Bliss Defined

Blissology is quite obviously the study of (and hopefully the subsequent experience of) bliss. But what exactly is bliss?

Bliss could be argued as the state of happiness, regardless of whether that emotion is derived from physical circumstances (I just went on the date of my dreams, I bought my dream car, finally found love, got that promotion…), or comes from within, in the deeper philosophical sense: walking down a quiet nature path and feeling a deep happiness welling up from within as I appreciate the beauty of life…. However, the feeling of bliss based upon immediate surrounding circumstance, while briefly uplifting and satisfying in the moment, is transient, hard to contain, and similar to a puff of smoke in its staying power. Sometimes it can be outright frustrating in attempting to pursue the experience of that precise feeling, and it can lead one to an equal “downward” feeling, when that bliss feeling dissipates like morning dew in the shining sun.

So for the purpose of stability, bliss will be defined here as a state of being in contrast to present outward experience. One can definitely have blissful experiences… but here will be discussed on how one can pursue the semi permanent blissful state of being-ness- which is not as difficult as one might first believe. One does not need to be in a deep transcendental meditative state, or spend years studying and doing without, or learn about altering body states in terms of physical being and temperatures or the like. Obtaining a state of bliss is simply about experiencing appreciation. We all can do that! It’s all about taking time to notice yourself in the moment, feel your alive-ness, and appreciate where that alive-ness originates from: the simple beauty of a flower unfurling in a garden pot; a bird singing; children laughing; the sun twinkling off a glass in the kitchen sink, casting rainbows around the room; or being able to enjoy a shared moment with someone close. One might call bliss the state of being that allows us to step outside of our busy lives and notice- and appreciate- the important small things that makes life worth living. And when we hold these moments of appreciation in front of us more and more often, we begin to notice a certain wellness of joy rising from the heart. Maybe there is a smile, maybe there isn’t. But there is a definite lightening of spirit, as everyday life falls into proper prospective, and we begin to remember why we are really here.