The inner self is as secret as God and, like God, it evades every concept that tries to seize hold of it with full possession. It is a life that cannot be held and studied as object, because it is not "a thing". It is not reached and coaxed forth from hiding by any process under the sun, including meditation. All that we can do with any spiritual discipline is produce within ourselves something of the silence, the humility, the detachment, the purity of heart and the indifference which are required if the inner self is to make some shy, unpredictable manifestation of presence.
Forgiving, truly and deeply forgiving, sets in motion mighty waves of love that flow down from the very gates of heaven, washing and making clean everything in its path. When this happens, everything is made new, and the shadows of pain and confusion are illuminated with understanding.