What is the purpose of meditation?
The skill developed in meditation is to experience the distinction between pure consciousness and the contents of consciousness. Rest in pure consciousness as much as you can.
Pure consciousness is not personal, it is not my consciousness or your consciousness. Pure consciousness is the essence of reality; is not born nor does it die; is permanent, eternal and boundless.
Pure consciousness is distinct from the contents of experience; pure consciousness is the screen on which the contents of consciousness appears. The contents of consciousness includes gross and subtle experiences, the five clinging aggregates which constitute the empirical being: physical sensations, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and sensory or mental awareness which discerns the basic parts (aspects) of its object. Contents of consciousness are impermanent, cause suffering and are not-self.
Even though we want to honor the inner child, an aspect of the ego, it is a content of consciousness and not who we truly are. The energies, songs, imagery, etc. you experience during meditation are all contents of consciousness and are not to be clung to or identified with.
Some of the characteristics of pure consciousness are wisdom, loving-kindness and happiness. Wisdom includes such knowledge as: the characteristics of the ego or personality, the impermanent nature of the world and body, and the cause and escape from suffering. Loving-kindness is the felt understanding that the essence, pure consciousness, is identical in all beings, and therefore, all beings are in essence not separated from each other but are one with all of reality. Happiness is the experience of being free of the suffering ego, it is the experience of great peace.
Mindfulness and concentration are the mental faculties utilized to make the distinction between pure consciousness and the contents of consciousness.