When I met Joshi, he was a changed man. The spark in his eyes was different, calmer, as if he had found an inner peace that eluded many of us. He shared his journey with me, a path that led him back to his roots in Uttarakhand. There, he met a sadhu who transformed his life. Intrigued, I pressed for details. "What did he do, or rather, what did you ask?" I inquired, eager to uncover the secret.
Joshi smiled, a serene expression softening his features. "I wanted peace and control over my forgetfulness," he began. "So, what did the sadhu do?" I prodded gently.
"He taught me self-hypnotism," Joshi replied. "I spent a month in his ashram, and it was no easy feat. To master self-hypnotism, I had to practice diligently. Creating a void in the mind is a real challenge when thoughts are racing incessantly. He advised me to lie down in a secluded place, close my eyes, and focus my mind on one subject to evacuate the clutter. I chose to imagine climbing a stairway to heaven."
As he recounted his experience, I could almost picture Joshi lying under the canopy of ancient trees, the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the Ganges serving as the backdrop to his mental journey. Each day, he would retreat to a secluded spot within the ashram, a place where the world seemed to pause. With eyes closed, he would take deep, measured breaths, feeling the cool earth beneath him and the warmth of the sun above.
The sadhu's teachings were simple yet profound. "Imagine an endless stairway," he had instructed Joshi. "A stairway that ascends to the heavens. Focus on each step, feel the texture under your feet, the weight of your body shifting as you climb. Let everything else fade away."
At first, Joshi's mind was a storm of thoughts, a chaotic dance of past memories, future anxieties, and present distractions. But with each session, he grew more adept at silencing the noise. The imaginary stairway became his anchor, each step a journey deeper into his own consciousness.
Weeks passed, and Joshi's determination bore fruit. One day, as he climbed his mental stairway, he felt a profound stillness. The incessant chatter in his mind dulled to a whisper and then ceased altogether. He had reached the void the sadhu spoke of – a place of pure potential, where the mind could rest and rejuvenate.
"I got hypnotized," Joshi continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "In that state, I found an incredible sense of calm. I could dig out information from my memory, details that were otherwise lost in the chaos. It even allowed me to embark on imaginary journeys based on books I was reading."
He paused, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "One of the most extraordinary experiences was when I read 'Lost Horizon' by James Hilton. I was so captivated by the idea of Shangri-La that I decided to use it as my focus during self-hypnosis. In my mind, I traveled to that mystical valley, met the monks, and experienced the tranquility and wisdom of Shangri-La as if I were truly there."
His vivid description transported me to that serene, fictional paradise. Joshi spoke of walking through the lush, verdant valleys, engaging in deep conversations with the wise monks, and feeling the profound peace of Shangri-La envelop him. The practice not only helped him manage stress but also opened new worlds of imagination and memory retrieval, enriching his life in ways he had never thought possible.
His transformation was nothing short of miraculous, a testament to the power of the mind and the ancient wisdom of the sadhu. As I listened to Joshi, I couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity and hope. If he could find such profound change, perhaps I could too. Inspired, I decided to give it a try, to seek out my own stairway to heaven and explore the depths of my consciousness.
Thus began my journey, guided by Joshi's story, towards inner peace and mastery over my mind. The path was daunting, but with each step, I grew more confident, more attuned to the silent strength within. And in that silence, I discovered a world of possibilities, waiting to be explored.
