of spiritual practice may be necessary, but generally, achieving and maintaining "flow" is quite sufficient. If you can achieve that, you can devote yourself to things that interest you, your work, or even your studies, and that is enough.

Therefore, there is nothing particularly strange about this. What is generally said in society applies here as well: if you work hard, study, or practice, it will be rewarded. This is not necessarily something that is obtained in the form of money or material possessions, but you can experience "flow," which arises from within yourself, without relying on anyone else. It is something that can be achieved through effort and concentration.

In this society, earning money is highly valued, and those who cannot earn money are often seen as worthless. However, "flow" can only be achieved through effort, and if used effectively, it can lead to better results in earning money or work. However, "flow" itself is not directly related to money, and it is something that you can achieve simply by putting in the effort. Therefore, children (who are not concerned with money), can achieve it through effort, and it can also be achieved through hobbies (without involving money), and it can also be achieved through studying, sports, or anything else if you put in the effort.

Since everyone in this society studies or works, it is the easiest way to achieve "flow" through effort in your studies or work. Since most of our daily time is spent on these activities, if we can achieve "flow" by utilizing what we are doing as an obligation, it would be a great benefit.

Regardless of spirituality, "flow" resolves emotional conflicts and leads to a state of intense concentration, resulting in increased productivity and many other benefits.

The state in which "flow" is stable can be said to be a state of escaping from the state of blind ignorance. Even if there is still much to be done spiritually, this stage corresponds to that escape. Because "flow" has many benefits regardless of spirituality, it is a story that can be generally recommended.

When I talk about this, people who want to create a better reality "easily" ("manifestation" enthusiasts) may be disappointed. Indeed, if "flow" becomes stable and reaches a state of "no effort," that is not necessarily a bad thing. However, achieving the stability of "flow" requires extreme effort and concentration. Once you concentrate and reach a state of "effortless effort" or "relaxation," the "law of attraction" may work to some extent. However, if you have not reached that state, the "law of attraction" will not be effective.

In any case, the first step is to work hard and concentrate to achieve "flow."