For many, spiritual practices are seen as methods to connect with something beyond themselves – a divine entity, a higher power, universal energy, or a transcendent realm. Prayer is often framed as speaking to God, meditation as reaching a higher consciousness, and rituals as invoking external forces. This perspective of seeking an external connection is deeply ingrained and resonates with countless individuals seeking meaning and transcendence.
But what if the most profound aspect of spiritual practice isn’t about establishing a connection that isn’t already there, but rather about remembering, uncovering, or returning to a state of being, a truth, or a connection that is inherently part of who we are? What if the divine, the universal consciousness, or profound wisdom isn’t just “out there,” but also “in here,” and the practices we undertake are simply ways to clear the path to that inner reality?
This article explores the compelling idea that spiritual practices are less about connecting to something external and more about remembering what we already know, a journey of unveiling rather than acquiring.
The Conventional View: Reaching Outward
The common model of spiritual practice often emphasizes an outward trajectory:
- Petitionary Prayer: Asking a divine being for intervention or guidance.
- Meditation for Connection: Quieting the mind to feel the presence of an external higher power.
- Rituals: Performing actions designed to influence or commune with external spiritual forces.
- Seeking Revelation: Hoping for a message or sign from beyond oneself.
This perspective is powerful and has provided comfort, structure, and meaning for millennia. It acknowledges a reality greater than the individual self and provides a framework for relationship with that greater power.
Introducing the “Remembering What We Already Know” Model
The alternative perspective doesn’t necessarily deny the existence of an external divine, but it shifts the focus of the spiritual endeavor. This model posits that:
- We are Already Connected: At a fundamental level, we are inherently part of the universal consciousness, the divine flow, or possess an inner spark of the sacred. Separation is an illusion created by the limited self (the ego).
- Innate Wisdom Resides Within: We carry within us deep truths, intuitive knowledge, and an inherent understanding of compassion, interconnectedness, and our purpose.
- Practices as Unveiling: Spiritual disciplines are not about creating this connection or installing this wisdom, but about removing the veils – the conditioning, distractions, fears, limiting beliefs, and egoic structures – that obscure the truth that is already present.
- It’s a Homecoming: The spiritual journey is less like venturing into unknown territory to find something new and more like returning home to a state of being that feels deeply familiar and true.
This perspective resonates with various wisdom traditions across the globe, from the concept of Atman in Hinduism being identical to Brahman, to the Buddha-nature inherent in all sentient beings, to mystical interpretations in Abrahamic faiths that speak of the divine dwelling within, to indigenous worldviews emphasizing inherent interconnectedness with all of creation.
How Spiritual Practices Facilitate “Remembering”
Let’s examine how common spiritual practices function within this “remembering” framework:
- Meditation: Rather than striving to reach an external plane, meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation, is about quieting the incessant chatter of the mind. By observing thoughts and emotions without attachment, we begin to see beyond the ego’s constructs and touch a deeper layer of consciousness, a state of stillness and awareness that feels fundamental and already present. It’s remembering the quiet wisdom beneath the mental noise.
- Mindfulness: Bringing non-judgmental awareness to the present moment strips away the layers of past regrets and future anxieties that obscure reality. It’s a practice of simply being with what is, remembering the richness, interconnectedness, and sacredness inherent in the ordinary moments we usually rush past. It’s remembering our place in the here and now.
- Prayer (Revisited): While petitionary prayer exists, contemplative or centering prayer is less about talking to an external entity and more about creating space to listen. It’s an inner dialogue, a process of aligning with a deeper moral compass, an intuitive knowing, or a sense of divine will that feels integrated within one’s own being. It’s remembering our inner guidance system.
- Yoga and Embodied Practices: These practices use the physical body to release tension and mental blockages. By moving with awareness and connecting breath to movement, we can bypass the overthinking mind and access a deeper intelligence within the body itself – a sense of vitality, presence, and connection to the physical world that feels elemental and known. It’s remembering the wisdom of the body and its connection to the earth.
- Contemplation and Reflection: Turning inward to deeply ponder truths, experiences, or teachings can lead to sudden insights or feelings of recognition. These aren’t necessarily new pieces of information, but rather profound “aha!” moments where something previously abstract suddenly feels deeply, undeniably true – a remembering on a soul level.
- Rituals (Revisited): While rituals can invoke, they can also serve as powerful symbolic anchors that help us remember and reinforce an existing truth. Lighting a candle might not create sacredness, but reminds us of the sacredness already present. A purification ritual might not wash away external sin, but helps us remember our inherent purity or intention.
- Study of Sacred Texts/Wisdom Teachings: Encountering profound spiritual texts or teachings often involves a feeling of deep resonance. It’s not just acquiring new knowledge, but experiencing a sense of recognizing a truth that feels like it was already known internally, articulated externally.
The Obstacles to Remembering
If this connection and wisdom are already within us, what prevents us from accessing them? The veils are many:
- The Ego: The constructed sense of a separate, isolated self that feels disconnected from others and the larger whole.
- Conditioning and Limiting Beliefs: Messages from society, family, and past experiences that tell us we are not enough, not connected, or not worthy.
- Distraction: The constant barrage of external stimuli and internal thoughts that pull our attention away from our inner landscape.
- Unprocessed Emotions and Trauma: Layers of pain and fear that create barriers to accessing our true, open nature.
- Attachment and Aversion: Our desires and fears that create mental noise and distort our perception of reality.
Spiritual practices are the tools we use to gently, or sometimes forcefully, begin to lift these veils.
The Experience of “Remembering”
Accessing this state of inner knowing or connection can manifest in various ways:
- A profound sense of homecoming or deep familiarity.
- An undeniable feeling of resonance with a particular truth or teaching.
- Increased intuition and clarity in decision-making.
- A quiet, unshakable confidence that comes from feeling grounded within oneself.
- A visceral sense of interconnectedness with other beings and the natural world.
- A dismantling of fear as the perceived need to control everything lessens, replaced by a feeling of being inherently supported or part of a larger, benevolent process.
- A recognition of inherent worthiness that doesn’t depend on external achievement or validation.
Implications of This Perspective
Viewing spiritual practices as remembering has powerful implications:
- It shifts the focus from striving, achieving, or earning a connection to one of unveiling, accepting, and allowing.
- It cultivates self-trust and inner authority, as the source of wisdom is recognized as internal.
- It makes spirituality accessible to everyone, everywhere – the necessary resource is already within.
- It encourages acceptance of the present moment and oneself, as the truth is found in what is, not what needs to be acquired.
- It fosters a profound sense of inherent worthiness – you don’t need to become something you’re not; you need to remember who you are.
Conclusion: The Journey Inward
While the external view of spiritual practice holds significant value and truth for many, the perspective that these disciplines are fundamentally about remembering what we already know offers a powerful complementary, or even foundational, understanding. It frames the spiritual journey not as an arduous quest to reach a distant peak, but as a process of returning inward, gently or diligently removing the layers that obscure the radiant truth, connection, and wisdom that reside within. By embracing this inner resonance, we unlock a profound source of peace, guidance, and inherent belonging, realizing that the divine whisper may have been within us all along, waiting for us to quiet down and remember.