Hello! Wasn't sure who to ask or where I could get an answer to this, I tried googling but couldn't find a definite enough answer so I thought I'd ask here. First off I guess I better say I know next to nothing about meditation, but I've been interested in altered states of consciousness for quite a while. Anyway, after smoking some cannabis, I like to stick some music on to relax and just enjoy it, and while doing this I usually find myself looking towards the third eye with my eyes closed naturally, again having no experience with meditation before. After a while it seemed like my eyes were going numb or something... it's difficult to explain, but it felt pretty strange - while rolled back it felt like my eyes could sink back and it made me feel uneasy. Sometimes my eyelids twitch too, but it feels like I'm on the verge of something. After another while of doing this, I found I could concentrate more and I could almost feel my eyes "travelling" to the third eye after seeing a specific light and being drawn upwards towards it, but every time this happened I got a bit scared and had to jerk myself out of it... not because I wanted to, but in case I done some kind of damage as it felt different to anything I've felt before. I keep doing this when this happens... is what I'm experiencing basically meditation? Whatever it is, mentally it feels ok but physically there's a strain between my eyes as well as a strain on the eyes themselves. Just a bit scared wether or not to continue pushing through, I dunno... I'm kind of afraid of passing out or something. Sorry I can't explain it any better, can anyone help with this?
Well, there are many different kinds of meditation. I'm familiar with the common Buddhist techniques and I know a little about some Hindu ones, so I'll try to answer. No, I would not call that meditation. First of all, music is not played, because it would tend to distract. Secondly, altho it isn't a bad thing, smoking cannabis does not help meditation. Thirdly, this third eye business is also a distraction. It might be part of some esoteric technique, but I have never run into it myself. You might want to try it again without music or cannabis and see what that's like, but I would really recommend that you find some beginning instruction, like the counting to ten technique. See http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Powerfu...eginners-For-You-to-Try-Right-Away&id=1787961
When your eyes are rolling up to the third eye, this is a yogic technique called 'Shambhavi Mudra'. It's practice concentrates Prana at ajna cakra, and induces one-pointedness. Do not press too hard upward, it doesn't need to hurt you in order to work. This 'third eye' at the fore-head is actually an aspect of the anja cakra called the 'ajna kshetram'. Experiencing spontaneous shambhavi mudra, even while smoking, is auspicious. You should take advantage of these experiences, and seek out some type of routine practice. If you are looking to do some type of practice, it would be best not to smoke before hand, at least before the session itself. Do some study on it. Here's the best site on the net: http://yogavision.net It has many many beneficial points of information on all aspects of yoga. As well as http://www.yogamag.net Om Namah Sivaya
like what was already said, their are tons of different types of meditations. Basicly anytime you take time to consciously think about yourself or the things going on in your world, your meditating. Question, isent the "third eye" one of your shakras? im not sure but I thought that when practicing opening your third eye that you where first suppost to work on the alignment of your other shakras bottom to top
This is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for, cheers so much for sharing the info. I checked both of the links there, but I'm totally unfamiliar with the language used so I'm a bit lost on 'Yoga Vision', although currently reading through some writings in 'Yoga Mag' which are extremely interesting. Is there any books in particular you'd recommend for a complete beginner who doesn't know the first thing about meditation, 'mundras', etc... it's definitely something I'd want to explore further. Re: foxer's question... do you think it would be disadvantageous to continue what I explained in my first post without any knowledge of shakras? I'd guess it would be, but I don't want to stop altogether incase I'm unable to do achieve it again.
yes, it's meditation. i think ditmog offered great info i disagree pretty strongly w/sunfighter here. music and weed can be great for some people during meditation.
Yep. Everyone meditates. You're not separating out a time and place for meditation, although you are experiencing meditative states. It just depends on how structured you would like it to be. I like structure, just like in my active life.
Cheers for the comments guys, very much appreciated. At least I feel confident I'm not going to paralyze myself anymore haha! Starting next week I'm going to go to a few meditation classes, hopefully I'll be able to eventually achieve the same state without weed - although relaxing isn't one of my strong points. I do have one other question though, at the point that I keep breaking off (it's a white light?)... I don't want to say "what can I expect" because, well, I'm not really expecting anything, I just want to perceive... will this come?
On the Yoga Vision site there is a section on practices. This section would be good for a genral introduction to various aspects of Yoga, including meditation. As far as books go, there is a 'publications' section at Yoga Vision. All or the majority of the books offered there are actual texts-books for the Yoga Bharati University, in Munger, Bihar State of India. There are quite a few books from them covering the basics on Yoga. However I would encourage you to look through them. The summaries of each tell you whether they are for the more advanced practitioner or not. 'Hatha Yoga Pradipika' sheds much light on Yoga, 'Dharana Darshan' by Swami Niranjananda is also a great boon for someone wanting to learn about Yogic concentration and meditation. Everyone of these books are amazingly in-depth and easy to read. Just learn about the chakras as you continue. It would be a good idea to find a teacher however to show you what practices are appropriate for you, but as of now that might not be possible. So work with what you got at the moment. Its good not to have any expectations.. surrender to the process, its a good approach with Yoga sadhana. That Light is always here. It is an aspect of the higher Consciousness. Just be sincere and dilligent in your aspiration, and allow the practices to do what they do. peace and fearlessness om namah sivaya
If you're realy interested in meditation.. i recomend the book "Taming the monkey mind" It's a good example of verbal meditation.
While some people try to practice a silent form of meditation, they will generally find this very difficult, as the mind is very chaotic and difficult to focus and calm. I go to Lotus Garden Meditation Center, where we practice the recommended form of meditation for the age we live in specifically which is so full of disturbances, externally and internally, called "Mantra Meditation." "Mantra" = Man – "tra" = to draw the mind away from the material world. Meditation uses transcendental sound vibrations to help draw our mind from our worries and cares and place our focus on God. Mantras are actually names of God. Nobody can buy or sell a mantra. They descend from the spiritual realm and actually allow us to taste spiritual happiness. Mantra Meditation has been taught since time immemorial. A person will sit quietly focusing the mind on a transcendental or spiritual sound vibration. The mind is not trying to artificially be controlled into emptiness or calmness but rather is re-directed upon a focal point that is full of spiritual potency to calm and soothe the mind and the very self. Usually in Mantra meditation the inhale is silent meditation on the mantra and audible meditation on the exhale. Softly saying the mantra just loud enough for the person to hear his or her own voice. This sound being heard helps keep the practitioners mind from wandering away from the meditation practice and is also purifying when repeated silently or audibly. It is very difficult to calm our mind on our own strength and silently keep the mind steady and focused what to speak of peaceful and at rest. The mantras are names of God, glorifications of God, or Prayers to God. The idea of true meditation is to focus the mind and heart on the spiritual dimension and God. Of course the names of God are not sectarian or belonging to any particular group. They are free, they are many, and they are pure and they are found in all the various teachings and scriptures of the world. Meditation is very simple and enjoyable to practice and when you have some understanding of the reason for and the meaning of these sacred sound vibrations I am sure you would find it very soothing and beneficial for calming the mind, focusing on the transcendental realm, and tasting inner peacefulness. If you want to learn more - or hear some actual mantra meditation, go here: www.lotusgardenmeditation.org.
and BTW, one should not engage in mind altering substances while meditating... or at all really, if you can help it. When you begin to truly meditate, you'll find the desire for that stuff gradually goes away anyway. Believe me, I speak from experience
I know this post is late, but here's a word of advice. Yes, you were meditating. The more we align with the natural flow, the more spontaneous meditation becomes. Here's my advice, if you continue to make "shambhavi" your regular practice, I would recommend finishing it with grounding exercises. Grounding exercises are anything which bring feeling to the body. This can be body slapping, self massage, stretches, collecting chi into your navel chakra (as in Qigong), etc. You can open your third eye very rapidly, but it helps if you have a balanced circuitry going into the Earth so that you have a solid foundation. Remember this especially if you start getting spacey or feeling like you're going nuts. I know it's usually uncool to plug your own book or website in your first post, but the one place I happen to know of which specifically mentions how to prevent imbalances from third eye meditations just happens to be my book. Therefore, I'll give you the link to it. This is not meant to be a plug. It's http://www.deepermeditation.net/oceanicmind.
I know nothing about conventional meditation, however i have a personal practice that helps me deal with physical/emotional pain through a type of mental exercise.. Its mostly about relaxation, focus. and acceptance... I personally label this "meditation" and though perhaps not conventionally accepted as such I could argue that it is to me.. What I am getting at is that if your practice is productive for you as your personal form of meditation.. Then it is meditation to you... I am sure there are alot of great techniques out there that might supplement maybe improve your experiences but none of them can nullify your experience as it exists now.. Labels are lame and should be kept vague as individual interpretation is where the real significance lies..
