What is the "Highest" Spiritual State? How can I reach the Now? - Jeff Foster

From a live Q&A session.
"You can't be in or out of the Now when you ARE the Now!"
Join Jeff's membership community for regular live meditations, talks and Q&A on self-acceptance, healing and the ups and downs of spiritual awakening: jefffosteronline.com/
Jeff talks about the paradox and mystery of being in the Now, out of the Now, and being the Now itself! He talks about how his 'spiritual search' fell away, leaving only the great Mystery of life itself. And how having a cup of tea is the 'highest' spiritual experience of all, when experienced from Presence.
This Q&A session was recorded live in January 2023.

[@EmmanuelleErrera]

Not that long ago I was playing a game of scrabble with my friend and her old mum and it was "shockingly sacred". "Me" is where the now can experience itself in its most loving, complete way, and it is so raw, so in the flesh, in the cells, in the core structure of the manifested, with which we are one. The immediacy of experience is constantly calling for our attention so we can be so intimate with it, so close. I as dive deeper, I can accept more of it, with less contractions, with a more relaxed nervous system, whatever life's throws at me, as if it is a daring game, how far can you go into life itself? Thank you, and much love to you x

[@noellemore6578]

Thank you for sharing, I used to play scrabble with Mom. 💕

[@sudis664]

Ich bin so glücklich über deine neue Ausrichtung! Danke!

[@goych]

Nice to see you back in your groove Jeff ❤️❤️❤️

[@noellemore6578]

Hi Jeff, thank you for these videos, including the one about boredom. I have had such shame around it. Today I have to have my beloved kitty down. Thank you for helping me get through this moment. 🙏♥️🕊🐱

[@lumina9995]

😥I'm so sorry

[@aidenarmin]

Life makes you humble and I love that. The most boring basic things are a miracle and breathes peace.

[@koolyman]

Everything that we want is already here

[@TheBhannah]

I am now , you are now , there is only now !

[@mariadolenc5911]

Dear Jeff. This is so in line with where I am and I am soooooo , soooo grateful for your post. Love from Sydney. 🤗♥️🙏🏾

[@marleenengbers4058]

So good to see you recoverd and are doing well! Xx

[@emilobe]

Oooh Yes! 🥰

[@Wendy63Lorraine]

We are always in the now. Spot on description, we are infinitely present all the time, even when we are creating a concept in our minds or when we recall our memories from our memory banks we are choosing it now. We can over complicate our judgments. Judgements are all retrievals of of old memories. They are not real.

[@hoonazghojallu2551]

Simple and beautiful! Thank you

[@suziegregoire4329]

Just WoW , I relate so much to that…sitting with my dog is the best sacred moment to me

[@Gaurav.P0]

Beautiful video 😍

[@SzanownyPielgrzym]

Your understanding is not required ❤

[@debihirsch7251]

I look forward to the webinar!

[@clausklinckwort]

I love you Jeff, you really really help me. Thanks for sharing and for being who you are

[@BudimoKanalas]

I feel the same, thank you for this sacred reflection.

[@jaxsonlee05]

« …knowing on a cellular level that the sacred is found in the ordinary. » Yes…I can hear you now…after a lot of the false beliefs have finally fallen away.. and a lot of trauma has been healed, I can hear what you are saying. One think I can see clearly in that way is spiritual bypassing. I can go to grounding myself as I can in the moment, being in the moment orienting to my body and the breeze on my skin. Spiritual bypassing can be very compelling. It carries a lot of weight. It can be very baffling. And then there’s dance of the anger of having believed all that stuff and, that it was only the way my nervous system was protecting me from too much intensity attempting to release trauma.

[@johnjacquard863]

hearing miles davis play trumpet one the highest spiritual experiances! lol :D

[@sannemaartjehuisman1344]

Thank you ❤️

[@sallyarterton2702]

Meditation is what we are, not what we do 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@andreasrylander]

Your videos are really helping "me". Thank you. :)

[@phoenixrising1675]

and NOW I will go to the breath and work it for 22 minutes. and then the cold bath.. and the NOW after that is so much better because the brain stem has been stimulated and there is an opportunity to feel the gratitude of petting my cat and dog.....

[@melissawoff2]

Hi Jeff.. Great to see you! Can you describe THE NOW ..Just the best you can😉

[@oneconsc3333]

Attainment is a kin to attachment. There is nothing to attain or expect to happen at some time in the future. There isn’t anything except presence. Keep the mind here always. Yes, this takes practice. We’ve been deeply programmed to keep busy. Everything exists in the now, the only thing that isn’t is our thoughts. Everything is conceptual 🙏🏼💜🇨🇦

[@of8ightandse7en16]

quit ur job and leave everything. quit the internet and enjoy ur Now. but no, you're going to chase, attain and desire things.

[@tycoleman6041]

thanks for this.... it becomes a small battle that one should or shouldnt meditate. it feels at this stage that it isnt at all needed and just cruise control seems more centered rather than trying to "become centered" if you will lol

[@monicawelsing9717]

I could fly 🙏

[@oneconsc3333]

😂😂😂so true, I get into that state of looking back 2 years and thinking I was “more” spiritual or more connected to Source... it’s not good😊

[@evertjhertsenberg]

Being in the Now. This makes it a doing.. concept..idea. Skip the Now. There is just being.

[@MateuszSikora1]

so the pain comes from not looking into world outside but looking into thoughts ? IF yes, than what is the quickest way to stop doing this not just for a minute but permanently

[@ibrahimvarachhia]

In Sufi tradition it is called maarifa or state of fana.

[@jannie6359]

Jeff i wonder if our imperfections and addictions are so perfect for our Souls to know these imperfect states. How else can it know these states but through us?

[@jannie6359]

Sometimes i ask. "God. Do youl love me ?"

[@johnjacquard863]

ive spent the last couple years meditating and hard to put into words but went through kind of 3 stages awakeing, then realization then liberation ( and its never ending non journey) but just was wondering if you go large time periods not being arounbd any people at all there still conditioning patterns to me things are jsut allowed to be whatever happens liberation does not mean everything is bliss all the time. the bliss comes and goes .

[@johnjacquard863]

with liberation there always conditioning patterns that will continue to fall away still ( an ever happening) and with liberation it's not always pure bliss, anythiing can happen reality is unconditionally free its not a certain way (ex all joy) but to me anyway the aspect of liberation is the presence is so close there isnt any distance there nobody taking ownership these vibrations rise and crash the whole thing is you and me. ( difficulty can still exist for example but there is a beauty in that moment of discomfort its allowed to be what it is nobody trying to run from it)

[@stephenmalcolm4798]

My Depression and Anxiety conditions get in the way... how does one overcome such emotional hypervigilance? I've been like this as long as I can remember, and actively working on it for 35 years, including medications, therapy, and taking on the Great Spiritual Quest, yet as I try to "go Deeper" (yes, merely a concept but I still need language to explain) it merely seems to get worse. I would love to hear how the mentally ill can deal with their intensely variable emotional states better and actually feel self-worth! My continued lack of self-worthiness is at a very scary and threatening stage. Jeff, or anyone else, any wise words? I recognize that I am merely using language and concepts to explain what it feels like for me now emotionally, so telling me not to have these concepts in my mind is of minimal help. I would love to know how to get rid of such conditions of my mind, as I feel that it is a major obstacle for me and many others.

[@jagkaley]

Move from ego to surrendering to a power greater than yourself ….stop trying to heal it and let go

[@stephenmalcolm4798]

@JAG KALEY Thanks very much for replying! Yet how does one move away from ego (I've been working on that for a couple of years) when the strength of the natural physiological reactions to stressors gets in the way? That is where I am stuck. My body physically reacts, and I cannot control the resulting neurological state. How is "detachment" from neurotransmitters running wild possible? That is what I fail to understand.

[@stephenmalcolm4798]

@@jagkaley I understand what you are saying. That is the direction I am trying to move in. It is just so difficult and painful at this point in my "progress," and I have a lot of trouble accepting that I "Was Never Broken" (current reading material). It is not easy, but I do appreciate your compassion, encouragement, and taking the time to try to help a troubled Quester! ✌️❤️🕊

[@jagkaley]

Hey Stephen yes I hear you very painful experince I can hear your earnest searching and I acknowledge all the efforts you have made , the path is not easy hence why many stay with the herd but you are trying and that’s all we can do , grace can enter our life’s at any point ( or not ) and untill that helps comes we keep doing the best we can with an attitude of optimism, hope and lots of faith and even then it’s gonna hurt , these are just words from my experience and they may help they may not , just stay with it , be gentle with yourself when you can ( not always easy ) keep your determination but also take comfort breaks …the breakthrough you are searching for you is also seeking you 👍

[@phoenixrising1675]

I too have suffered from depression. and concepts just don't work... what I have found has worked is physical discipline in the form of an intense breathing practice and cold therapy.. the brain stem is stimulated and those hormones that we so need to uplift our mood are released. I make myself do it and it works and then these concepts start to make more sense...any kind of yoga, breath work and cold therapy release dopamine and there is immediate relief... I practice Wim Hoff breathing and cold therapy and feel sooooo much better.... I hope this helps...

[@vanessadias9525]

Hahaha

[@Seanb33ee]

Ow now brown cow

[@LTTPUK]

You can't access the now when you're hypervigilant. Too much scanning for threat, limbic system out of whack.

[@stephenmalcolm4798]

This is exactly how my Depression and Anxiety conditions get in the way... how does one overcome such emotional hypervigilance? I've been like this as long as I can remember, and actively working on it for 35 years, including medications, therapy, and a Great Spiritual Quest, yet as I try to "go Deeper" (yes, merely a concept but I still need language to explain) it merely seems to get worse. I would love to hear how the mentally ill can deal with their intensely variable emotional states better and actually feel self-worth! My continued lack of self-worthiness is at a very scary and threatening stage. Jeff, or anyone else, any wise words? I recognize that I am merely using language and concepts to explain what it feels like for me now emotionally, so telling me not to have these concepts in my mind is of minimal help. I would love to know how to get rid of such conditions of my mind, as I feel that it is a major obstacle for me and many others.

[@RLWarrior]

I can relate to your story. I’ve struggled with anxiety/depression for over 30 years. I’ve read so many books and watched tons of videos, tried different therapies. Things seemed to shift for me when I started to investigate who I am. Am I my thoughts? Am I the thinker of thoughts? If so, why would I choose to ever think thoughts that disturb me? Am I my body? Am I these feelings? Am I what happened? All these experiences come and go. What remains?