What is the longest you've ever meditated?

[KenBrace]

 

Listening to music during meditation is not a good idea.

Without music you can progress faster.

 

Well I don't exactly listen to music. I use the Centrepoint Dive and Immersion tracks which are 30 minutes each. 'The Dive' track consists of rain and gongs. 'Immersion' is just rain.

 

I meditate in complete silence with HQ ear muffs sometimes as well.

 

I'd like to find a block of time to do some 10+ hour sessions. Might try that this weekend. Just hope that no one plans any family events, etc.

[KenBrace]

You sure your not astral projecting (just beside yourself in your room)?

 

I don't think so. One time after focussing back in like I mentioned earlier, I saw an image of my body about 5 feet away. The room was super dark but I could still see myself. I figured it was just my imagination though. I often see weird things like that when I enter light, light trance. I don't really know anything about astral projection so I can't say.

Edited July 1, 2014 by KenBrace

[C T]

after reading thru all the comments and responses, it suddenly struck me that the highest achievement for a Vajrayana Buddhist adept is to reach non-meditation, which equates to a gradual lessening of time spent on formal meditation and yet an increase in effortless non-distraction.

 

There is nothing to be envious about pertaining to length of time one is able to sit in meditation. Longer does not mean better. Usually it means quite the opposite, as sometimes practitioners can get hooked on the spacious mental environment and seeks to remain there with increasing frequency, or worst case scenario, find it more and more difficult to 'return'.

 

In Vajrayana meditation practices, the yardstick is not how long one can sit, but how aware one can be out of sitting, back into everyday living. As the saying goes, Non-meditation is the fruit, meditation is only the means. Its easy to confuse the means with the fruit.

 

I do understand not all paths have the same ideal, though. I have investigated various practices, and have found that the Buddhist approach trumps all the others because it does not lead to dependency. In fact, the more time one withdraws into the shell of meditative absorption, the more the meditation teacher will see that he/she has failed miserably to impart a correct view to that student.

 

Watch out for Joeblast's reference to 'dead tree zen'. Thats like a Venus Fly Trap of the meditation world, A very enticing pool which drowns a lot of meditators.

Edited July 1, 2014 by C T

[thelerner]

I enjoy my guided meditations. I listen to cernterpoint rain and some other biaural playings, at times I'll lose myself in them, but I don't consider such things as meditation. They're wonderful tools, but they're also crutches. I don't start the clock unless I'm seated on my zafu, and not even then. Sometimes its quite a while til monkey mind stops. Sometimes it doesn't.

 

These days I mostly keep it short, but in the past, I'd sit many hours at night. Though a couple years ago after listening to Adyashanti, I stopped myself from falling into a trance state. A state where hours passed quickly. I decided that wasn't what I was aiming at. Instead I brought myself, kept myself, more aware, out of deeper trance and closer to awareness. Time passes slower, thoughts appear louder, but its more real. Otherwise the trance state was better then, but maybe not so different then watching TV or sleeping.

 

I'm mostly 20 or 30 minutes lately, but I realize that should change, I should go back to longer sessions.

 

Though meditator beware. During my most intense periods (using Glenn Morris's Pathnotes), I'd get the energetic bliss, the shiny eyes but it'd be accompanied by a certain flakiness.. a don't care bout nothing- hippy-ness. Which was not conducive for my life then. Others who've done heavy duty meditation have ended up increasing anger and paranoia. One needs to be watched during such periods to make sure there's mental balance kept. We need a friend to pull us away sometimes. Because we get too certain; our problems are viewed as signs of progress instead of warnings.

[joeblast]

after reading thru all the comments and responses

lol, and I hit like when I was halfway through the post

 

establishing habit energy!

 

this is why a few sessions a day...now even when I did a few sessions a day, not all of that was seated meditation, much of it was moving qigong in the morning or afternoon, always seated meditation before bed...but that right there is the efficacy of doing it more often. this is all establishing habit energy.

 

one still has to pedal the bike here and there.....raise his hand and turn the prayer wheel here and there....mind the breath protocol...but the stronger your habit energy is, the less friction these things happen with.

 

its also why "with full awareness" I put emphasis on that as a very prime fundamental notion.

 

you can get those stages where time passes by very quickly and still have full awareness. part of that is always keeping any of these practices as veritably, practices in awareness.

 

in the same way doing horse stance is a breathing exercise

[C T]

I'm mostly 20 or 30 minutes lately, but I realize that should change, I should go back to longer sessions.

Oh, please don't!

 

Well, as i said above, depends on your goal really. Mine is to increase awareness, hence the ideal approach to take with this aim in mind is short sessions - break - short sessions - break... this can be for however long i want. I can do this for days on end if that's what i choose to do, but currently not in the position for this to be effected, although have done it in the past in formal retreat settings.

 

In that environment, there comes a time when sleep and waking moments merge, and awareness pervades both. During the retreat we sleep very little anyway, like 4 hours, so its kind of easy to get to that level. Most retreatants reach it within 20 days of solid practice. Sometimes one can see mantric seed syllables, yidams and buddhas appearing in dreams, and other times see phantasmagoric images, those that are usually associated with dreams, while wide awake. Teacher said this is a solid, auspicious sign of stable result for it engenders a familiarity with the bardo after death and before rebirth.

[Vitalii]

Ahh nice to hear something past 30 minutes to an hour lol. What was the session like?

 

First time it was when I practiced with my Teacher on the retreat. We lived in the tent on the wild nature. In one day Teacher said that we would be practice more then usually (about 3-4 hours). it was necessary for better development feeling of inner and external Qi, awaken wisdom, and run some of alchemical processes. We did such a long meditation for several days. I can say that after it my experience and understanding of Daoist teaching has risen sharply. But I need to notice that I practiced with a Teacher and he knew my level very well. Therefore if somebody follow and practice too long it does not mean that they will get good results. It can be just dully sitting or false Da zuo [假坐].

[Vitalii]

Too long meditation is not a target, but sometimes it is necessary for the running of some alchemical processes and awaken some levels of your wisdom.

 

Lets look at daily timetable of the Quanzhen retreat:

 

全真清規

 

每日至五更寅時，聞開靜板響，各請洗漱，朝真禮聖。卯時早齋。辰時混坐。巳時靜鐘三通，各各靜坐，如法用功。午時赴齋 未時混坐。申時如前入靜。酉時晚叅。戌時混坐茶湯。亥時如前入靜，用功如法。子時歌詠，教演詩詞，以敵睡魔。丑時放叅，各請隨意。

 

 

Pure Regulations of Quanzhen

(1) Hour of yin (3–5am): The sound of the plank indicates the non-movement period is over. Everyone washes his face and rinses his mouth. Then one worships the Perfected and Sages.

(2) Hour of mao (5–7am): Morning meal.

(3) Hour of chen (7–9am): Group meditation (hunzuo 混坐).

(4) Hour of si (9–11am): “Non-movement” meditation. Each person meditates quietly (Jing zuo 靜坐) by himself.

(5) Hour of wu (11am–1pm): Noon meal.

(6) Hour of wei (1–3pm): Group meditation.

(7) Hour of shen (3–5pm): Non-movement meditation.

(8) Hour of you (5–7pm): Evening gathering.

(9) Hour of xu (7–9pm): Group meditation and offering of tea and soup.

(10) Hour of hai (9–11pm): Non-movement meditation.

(11) Hour of zi (11pm–1am): Chanting. Adepts chant poems meant to enable them to resist the demons of sleep (shuimo 睡魔). Each verse is chanted three times and no more.

(12) Hour of chou (1–3am): The gathering is dismissed. One can do whatever one wants.

P.S.

Of course, this schedule is not for beginners.

[Nungali]

What is the longest you've ever meditated straight in a single session?

 

57 years.

[GrandmasterP]

Too long meditation is not a target, but sometimes it is necessary for the running of some alchemical processes and awaken some levels of your wisdom.

 

Lets look at daily timetable of the Quanzhen retreat:

 

 

全真清規

 

每日至五更寅時，聞開靜板響，各請洗漱，朝真禮聖。卯時早齋。辰時混坐。巳時靜鐘三通，各各靜坐，如法用功。午時赴齋 未時混坐。申時如前入靜。酉時晚叅。戌時混坐茶湯。亥時如前入靜，用功如法。子時歌詠，教演詩詞，以敵睡魔。丑時放叅，各請隨意。

 

 

Pure Regulations of Quanzhen

 

 

(1) Hour of yin (3–5am): The sound of the plank indicates the non-movement period is over. Everyone washes his face and rinses his mouth. Then one worships the Perfected and Sages.

(2) Hour of mao (5–7am): Morning meal.

(3) Hour of chen (7–9am): Group meditation (hunzuo 混坐).

(4) Hour of si (9–11am): “Non-movement” meditation. Each person meditates quietly (Jing zuo 靜坐) by himself.

(5) Hour of wu (11am–1pm): Noon meal.

(6) Hour of wei (1–3pm): Group meditation.

(7) Hour of shen (3–5pm): Non-movement meditation.

(8) Hour of you (5–7pm): Evening gathering.

(9) Hour of xu (7–9pm): Group meditation and offering of tea and soup.

(10) Hour of hai (9–11pm): Non-movement meditation.

(11) Hour of zi (11pm–1am): Chanting. Adepts chant poems meant to enable them to resist the demons of sleep (shuimo 睡魔). Each verse is chanted three times and no more.

(12) Hour of chou (1–3am): The gathering is dismissed. One can do whatever one wants.

 

 

P.S.

Of course, this schedule is not for beginners.

 

Sure sounds like fun though.

 

[BaguaKicksAss]

Well I don't exactly listen to music. I use the Centrepoint Dive and Immersion tracks which are 30 minutes each. 'The Dive' track consists of rain and gongs. 'Immersion' is just rain.

 

I meditate in complete silence with HQ ear muffs sometimes as well.

 

I'd like to find a block of time to do some 10+ hour sessions. Might try that this weekend. Just hope that no one plans any family events, etc.

 

Oh this will go over well with your family... "sorry can't do 4th of July; I really need to get some good long meditation sessions in!

 

(btw, our holiday is today)

[BaguaKicksAss]

I don't think so. One time after focussing back in like I mentioned earlier, I saw an image of my body about 5 feet away. The room was super dark but I could still see myself. I figured it was just my imagination though. I often see weird things like that when I enter light, light trance. I don't really know anything about astral projection so I can't say.

 

Well actually I don't know a proper term for it, I just call it out of body a foot . (not really "astral" projection per se)

 

All that awesome and odd stuff we see in trance, some paths say to ignore them as they are just distractions. However when I'm done I'm usually at least for a few minutes thinking well that was neat. As long as I don't attach myself to such things all is good.

[Felcor]

I am still very new at meditation. I am sure I have never had a deep meditation session yet. I'm still getting used to sitting in half lotus, trying to work my way up to full lotus but my legs need to get used to it.

 

I have heard a way to know if you did true meditation is to look at the time. If it felt like an hour but it was only 5 minutes you were't in meditation. If it felt like 5 mins but it was an hour then you probably were.

 

Something I do when I start out is a technique I have been doing since before I knew anything about meditation and the sort.

That is to think and convince myself that this moment I am experiencing now is my last moment. I convince myself that these breaths are my last that this room I am in is the last scene I will ever see. The result is that it brings me completely into the present and clears my mind of worries and problems. Everything just looks and feels different, and I become aware of things that I wasn't aware of before like I would suddenly feel the draft in the room and realize it had been there all along but I never noticed. I always do this before I am about to do something that makes me nervous like giving a presentation.

 

Something I did not expect from meditation (Even my noobie attempts at it) is that after the session, no matter how short, I always feel happy and full of life. If I try and get in a sesh before bed I usually end op not going to bed because I am all excited and ready to do stuff.

 

On a side note has anyone ever tried to meditate during lucid dreaming?

Edited July 1, 2014 by Felcor

[Vitalii]

Sure sounds like fun though.

 

but it is a real traditional Daiost retreat

I hold retreats with a similar schedule, but only for those my students who already have a good practical experience.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Vitalii

[Vitalii]

On a side note has anyone ever tried to meditate during lucid dreaming?

 

Some information about Practice during sleeping (睡功)

[Ya Mu]

... able to sit in meditation. Longer does not mean better.

Amen. Heck yes. Absolutely. Spot-on.

[Tibetan_Ice]

About 25 years ago I went through a period where the meditators were talking about the star above the head. I really wanted to see it so I was bound and determined. One afternoon I sat in my lazy boy chair in easy posture and said to myself: "I'm not getting up until I see the star above my head!"

 

I focused my attention above my head and tried very hard to see the star. I put in lots of effort.

 

Well 3 1/2 hours later there was a loud popping sound and I came out of the top of my head. I found myself in a huge open space that resembled outer space. It was a vast dark blue open space and I could see very faint stars in the far distance. There was a part of me that was still anchored to something below and when I tried to move out into the vast expanse of space, it felt like I was going to die. A very strong fear overtook me, that I was about to die, so I quit the "meditation".

 

I did not see a star above the head.

 

However, right after standing up to get a drink of water from the fridge, two fairies came floating through the wall (I was in a basement sweet). I asked them what they wanted. One said that they were here to entertain me. I told them that I did not want to be entertained and asked them to leave. They left, but a few days later, they came back. I eventually made friends with them. They were called Ishta and Faedra. They were quite beautiful and were as big as humming birds. They had lovely translucent wings that looked like dragon fly wings and were wearing each a pink-flesh garment, like scintillating robes draped around their shoulders and waists. They would fly about and leave trails of star dust as they moved about.

 

I realize now, from learning about the practice of phowa (Buddhist practice of leaving the body through a hole in the top of the head), that the 3 1/2 hour effort of projecting my attention up through the crown had broken the seal to the other planes. But it took allot of effort and determination. And since then, I can see a white star directly above the head when I switch to inner sight.

 

During later meditations, I had some interesting experiences in that space. I discovered that no matter how hard I tried, I could not go out into the space. There is an invisible barrier, like cellophane which prevents you from flying or jumping out into the space. When you hit it you are immediately bounced back. When you hit it an array of rainbow lights appear, which suddenly makes the barrier visible.

 

I also discovered that you can get to that space by using the small tunnel at the top back of the head, by spiraling outwards into smaller and smaller spirals. Yet, I am always trapped or anchored down to something and just can't leave. The anchor looks like a jellyfish of light, or the rays of light which resembles a bar magnet's magnetic flow. Perhaps the anchor is a bubble of rainbow light with me, a little speck of light imprisoned on the inside? And I can't break out of the shell?

 

That was the longest I've ever meditated.

 

Edited July 1, 2014 by Tibetan_Ice

[Ya Mu]

...

On a side note has anyone ever tried to meditate during lucid dreaming?

Several systems have a sleeping & dreaming form.

[KenBrace]

 

Oh this will go over well with your family... "sorry can't do 4th of July; I really need to get some good long meditation sessions in!

 

(btw, our holiday is today)

Oh yeah forgot about 4th of July.

[bax44]

Most I've ever done is around an hour and a half. Unfortunately it's not my mind at that point that can't go on it's my lower back and tingling asleep legs lol. I'd love to go longer but I think lying down right now for me is the only way I'd get there.

[thelerner]

Oh, please don't!

 

Well, as i said above, depends on your goal really. Mine is to increase awareness, hence the ideal approach to take with this aim in mind is short sessions - break - short sessions - break... this can be for however long i want. I can do this for days on end if that's what i choose to do, but currently not in the position for this to be effected, although have done it in the past in formal retreat settings.

 

In that environment, there comes a time when sleep and waking moments merge, and awareness pervades both. During the retreat we sleep very little anyway, like 4 hours, so its kind of easy to get to that level. Most retreatants reach it within 20 days of solid practice. Sometimes one can see mantric seed syllables, yidams and buddhas appearing in dreams, and other times see phantasmagoric images, those that are usually associated with dreams, while wide awake. Teacher said this is a solid, auspicious sign of stable result for it engenders a familiarity with the bardo after death and before rebirth.

Good stuff, but I think I'll shake things up a bit. Maybe I should say unshake them. I'm sure it'll take me a while to get back into longer sitting times.

[forestofclarity]

So true. The question for me becomes, is practice for gaining or for losing? I am finding a far better return on losing than on gaining. But even this is saying too much.

 

 

Well, as i said above, depends on your goal really. Mine is to increase awareness, hence the ideal approach to take with this aim in mind is short sessions - break - short sessions - break... this can be for however long i want. I can do this for days on end if that's what i choose to do, but currently not in the position for this to be effected, although have done it in the past in formal retreat settings.

[Miles]

 

Some information about Practice during sleeping (睡功)

Thanks.

I'll try to find more info about Chen Tuan.

[Enishi]

I sat for three hours once. It's not something I can force though, it comes and goes depending on how the qi moves me.

[Cheshire Cat]

I focused my attention above my head and tried very hard to see the star. I put in lots of effort.

 

Well 3 1/2 hours later there was a loud popping sound and I came out of the top of my head. I found myself in a huge open space that resembled outer space. It was a vast dark blue open space and I could see very faint stars in the far distance. There was a part of me that was still anchored to something below and when I tried to move out into the vast expanse of space, it felt like I was going to die. A very strong fear overtook me, that I was about to die, so I quit the "meditation".

 

 

 

 

When I do that, I get headache in half an hour: I can produce kundalini syndromes at will