THE NINTH DEPTH
EMPTY

WHAT'S THE DISTANCE?

What is the distance between you and the next body? What is the distance between different emotions? Or distinctly separate thoughts? Is there a way to increase the distance? Is there a way to decrease the distance? True security can be experienced with adequate time and space away from danger, and true comfort can be experienced by being near sources of warmth and nourishment. Finding strategic ways to work with distance will enable you to feel both safe and cared for.

WHERE'S THE CONTINUUM?

Where is the continuous, uninterrupted and unoccupied space? Where is the place in between? Where is there nothing but space or time? Spacetime is an interwoven continuum that lies within and around every single molecule in existence. It is all around you and entirely through you all of the time. Do you notice it? Have you ever tried to detect it? Where is space in your life? Where is the absence of matter? Where is the dark region of no light, no sound, and no disturbance? Where is this vast and silent stillness? Can it be found in your mind?

WHY MEDITATE?

The mind needs to settle, quiet down, and be still for it to truly acknowledge space. Meditating is an opportunity to turn off the noise, symbolically and literally, and come to a place of total and complete stillness. When the mind and body pause, there is a deeper understanding that can be experienced. It is not a sensation (though you may become aware of these); it is not awareness (though you may acquire this). It is simply being. Being one part of an extremely vast universe; just being that part, with no judgment, no expectation, and no action. Meditating provides a way to be one with the infinite.

HOW TO USE YOUR CHRONOMETER

Chronometers were built in the 1700's as a way to determine location in the absence of visible land, such as in sea and later air voyages. These timekeeping devices were kept sealed in a vacuum to avoid external contaminations. The mind too can enter a virtual vacuum, and in the absence of any other body can be used to measure time for the purpose of determining location. The location to be determined is your place in the spacetime continuum. To use your mental chronometer, eliminate all thoughts on any tangible matter; simply open your mind to space itself. Remain in this space as long as it is tolerable. When a thought arises, notice the matter it relates to and return to the space between thoughts. Pay attention to how long it is before a new matter arises. Start a count and keep counting until it's interrupted by a new thought. Note the number you reach each time. If you need a focal point, you can count breaths, heartbeats, or any other rhythmic pattern. The space (or time) between mind-events can be used as a guideline to determine your mental proximity to thought matter. The greater the space (or the higher the count), the further away it is in your mind. Using this method, you can begin to navigate between thoughts, increasing the time between thought matter you'd prefer to be further from and minimizing the time between thought matter you'd like to be closer to. You might just be surprised that the more mental space you create from a thought matter, the further the physical matter actually becomes; and vice versa, the less mental space, the closer it becomes. Navigating by use of these mental coordinates will enable a person to place their thoughts in the most advantageous position.

WHEN PATHOLOGY DISTURBS

Frequent interruptions, constant chatter in one's mind, a lack of serenity, or a grave insistence on doing things can indicate a disturbance at the Ninth Depth. If you've never had the opportunity to experience the space in between the clutter of one's mind (or one's apartment), there is an ultimate intangible existence that you are missing out on. Without space, objects become utterly indistinguishable; it is the separation that grants appreciation and genuine acknowledgment. Over time, excess doing disables the fundamental period of pause, and eliminates much of the joy that can be experienced in life. If you find that pleasure is being squeezed out of your life it could be because there is no space for simply Being.

If any of the following conditions are present, this could indicate a 9th Depth attention requirement: Being overcome. Shallow or irregular breathing. Excessive doing. Over-consumption of resources. Constant mental activity. Unaware of what is happening beyond thought experiences. Being uncomfortable in your body. Agitations. Getting up, moving, changing positions constantly. Inability to sit alone in a quiet room.

WHO CAN HELP?

Depths Mystery offers coaching and practicum services designed to help you empty out matter that is no longer useful. You will be supported in determining what needs voiding in your life to create essential space for mental peace and solitude. The practice of pausing is a discipline worth acquiring, but needs encouragement and reinforcement. A coach can help remind you of its necessity and the rewards in doing so. Send an email to Navigate@The-Depths.com to schedule a session or to inquire about practicum classes for meditation.

Other resources include mindfulness teachers (such as Buddhist leaders), organizational experts who can assist in de-cluttering your environment (which also tends to have a simultaneous effect on the mind), and feng shui practitioners who consciously place and space objects in your living areas.