Spiritual Vision
Sep 15, 2024 2:53 am
Hi there,
I received an interesting email from a spiritual bookstore about the value of spiritual paintings in supporting spiritual practice, e.g. Gods, saints, mandalas, and other spiritual imagery.
Painting by Adnan Sarhan
Spiritual imagery was used in early Christian communities and became more prominent in the Byzantine Empire as a way to convey religious teachings and excite religious fervor. Since most of the population was illiterate back then, paintings made a lot of sense as a method of communication.
It was still being used in the early years of my Catholic education. For example, the weekly contemplation of the Stations of the Cross (12 paintings or reliefs chronicling Christ's journey to his crucifixion and ascension) was part of my church's yearly Easter ritual. At Christmas time visual representations of the birth of Christ in dioramas and theater performances were and still are common.
The question posed by the email article concerned the value of spiritual imagery in today’s spiritual world.
I thought about Adnan’s use of vision in his spiritual teaching.
Most of us who know him will agree that audio was a far more important method of spiritual arousal than imagery.
Carefully chosen music sets the stage and provides the ambiance and rhythm for the slow-movement breathing exercises. The auditory reverberation of Arabic chants and Adnan's drumming transport us into altered states.
The tone and rhythm of Adnan's deep, resonant voice placed us in the moment and often into a hypnotic trance.
As one of Adnan's story readers, I learned to slow my pace, lower my voice, and seek a rhythm that invited spiritual sleep for my audience. The goal was to bypass the intellect and enter the heart.
Except for those brief moments when a Sufi teacher changes the exercise or when it unfolds without words, the followers tend to keep their eyes shut and focus on the internal landscape of sensation and spirit.
Even when dancing, many of us keep our eyes closed unless we are leading in the middle of the dance circle or playfully dancing with someone else.
If you have ever been to Adnan's Sufi camp or one of his workshops in New York, you are familiar with his ability to shift our attention from the faltering condition of the workshop space. After a few moments of Adnan’s music and movement, we became completely unconscious of peeling paint, dripping faucets, and cobwebbed corners.
However, even Adnan’s Sufi work occasionally utilized visual experiences to activate spiritual connection. His carefully arranged and choreographed dance shows are an example of this. Adnan explained that the movements of the dancer, synchronized with the sounds of his drum, transported the audience into ecstatic states. If you have ever watched Tamsin dance with a veil, you know exactly what that is like.
Veil dancing is another way that Adnan joined vision with movement and sound to promote ecstatic states. When dancing with the veil, you must watch the movement of the veil to adapt your body to its airy rhythm. With eyes open, you can not help but see the swirl of veils surrounding you and be mesmerized by the effect.
Adnan frequently used exquisite visual words to paint a picture of spirit.
"I will fly high like a hawk. I will sway in the space in the air, in between the air. I will soar high. I will rise and ascend. I will float and twist and turn, round and round in a circle that fills my heart with the tantalizing joy of the moment, by being in the moment and in the air, by being everywhere."
From Romeo and Juliet by Adnan Sarhan
The view outside the workroom, especially at sundown, is a physical embodiment of spirit. Adnan often sent us out on the workshop porch to breathe in the mountain through our eyes.
At the end of my first summer, when I lamented my impending loss of the mountain view, Adnan reassured me that with practice, I would be able to take the mountain with me. Nevertheless, I took many photos of the mountain and the sunrise wanting to hold on to this Sufi vision.
How often do I use these photos to connect with the moment? In truth, I more often rely upon Adnan's drumming, chanting, and music tapes than these photographs.
Nevertheless, you may have noticed that I frequently employ imagery in my emails. My words, unable to access music, rely on imagery to connect my readers to Adnan and his spiritual work. Each email I write brings me into the moment with its words and imagery. It is one of my favorite spiritual practices.
Join me for some auditory and kinetic Sufi activities this Sunday, September 15, 8:00 am PDT, and Tuesday, September 17 at 10:30 am PDT.
The Zoom LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88050735178?pwd=zkrVoc4Mtg0pSXtAAWmoCrHWQb2qb1.1
Don’t forget to use the password SUFI all in caps if you are asked for the password.
Be brilliant,
Dr. Michelle
Life Transformation Coach
Empowering Women to Reinvent Their Life After Loss
Secrets of Life and Death
