The simple state of awareness

To enter a state of silence you must shut off all sensory input as much as possible. All outer distractions must be minimized to the point where you realize that you are watching your thinking from a place of detached awareness. This separation is critical to reaching a point of detachment from your outer identity and becoming aware of awareness within you.

Visualization is not meditation, it is the mind and imagination using imagery to influence thought. It is helpful in quieting the mind, but it is still placing attention on the mind. Hypnosis can help to quiet the mind and explore the unconscious, but it does not create a state of awareness, because it is still working with thought and the mind. Awareness is only achieved when you go beyond the mind entirely. It is not an idea within you, but a realization beyond all thought of the higher or more aware you.

Your mind will make this all seem very difficult, but in reality it is very simple. Strip off all attention to outer stimuli, do not identify with thoughts and simply BE. Focus attention on the breath and feel it. If you achieve detachment from all outer stimuli and thought, awareness will begin the moment you stop thinking about it and allow yourself to just BE.

When you encounter strong emotions or chaotic states of mind do not fight them, let them be and observe them. Your mind will always want your awareness to be more difficult than it is, so be aware of that. The key is to ALLOW yourself to BE without any identification at all to anything other than your awareness that you are alive. This is the simple state of awareness and the door to your eternal beingness.

Meditation is allowing yourself to become aware.