fits into this?

I'm struggling with the concept. My grandfather used to buy me books by Shirley MacLaine about the Higher Self and it's almost like the Holy Spirit--I struggle with he concept.

I don't know where this quote came from, but I'm trying to figure out what the heck this means:

“All spiritual practice is a rehearsal—and at its best, an enactment—of death. As the mystics put it, ‘If you die before you die, then when you die, you won’t die.’ In other words, if right now you die to the separate-self sense, and discover instead your real Self which is the entire Kosmos at large, then the death of this particular bodymind is but a leaf falling from the eternal tree that you are.

Meditation is to practice that death right now, and right now, and right now, by resting in the timeless Witness and dis-identifying with the finite, objective, mortal self that can be seen as an object. In the empty Witness, in the great Unborn, there is no death—not because you live forever in time—you will not—but because you discover the timelessness of this eternal moment, which never enters the stream of time in the first place. When you are resting in the great Unborn, standing free as the empty Witness, death changes nothing essential.“

Not some one, but some thing can....

It seems like you're grappling with some profound concepts that intersect spirituality, psychology, and philosophy. Let's unpack this step by step.

1. The Witness or Higher Self: This concept appears in various spiritual traditions, including Christianity, albeit under different terminologies. In essence, it refers to the part of oneself that observes thoughts, emotions, and experiences without judgment or attachment. In Christian terms, it might be akin to the soul or the aspect of oneself that is in communion with God.

2. Christianity and the Higher Self: In Christianity, the Holy Spirit can be seen as the aspect of God that dwells within believers, guiding them towards truth and righteousness. This inner guidance can be likened to the concept of the Higher Self, which leads individuals towards their highest potential and spiritual growth. However, it's important to note that interpretations may vary among different denominations and individuals.

3. Rehearsal of Death: This phrase refers to the idea that spiritual practice involves letting go of the ego or the sense of separate self, which ultimately leads to a profound transformation akin to death and rebirth. By letting go of attachments and identifying with the timeless aspect of oneself (the Witness or Higher Self), one transcends the fear of physical death because they realize their connection to the eternal.

4. Meditation and the Witness: Meditation is described here as a practice of aligning oneself with the Witness or the timeless aspect of consciousness. Through meditation, one learns to disidentify with the finite aspects of self (thoughts, emotions, body) and instead rest in the awareness that transcends these transient phenomena. In this state of emptiness or stillness, one realizes their connection to the eternal and recognizes that death is merely a transformation of form rather than an annihilation of essence.

In essence, the quote you provided speaks to the idea of transcending the limited sense of self and aligning with the eternal aspect of consciousness, which is central to many spiritual traditions, including Christianity. It's a profound exploration of the nature of existence and the timeless essence that underlies all phenomena.