“Numinosity” is a word I created from the root word “numinous” and means having an awareness of things of a divine, supernatural, or sacred nature. Each of us are connected to the sacred and are capable of experiencing it every day.
Think back to the last time that you were amazed by something that you witnessed; a shimmering rainbow, a highly synchronistic event, a stroke of divine providence. Besides being surprised, do you remember the feelings of awe or gratitude you felt? Numinous events in our lives are the glue that holds the world together (and not the Internet).
Numinosity is the deliberate attention to the sacred all around us. In the act of noticing sacred events around us, we live more dynamic lives and connect to our own divinity. We appreciate everything around us with a greater sense of excitement and joy. Numinous events do not happen because we are watching and waiting for them- they happen all the time. But they are not subject to human law or the “Law of Attraction.” We cannot “call” numinous events to us just like we (under ordinary circumstances) can’t call the wind. But by being open and with greater awareness and regard for the sacred quality of existence, we can experience numinous events more often. You also need to safeguard your experiences.
You might note that in our culture (in the U.S.) that reference to the numinous is often ridiculed by the media. Also, many aspects of present- day culture contaminate the numinous (when was the last time you sat to meditate and had your cell phone ring?). We can also experience a sort of contamination when we share with acquaintances our deeply moving numinous experiences and they miss the point and doubt us. It might be a good idea to shield yourself from casual scrutiny and hold your numinous experiences in a “sacred space”- keep a journal, record the event, or even create an artful expression of it like a drawing or painting.
Your life experiences are a signature of your uniqueness. Numinosity can give you a greater regard for the mystery and the miracle of all life. What could be more fulfilling than exercising numinosity each day?
An exercise for enhancing your own numinosity:
Sit in one place for 5 minutes with your phone off,
and in silence. Allow your aura (that subtle energy field around your body) to
expand. Feel it osmose outward to connect with surrounding atoms and molecules.
Breathe deeply. Relax your throat, shoulders, neck, arms, hands, torso, legs,
and feet. Let your attention drift to your environment; the sense of deep
relaxation which allows you to breathe deeper, the well-being emanating from
your body in this quiet space. Now
choose one thing in your auric field to focus on: a glass, a flower, a paper clip-any
one thing. Disassemble this object as if you were breaking it down molecule by
molecule. Let its parts scatter from the center outward. For a moment it may
seem that the object has disappeared, at least in spirit. Then reconnect all
the parts and bring the object back to wholeness. The idea is to connect to the
subtle energy of one thing and eventually to everything around you a bit at a
time. As we note the subtle energy of objects in physical reality, we can see
how an object changes each moment into its numinous essence (because all things
have a sacred essence).That glass, that flower, that paper clip, will never
seem the same again. The awareness you just experienced will promote your
ability to note subtle changes which always presage a numinous event. To finish
your exercise in numinosity take a few deep deep breaths and feel gratitude or
just say “thank you” to the Universe for allowing your participation in
appreciating the subtle energy of a sacred object. Time to get up and move
around; walk, dance, do a yoga pose!
The above excerpt is part of a class called
“Numinosity: Your Connection to the Sacred” which I will be offering in the
future.
Have a Thanksgiving Season filled with Blessings-
Margaret Saxon –
