SCIENCE of ENLIGHTENMENT (book excerpt)

Have you ever been in a situation of extreme danger.

Where time slowed down?

Everything got peaceful.

And you felt extremely focused and without fear.

And able to respond in a remarkably effective way.

When I ask this question to any large group.

Several People will always raise their hands and say yes.

One woman described going into a state like this when she almost drowned in California's Kern River.

As the result of being so tranquil, and present. She avoided panic and was able to survive the incident.

She added an interesting comment.

If only I could have bottled that state.

I could have addicted the world to it.

People who have experienced this spontaneous state of extraordinary focus often say that it was the most meaningful day of their life.

And that it changed them forever.

Sometimes it happens under circumstances of exceptional stress in sports and combat terminal illness accident or assault.

But it can also happen at the opposite end of the spectrum.

When you're extremely safe and connected say while walking in the forest alone or during a particularly profound experience of making love.

In these circumstances, you again find that time slows down.

Your mind becomes very peaceful.

And you're very present, and focused and unified with what's going on.

What few People realize is that such states of presents and focus are trainable?

You don't have to wait for unusual or extreme conditions in order to experience them.

And it doesn't have to be sporadic or short live.

It can be a permanent abode.

Indeed.

Any person can live their day-to-day life with that level of focus.

In other words.

A person's baseline of focus can be elevated through systematic practice.

The discovery that extraordinary focus can be intentionally cultivated is one of the most significant findings the human species has made.

It has enormous ramifications for both our personal lives and our world.

The systematic training and focus is called meditation practice.

It's the basic tool in the science of in light.