If we know God as an Indwelling Presence, our prayer is naturally addressed to this Presence in us. We long for, and need, a conscious union with the Infinite. This is as necessary to the nature and intellect of humanity, as food is to the well-being of our physical body. -- Dr. Ernest Holmes
A river of energy flows through all of Life, through the whole Universe.
The most spiritual primal energy we have is directed toward survival. But most of us don't live lives under constant threat of annihilation anymore. So we have moved from the physical protection of ourselves to the psychological. And this habit of constant protection causes us to shut down our energy centres.
So real spiritual growth requires one person inside of us---not the scared person and then the protector. If we don't really want it, then don't protect it. Because when we get rid of the scared part of us, we don't have to worry about getting disturbed. This is the process of working with our triggers.
Spiritual growth is when we feel our energy start to change. When we start to tighten, it's a signal that it's a time to grow, not to defend. And the only price we have to pay is letting go of our small self.