Tag: Spiritual Growth

The Golden Shadow

Shows Where You Are Already Free

Freedom often reveals itself long before we notice it. Most people search for liberation by examining what is wounded, suppressed, or unresolved. Yet there is another doorway; quiet, luminous, and often overlooked; the qualities you effortlessly embody without trying. These are not achievements. They are signals. They point toward the portions of your being that have never been bound.

The golden shadow forms where consciousness remains untouched by contraction. It appears in the moments when you respond with clarity instead of reactivity, when your presence deepens without effort, when your intuition moves ahead of your thinking mind. These flashes are not accidents. They are expressions of your unconditioned nature shining through your personality structure. They show where you are already living beyond fear, shame, and fragmentation.

Most of your gifts announce themselves this way. A natural ability to calm others. A capacity to sense underlying patterns. A rhythm of creativity that feels as though it arrives from somewhere deeper than your history. These are not random traits; they are evidence of the deeper self that has always been awake. The golden shadow is your own freedom reflected back to you through the aspects of your life that require no striving.

Shadow work usually focuses on what is rejected, repressed, or denied. Yet exploring the golden side is equally essential because it reveals the openings that already exist. These openings function like hidden pathways; subtle but powerful channels where your awakened nature flows without obstruction. They remind you that the journey toward wholeness is not only about healing the contracted places but recognizing the liberated ones.

Follow the areas where ease, clarity, and generosity arise naturally. Those movements reveal the contours of your true nature. They show the direction consciousness wants to expand. They illuminate the parts of your being that do not need to be fixed; only recognized.

The golden shadow invites you to trust the regions of your inner world that already know how to move without fear. These regions are not simply potentials; they are lived realities quietly shaping your path. When you honour them, your life begins to organize around freedom rather than struggle, around clarity rather than confusion.

Your liberation is not a future accomplishment.
It is already echoing through the parts of you that never forgot who you are.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

How Meditation Affects the Subtle Bodies

We continue our Bodhi in the Brain Virtual Group Meditation via Zoom/YouTube, this evening, 8–10pm.

(Headphones or Earbuds Required)
Meeting ID: 859 0097 8411
Passcode: 676036

How Meditation Affects the Subtle Bodies

Modern science studies the brain’s waves, yet ancient wisdom charts the frequencies of being itself. Meditation doesn’t just calm the nervous system, it reorganizes the architecture of existence that extends beyond the skin. The physical body is the outermost layer of a far more intricate continuum, a series of subtle fields known as the etheric, emotional, mental, causal, and ultimately the nondual body. Each meditation deepens the conversation between these dimensions, aligning them into coherent resonance.

The first transformations begin within the etheric field; the energetic counterpart of the physical form. Breath slows, the heartbeat steadies, and prana, or life-force, begins to flow more evenly. This harmony clears stagnation and revitalizes the channels through which energy circulates. As vitality expands, the emotional body awakens. Old patterns surface to be felt and released. Meditation becomes the silent therapist, allowing the residue of unprocessed emotion to dissolve without resistance. The emotional body’s purification is not about suppression but integration; the merging of past experience with present awareness.

As meditation matures, the mental body is refined. Thought loses its compulsive gravity. The gap between thoughts widens, and awareness begins to see the structures of perception themselves. Beliefs, identifications, and judgments reveal their impermanence. A clarity dawns that no longer seeks to control reality but to understand its nature. This clarity is not cold detachment; it is spacious intimacy.

When these bodies are harmonized, the causal body, often associated with the witnessing consciousness, becomes luminous. Meditation pulls back the veils until only pure presence remains. Every subtle sheath becomes transparent to the light of awareness, allowing consciousness to know itself directly. This recognition transforms the very experience of being alive. The universe no longer feels external; it vibrates as one’s own inner current.

Understanding this process matters because human suffering is not merely psychological; it’s energetic. Distortion in one layer ripples through the rest. A clear mind cannot inhabit a body holding unresolved pain, and a peaceful heart cannot flourish in a field clouded by mental noise. Meditation realigns the total system, restoring coherence between all layers of being.

When the subtle bodies function as a single continuum, existence ceases to feel fragmented. The physical world, emotions, and thought merge as one stream of intelligent energy. Meditation reveals this unity not as belief but as direct knowing; the living pulse of reality experienced through every cell and every silence between heartbeats.

Morgan O. Smith

Executive Director

Bodhi Mental Care & Wellness

Thresholds of the Infinite

The Absolute cannot be received by a vessel unprepared for its voltage. Consciousness, like circuitry, must be refined to hold the charge. The higher the threshold across the physical, emotional, and mental domains, the more precisely reality can transmit its undiluted essence through one’s being.

The body is not a hindrance to transcendence; it is the grounding rod. A nervous system conditioned through presence, breath, and embodiment becomes the bridge between the finite and the boundless. Without such refinement, the encounter with higher states risks distortion, overwhelm, or fragmentation. The Absolute demands structure, not as rigidity, but as integrity strong enough to remain open while containing the immeasurable.

Emotionally, the heart must learn to remain unguarded even in the storm. The capacity to feel everything without collapse is what allows compassion to expand beyond sentiment into universality. Each emotional breakthrough increases the voltage of love one can sustain without defence. To feel deeply without drowning is the silent mastery of awakened sensitivity.

Mentally, clarity becomes the crucible. The mind must learn to dissolve without disintegrating; to rest in stillness without forsaking discernment. Thought, when purified of obsession and identification, becomes transparent to the Real. Then language no longer imprisons truth but becomes its faint echo.

Those who cultivate balance across all thresholds do not chase transcendence; they embody it. They become the conduit through which the Absolute interprets itself, wordlessly, endlessly, with precision born of surrender.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

The Silent Agreement Beneath All Voices

Every conviction, no matter how radical or righteous, is an echo of the same unspoken longing to be understood, to belong, to find meaning amid the vastness. Each culture, religion, and ideology carves its own path toward that longing, often believing itself to be the only way. Yet beneath the words, beneath the gestures of defence or devotion, there hums a single vibration that does not divide.

Those who dare to listen beyond preference hear it clearly. The louder the debate, the clearer it becomes that all sides are pleading for the same recognition of their humanity. The fundamental call is not for dominance but for understanding; to be seen through the eyes of unity rather than difference.

Beliefs are useful until they are mistaken for truth. When held too tightly, they become walls. When held lightly, they become windows through which consciousness observes itself from a thousand angles. The awakened mind learns not to choose sides but to perceive the underlying harmony that holds both sides together.

True wisdom is not born from agreement but from capacity; the capacity to listen without fear, to allow contradiction to breathe, to see that diversity of expression is the universe conversing with itself. Every person, every nation, speaks a dialect of the same cosmic language. The argument is never between right and wrong but between two reflections of the same light, each insisting that its brightness is original.

When this is seen, opposition dissolves. The wars of ideology lose their fuel. You begin to recognize that all are reaching toward the same ineffable truth, merely using different words to describe it. What remains is not a conclusion but a profound peace; the peace of seeing through the illusion of difference.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

It’s Not About You, or Me

You may resist hearing it, but nothing here was designed to serve your preferences. Existence doesn’t negotiate with your plans. The ocean doesn’t adjust its tides because you’re having a hard day. Mountains don’t bow to your ambitions. Storms don’t hold back for your convenience.

There is a strange freedom in recognizing that you are not the axis of this world. Your fears, longings, and beliefs are weather patterns blowing through a vast sky. Even your discomfort with this fact is not a problem to be solved—it is part of the very order you imagine resisting.

Ask yourself: When did this story become about you? When did the measure of truth narrow to fit your tastes? The self who wants life to behave is so small it forgets it is born of the very forces it wants to command. You and I are not exceptions to the flow. We are the flow.

Even the frustration that arises when someone says “everything happens as it should” is folded within the shape of things. It isn’t an error. It’s another ripple on the water, another branch growing from the same root.

There is no special exemption that spares you from the dance of impermanence. Life moves through every form—including your insistence that it ought to be different. Even that protest is part of the design.

So let go of the idea that it’s about you, or about me. Something far more mysterious is moving all of this, and we are its fleeting expressions—here for a moment, dissolving back into the whole.

Morgan O. Smith

Get Your Free Copy of My Book, Bodhi in the Brain!

https://subscribepage.io/oTSZQu

The Hidden Beast

A Reflection of the Disowned Self

A cunning force moves through the unseen corridors of the unconscious, concealed within those who reject the parts of themselves they fear most. It does not wear horns or breathe fire, nor does it announce its presence with grand gestures. Instead, it drapes itself in the illusion of virtue, speaking with the tongue of righteousness while burying its most primal aspects beneath layers of denial.

This force is not the false prophet itself but the unclaimed shadow—the rejected fragment of the psyche that festers in the void of self-neglect. It lingers where awareness falters, whispering through the cracks of pretense, waiting for moments of weakness to make itself known. Some may catch its presence through a subtle unease, a tension within that signals something amiss. The senses pick up on what the eyes cannot see.

The more one denies this silent presence, the more erratic its manifestations become. When left unacknowledged, it erupts in impulsive behaviours, reckless speech, and actions that defy the carefully crafted image of moral certainty. It demands attention, forcing its way into reality through chaos and contradiction.

Yet, those who witness this in others must tread carefully. Casting judgment only strengthens the illusion of separation. The beast is not exclusive to one person, nor is it bound to a single host. Every individual carries a shadow—a hidden reservoir of unprocessed fears, desires, and forgotten aspects of the self. Recognizing it in another is merely an invitation to acknowledge what lies within.

True transformation does not come from condemnation but from confrontation. The journey is not about silencing the beast but understanding its purpose. When met with awareness, the shadow no longer acts out in defiance but instead becomes an ally. It teaches, refines, and reveals the depth of one’s being.

To see this force in another is an opportunity to turn inward. Rather than dismissing the reflection, one must embrace it, integrate it, and walk the path of self-illumination. Through this, judgment dissolves, tolerance deepens, and empathy emerges—not as an act of virtue but as the inevitable result of knowing oneself completely.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation/Neurofeedback, Spiritual Life Coaching & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

Inner Demons Turning Divine

What if the aspects of ourselves we fear the most are not meant to be exiled, but embraced? What if the so-called demons lurking in our psyche are merely misunderstood fragments of divine potential? This idea challenges conventional narratives of good versus evil, offering instead a profound opportunity for transformation.

The concept of demons often conjures images of malevolence and chaos, forces to be battled or suppressed. Yet, what we resist only persists, festering in the shadows of our subconscious. These “demons” may not be enemies to conquer but rather exiled parts of ourselves calling out for integration. They represent unmet needs, unresolved traumas, or unexpressed desires—the raw materials of our awakening, waiting to be alchemized into wisdom.

Consider anger. It is often labelled a destructive force, but beneath its surface lies a potent energy capable of fueling change. Anger can signal where boundaries have been violated or where injustice has been witnessed. When examined with awareness, it transforms from a blind rage into a catalyst for courage and action. The same applies to fear, envy, or despair. These emotions hold a mirror to the places where we feel disconnected from our true nature. Rather than condemning them, we can engage with them as messengers, seeking the divine spark hidden within their depths.

Spiritual traditions across cultures recognize this transformative potential. In Hinduism, Kali, the fierce goddess, embodies destruction and creation simultaneously. She is terrifying in her form yet revered for her power to dismantle illusion and birth truth. Similarly, Tibetan Buddhism offers practices for transforming wrathful deities into benevolent guides, illustrating that even the most frightening forces can reveal their sacred essence when approached with reverence.

On a personal level, this alchemy requires radical honesty and compassionate inquiry. When we cease to judge our inner demons and instead seek to understand them, we discover their hidden gifts. Shame may reveal a yearning for authenticity, while doubt might lead us to question limiting beliefs. By shining the light of awareness into the shadow, we liberate these energies and integrate them into our wholeness.

The path of transformation is not about erasing darkness but about learning to dance with it. Every demon holds a seed of divinity, and every shadow, when embraced, becomes a source of light. By acknowledging this, we dismantle the illusion of separation within ourselves and open to the vast, unified potential of our being.

Let us not fear our inner demons but recognize them as divine initiators, guiding us toward deeper self-knowledge and spiritual growth. Their presence invites us to reclaim the parts of ourselves we have abandoned, making us more complete, compassionate, and alive.

When we learn to see through the eyes of love, nothing remains unworthy of redemption—not even our darkest shadows.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation, Spiritual Life Coaching & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

A Sacred Offering to Mankind

The phrase “dark night of the soul” evokes an existential reckoning, a confrontation with the deepest shadows within us. It is an intimate unravelling, a journey where the self is stripped of its illusions, attachments, and certainties. For many, this process feels like an unbearable plunge into suffering. Yet, it holds the potential to reveal a profound truth: the dissolution of the false self and the emergence of an awareness that transcends individual identity.

Taking on the pain and suffering of all mankind might seem like an impossible burden, yet it is precisely what this experience mirrors. It is not about martyrdom or an exaggerated sense of personal responsibility; instead, it speaks to the interconnected nature of all existence. In the depths of this dark night, the boundaries between “self” and “other” blur, allowing one to feel the collective anguish of humanity as their own.

This universal suffering is not a punishment but an invitation—a chance to awaken to the profound unity underlying all forms of separation. By embracing this shared pain, something extraordinary occurs: the heart begins to open, compassion takes root, and the seeds of wisdom sprout in the soil of surrender. The dark night asks, “Can you hold this pain without fleeing, without clinging to explanations, and without identifying with the suffering itself?”

When one says, “This suffering is a small price to pay,” it reflects a realization born of the dark night: the personal self is only a sliver of the infinite whole. In this light, suffering is no longer seen as a problem to solve but as a process to embrace. It transforms from an adversary into a teacher, pointing beyond the veils of duality to the indivisible unity of all that is.

The paradox of this experience is that as one holds the weight of the world’s suffering, it dissolves into something lighter than air. In letting go of resistance, the pain no longer feels like a prison. Instead, it becomes a portal to freedom—a space where all things are seen as perfect, even in their imperfection.

Emerging from the dark night does not mean returning to an unblemished sense of joy or comfort. It means carrying forward an alchemical knowing: the world’s suffering and its beauty are two sides of the same coin, inseparable and equally sacred. This realization births a new kind of strength—a quiet, humble courage that arises not from the need to control life but from a deep trust in its unfolding.

For those navigating this terrain, know that the dark night is not an end but a beginning. It is not a punishment but a grace, albeit one cloaked in shadows. It reveals that the pain and suffering of all mankind, though heavy, are but a small price to pay for the boundless freedom and love that emerges when the illusion of separation dissolves.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation, Spiritual Life Coaching & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

The Subtle Distinction

Peak Experiences vs. Spiritual Awakening

The landscape of spiritual growth is vast and often misunderstood. Many conflate spiritual peak experiences with spiritual awakening, yet these are distinct phenomena. A spiritual peak experience, whether catalyzed by meditation, psychedelics, or moments of profound awe, is an intense, fleeting encounter with an elevated state of consciousness. While these moments can feel transformative, they are often temporary and lack the enduring shift in perception that characterizes a true awakening.

A spiritual awakening, in contrast, is a fundamental reorientation of one’s inner world. It is not simply about feeling interconnected or glimpsing higher states of being—it is about a deep, unshakeable realization that dissolves the boundaries of self, often leaving the individual profoundly changed. This shift is challenging to articulate and even harder to cultivate intentionally.

When someone describes an extraordinary experience induced by psychedelics, they are often recounting a peak experience. These moments may break through the ordinary, offering glimpses of unity or clarity, yet they seldom transcend into awakening. Psychedelics can open doors, but walking through them—truly integrating the lessons into a lasting transformation—is a rarer and more demanding process.

True awakening can occur with or without external aids, but it is exceedingly rare. It arrives unbidden, often accompanied by profound shifts in understanding and perception. Unlike peak experiences, awakening isn’t just a momentary insight—it is an enduring transformation of consciousness. Moreover, even fewer awakenings culminate in spiritual enlightenment, a state of being that transcends duality entirely.

Enlightenment, often romanticized, is not an experience but the dissolution of the experiencer. It is the culmination of awakening, where the distinction between self and other evaporates, and one rests fully in the infinite. However, reaching this state requires not only grace but profound surrender and integration over time.

The journey between peak experiences, awakening, and enlightenment is a spectrum. Each step has value and serves a purpose, yet conflating these stages can obscure the nuances of spiritual growth. Understanding these distinctions invites us to approach the path with humility and clarity, appreciating the profound while striving for the transcendent.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation, Spiritual Life Coaching & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

Exciting Updates: Podcasts, Articles & More!

Hello Friends,

I’m thrilled to share some exciting updates about the work I’ve been doing and the new insights I’ve been exploring. From podcasts to articles and more, here’s what’s new in my world of meditation, neuroscience, and personal transformation.

Diving Into the Mind on Guru Viking Podcast

I recently had the pleasure of joining Steve James on the Guru Viking Podcast for another enlightening discussion. This time, I was joined by Alex Ni of Divergence Neuro Technologies and Columbia University neuroscience student Chelsey Fasano to explore the fascinating world of my unique brainwave patterns.

These brainwaves, cultivated over two decades of dedicated meditation, offer profound insights into how the mind and meditation can intersect with neuroscience and personal growth.

Stay tuned for the full episode, but you can see some of my results here:
Exploring the Mind of an Advanced Meditator Pt. 2.

Check out Guru Viking every Friday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Spotify!

My Story Featured in Usainstants & Brainz Magazine

I’m honored to have my journey featured in Usainstants, where you can read about my transformation from awakening to creating the Yinnergy program. This story highlights how meditation has reshaped my life and the lives of many others. Read the full article here: Morgan’s Transformative Journey.

Additionally, as an Executive Contributor to Brainz Magazine, I’ve been sharing my perspectives on mindfulness, spirituality, and transformation. You can explore my latest articles here: Brainz Magazine.

Stay Tuned for More

I’m so grateful to be able to share my journey with you through these platforms. From podcasts to articles, each step is another opportunity to explore the limitless possibilities of the human mind and spirit.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. Together, let’s continue to unlock the extraordinary potential within us all.

With gratitude and excitement,

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation, Spiritual Life Coaching & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith