A  Little  Technique One can easily imagine that the awakening of  the sixth sense is  far from  being immediate. Noticing  its  first  fleeting appearance, then mastering and using it,  takes long years of  spiritual practice articulated around some very  old  techniques that  are to  be  found under various names in  all  mystic schools, from  Indian yoga to the Tibetan lamas’ initiation. The physical senses must be put to  sleep by  means of  the faculty of imagination, so that senses of  the soul can emerge when the physical senses are pacified and numbed.  The first  technique, and probably the best known, is  meditation. This is the act of  depleting the spirit and  successively neutralizing the  ordinary  senses until  something triggers and tilts  furtively  the  spirit  in  the  other world,  a  world  of dreams and visions, full  of  teachings and senses.

The secondtechnique complements the first. It  is concentration, which may be divided into two  practices: visualization (called fikr  by  the Sufis and mandala by  the yogis); and mental repetition (called zekr by  the Sufis and mantra by  the yogis). Visualization uses mental projections. as detailed as possible, of  a person, place, or other object. In  general, the Sufi visualizes his master, whose mental image he places in his hear1, in himself, in order to identify with  him. The principle is that if  the visualization is cor:rectly done, it  comes to an  invisible connection between the visualizing and the object of visualization; in  this case, between the Sufi and his guide. This connection is fundamental, because as soon as the soul comes out of the body (in  a  state of  meditation or  in  dream), it  joins  the soul of  the guide, in  order to use its energy, wisdom and protection. This connection is one of  the pillars of  the Sufi’s spiritual life.  It  leads to  an immense spiritual love between master and student, as was, for exampfe, the case between Mowlana Rumi and Shams of  Tabriz. Mental repetition, or zekr, consists of  a shorl phrase repeated mentally  a certain number of  times, sometimes hundreds, according to the  expected results.

For  the purpose of  zekr, the  Sufi  generally holds a  sort of  rosary that he uses as a rhythmical support for  his silent repetition. The  principle here is  that, in  the  long  run,  this repetition produces a vibration that can be very powerful, according to the chosen zekr –  the yogis call it  mantra, but the principle is the same. This vibration has very imporlant effects on the Sufi and environment: heartbeats align with  the rhythm of  the zekr, andthese vibrations act on ceftain endocrinal glands of  the reptilian brain orpaleocortex. This is the oldest and most primitive part of  the brain, which controls, as its name suggests, such basic functions as hunger, temperature, sleep, as well as the primitive drives, such as sexuality  and aggressiveness of  the individual. Thus, a  well-trained Sufi  can completely control his  physical body and his deepest drives. of  his He can put his senses to  sleep in  order to allow the emergence sixth sense. The combination of these methods makes it possible for him  to  sink, whenever he wishes, into  a  state of  autohypnosis that immediately produces the exit of  the soul from  its physical prison.

Less Egotistical, More Altruistic This  conscientious control of  the  Sufi  over his  reptilian brain neutralizes his animal and egotistical drives. This allows him to become a  “better” person: less wild;  more human; less egoistical and more altruistic; less materialistic and more spiritual. This transformation is  called the “Essential Evolution.” The Essential  Esevolution is, thus, an inner transformation, focused on the process of  soul-making and away from  all  appearances. Achievement of  this  evolution is  the main goal of  Sufism. Once all animal aspects are controlled, the Sufi is transfotmed: he is a new man who  can leave his body whenever he wants and transport himself to those high levels. Through his connection to his master, he will  be sent to  seek counsel, to get help for  his fellow men and for  further progress towards self-knowledge and knowledge of  the universe.

By:Dr. Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh