Be Here Now

Dass presents the “Heart Cave” as an inner space where one can access what he calls childlike openness—a prerequisite for receiving higher energy or cosmic consciousness. He cites a Biblical admonition to become “little children” and equates consciousness with energy, love, wisdom, beauty, truth, and purity. He intersperses references to mantras, suggesting repeated chanting or meditation as a way to recall one’s true identity. He also invokes imagery of metamorphosis, comparing spiritual growth to a caterpillar eventually becoming a butterfly. According to Dass, transcending ego-based thought allows complete immersion in any task, person, or experience, and this process involves moving beyond the limitations of time and space. He repeatedly notes that one cannot remain attached to worldly forms of power or identity if one wishes to approach a deeper reality. Via poetic lines and occasional visual references—like swirling designs and sketches—he underscores that spiritual awakening is both inevitable and paradoxical. Dass emphasizes letting go of the ego before recognizing a more expansive sense of existence.

Dass explores different ways people come to understand higher consciousness: by direct experience (e.g., near-death events), intellectual inference, or trusting realized beings. He references William James to emphasize that ordinary awareness is only one facet of a greater reality, often dismissed or labeled “psychosis.