Hi Nellie
That feeling that Earth is not our home is a unique sense. It is one held by different groups of people for unique reasons. I've heard Native American Indians express this feeling and belief. Some will say they are here as caretakers (on their soul journey), which explains why they are so careful with the way the treat the earth, with great respect and gratitude for what it gives while they are here.
Raised Catholic up to a certain point in my life, I now regard myself as simply a spiritual person. Prayer for me now is very different from what it once was. And while once on a quest to master mediation, this practice too is very different from what it once was. In both cases, when once I entered into them based on having been taught certain practices, I now enter both states with a mind that's more open. Even though I wouldn't necessarily call it prayer, some may say that me meditating on inspiration is a form of prayer. For example, I'll enter into a state of meditating on inspiration through relaxing my mind and body (into a daydreamy kind of state) and then simply pose a challenge I'm facing. One I recall, regarding a person who was often bringing me down, 'I don't know what to do anymore, regarding this person who's degrading me. I just don't know what to do'. What came to mind was 'Speak your mind without thinking (your way out of it)'. You have no idea how hard it is to not think. We're basically programmed to think all the time: 'Be careful what you say. Don't upset anyone. Think before you speak. Don't be so thoughtless'. The list goes on. This will sound really strange but I thought 'I wonder if I can speak without thinking. I'll give it a go'. So, I did and it changed the dynamics of this particular relationship. Just about everything that came to mind was said aloud. I do have a filter by the way. From 'I cannot tolerate your behaviour' through to 'Why are you so insensitive?!', I practiced speaking my mind. Through this practice, I actually realised how exhausting thinking can be when it's done all the time. Figuring out when to think and when not to think is a challenge in itself.
I believe the positive and constructive things that come to mind through prayer/meditation are worth paying attention to. How we pray and what we meditate on is significant. In being taught to pray to the powers that be, are we also taught how to hear or recognise the answer? Something worth wondering about.
🙂
