. Whatever religion or belief system that you align you with, or even if you don't align yourself with any organized religion at all, you need to carve out time in your schedule for deep contemplation and meditative training. Pray, meditate, and contemplate constantly.   To start praying, focus less on asking specific yes-no types of questions and more on focusing on feeling. How does it feel to get in touch with the higher power in which you believe? How does talking with your god affect your soul? For some monastics, time needs to be divided evenly between reading the great texts, meditating, and experiencing the world. As a rule of thumb, don't spend more time praying than you spend studying the religious texts you study, and vice versa. There's no specific goal or outcome of a meditative practice. You don't come out the other side of a meditation sitting feeling as if you've learned something, necessarily, or as if you've solved the big problems that you seek. Instead, focus on stilling yourself and increasing your awareness, then taking that into the world.   To start meditating, learn to still your thoughts and watch them float through your mind without identifying them actively. Just sit, focus on your breathing, and fix your gaze on the void. Try to hold onto your meditation-mind for as long as possible throughout the day. Notice the little things. Slow down. A popular Zen saying compares Zen to a boat. You use when you need to cross the river, but you don't take it with you. Learn to leave your Zen on the shore when it becomes unnecessary. Religion, meditative practices, and other aspects of your mystical experience should serve your understanding of the world, not burden it. It's important to spend time with like-minded believers who take their mystical practice seriously. Learn by observing and having complicated conversations with people from your church, organization, or other religious groups. Bounce ideas and interpretations off each other. Learn as much as you can. In some traditions, finding a teacher, mentor, or guru is an essential part of practicing your own brand of mysticism and developing as a mystical thinker. If you're ready to pledge yourself to a serious practice, consider finding a personal teacher.
Develop a deep belief system with prayer and contemplation Develop your awareness through meditation. Abandon needless beliefs. Surround yourself with mystical people.