Hello everyone,
I’ve come to realize that I need to start meditating more often, and more effectively. Although, methods differentiate based on the person, and I do not know that many to begin with. I do have one question: does music optimize meditation if one is capable of remaining on task (meditation)?
Also, I’m open to any other meditation suggestions if people have them. I will try them all and see what’s best.
Good topic. Ok, so this my view on the subject. Most of the stuff I’m talking about comes from teachings of Osho, which I can understand if most LHP practicioners disagree. But anyways…
In this case, meditating is all about getting to know yourself. It’s not about visualization, it’s not about concentration. Nothing. Pure silence. You can use all that stuff to direct energy or something, but that’s not exactly meditation.
You can of course use audios, music or whatever to help your body and mind relaxed, but the actual meditation starts when you clear your mind. By then, you shouldn’t be listening to anything, viewiong anything…keep this practice, that’s key in getting to know who you really are, and more.
I remember in some of EA’s newsletter he says that closing your eyes and embracing “nothingness” creates nothing, and this is where I happen to strongly disagree, I advise anybody to embrace such an experience! In case you wanna know a little more about meditating I recommend you research more from Osho.
(A brief comment just in case: I am obviously not bashing EA nor his writings, I absolutely love and support the man’s work, otherwise I wouldn’t even be here in the first place. It’s just that one comment that I have a different point of view :P)
“Play” music inside your head if your internal chatter won’t shut up, it’s an acceptable substitute for getting overly stressed about the inner dialogue.
I doubt playing it externally will help, but I’m not an expert.
Also, I'm open to any other meditation suggestions if people have them. I will try them all and see what's best.
Sit down for a few minutes with a notepad or voice recorder, or a blank computer document, and log everything that’s on your mind from the major to the trivial, don’t judge these thoughts at all, just get them down.
Try breathing naturally and just focus on your breath, DON’T try to breathe deeper than normal.
Don’t set a timer, just wait until you feel you got something out of it, a shift in mood and awareness.
As you do so, focus on the syllable “SO” as you breathe in, and “HUM” as you breathe out.
As thoughts pass into your mind, unless they’re literally a diagram for a cold-fusion machine built from baked bean cans (could happen) don’t worry about them, acknowledge them and bring your awareness back to your breath without resistance, struggle, or self-judgement.
Everyone has thoughts, and it’s not realistic or useful to start judging your mind suddenly for doing what it’s been doing to keep you alive for every day of your life to this moment.
Sit comfortably with your spine straight and shoulders back, maybe on a chair with bare feet flat on the floor, don’t worry about scrunching yourself into a half- or full-lotus position, also have a look at this link (updated 2021 as original is gone): Lost posture - the J-shaped spine.
Remember it’s not a “pass/fail” exercise and that doing some quiet sitting with your own thoughts, at worst, is much better than nothing at all.
Those are some basic ideas, you might want to start using a mantra if doing nothing except focusing on your breath is intolerable, AUM is a good one to start with, maybe do three of those, or nine (count on fingers), etc.
Again breathe naturally, don’t gulp air in and ram it down then aim for the longest intonation possible, at first do them as though using the same kind of relaxed breathing you would for normal speech. That’s my opinion anyway, for beginning this.
Looks like I get to be “that guy” again, but I’d venture that with music, with silence, with dialogue, with mantras - are different states. Meditation and trance can cover a -huge- range of different states of “trance” (which word only means a state of consciousness differing from your “default”), and plenty of experimentation on your part will best uncover what is best suited to you, in different circumstances, and for different goals.
Lady Eva’s number 4 was my main problem, getting frustrated and fighting thoughts lol deff does not help meditation what helped me the most was not judging myself and letting go of frustration, once I quit fighting I notice a sort of stepping outside myself feeling almost watching the thoughts flow on a sort of screen then they seem to stop altogether and that’s when the magic happens I can feel a slight hum and vibration and a feeling of my self expanding and a high that beats all drugs my problem now is staying in this state for any period of time I get over joyed and excited and snap out of it it really is bliss.
Don’t resist any thought that enters your mind, just let it pass through. When counting backwards from 100, yell each number in your mind like a drill Sargent. Have complete silence. Extra help when cell phone off, unplug electrics, no noise(nature ok) but the pitch black helps block out distractions, objects in room if you open eyes accidentally.
Keep practicing as well, takes time to get good at anything…usually.
I know for me, something that has been extremely useful for not only meditation, but for healing, relaxation, and building energy levels as well. Is chi as you get into your deep meditation. I will slowly circle my hands around feeling the electro-magnetic energy building and building. There are 3 ways that your mind can sense things, auditory, visually, and kinesthetically. I have found that using visualization is mainly good for building your kinesthetic senses, because when I visualize and focus for long enough I eventually feel the effects of my visualization building and building in the area focused. (This is how I open my chakras) I’ve only been doing this stuff for 2 months now but I’ve been doing extensive research, and I have gotten my ajna, heart, throat, dantian, and even solar plexus, chakras all to vibrate already. (very rarely my crown)
1). As you are initially entering meditation, I suggest focusing first on building as much chi in your hands as you can for about 5 minutes. From then on be sure not to touch anything or move around too much because chi cultivation (energy, prana, lifeforce building) takes stillness. (I normally do this while laying and close my eyes) it normally tends to make me fall asleep cause my brain isn’t super used to sustained theta state yet.
2.) Focusing only on breathing is a very easy technique for forcing all other thoughts out of my mind as I’ve found, because it can be as loud as you want it to be. That or calm & flowing music that allows you focus on the rhythm. (again
blocking out everything besides that one thing.)
3.) As I’ve been using from EA’s “Questing for Visions” eBook, start imagining a bright white (or silver) shimmering cloud start working it’s way either from the top of your head, or from the bottoms of your feet. When imagining the cloud, think of it as trickling or perhaps, webbing around your body very delicately imagining it both within and outside of your body. Allow the cloud to creep up slowly throughout your entire body, until most of your body feels numb/tingly/relaxed. At this point you should be in deep theta.
I’ve found that this is the ultimate way for me to charge any of my chakras which is currently what is most important to me. Once I have gotten my heart, third eye, & dantian fully opened I think that I will begin focusing more on soul travel once again.
Also imagine the energy flowing into you as strong protection, healing energy. The cool thing about this is since your literally pulling source energy into you, you can make just about any sort of visualization that you want as your getting deeper into meditation. I’ve found when I do it effectively, if I was in deep theta for 30 to 60 minutes when I come out of meditation I will feel as if I had just taken a power nap. Also, occasionally if I manage not to go fully asleep sometimes I will slip into lucid dreaming in which I realize that I had just been meditating and will quickly start taking control of the dream, I think this could also be borderline beginnings of how to get down soul travel as well.
As I get into deep theta, if I’m not focusing on building energies in my chakras, sometimes I like to build energy in what I think of as my personal protective auras. I imagine a different color for each of my protective auras (because it makes it easier for me to distinguish the difference between them). I have a very close to body physical protective aura, and 2 spiritual outer protective auras that I imagine energy building in.
Music may help as a beginner, but more effective would be to follow a guided meditation audio (which would probably have some music in it) to practice a technique until you don’t need any assistance.
I recommend watching a couple Shinzen Young videos on youtube for ideas. He cuts through to directly what works and how to do it.
All the (workable) techniques come down to two aspects. Inclusive awareness and exclusive concentration. You have to develop the concentration part first usually until your thoughts slow down. Breath control is a good way to jump ahead quickly and experience some altered states, since it directly affects the mind.
I’m experimenting with meditating while drunk. I’ll let ya know how it works out. hiccup!