I had to laugh today after finally coming to terms with trying to learn all the new gifts that have been bestowed on us. A little while ago I started playing a golf game on the XBox and although I am familiar with the controller and have quite a bit of hand eye coordination it took lots of practice to hit the ball straight and to get a birdie took enormous amounts of time, practicing the same shots over and over again. Everyone knows that! It is the way you learn on this game that has special meaning. Each of the skills that has to be learned is laid out: drive, power, putting, spin, luck etc. When you start out you are at a five and as you practice you start to earn potential and that potential as you have practiced is now a twenty five. The way you get better is through playing the game and as you become better at driving you potential becomes reality. 

Meditation has many forms, doing a guided meditation to learn a gift that has been given by a master is only potential. You make strides if you can use your imagination to make those scenes like reality, if you can hold your focus without letting ego distract you, if you can have the faith needed to realize that life is the illusion and this is just an illusion as well, but every bit as real. If when you are doing a guided meditation are so deep that you see this as reality and are able to touch the amethyst and smell the lavender, then you are advanced. If you can't do these things, then keep trying, it will come to you - all it takes is time.