Spiritual Junkies

While we are in search mode, we have to be watchful of who we allow

ourselves to be guided by, until we have reached a place of psycho-spiritual
maturity. There are far too many individuals that have been spiritually abused
because a teacher believed in his or her own hype and directed seekers to focus
their attention completely on them as opposed to that seekers own spiritual
development. Spiritual junkies are willing to trade in a life long journey of daily
awakening and deepening for a quick throttle of spiritual bliss, and sometimes you
get caught in that trap unconscious that you are even in that state. On a deeper
level, humans desire a sense of connection to something thats real; and we can
become so blinded by our thirst for the juice of life that we dont recognize
whether or not the source of that juice is even an edible fruit.
On a basic level, something magical happens when we find something real in
our lives. And when we incorporate ritual and consecration around that event,
object, or practice, it feels as though we have literally found a portal to heaven
itself. And our ability to share that experience with others, makes it more profound.
If we remove the physical, experiential element away from spiritual practice then
we completely miss what the mystics where trying to convey. One of the more
famous quotes of Yeshua implied that his core mission was to bring abundant life to
those that he could reach with his message. The abundant life that he often referred
to was one that was rooted in the experience of life itself. And life itself is the
substance of the Shaktipat transmission. Now, this may stretch the notion of
Shaktipat but theoretically speaking, if Shaktipat involves transmitting life-force
energy (soul-force) from one being to another then it would not be strange for a
seeker to receive a direct transmission from the source of life itself, being with a

capital B, itself, without the need for another human conduit. Yes-this may strip
the Guru (or Christian prophet, bishop, or apostle), of his or her power, but if we
study the works of the very mystics we quote, many of them agree that what we are
searching for is already within our own hearts.

In Hinduism, the it is believed that power, (shaktipat), can be transmitted in

one of four ways: by look, by thought, by a sacred mantra (word), or by touch. And
in the Christian tradition, the idea of transmitting an energetic burst that enables
the seeker to move into a deeper relationship with the divine within themselves
occurs when one infused with that same grace, lays their hand upon the head of the
recipient. Now, this process is just as controversial in the Christian interpretation as
it is in the more eastern framework. For example, if you attend any charismatic
Christian service, at the end of the sermon, you will probably witness a long line of
seekers, waiting for the mystic-prophet-speaker, to lay hands on them, to borrow
a southern clich. In my own experience, I have been blessed to see some amazing
things that would make Chris Angel go back and study magic for another 20 years,
but I do believe that this is where the danger lies.

Jesse Herriott is a writer & philosopher whose work explores the relationship of the
human experience with experiences of the transcendent. His latest research
focuses on the concept of interspirituality and the RHIMES philosophy, pioneered by

Bishop Craig Bergland. He is an ordained priest in the Universal Anglican Church

completed undergraduate and graduate studies in the Social Sciences & Humanities
from the Univ. of S. Carolina and Keiser University respectively; as well as a Doctor
of Ministry from the Anglican Divinity School. He lectures frequently within
churches, spiritual centers, and career throughout the state of Georgia. He's also a
frequent contributor to unity.org, elephant journal magazine, and a host of other
online publications. His radio show "Living on Purpose" is archived on Unity Online
Radio at: www.unity.fm/program/livingonpurpose and his website is
www.jessherriott.com.