The Aethos: Thoughts and Observations

by Tom Kenyon

My first encounter with the Aethos occurred in 2011during one of my periodic existential funks. After a few hours of self-indulgence in melancholia, one of my Hathor mentors escorted me through the realms of light to the tenth dimension where he instructed me to just “sit” with the Aethos.

I was immediately calmed and soon entered what I recognized to be a type of Samadhi (yogic trance) in which I began to sink deeper and deeper into a non-dual state of consciousness.

The agitation that had so clearly commandeered my mind for several hours suddenly dissipated in a matter of several minutes. And this—no small a feat—had transpired just by me being in the presence of the Aethos.

The idea of non-duality shows up in various perennial philosophies, some of which can be traced back to the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita of ancient India—the non-dual teachings of various mystics and sages as well as the essential teachings of Buddhism, to name but a few.

The Aethos I “sat” with was, as I said earlier, a tenth-dimensional Hathor, and whenever I sense this being clairvoyantly, I clearly see “it” as a ball of light comprised of thirteen counter-rotating spheres embedded within each other. My sense is that the ratios established by these counter-rotating spheres combine to create a non-dual energetic, which is what affected me so strongly.

I refer to this being as “it” because it has no sign of gender. Whereas the Hathors I have encountered in the 4^th through the 9^th dimensions have both a light body that has a gendered anthropomorphic form as well as a geometric configuration of light, the Hathors I have encountered in the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th dimensions present themselves solely as geometric light forms. In other words, they have no body, per se.

The Aethos Sound Meditation

When I recorded The Aethos Sound Meditation, it was this tenth-dimensional Hathor who guided me through the entire process. From an engineering standpoint, it was a fascinating experience.

As I recorded each of the eight tracks that comprise the recording, this being would alter my voice in distinct ways and in distinct ratios to previously recorded sounds. After laying down the foundation tracks I simply layered and looped them, according to “its” guidance, in order to approximate the light fluctuations that comprised “its” being. There was no electronic manipulation of the sound—meaning that I did not alter the EQ in any way, nor was any reverb or other effect applied to my voice. The sounds you hear in The Aethos Sound Meditation are completely natural and devoid of any effect, as hard as it may be to comprehend after listening to it.

Note: A link to this sound meditation appears at the end of this article.

Two Years Later

As I write this, it has been about two years since my first encounter with the Aethos, and I have interacted with this being and with the Aethos Sound Meditation in multiple situations during this period.

I will be addressing some of what I have discovered about this unique sound meditation in the hopes that my observations will benefit those who wish to explore the territory of consciousness that this catalytic sound piece opens.

But before I discuss some of my findings, let’s turn our attention to the original Hathor message of September 20, 2012.

You can find the complete Hathor message (titled The Aethos and Non-Dual States of Consciousness), in the Hathor section of the website (www.tomkenyon.com). What follows below is an excerpt from the original message.

EXCERPT FROM HATHOR MESSAGE OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Mind and Consciousness

“For us, consciousness is transcendent to all phenomena and is not bound by neurological activity in your nervous system.

Furthermore, consciousness is transcendent to both time and space, as you perceive them. And it is through the vehicle of your consciousness that you can travel through energetic vortices that lead outside the constraints of embodied existence.

Mind, as we use the term, refers to the sensory, mental and emotional experiences you have as a result of distinct changes in your nervous system. Indeed, as you read these words, you are creating their meaning through the agency of your physical brain and nervous system.

You are creating the meaning of our words through the window of your mind, but this window is both created and constrained by the limitations of your nervous system.

Our messages are linguistically coded, and at various locations in the syntax (order) of our communications there are vortices—wormholes—through which you can temporarily transcend your mind and enter into the infinite mystery of consciousness.

How We View Higher Dimensions

In our experience of ourselves, we exist within multiple dimensions of consciousness, and depending upon our level of personal evolution we manifest in the fourth through the twelfth dimensions. Through the ninth dimension we can alternate between our anthropomorphic form, which is humanlike in appearance, or our pure light body.

As we shift into the tenth-dimension all connections to our anthropomorphic form dissolve. We become, for all intents and purposes, geometric light forms.

As we progress in our own personal evolution we can express ourselves through the 10th, 11th and 12th dimensions in a multitude of ways.

Each progression upward in consciousness brings with it a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings and all aspects of the cosmos. The odd paradox of existence becomes clearly apparent as we enter into the tenth-dimension.

Interconnectedness and Non-duality

We are sharing this information because something similar occurs for you as you transit into the higher dimensions of your own being. In the tenth through the twelfth Dimensions, awareness of interconnectedness expands, as does an awareness of non-duality—the Mother of All Things.

This is, indeed, the paradox of consciousness we mentioned earlier, and it is one that has been addressed by some of your perennial philosophies.

For us, the attainment of non-duality is not the final destination but rather a cantilever to greater mastery and an understanding of how to create benevolent outcomes.

How We View Non-duality

In a non-dual state of consciousness we, like you, experience a disappearance of opposition. In non-dual states of consciousness, duality—as it is experienced in relative existence—disappears, and we enter into a great sense of centered awareness and serenity.

In the deepest states of non-duality there is only pure consciousness experiencing itself.

It is important to realize that non-dual states of consciousness are relative to the perceiver. Thus, if you experience non-duality through your heart chakra, you may very well experience impersonal love—a deep sense of cosmic connection.

Indeed, in this state of union between non-duality and the heart, you become infatuated with and fall in love with the cosmos. And in that paradox of the heart, you become the Beloved, and everything you see and witness is the Beloved as well.

While this is a beautiful state of consciousness, it is not pure non-duality.

As you move upward into the higher chakras, experiences of non-duality change.

When you reside in the crown chakra, non-duality is experienced in its pure form—pure consciousness aware of itself. There is no sense of a personal self in these higher dimensions of non-duality.

The paradox of creation is that it unfolds from the purest states of non-duality into the most polarized states of existence. Thus, in your consciousness are the two seemingly conflicting states of relative existence (i.e., your embodied life in time and space) and non-dual states of consciousness in which all polarities and conflicts disappear.

Our perspective, as mentioned earlier, is that non-dual states of consciousness are cantilevers to greater mastery of creation and not the end point or the goal of evolution.

Interconnectedness vs. Oneness

It is here we feel it necessary to discuss an important distinction between interconnectedness and the concept of “oneness.” We do not view these two terms interchangeably. There are many different definitions of “oneness” upon the Earth, and so it is not possible to address all the subtleties and distinctions.

We will instead turn our attention to what we consider to be the fundamental distinction. Some persons believe interconnectedness is the same as “oneness” and that as you enter higher states of consciousness and higher dimensions of being, you merge into a blob of light in which all distinctions disappear. This is not our view.

Interconnection or interconnectedness is the recognition that all beings and all aspects of the cosmos are interrelated and at the same time beings have unique differences. These differences are fascinating and unique.

Sometimes they are annoying, and sometimes they are enriching. But these differences are part of the tapestry of manifest reality, and they are not superfluous.

One of the difficulties we see with the concept of “oneness,” as currently propagated by some persons in the New Age and Personal Growth communities, is that the unique differences between people are denigrated, and somehow because everything is “one,” appropriate energetic boundaries between individuals can be, and often are, disregarded.

Furthermore, some individuals use this belief system (i.e., “Oneness”) as an excuse to avoid personal accountability and responsibility. In our experience of ourselves through all dimensions we remain unique individuals, and the higher dimensions of our being do not obliterate our uniqueness but rather present greater opportunities for creation.

The Aethos

We now wish to share with you a means to access one of our greatest cultural treasures, what we call the Aethos (pronounced, AH-EE-THOS).

The Aethos is a bandwidth of consciousness anchored in pure non-duality.

When a Hathor enters into the tenth dimension there are many opportunities and ways of manifesting.

Some of us choose temporarily to join a community of vibration. This community consists of individual Hathors in the tenth, eleventh, twelfth dimensions. These individuals enter into non-duality by their own volition and choose to remain, for a period of time, in this vibration of consciousness for the benefit of other beings.

Most individuals remain temporarily in the Aethos, while a few show no signs of leaving. When a being enters into the Aethos all personal distinctions are set aside. A being that is in the Aethos has no name. All personal identity has been replaced by total immersion into non-duality. These beings “hold” this vibration of non-duality for the benefit of others because non-duality is the Mother of All Things and the underlying fabric of all existence.

To be in the presence of an Aethos is to be raised upward into non-duality.

Your experience of being with an Aethos will differ from another’s experience based upon your own level of evolution and the issues in duality that you are facing.

But regardless of how complex or difficult your personal issues may be, being in the presence of an Aethos will elevate you, and that is why we are sharing this information at this time.

For some of you who are highly advanced, simply hearing the name Aethos and understanding its non-dual nature will be enough for you to move into communion with non-duality through this means.

Many people, however, would find such a path or method intrinsically difficult. And so we are offering a sound treasure to assist you.

This Sound Meditation is an analog of the light realms where the Aethos resides.

The Aethos emits vibrations of light and these vibrations can be stepped down into the audible range of human hearing. Thus, what you will be hearing, when you listen to The Aethos Sound Meditation, is a translation of light into sound. It is the harmonic essence of the Aethos as it manifests in the tenth dimension.

We suggest you experiment with listening to this unique sound treasure in various ways. The first way would be to listen to it with your full attention on the sound. Allow the sound to be the primary focus of your attention, and when your mind wanders bring it back to the sound.

The second way to listen would be with your focus of attention on your heart chakra in the center of your chest.

Then listen to it with awareness in your throat chakra.

Next, listen to it with your focus of attention in your Third Eye (Ajna), located between your eyes at the bridge of your nose.

And then, finally, listen to the Aethos Sound Meditation with your attention in your crown chakra at the top of your head.

Feel and sense the differences that arise when you listen to the Aethos Sound Meditation from these various chakras. Most of you will find that it feels more natural to listen to the Aethos Sound Meditation with your focus of attention in one of your chakras.

It is with pleasure and great expectation that we present to you the Aethos Sound Meditation. We trust that it will bring you a sense of serenity and a greater capacity to deal with the chaotic events of your world.

It is also our expectation that the Aethos will open a path to your own non-duality, and that, as a manifest creator-being, you will bring the two together—the uniqueness of your life and the power of non-duality.

May this union be a boon to you and to all your relations.”

The Hathors

MORE THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

First of all, I think a bit of caution is in order for those who choose to work with the Aethos Sound Meditation. And this caution is a bit paradoxical.

While the sound meditation is an expression of non-dual consciousness, which will lead you into a direct experience of non-duality and serenity… listening to the sound piece can sometimes produce varying degrees of psycho-spiritual detoxification depending upon how much “stuff” you are dealing with and how often you listen to the sound meditation.

After releasing the Aethos Sound Meditation via a Hathor Planetary Message, we received hundreds of emails from all over the world. People were sharing, and continue to share, their experiences with this enigmatic sound piece.

Many people report that the Aethos Sound Meditation is deeply calming and emotionally nourishing.

Some report that the sound meditation takes them into profound states of non-duality where the conflicts in their lives are momentarily suspended. These persons also report that while listening to the Aethos, they enter into very expanded states of awareness and transcend their usual perceptions of time, space and location.

From the standpoint of transpersonal psychology, I would say that these individuals experienced non-localized consciousness.

By non-localized, I am referring to an aspect of consciousness that is not bound or limited by the sensory input of their nervous systems. What do I mean by this?

In our everyday life, our nervous systems receive a constant input of information via our five senses. This input is critical to our biological survival and to our successful navigation of the physical world we live in.

This is localized awareness, and without it we would not survive very long in this world.

There is however, seemingly, another aspect of consciousness that is not bound by time and space or by the constraints of our sensory nervous system. This non-localized aspect of consciousness has been described by many mystical and religious traditions since time immemorial. Indeed the existence of non-localized consciousness is a corner stone of many perennial philosophies.

Toward the end of this article, I will briefly address some of the scientific conundrums that surround the idea of non-localized awareness. But for the sake of further discussion let us say that such a state of consciousness (transcendent to our everyday perceptions of time, space and location) does, in fact, actually exist.

While many people who listen to the Aethos Sound Meditation report experiencing this transcendent state of awareness and its associated emotions of peace, serenity and deep wellness, some report disturbing emotional material (i.e., anger, sadness, agitation, etc.) coming to the surface of awareness.

This seems odd given that non-dual states of consciousness are, by their very nature, calming and serene. What’s happening here?

Vibrational States of Mind

In my opinion, the Aethos Sound Meditation resides in a very high vibratory state. In this instance I am not talking about “pitch” (as in physics), but rather a type of mental/emotional awareness I call a psycho-spiritual state. By the term psycho-spiritual state, I mean an altered state of awareness that might have been triggered by such things as meditation, contemplative prayer, high ritual, mind altering sound and music, psychoactive substances, or even a life-altering event that temporarily suspends one’s normal sense of reality and connects the individual to the numinous or transcendent (i.e., non-localized) realms of consciousness.

While most persons associate the term spiritual with religion, I differentiate between the two.

Spiritual states of consciousness have a compassionate and life-positive quality that affirms the individual in some way. In some spiritual traditions, this affirmation of the individual is called redemption or grace. While this type of redemption or grace often seems to originate from a “savior” or spiritual being, it just as often originates from a direct experience of interconnectedness with the cosmos—without the need for an intercessor. These types of psycho-spiritual encounters often bring with them feelings of wellness and a deep sense of peace.

When a person experiences a powerful mind altering psycho-spiritual state, it can lead the individual directly into the numinous transcendent realms. Sometimes, however, it stirs up suppressed emotions and/or negative thought-forms that the person has been harboring unconsciously.

In these instances, instead of being elevated by the encounter, the person feels the emotional burden of unresolved issues.

Perhaps an experience I had when I was in my twenties might help to clarify what I mean here.

When I was 26, I went to see a gifted psychic-healer who worked by opening his clients’ heart chakras. During my first session, he used his hands to channel energy into my chest without ever actually touching me. I felt a distinctly warm and soothing energy enter my chest, and I also clairvoyantly “saw” in my “mind’s eye” a white light entering my heart as well.

It was a beautiful spring day and I walked home from my session feeling completely open to the world. It felt as if the entire world was inside my heart chakra, which had seemingly expanded to include the entire universe. I marveled at this open permeability to the world and the sense that my heart had expanded so far. At the same time, my intellect was mulling over the experience not knowing quite what to make of it. After all, logically speaking there was no way my heart chakra, if indeed there was even such a thing as a heart chakra, could expand to include the entire universe.

Nevertheless, the perception lasted for several hours. And then suddenly without warning I felt myself very small and anxious. Then I felt quite sad. All of this was new to me, and I didn’t know what to make of it. It took several days for these disturbing feelings to pass. But pass they did, and on the other side of the experience I felt more whole emotionally speaking.

Many years later I would come to understand that every emotion has its own distinct vibratory rate, spiritually speaking that is. And I would eventually apprehend how highly charged spiritual states could trigger the release of suppressed emotions.

The concept of psycho-spiritual states as catalysts for emotional purification is wonderfully summed up by a simple metaphor, which you may have come across as it is used a lot in personal growth circles.

Our emotional stuff (meaning suppressed emotions, memories and negative thought-forms) is like mud at the bottom of a barrel. After a while the water becomes clear. But if something comes along and stirs the water, the mud comes up to the surface from the bottom. And what was clear is now muddied.

If an individual experiences emotional purification from a highly charged psycho-spiritual encounter and doesn’t understand the process, he or she might misinterpret the mental/emotional purification. He or she might deem that the whole experience is a negative one, when in point-of-fact, it is positive one—meaning that it is ultimately leading to a positive outcome, namely a return to greater wholeness.

I feel that the relationship between spiritual experience and emotional clearing is so important, I wrote an article about it—Psycho-spiritual Detoxification, which you can read in the Articles section of the website (www.tomkenyon.com).

A few decades after that experience of emotional purification in my twenties, I gained a deeper insight into the process through the lens of scientific research into the energetic effects of different emotions.

To summarize a large and diverse body of information, emotional states can be divided into two categories: coherent and incoherent.

Coherent emotions such as joy, love, appreciation and gratitude positively affect our immune systems and even our problem solving abilities. The positive effects of these types of emotions on wellness and problem solving have, by the way, been well documented and continue to be studied by researchers in a wide range of disciplines.

Those readers interested in the science behind this research may find the on-going work of The Heart Math Institute and the pioneering work of the cell biologist, Bruce Lipton, as well as the ingenious approach of Dan Winter and the Implosion Group helpful.

While coherent emotions tend to increase wellness, incoherent emotions such as anger, hatred and resentment—to name but a few—can decrease wellness and affect brain processing in negative ways.

That last paragraph is based, by the way, on some of the latest research into the physical and psychological effects of emotional states that I mentioned earlier. While those statements are scientifically based, my next comment is not. It is personal opinion based on decades of exploration into the nature of psycho-spiritual experiences and the numinous nature of human consciousness.

Incoherent emotions, whether conscious or unconscious, hinder us from connecting with the numinous realms of human experience. And herein lies the kernel of the paradox when it comes to psycho-spiritual states.

During or after a strong mystical encounter (i.e., a high-energy psycho-spiritual state) one person might very well connect with feelings of agape (divine love) and experience himself or herself immersed in a universe filled with love. At the same time, however, another person might experience the exact opposite and find him or her self submerged in a type of existential hell world.

In my opinion, these two opposite psychological states can be partially explained by the interaction of two factors—1) the intensity of the psycho-spiritual encounter itself and 2) the depth of unresolved/un-owned psychological material.

If the emotional underworld of an individual is conflicted, a spiritual encounter (a highly charged psycho-spiritual experience) can open a proverbial Pandora’s Box of toxic emotions.

I became intrigued by this psychological dichotomy over three decades ago and wrote an article about it, called The Myth, The Hero and The Lie, which you can find in the Articles section of this website.

In my opinion, incoherent emotions such as anger, jealousy, hatred, etc., are an indisputable reality in the pantheon of human feelings. In other words, these emotions arise from time-to-time whether we like it or not.

Some incoherent emotions (such as anger) are authentic emotional responses to a perceived violation of personal boundaries. As such, they are mammalian emotive-protectors of personal autonomy. Furthermore, if incoherent emotions such as anger are wielded appropriately they can, in my experience, lead to personal growth and transformation.

If, however, incoherent emotional states are indulged too freely, they can easily become habitual responses (destructive habits) that can dim our capacity to sense the world in other ways.

This may be why many spiritual traditions and various religions, as well as some neuropsychologists, advise us to cultivate joy, appreciation, gratitude and compassion in our lives. These coherent emotional states are direct pathways, at least in my experience, to the sense of deep interconnectedness and wellness that characterize authentic spiritual states of mind.

Listening Strategies for Emotional Detox

Let us now turn our attention to the practical matter of how to manage “negative” material should it arise while listening to the Aethos Sound Meditation.

As I mentioned, earlier, many people report direct access to non-dual states of mind while listening. Many persons also report a deep sense of serenity.

But some report a plethora of negative thoughts, emotions and at times even uncomfortable physical sensations. If you experience this type of phenomena while listening, then I suggest the following course of action:

Stop listening completely and take a few days off. Then when you listen to the sound meditation again, limit your listening to about two and half minutes. This would mean that you would stop listening about halfway through the five-minute version of the sound meditation.

If you are using the Aethos meditation CD, do not listen to the thirty-minute version. This is because the longer you listen to the sound meditation, the more emotional material it can stir up. It is best to take baby steps at first.

If you experience emotional material and/or psycho-spiritual detox after listening to the sound piece for just two and a half minutes, then you probably have a lot of emotional issues that need to be dealt with.

It is not in the scope of this article to address such matters, because they can be quite complex. However, many people report help in this regard by working with the Hathor Heart Chakra Healing Sound Meditation, which is available free of charge in the Listening section of the website (www.tomkenyon.com). A link to this sound meditation appears near the end of this article.

In addition, many people with emotional issues say they have been greatly assisted by working with the CD, Freedom To Be/Freedom To Change, which is available in both CD and mp3 formats in the Store section of the website (www.tomkenyon.com). This recording uses spoken Ericksonian imagery with psychoacoustic music to facilitate the transformation of mental and emotional issues.

In some cases, suppressed emotional material may be too much for a person to deal with on his or her own. If this is true for you, you might benefit from counseling to address the issues with a well-trained professional.

Manifesting

The Aethos Sound Meditation is a wonderful tool to alter consciousness for the purpose of manifesting positive outcomes. And for those interested in such matters, the sound piece is well worth exploring in this context.

The Hathors describe the use of this sound piece as a means for creation in their November 15, 2012 message entitled Non-duality and the Matrix of Creation, which you can find in the Hathor Archives of the website (www.tomkenyon.com).

I imagine that some persons reading this may wish to jump right into experimentation with the Aethos sound piece as a means to facilitate the manifesting process. But I would first urge you to master the use of the Aethos Sound Meditation to enter non-dual states of consciousness first—as this level of mastery is required to successfully manifest without undue negative consequences. What I mean by this is that manifesting anything in a dualistic reality (i.e., the world we live in) can lead to an arising of opposing forces. By entering a state of non-duality and creating outcomes from this non-dual state of mind, the reaction of counter-forces to your creations can be greatly reduced.

Since we are on the topic of manifesting, and the Hathors’ views regarding this innate human ability, I will mention a set of workshop recordings from a Hathor Intensive called The Art of Seeding New Realities.

This workshop was the source of all the Aethos information, and it was preparation for this workshop that initiated my very first contact with the Aethos to begin with—as I described at the beginning of this article.

This 10 CD set is a step-by-step journey into a powerful method for manifesting positive outcomes that the Hathors first presented publically in 2012. The set also includes several potent Hathor sound meditations that will empower you to enter highly creative states of consciousness.

I personally think anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Hathors’ approach to creation would find this set of CDs indispensable. You can find more information about this set of recordings, which is titled The Sphere of All Possibilities in the Store section of the website (www.tomkenyon.com).

Greater Context

The Aethos information originally given by the Hathors, as well as the sound meditation itself, is part of a large body of information that was imparted by the Hathors over the course of several messages. The titles and links to those messages appear below. Those readers who wish to understand the broad body of knowledge from which the Aethos Sound Meditation arises would, I think, be greatly enriched by reading these previous messages.

If you are reading this on our website, the underlined links will take you directly to the article. If you are reading this off-line, you can find all of these Hathor messages in the Hathor section of the website (www.tomkenyon.com)

The Art of Jumping Timelines	August 3, 2010
Transition States of Consciousness	April 20, 2011
The Sphere of All Possibilities	August 18, 2012
Non-duality and the Matrix of Creation	September 20, 2012
The Aethos and Non-dual States of Consciousness	November 15, 2012
The Transformation of Self-Limiting Thought Forms	February 20, 2013
The Healing Power of the Human Heart	April 13, 2013
Orchidium	June 27, 2013

This completes my thoughts and observations, as well as my practical suggestions, regarding the use of the Aethos Sound Meditation. I trust that you will find the Aethos sound piece as transformational and beneficial as I have.

Scientific Considerations

Earlier in this article, I said that I would address some of the scientific conundrums around the concept of non-localized consciousness. If you aren’t interested in such matters, then I would just skip this last section as it does not deal directly with the Aethos Sound Meditation but with intellectual considerations surrounding non-localized states of mind.

From the standpoint of modern neuropsychology, the verdict is not yet in regarding the actual existence of non-localized consciousness.

In point of fact, the bulk of neuropsychological researchers tend to believe that non-localized awareness is a type of mental mirage and that there is no aspect of consciousness that operates independently of brain function.

They point out, quite accurately, that when a portion of the brain is destroyed through accident or illness, the mental capacities associated with that area disappear. Ipso facto, our experience of the world (and ourselves) is, in their view, solely dependent upon proper brain function.

There is, however, another group of neuropsychological researchers who propose that non-localized consciousness does, in actuality, exist. They point to two areas of human experience as significant indicators—namely remote viewing and near death experiences.

The first area of human consciousness that seemingly points to the truth of non-localized awareness is remote viewing.

In remote viewing, an individual is trained to relax body and mind in such a manner that he or she can get mental impressions of distant objects.

Researchers have placed these remotely viewed objects at varying distances from the viewer. Sometimes they were in the next room. Sometimes they were miles away. In every instance of successful remote viewing, the individuals were able to describe aspects of the object that they could not have seen with their physical eyes. How on earth did they do this?

Researchers who contend that we have a non-localized aspect of consciousness that operates outside the constraints of our physical nervous systems point to remote viewing as a vindication of their views.

The second area of human consciousness that seemingly points to the existence of non-localized awareness can be found in near death experiences.

In many (but not all) near death experiences, the person undergoing the experience often recalls events during his or her death that cannot be explained by the current neurological model of human consciousness (i.e., there can be no consciousness without brain function).

In these instances, the person is clinically dead meaning that there is no measurable brain activity. There is presumably no sensory input into the brain or if there is, there are no functioning brain cells to receive the information.

Yet after such a near-death experience, some individuals are able to accurately describe what was happening around them when they were clinically dead. And in some cases, their memories are strangely accurate—down to what those around them said and even what clothes they were wearing. In some instances, the previously “dead” person can even describe what those around them were thinking at the time.

How could such information be retrieved if the person was brain dead?

Those researchers who postulate the existence of non-localized awareness say that these types of incidents vindicate their views.

But there is an inherent problem when we view near death experiences via the scientific process.

This is because the scientific method requires replication of experiments to verify that the same results are obtained each time. In these types of experiments, all variables are controlled to the greatest extent possible. Since the moment of a human being’s death is fairly unpredictable, such experiences are, by their very nature, un-replicable.

This poses a huge problem for those conducting this type of research.

I suspect that some type of methodology will develop in the future that will allow science to more accurately study the phenomena around near death experiences and non-localized awareness, but at the moment—at least from the scientific perspective—the last vote has not yet been counted.

Final Thoughts

Over these many years, I have had many non-localized experiences, beginning with a spontaneous Samadhi (yogic trance) when I was eighteen years old. Indeed, this non-ordinary experience set the course of my life in many ways. It sent me on a journey to understand what had happened to me in that moment of blissful transcendence and what its relationship was to my day-to-day human experience of the world. It drove me on a quest into every major spiritual and mystical tradition I could find, and finally into neuroscience and quantum physics as a means to explain the inexplicable.

For what it is worth, I believe that yes, our experience of the world is based upon and defined by our brain function. I also believe, however, that there are aspects of our being that transcend brain function, transcend our biology and even transcend our perceptions of time and space.

Links to the Sound Meditations:

The links below will take you to the two sound meditations mentioned in this article. After you click on a link, you will be taken to the Listening Agreement page. Once you agree to the listening terms, you will have access to all the audio files, which you are free to use for your own personal listening. Just scroll down to find the title of the sound meditation you wish to hear.

Click here to listen and/or download the Aethos Sound Meditation

Click here to listen and/or download the Hathor Heart Chakra Healing Sound Meditation