Spiritual awakening is the discovery of a sacred dimension of our own being that is unconditional, meaning it’s not dependent on something else. We’re discovering that life, existence, our very own being, who we are in our essence is sacred, divine, extraordinary, and beautiful beyond comprehension. When we accept that that’s what this life always already is, it transforms our entire experience of being alive. —Craig HamiltonIn this episode, Craig dives deep into the true meaning of happiness. Our happiness usually seems to fluctuate depending on our circumstances or how we feel. But what if genuine happiness didn’t depend on anything outside of us? Imagine being so deeply aligned with the fundamental "Yes" at the heart of life that nothing could overshadow your profound sense of well-being. This radical possibility, which Craig refers to as “unconditional happiness,” is the essence of true spiritual freedom. He explores this concept, showing how meditation can help us move beyond the fleeting highs and lows of conditional happiness into a stable awareness of the inherent goodness of life itself.Toward the end of the episode, Craig guides you through a short meditation, helping you to step directly into this experience and align with the deeper truth of spiritual freedom through your practice.If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

Non-dual spiritual practice and non-dual spiritual awakening isn’t only about coming to know awareness or consciousness in its pure form. That’s just the first step. Ultimately, real non-dual practice and non-dual awakening is a practice of recognizing that everything that arises in your meditation is equally an expression of that sacred essence. Everything that arises in your meditation is already enlightened. It’s a manifestation of the enlightened mind. —Craig HamiltonIn “Beyond Duality: Seeing the Sacred in Everything,” Craig takes us on a journey into the heart of spiritual awakening—the realization that the sacred is always present, not just in extraordinary moments, but in every moment.Many of us have glimpsed a sublime, sacred dimension of being, only to feel it slip away in the rush of everyday life. These extraordinary moments often seem distant from the ordinariness of our daily routines. However, as we deepen our meditation practice, we begin to realize that even the most mundane aspects of our experience are infused with that same sublime essence.In this episode, Craig guides us in understanding that this realization—known as “nonduality”—is not something we stumble upon by chance. Through a specific set of practices, we come to see that every experience can be a gateway to the infinite, revealing the sacred essence that is always present in every moment.If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.comDiscover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Programhttps://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/

“Emptiness doesn’t mean there’s not a self. It doesn’t mean you’re not a person. It’s the discovery that what we really are is an interdependent web of complex processes that arise in our body, in our emotional being, in our minds and in the cultural patterns in which we are enmeshed. We tend to experience ourselves as a solid, stable, independent self. But the practice of emptiness shows us that we are part of a much greater process of interdependencies that are constantly changing, moving, evolving into something new.” —Craig HamiltonIn “The Practice of Emptiness: Dissolving the Illusion of Solidity,” Craig explores the spiritual practice of Emptiness, examining its ancient wisdom and contemporary relevance to enrich both meditation and everyday life.The concept of emptying out or becoming empty of self finds its origins in Christianity and Buddhism. Yet for many of us today, the idea of Emptiness might initially seem unappealing, conjuring images of a cold, meaningless void. However, in this episode, Craig dispels these misconceptions and emphasizes that the true essence of Emptiness is far from nihilistic or devoid of significance.When properly engaged, the authentic practice of Emptiness serves as a powerful tool for breaking down our thought structures and dissolving their illusion of solidity. This act of emptying out creates a sacred space within, making way for an overflowing sense of fullness, depth, and sacredness to emerge. Through this practice, we can connect more deeply with our spiritual selves and the world around us.This episode includes a guided meditation exploring this technique, so we encourage you to find a time to listen when you won’t be interrupted.If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.comDiscover More about Craig’s Awakened Life Membership Programhttps://craighamiltonglobal.com/awakened-life/

Awakened consciousness is none other than our own true nature. It’s never anywhere but right here. You can’t get to it somewhere in the future.  The part of you that imagines it’s somewhere in the future will never be ready for it. So, let all of that go and give yourself to your meditation always with the fundamental position that this is it. This is the moment of awakening.—Craig HamiltonIn this episode, Craig explores one of the great paradoxes of the spiritual path.While spiritual practices like meditation can help prepare us for awakening, true awakening is about recognizing that the essence of who and what we are is already enlightened. Craig explains how this transformative realization can shift your relationship to spiritual practice, allowing you to stop pushing your awakening into the future and embrace your true nature in the present moment, right now.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

This is a concentration practice that you can have in your spiritual toolkit for when you're in a period of intense distraction with a lot on your mind. If you ever have difficulty staying focused during meditation, you can turn to this practice to help you deepen your focus, your absorption, your ability to be fully present and focused on the practice. — Craig HamiltonWelcome to part three in our series on the foundations of meditation!Many of us struggle with maintaining focus during our meditation practice, leading to inconsistent and frustrating results. This often happens because we skip over the essential foundations that support and shape our meditation.That’s why Craig is dedicating time to examine these pillars of practice in our “Foundations of Meditation” series.In "Foundations of Meditation - Part Three: Concentration Practice," Craig explores the importance of developing a reliable concentration practice to support our ability to focus during meditation. If you ever struggle to stay present and attentive during meditation, you’re not alone. In our world of constant distractions, many of us find it increasingly challenging to give all of our attention to anything.Concentration is a valuable tool, especially during times of intense distraction or when the mind feels overwhelmed. By incorporating concentration exercises, you can enhance your ability to stay present and fully absorbed in your meditation. This episode introduces a simple concentration practice that can provide immediate and noticeable improvements in your meditation focus and consistency.Join Craig and learn why having a reliable concentration practice can be a valuable tool in your spiritual toolkit.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“When we are on a path of spiritual awakening, we are going to be required at some point to take a leap of faith. The spiritual path is a path of learning to trust in something that we cannot see, that our mind cannot know, that we cannot control. From one point of view, trust and faith are the entire path.” —Craig HamiltonIn “The Leap of Faith: How Trust Transforms Your Spiritual Path,” Craig explores the concept of trust and the leap of faith often associated with spiritual awakening. The journey of spiritual transformation is closely tied to our ability to trust in a mystery that our minds can never fully grasp. But for many modern seekers, the idea of spiritual faith is laden with skepticism and doubt.In this episode, Craig examines the fundamental questions: Who or what exactly are we being asked to have faith in? In an unpredictable cosmos, what can we truly trust? He explores what living a life of deep faith and trust looks like in practice and addresses why fear and resistance are natural responses. He also addresses how these emotions play a role in our spiritual journey.Additionally, Craig shares an approach to meditation practice that can help cultivate the kind of trust and faith that supports a spiritually awakened life in action. This episode includes a contemplation exercise, which can also be done as a journal exercise, so you may want to have a piece of paper and a pen ready before you tune in.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“From one point of view, the only reason our thoughts are a distraction in meditation is that we're interested in those thoughts. We're more interested in thought than we are in what's beyond thought. We're more interested in the mind than in discovering who we are beyond the mind. So, the key to liberating ourselves from the prison of the mind is to become genuinely interested in that which is beyond thought entirely. When we fall in love with the unknown, the mystery of awakening will overtake us.” —Craig HamiltonStarting a meditation practice often means dealing with an endless stream of thoughts. It can feel almost impossible to break free from this thought stream that seems to dominate both our meditation and our life. We might even see our mind as a wild, unruly animal that needs to be tamed.But what if there’s a different way to understand our mind and thoughts? One where the endless thought stream no longer captures and dominates our attention. In “A Mind Like Water,” Craig explores one of the most liberating meditation practices we can undertake: the practice of allowing our mind to flow freely without giving it any attention.As we awaken, we start to see that thoughts are not reality—they’re just constructs in our mind. When thoughts lose their grip on us, we can let our mind flow like water and allow the thought stream to do what it does.Maybe you’ve already had a glimpse of what it feels like to have a free, fluid, and flowing mind. In this episode, Craig will demystify that experience and guide you in cultivating a mind like water, creating a completely new—and awakened—relationship to life.We've also included a 12-minute guided meditation to help you experience this for yourself. Be sure to tune in when you can find a quiet space and won’t be interrupted. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“When we let go of our attachment to the separate self, we can begin to discover who and what we really are, which is so much bigger, so much deeper, so much more extraordinary than we could have imagined. At that point, a much larger, more meaningful life begins to unfold through us that’s no longer a personal journey of accumulation and achievement. It’s an experience of flowing with and participating in something grand. We discover that we are a fluid, dynamic piece of this much greater unfolding life process, which is the opposite of a materialistic orientation.”—Craig HamiltonIn this episode, "Freedom from Spiritual Materialism," Craig explores a common hurdle in meditation and spiritual growth: how our natural desire to achieve something through practice—like personal improvement, existential relief, or blissful experiences—can actually block our progress.True spiritual growth is about letting go, not acquiring more. This can be difficult to accept because it challenges some deeply ingrained ways we relate to life. As spiritual seekers, we aim to awaken and tap into the profound potentials of meditation. However, we often approach the spiritual path—and life itself—with a tendency to grasp, hold on to, and accumulate experiences for self-enhancement and self-confidence. In doing so, we miss the true essence of spiritual awakening.So, what's the solution? To reach our deepest spiritual aspirations, we need to approach meditation and spiritual growth differently—essentially 'wanting it without wanting it.' This might sound tricky, but in this episode, Craig shares key insights on how to shift your mindset from one of achievement and acquisition to one of receptivity and surrender. From this subtle shift, the deeper dimensions of meditation and awakening will unfold.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“Meditation isn’t something we generate. It’s not something we make happen. It’s something we make room for. It’s something we open to. When you really get this, meditation will be the easiest thing you’ve ever done.” —Craig HamiltonWelcome to our latest podcast episode, "Four Portals to Enlightenment: A Guided Meditation Workshop." In this transformative practice session, Craig explores four meditation techniques—true gateways to awakened awareness—that he teaches in his courses.We recommend that you prepare by finding a quiet space where you can fully immerse yourself in each guided meditation without interruption. Over the course of an hour, we'll engage in “direct awakening” practices aimed at providing you with immediate experiences of your true nature beyond the mind.Throughout the workshop, Craig will explore the benefits and subtle differences between brief and extended meditation periods, including the potency of one-minute meditations. From relinquishing control to exploring the boundless expanse beyond the mind, you'll be invited to dive into the profound depths of enlightened consciousness.Join Craig for this special workshop and venture through four unique doorways of meditation into a deeper understanding of the self and the universe.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“Spiritual awakening is a force that turns our world upside down. It reveals to us that everything we thought we knew, and every way we thought things worked, and what we thought was important was in fact a construction of our culture and our mind. It shows us that there is so much more to this existence than we ever imagined. So perhaps the most important quality that we can bring to spiritual practice is a profound humility–which is an openness to the unknown.” —Craig HamiltonWelcome to Episode 13 of our podcast series! This episode is part two in a three-part series on the foundations of meditation.In "Foundations of Meditation - Part Two: Commitment, Humility, Environment, and Posture," Craig continues our exploration of the fundamentals necessary to establish a profound meditation practice rooted in our highest potentials.During our meditation journey, we often overlook the vital foundational elements that can build a strong container for deep practice. Sometimes, the meditation feels deeply fulfilling, but at other times, we encounter challenges like boredom, lack of focus, or distraction.By grounding our meditation in these foundational pillars, we can unlock the full potential of our practice.In this episode, Craig discusses four of these practice pillars... First, he explores how two inner foundations–commitment and humility–can support you in staying consistent with your practice and open to new experiences and insights.Then, he looks at two outer foundations–environment and posture–that can help you show up fully for each moment of practice, relaxed, alert and focused.Join us and learn how these essential pillars can support your meditation experience and bring greater consistency and depth to your practice.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to Episode 10: Foundations of Meditation - Part One, where Craig explores motivation, intention, and strategies to overcome that pesky inner critic, a common obstacle in meditation.If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“Meditation offers us a rare opportunity to practice having an open heart in a truly safe environment where there's nothing we need to protect ourselves from. In meditation, we can practice letting down our guard, allowing ourselves to feel life fully and completely in each moment. This opens the door to deep and profound experiences that were previously inaccessible to us.” —Craig HamiltonWelcome to Episode 12 of our podcast series! In this episode, Craig takes us on a journey into the depths of awakened consciousness, exploring the profound transformation of the heart.In “Opening the Heart: Meditation as a Doorway to Emotional Freedom,” Craig delves into the beauty of an open heart, a hallmark of awakened awareness. As we awaken to our true nature, we often find our hearts opening in ways we've never experienced, touching us with both the splendor and the struggles of the world.Many of us on the spiritual path yearn for the expansiveness of an open heart, along with the deeper sense of connection and boundless compassion it brings with it. But embracing this level of sensitivity can feel daunting, stirring up feelings of vulnerability and overwhelm.In this episode, Craig explores how meditation can serve as a sanctuary for our hearts to open. Through meditation practice, we can create a safe space to cultivate radical empathy, embracing the full spectrum of the human experience with courage and compassion.Join us as Craig uncovers the transformative power of meditation for nurturing an open heart, allowing us to embrace life's joys and sorrows with empathy and grace.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on https://www.MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at: FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“As people awaken, they become ambassadors for good. For an evolved morality that cares infinitely, and burns with a deep love for the greater good. Inherent in that care is an impulse toward oneness, unity, and wholeness. It feels like nothing is separate from me. I'm not separate from this whole. I care about the whole thing equally. That's how it manifests.” —Craig Hamilton In this episode, Craig explores one of the truly great mysteries of awakening—the profound truth of non-duality, or as it’s more commonly known: oneness. As spiritual seekers, most of us intuitively believe in the idea of oneness. Yet we live in a world that on the surface appears to be made up of separate things. The discovery of oneness or non-duality reveals to us that we are not in fact separate from the world and cosmos in which we find ourselves. Beneath the appearance of separateness and division, reality is a single, unified whole. But what does it really mean that, in its essence, everything is One? And what kind of meditation practice can open the door to this life-changing discovery? In this episode, Craig dives into the core of what non-duality really means, and sheds light on some of the most common misunderstandings surrounding the idea of oneness. He also addresses the question: “If everything has the same sacred essence, how do we account for the evil and destructiveness in our world?” Please note that this episode includes a 10-minute guided meditation. We encourage you to listen when you’re in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

“Anybody who aspires to awaken to their true nature must be willing to let go of everything that provides them with security, certainty, and familiarity . It doesn’t mean it all goes away. We just have to let it go. We have to let go of our grasping onto anything at all. And that requires a passionate drive to awaken. We have to really want it.” —Craig Hamilton This episode is the first in a 3-part series where Craig explores what it means to anchor your practice in a set of foundational pillars. Once in place, these first principles of meditation make the difference between whether meditation is easy or hard and whether you get stuck on the surface or dive into the warm depths of your own meditative heart. Often when we approach meditation, we receive the instructions, sit down, and try to put them into practice. But for most of us, it’s not enough to merely follow the instructions. There’s a step we have to take before any of that if we want to reap the transformative fruits of our practice. We need to create a rock solid foundation for our practice. And when we do, it can make all the difference. In Part One of this series, Craig focuses on two foundations that can empower and fuel your practice: motivation and intention. When our motivation to practice is paired with a strong intention, it can light a fire within us, providing fuel and passion for our growth and development. Craig also explores how to get out from under the critical voice in our head—the one that often dominates and dampens our meditation. This helps us cultivate the playful, experimental, and curious spirit we need to nurture for our practice to deepen and thrive. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com

“Spiritual awakening or enlightenment is about the discovery that we don't just have a human nature and an animal nature. We have a supernature. Which means there's another dimension of who and what we are that is a spiritual essence, a super essence.” —Craig HamiltonIn this episode, Craig explores what may be meditation’s greatest promise: the remarkable discovery of our superhuman nature. We’re all familiar with the idea of human nature. It governs our behavior as individuals and as a species. But is there another dimension of who and what we are that, once revealed, can empower and free us to live an extraordinary life? As Craig explores in this episode, meditation can be the key that unlocks the door to a “supernature,” unleashing a set of remarkable higher potentials that are already latent within us. These “supercapacities” include spontaneous wisdom, deep inner strength and resilience, heightened sensitivity and empathy, and dynamic creativity.Rather than laboring to develop these capacities one at a time, we can engage in meditative practices designed to open us to the source of all of these potentials, ultimately propelling us into a profound new experience of being alive. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

“Spiritual equanimity is not about feeling content with the world, it’s about being content no matter what you’re feeling. It’s about being at ease whether you feel easeful or not. And we all have access to this. It’s part of our true nature.” —Craig HamiltonNearly all of us aspire to be more centered and grounded, especially when the strong winds of chaos or crisis threaten to pull us off track.On the spiritual path, this quality is often referred to as equanimity. When we learn how to access equanimity in meditation, we suddenly find we can remain centered, non-reactive and present no matter what happens to us, even when we feel triggered by events in the world. This enlightened capacity gives us the ability to navigate life’s challenges with wisdom, compassion and strength. But where does this extraordinary capacity come from? In this episode, Craig challenges the common assumption that equanimity means being detached from what happens in this world, and explains how true equanimity arises when we become rooted in something much deeper, more profound, and ultimately sacred that underlies everything that happens.Listen as Craig shares three different ways we can access this profound capacity, inviting you to step directly into the unshakeable core of who you already are.To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s approach to meditation, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

“As we get deeper into it, we begin to realize that the real benefits of meditation ultimately transcend any of our personal wants, needs, and desires and we’re really awakening and evolving as part of a greater process that's happening in consciousness and in life and in the cosmos. The real benefits are for the whole.” –Craig Hamilton For many of us, the desire for inner peace, greater wisdom or spiritual enlightenment is what called us onto the spiritual path. However, meditation teachers frequently warn us that wanting any results from our practice can actually take us off course and prevent us from accessing the extraordinary potential of genuine awakening. This presents us with both a fascinating paradox and a sacred opportunity. In this episode, Craig dives into the heart of this apparent paradox, inviting us to discover for ourselves what it means to meditate without any agenda whatsoever. During this 20-minute guided inquiry and meditation, he asks us to consider, “why does wanting something become an obstacle in meditation, and what would it be like to give ourselves to the meditation for its own sake, wanting nothing in return?” Then, he guides us into an experience of the freedom and fullness that comes from not needing anything at all.  If you haven’t already, we also encourage you to tune in to our previous episode, The Life-Changing Power of Letting Go: Part One, in which Craig creates a powerful, evolutionary context for this practice, illuminating how letting go of wanting can connect us to a deeper imperative to evolve for the greatest good. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com.  If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

“Spirituality is no longer about leaving the world. It's about letting go of the world inwardly so we can become a spiritual revolutionary in the world. So we can bring forth a revolution of the human spirit and become an evolutionary actor.” –Craig Hamilton Letting go of our attachments can free us to do the right things for the right reasons. But it doesn’t stop there — there's a bigger reason to let go! Ultimately, we let go to become available to a source beyond our personal wants. As Craig says, we open to the “exhilarating energy and creativity of the evolutionary impulse.” In this week’s episode, Craig shines a light on what it really means to “let go” in meditation. He illuminates the often subtle ways in which our preferences and desires can distort our perception, and how the meditative practice of letting go of wanting opens the door to an extraordinary life aligned with our highest values and empowered by the impulse of evolution itself. As we release the need to control reality, we discover ourselves to be naturally, inherently and passionately committed to uplifting the world around us. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. Also, if you’d like to try a guided meditation with Craig on letting go, check out this short meditation on his blog, Guided Meditation: The Art of Letting Go.  If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

“When you’re awake to your true nature…there’s a fundamental satisfaction that’s untouched by anything that happens. It doesn’t stop you from being an evolutionary force in the world — quite the opposite. It can make you quite the evolutionary revolutionary but all from a place of profound contentment with what is.” There are hundreds — possibly thousands — of different kinds of spiritual experiences. They can be wonderful and transformational, and propel us on the spiritual path. Spiritual awakening, however, is not any of these experiences. It is a very particular kind of realization of who we are beyond any experience. What happens after spiritual awakening changes the way we experience everything going forward. In this week’s episode, Craig shares two life-altering insights at the core of spiritual awakening. When these insights come together, they not only transform our understanding of who we are — they revolutionize our entire experience of being alive. Listen to discover how spiritual awakening changes the ways we interpret experiences, explore ideas, relate to others, make choices, envision future possibilities, and more. Craig also explores how we can practice living from the posture of awakening right now — because it’s already who we are. To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.

“The main event of a human life is the fact of awareness, and yet we almost never notice its existence. We’re always focused on things that arise within awareness. But something extraordinary happens to us when we learn to bring our attention to the seat of awareness itself.” At the heart of meditation lies the mystery of our own awareness. When we allow our attention to release its fixation on the outer world of objects, we begin to become aware of the vast expanse of awareness itself. In this episode, Craig guides us on an experiential journey into the nature of our own awareness. He asks us to consider the relationship between our outer reality and the mysterious inner world in which that outer reality is experienced. Then, he invites us to explore one of the greatest mysteries of the inner world — the self. Who really is the self and is it any different from consciousness? What would happen if we allowed ourselves to be fully captured by consciousness, or awareness, itself? This episode includes several periods of meditation, so please plan to listen when you are in a safe, quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.  To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. For a deeper experience of Craig’s approach to meditation, consider joining our Awakened Life membership program which offers in-depth guidance, a meditation workshop, and a live online retreat with Craig. Register today to receive your first month for 50% off at AwakenedLifeMembership.com.

“Meditation is not about having a profound experience every time you practice. It’s about consistency and openness to possibility. It invites an ongoing revelation that arises mysteriously until it ultimately overtakes us with its power.” – Craig Hamilton  Spiritual practice offers us various gateways through which we can directly experience the profound freedom of awakened consciousness. In this episode, Craig leads us through a series of “meditation experiments” that guide us beyond the mind’s obstructions into this remarkably accessible experience of inner freedom. He then shares how meditation practice allows us to access and express awakened consciousness more consistently in our daily lives.  In this episode, we’re offering something experiential. As Craig leads us through several inquiries and periods of guided meditation, he encourages us to notice that meditation is actually always already happening. In any moment, we can recognize that nothing is ultimately missing and that nothing needs to be known by the mind for us to access the freedom of our true nature.   Please don’t attempt to listen to this episode while driving or doing anything else that requires your attention. To get the full benefit of the guided meditations, we encourage you to listen when you are in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.   To access the full transcript of this episode and more resources, visit the episode page on MeditationChangesEverything.com. If you’re interested in exploring more of Craig’s meditation experiments, you’re invited to tune in to a 90-minute online workshop Craig will be hosting called Meditation 2.0 – The Miracle of Direct Awakening. Register for free at FreeMeditationWorkshop.com.If you would like to share your experience of the podcast or have questions about Craig's teachings, please feel free to email us at support@craighamiltonglobal.com.