What is this Sudden Pull in Meditation?

[4bsolute]

Dear Ones,

 

I finally found a propper outer and inner landscape to meditate again. Things came to rest and here I am again on my inner journey. I wanted to ask this months ago but then I simply threw away this question because I was certain to find the answer anyway myself. Shortly after my life turned upside down and the question was erased for the time of being.

 

My question: When I started to meditate later at evening, in the night and I am already abit sleep-drunken, a form of lucidity that is not yet too tiring so I do not fall aswell during meditation, somewhere on the edge of a healthy approach on meditation, after a relaxing time where really every tension in my body disappeared, I suddenly felt a pulling... I remember it had a certain "mental quality" to it... like "something" wanted my attention and got it through that action.

 

I noticed that my focus suddenly increased drasticly, totally by itself without me actively doing anything, like more elecricity was going on in my head - not stressful, more calm and focusing, with a certain, barely noticable static noise ... somewhere in the background.

 

Since I did not know what to do and totally surrendering is still pretty scary for me, due to some messed-up end-time concepts from certain "guru's" on this planet which still are waiting to be flushed out, unconsciously, I then laid possitive concepts on top of it and watch how the focus slowly but surely dissappeared. For me this is a sign that I should have simply ventured to surrender to this circumstance. Not a dissappointed conclusion, I just know from the past that every concept I bring into meditation is just a hold-up and gets discarted sooner or later anyway.

 

PS: These concepts are that it is bad to work with the 3rd eye and everything involved with it in this stage of the development of this planet, since you easily invite forces you do not wish to have inside you. Right wrong? I dont even know. And in my case I simply ignore them then. But it's rubbish that such concepts can even get in your system. Stupid childish curiosity while being on the internet.

 

Anyway, does anyone have an idea what this "pulling" might have been? This sudden attention, sudden focus

 

PPS: The interesting thing here is, even tho I did not meditate thoroughly for at least 3 months, I come back right in where I have left off! This is so new to me, no preparation, nothing. You just move on. This is so, so refreshing to everything else we do in our waking-life

Edited October 10, 2013 by 4bsolute

[Seeker of Wisdom]

You'll make much faster progress if you stop fussing over all these phenomena, thinking they're important and asking what they mean.

 

Sometimes it just goes really smoothly. Sometimes it's really murky. Peeling an onion one layer at a time.

[dwai]

Dear Ones,

 

I finally found a propper outer and inner landscape to meditate again. Things came to rest and here I am again on my inner journey. I wanted to ask this months ago but then I simply threw away this question because I was certain to find the answer anyway myself. Shortly after my life turned upside down and the question was erased for the time of being.

 

My question: When I started to meditate later at evening, in the night and I am already abit sleep-drunken, a form of lucidity that is not yet too tiring so I do not fall aswell during meditation, somewhere on the edge of a healthy approach on meditation, after a relaxing time where really every tension in my body disappeared, I suddenly felt a pulling... I remember it had a certain "mental quality" to it... like "something" wanted my attention and got it through that action.

 

I noticed that my focus suddenly increased drasticly, totally by itself without me actively doing anything, like more elecricity was going on in my head - not stressful, more calm and focusing, with a certain, barely noticable static noise ... somewhere in the background.

 

Since I did not know what to do and totally surrendering is still pretty scary for me, due to some messed-up end-time concepts from certain "guru's" on this planet which still are waiting to be flushed out, unconsciously, I then laid possitive concepts on top of it and watch how the focus slowly but surely dissappeared. For me this is a sign that I should have simply ventured to surrender to this circumstance. Not a dissappointed conclusion, I just know from the past that every concept I bring into meditation is just a hold-up and gets discarted sooner or later anyway.

 

PS: These concepts are that it is bad to work with the 3rd eye and everything involved with it in this stage of the development of this planet, since you easily invite forces you do not wish to have inside you. Right wrong? I dont even know. And in my case I simply ignore them then. But it's rubbish that such concepts can even get in your system. Stupid childish curiosity while being on the internet.

 

Anyway, does anyone have an idea what this "pulling" might have been? This sudden attention, sudden focus

 

PPS: The interesting thing here is, even tho I did not meditate thoroughly for at least 3 months, I come back right in where I have left off! This is so new to me, no preparation, nothing. You just move on. This is so, so refreshing to everything else we do in our waking-life

The "pulling" you feel is just a deeper level of consciousness (less noise in the head...ie thoughts in the mind slowly reducing). You might feel a physical "rolling into a ditch" kind of sensation too (just go with it, don't let your natural reflexes kick in and pull you back out of it). It CAN be very disconcerting at first.

[Boy]

...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Boy

[Tibetan_Ice]

4Bsolute

There are two kinds of pulling that I am aware of during meditation. The first 'pulling' occurs during a deep meditation when sitting perfectly still and deeply relaxed, yet concentrated and focused. What happens is that body senses fall away. It usually comes like a wind or pleasant breeze of energy. I just relax into it and let it happen. The body is dissolving, falling away, not just like in Zazen, but it is a normal phenomenon when you meditate successfully. It feels like being pulled or swooning. After it occurs, most of the time I can feel body parts in different locations than the locations where they should be. For example, although I know my arms are resting on my legs, they 'feel' like they have assumed a joined position over the belly. Or, my tongue will feel like it is straight up, but it is resting flat. Also, at that point you can sort of float around a bit, like you've become an etheric cloud, dissociated from the body. But, your mental acuity increases dramatically and it becomes easier to do mental activities at that point.

 

If you meditate regularily, with deep concentration, relaxation and resolve, what I've found is that the body dissolves, what I've described, about around the 20 minute mark. The push, or pull feels like it comes from the upper front of the head and is pushing you backwards, or pulling you backwards. Sometimes, the pull can be very strong.

 

The other kind of pull is a top-down pull. That is a totally different thing. It occurs when the mind dissolves and gets pulled downwards towards the heart. It occurs after the body has dissolved, usually around the 40 minute mark. This pull is straight down, and it feels like you are going to pass out, or die or lose consciousness. This kind of pull is more frequent when meditating late at night, when the mind wants to shut off and you are releasing and letting go. It is the dissolution of the substrate consciousness into the substrate, as Alan Wallace would say. If you can get through the passage, which feels like passing out and stay alert and aware, and brave the fear, another kind of consciousness from the heart will take over. I don't have too much experience here so that last part is what I've read.. I suspect the fear is still there and I haven't pursued it much yet.

 

On a few nights a few years ago, after much meditation, I had experiences of the back of my head opening up into a wide open space and my whole being was being pulled out into outer space, like someone had turned on a giant vacuum cleaner. I had to fight really hard to remain in the body.. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't fought it, just to see what would have happened, but at the time, there is an awful lot of fear that occurs when it just happens to you out-of-the-blue, lying in bed trying to sleep.

 

Hope that helps.

 

What kind of meditation are you doing?

 

TI

[juliank]

You'll make much faster progress if you stop fussing over all these phenomena, thinking they're important and asking what they mean. Sometimes it just goes really smoothly. Sometimes it's really murky. Peeling an onion one layer at a time.

 

Short, lucid and correct. Neither for, nor against, neither to the left nor to the right, neither above nor below, neither to be attracted or repelled, always observing the observer, always watching the doer, never getting involved.

[Boy]

...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Boy

[Seeker of Wisdom]

...

If every time we feel a pull or a fizz or a warmth or bliss or sad or quiet mind or cascading thoughts or floaty or heavy or bored or focused or cold or see some lights we fixate on it, we never get anywhere. We're always looking for stuff to happen rather than doing the practice.

 

In some practices, specific phenomena are signs to alter your tack. E.g. when a nimitta appears during anapana sati, focus on that rather than the breath.

 

And of course, as we progress we may be able to do different practices we couldn't benefit from much before. If we start to get kundalini issues, we back off. If we happen to develop abilities, we use them for good.

 

Aside from common sense stuff like that, the classic response of a sage to phenomena is 'temporary creation of mind and/or body. Why are you staring at this stone when the path is ahead of you?'.

[Ish]

As usual, it depends on what path you're on.

 

If you're returning to the non-conceptual and pure then all the interesting things that happen in meditation are not important.

[Boy]

...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Boy

[Ish]

Actually, the way to get rid of the "confusion, fear, self criticism and doubt" is to look at the experience as unimportant.

[soaring crane]

In some practices, specific phenomena are signs to alter your tack.

 

This is a very narrow list, restricted to your personal experience. I don't practice any kind of yogic meditation yet I experience other things in my spontaneous qigong sessions, and it can get quite bizarre, and some of them are definite signs that it's time to bring the session to a close.

 

How was the OP to know if the phenomenon s/he experienced is a sign, or not? Did you come to your information intuitively or did you learn it somewhere? Given the labels attached, I assume they're recognized, standardized phenomena; you learned it somewhere along the line. And the OP is here to learn.

 

I also believe (strongly) in not judging the things that occur during practice - not judging. But that doesn't mean ignoring. I feel the constructive answers given thus far are useful and insightful.

 

Actually, the way to get rid of the "confusion, fear, self criticism and doubt" is to look at the experience as unimportant.

 

I don't see where anyone placed any importance on the experience. It's been very non-judgmental up to this point.

[dwai]

Yes, but here we can clearly see that this very common "phenomenon" has caused actual problems manifesting as mild confusion, fear, self criticism and doubt. The path is evidently already blocked to a degree and the reasons as to why this has happened is not difficult to see, would you say? Let's dispense with the "common sense stuff" and new age memes, please.

You are right. The confusion, fear etc are all part of the "ego" trying to self-preserve. And also due to ignorance of the meditation process itself.

 

That is why a good teacher is recommended. Unless one is patient and willing to endure numerous "knee-jerk pull my hand out of the fire type" reaction to this "sudden pull" (which is a sudden shift in consciousness), there won't be progress.

 

This phenomenon is scary, at a very deep-rooted level. It takes patience and detachment from the phenomenon to deal with it(but detachment doesn't mean don't acknowledge it, it means don't obssess about it). Once one knows the true nature of the phenomenon, then he/she can approach it without fear (or gradually dissolve their fear).

 

What i'm trying to say is it is perfectly natural and a good thing to want to know what this is.

Edited October 11, 2013 by dwai

[Boy]

...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Boy

[Spotless]

Yes, but here we can clearly see that this very common "phenomenon" has caused actual problems manifesting as mild confusion, fear, self criticism and doubt. The path is evidently already blocked to a degree and the reasons as to why this has happened is not difficult to see, would you say? Let's dispense with the "common sense stuff" and new age memes, please.

I have read all of your complaints so far and so far you have not addressed the very complaint you offer up:

Please bless us with your considered response to the problems elucidated by our original poster - we are all onboard now with the basic agreement that none of us will even come close to saying something of the sort as "don't sweat the small stuff"

Edited October 28, 2013 by Spotless

[de_paradise]

The pulling is your meditation deepening like deepening a trance, result is the qi energy accelerates its cycles around your body. The qi switches gears, like shifting gears on a car, that sudden. On the one hand the mind goes deeper, on the other hand the body gets the lift from the acceleration of energy, destabilizing your mind temporarily--hence your confusion. This is why it is said to "relax into higher energy." In time you will not bother with it, even though you may notice the little spikes. Many people notice an energy shift and come out of meditation, just in the same way as people often move or shift their minds and bodies due to unconsious energy shifts. The idea is not to fall prey to shifting energy, and keep relaxing and meditating, even if the mind gets slightly agitated.

[Spotless]

I have taken the oath and I shall not say "don't sweat the small stuff" so if you hear me say it, disregard it and report me - For those of us with a hint in this direction, we have been sequestered.

 

That said, you may wish to look at your overall energy or have someone look at it for you and perhaps work to increase your masculine "yang" energies. Also look at different types of meditation. As a physical practice, Qi Gong is a great way to give your entire energetic space a workout and it will increase your certainty of self. You can also look into it as a sitting practice.

 

Some meditations work with you very clearly within your head space behind the forehead - with these you will not be so apt to leave your body and this is what is happening to you. Some meditations have you concentrating upon your lower Dan Tien first - I would suggest you try these, they are more grounded and work in the lower energy field is typically a better way to start. Many forms of meditation take you out of the body.

 

A teacher and a good group are a treasure beyond compare - you cannot hide in a group for long and you will blossom much quicker within one. Find one that is grounding for you - in other words not one that feels beyond you or unaligned. At the same time, take care to breath into your whole space with a teaching or adjunct activity that helps you see beyond your proclivities.

 

If you are in a head space all the time or a moving space or a heart space or a communication space or feeling space - find a teaching with balance for all of you - most of us live in only a few energy centers more or less all the time.

 

When you fill in your space - fill it in in front of you, behind you and all around you - most auras don't make it past the knees and few have much energy behind them.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Spotless

[Boy]

...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Boy

[Boy]

...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Boy

[4bsolute]

You are right. The confusion, fear etc are all part of the "ego" trying to self-preserve. And also due to ignorance of the meditation process itself.

 

That is why a good teacher is recommended. Unless one is patient and willing to endure numerous "knee-jerk pull my hand out of the fire type" reaction to this "sudden pull" (which is a sudden shift in consciousness), there won't be progress.

 

This phenomenon is scary, at a very deep-rooted level. It takes patience and detachment from the phenomenon to deal with it(but detachment doesn't mean don't acknowledge it, it means don't obssess about it). Once one knows the true nature of the phenomenon, then he/she can approach it without fear (or gradually dissolve their fear).

 

What i'm trying to say is it is perfectly natural and a good thing to want to know what this is.

 

Can you explain Why this pheonomenon is so scary for all of us (here in this human form) on such a deep-rooted level?

 

Basicly the fear of this letting-go, That type of letting go you only experience in meditation and beyond that cant hold any concept is my only Stop-sign to continue further. So often!

 

Maybe this is natural?

 

 

And to everyone else - thank you So much for sharing your knowledge about this. Glad I am here, really.

[dwai]

Can you explain Why this pheonomenon is so scary for all of us (here in this human form) on such a deep-rooted level?

 

Basicly the fear of this letting-go, That type of letting go you only experience in meditation and beyond that cant hold any concept is my only Stop-sign to continue further. So often!

 

Maybe this is natural?

 

 

And to everyone else - thank you So much for sharing your knowledge about this. Glad I am here, really.

Its because the Ego doesn't want to get to a point where it's existence is threatened. Every stage of spiritual development is one step closer to that happening and there will be many shifts like the one being discussed here. These shifts will eventually become less dramatic (progressively) till you don't even notice them. When that happens (you don't notice them), that means the Ego has disappeared and you just "are".