All matter is subject to the pull of gravity. The gravitational pull of Earth keeps people, animals, vehicles and all other objects on the ground. Without the gravitational force, everything would float around, as happens in outer space.
While the gravitational force is essential for keeping things stable on Earth, going beyond its pull also has its advantages. Gravity weighs one down, while escaping from it enables one to float and move with a lot more freedom. All objects become lighter in outer space, allowing one to move them easily.
The experience of weightlessness in zero-gravity conditions has a parallel in the spiritual world, whereby the soul becomes free of the pull of physical matter, which makes up the body, and experiences freedom and lightness.
Just as astronauts find the experience of weightlessness exhilarating, souls who go beyond the pull of the body into the state of soul-consciousness feel totally relaxed, peaceful and free. It is a state of being in which one is beyond the influence of the physical world. Just as the experience of an astronaut is very much real, soul-consciousness is the real state of the self — it is not the product of imagination. It results from the soul withdrawing its attention from the body, which is its costume, and becoming aware of itself – a sentient point of light full of peace, purity and bliss.
To overcome the gravitational force, spacecraft must reach escape velocity, which is the speed at which objects can break away from the pull of Earth. The soul, too, needs to make some effort to be free from the pull of the body. Regular practice of detachment from the body is needed for this experience.
Detachment from the body does not imply the soul leaving the body, which happens at the time of death. It is a mental exercise wherein one reminds oneself of one’s true identity – ‘I am a soul’ – and remains in that awareness. The soul then experiences itself as a living entity separate from the body.
In this state the soul becomes free from the negativity that comes with body-consciousness, including feelings of attachment, dislike, anger, ego, sorrow, and jealousy. The soul also experiences its innate qualities of purity, peace, and joy.
Regular practice of detachment from the body gradually frees one from its influence, cleansing the soul of negative feelings, memories and traits. As the soul becomes cleaner, it starts feeling lighter, which in turn enables it to rise above the body’s pull more easily.
Over time, as detachment from the body becomes easy and natural, one’s way of looking at oneself and others changes. One ceases to notice differences of gender, race, age, and religion, and sees others as souls. This ends physical attraction, discrimination on the basis of race, religion and gender, and frees one from the mental agitation they cause.
One who reaches this state of awareness experiences constant peace and joy. They achieve mastery over the self, wherein the mind and body function by the will of the soul. This is called self-sovereignty. Such mastery comes from detachment, without which the soul remains subservient to matter.
B.K. Geeta is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.
