In my last blog post, I recounted the unusual circumstances that led up to the first time I heard the cosmic hum of the universe. I have continued to have experiences similar to that first one in 1972, when:

"Even though my eyes were closed, I saw a macroscopic view of all of creation and beyond. I was surprised that I did not feel any separation—all was within myself. I felt complete freedom and basked in that unboundedness. On a subtle level, I heard a cosmic humming sound that seemed to sing for everything. This magnificent humming Om sound reverberated in my infinite consciousness, secretly and quietly roaring totality. Somehow, I instinctively knew I was seeing and hearing the primordial essence of everything all at once."

Please know that I am not trying to make these experiences happen; I am simply noticing what is already there.

The Test

Often, my teacher, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, would ask me to describe my experiences to the assembly and guests. Then he would point out relevant references in Vedic literature. On more than one occasion, he explained:

Experience without knowledge can cause confusion, fear and misunderstanding. (In these videos, I explained some of my challenges in this regard.)
Knowledge without experience remains abstract. You can study the Vedas endlessly, but until you live the reality they describe, the knowledge is incomplete.

When meditators asked Maharishi if their experiences were valid, he brought up two criteria:

The test of time—when experiences remain stable over the long term. (Do you think 53 years is long enough?)
The test of Veda—aligning experiences with descriptions in the Vedic literature, which he regarded as eternal total knowledge.

Searching for Om in Vedic Literature

I had no time to research Vedic references to Om when I was around Maharishi. He kept me constantly busy with extended meditations, writing and sharing my perceptions.

Only a few months ago, I started looking for Om references that were similar to my own experiences. I found so many that I will summarize what the Vedic literature says: The primordial sound Om is everything—the universe, Brahman, the ultimate reality, the Vedas, the essence of all, etc.

Then I dove deeper. With the help of a good Sanskrit dictionary, online resources and my basic understanding of the language and Sanskrit roots, I found deeper meaning than was usually provided in common translations. For simplicity, I will provide only two examples. 

Katha Upanishad 1.2.15 Sanskrit

sarve vedā yat padam āmananti  
tapāṁsi sarvāṇi ca yad vadanti  
yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti  
tat te padam saṅgraheṇa bravīmy  
om ity etat

Common Translation

That word which all the Vedas glorify,
and which all austerities proclaim.
Desiring which celibacy is practiced,
briefly, that word I tell thee—it is Om.

Deeper Meaning
Based on the definitions of the actual Sanskrit words and their roots, I found deeper meaning as shown below, along with alternate definitions in parentheses:

That goal (state) which all the Vedas declare,
and which all tapas (meditation, austerities) express (describe, extol, speak).
Desiring which, brahmacarya (dedicated, disciplined lifestyle) practice (live) that,
in summary, I declare to you that goal (state) is Om.

Conclusion
Put simply, Om is the goal. But what is Om? The next verse tells us.

 
Katha Upanishad 1.2.16 Sanskrit

etad hy evākṣaraṃ brahma  
etad hy evākṣaraṃ param  
etad hy evākṣaraṃ jñātvā  
yo yadicchati tasya tat

Common Translation

This syllable Om is truly brahman.
This syllable Om is the supreme. 
He who understands this syllable, 
whatever one desires—that is attained.

Deeper Meaning
Om is referred to as this "aksaram" (in bold above), which is commonly translated as "syllable." Aksaram also means "imperishable," which Maharishi has elaborated upon in "richo akshare" and other contexts.

I dug deep into the meaning of the Sanskrit roots of the words in this verse and found other definitions, as shown below in parentheses:

This aksaram (imperishable, syllable) is truly brahman (ultimate reality, totality). 
This aksaram (imperishable, syllable) is truly para (the transcendent, supreme).
Whoever knows this aksaram (syllable, imperishable),
whatever desires—to him that (is attained).

Grand Conclusion
Om = aksaram, brahman, para
Om = imperishable, totality, transcendent

Being established in that brings fulfillment of desires.

Fulfillment of Desires

I love the practical nature of this last Upanishadic verse about fulfillment of desires. Even though these personal experiences sound abstract, they can be verified in Vedic literature, and more importantly, give concrete results. 

Since 1976, when Maharishi said that I was having a catalytic effect and a positive influence on other people and their experiences, people have sought me out for assistance in fulfilling their desires. For decades, I deflected the attention away from myself and pointed people toward their own self-development. This annoyed many, because they wanted my direct assistance. In various ways over time, they pointed out that it is wasteful not to use my talents to help others. Coming from a lineage of physicians and healers, this did resonate with me.

Eventually, I surrendered to my inevitable dharma as a healer and finally made my services available to those interested. I decided that if people got results, then I would continue. I just found out that we now have over 420 testimonials. These two reports from Hamish and Jan illustrate our topic of fulfillment of desires in completely different ways:

 
"Since my first healing, I have noticed that nature support seems to be stronger in my life. The whole overall arc of my life has taken a turn for the better. For example, I recently landed a job which seems tailor-made for my particular personality and qualities. The whole thing just felt effortless and easy, like they were waiting for me and recognized me when I arrived."
Hamish Davidson

"You gifted me with a Distance Healing after my name was drawn from among your newsletter subscribers. I felt so blessed because I had stage IV cancer, only did six weeks of chemotherapy and was financially strapped. I had operations for uterine and ovarian cancer. The cancer spread to my liver, peritoneum and a few spots on my left lung. I was most concerned with my peritoneum because I couldn’t visualize the cancer. After your healing, my next PET scan showed that the cancer was gone from both my liver and my peritoneum. A big part of the battle is over. Much love and blessings to you."
Jan

Thank you for joining me on this journey and exploring the connection between experience, knowledge and the fulfillment of desires.

I would love to hear your thoughts about my artwork and the contents of this post. You are welcome to do so in the Comment Section below. I love to read your comments! You can use your name or a pseudonym.

Sending you healing love,
Suzanne