How Can I Feel God?

Dear ZXZ,

I will answer your questions one by one, to the best of my ability:

How can i feel God ?

The best way to feel God is through silencing the body, the mind, and the heart. “Silence is the altar of Spirit,” Yogananda taught. This is why great Masters teach meditation.

But mechanical meditation is not enough. The heart needs to be in it, too. God responds most to love, and to devotion. If you have love, then in stillness the inner contact can be felt: His presence, His qualities.

A good practice is to try to develop stillness (starting with physical immobility in meditation) coupled with love (the desire to feel Him) and concentration (through meditation techniques). This might be called the science of religion – the scientific method to feel Him through self-effort and practice.

How can i know if i feel God ?

God has many aspects: joy, love, peace, calmness, wisdom, energy, light, sound.

If any of these experiences comes to you, not from any outer stimuli in the world, but from within, then you are feeling Him. Let’s say that suddenly a great sense of joy comes to you, or an insight.

In this case think immediately: “This is from God.” God is not far; God is near, right here. He can be experienced and felt by all.

And if i feel God how do i know it is real and not just my imagination ?

Discrimination is good and necessary, but too much of it becomes doubt, and is a block.

If you feel something, yes, try to discriminate: does this feel elevating, calm, superconscious, or divine? If so, just say, “Thank you, God.” Don’t go on doubting if it is really true. A doubting mind can be a real block to our relationship with Him.

And if i feel that i have lost God, How can i find back to God ?

Fortunately you can never lose Him, but only the perception of Him. If you have lost that, then pray: “Help me to find my way back to You.”

Meditate on Him every day. Practice His presence in daily life as often as you can.

It is said that if we make one step toward God, He makes 100 toward us. The “trouble” is that He seems to do it in a hidden way, not easily seen. Yogananda says He is playing “hide and seek” with us. He wants to be courted, loved. That is His play. He finally appears openly when our love is truly sincere and deep.

Love is the biggest instrument we have for finding Him. Other than that, there are no set rules.

God has a different relationship with each devotee: with one on the level of wisdom, with the next on the level of joy; to one He gives an abundance of gifts, to the next He gives outwardly nothing (or even thorns), even though that person might be very close to Him; some have abundant spiritual experiences, and others don’t – but that doesn’t mean the second group is farther away from Him.

There are many ways to find Him, to experience His presence, and to relate to Him. Each story is different, and it is all very personal and individual.

Love, I repeat, is the most useful thing to develop, together with regular meditation. Plus I think searching for Him should also be done with a spirit of fun and adventure… religion has been too heavy in the past. Yogananda didn’t like that.

God bless you with a deep desire for Him.

I pray for you,
jayadev