One pointed awareness vs overall awareness

[Upfromtheashes]

I am looking for a bit of guidance or personal experience regarding one pointed awareness meditation -

The drawback seems that every time I do it I tend to lose my mind - I feel very powerful the first day or two then after about 5 -6 total hours of it something in my mind changes and the experience is different - It is kind of like a blankness that prevents concentration or maybe it is because I have achieved a higher state of concentration and there is no struggle -

Anyway another technique I do is just sit and let happen whatever happens - When I do this there often is a strong flow of energy or something in my body - and then it directs itself or something directs it which I am not sure is me - Once again this is good because it is lower stress as I am completely letting go - It is bad because I have no control or at least the I I am used to has no control so I often end up walking around in trance like completely undirected states almost like a bum on the street -

So it is like my choice is bum on the street mentality or one pointed which tends to make me very compulsive and rigid as well -

 

Another concern with letting go completely when it feels like energy starts moving itself or feels like the energy is directed by a part of me which isnt me

 

My other concerns are is it even worth asking for perpectives or maybe I will learn better by just doing and learning for years

[Spectrum]

Another concern with letting go completely when it feels like energy starts moving itself or feels like the energy is directed by a part of me which isnt me

 

My other concerns are is it even worth asking for perpectives or maybe I will learn better by just doing and learning for years

 

Most practicing have an opening, middle & closing phase. During the closing phase you reintegrate your consciousness back to normal reality. This is much like coming out of a self induced hypnotic state. People w/ skill can "drop down" into meditative states pretty instantly, these states often end up going in the two directions that you mention.... but I must mention those are the starting points. Nothing, and something. Wu Ji, and Yin/Yang.

 

I am thinking you would probably glean many nuggets if you started researching the taoist classics. What you have mentioned so far is refreshing to hear from a novice because it shows you've been inside searching. Job well done.

 

Have a coorsponding physical practice w/ these techniques will help ground you. For instance for the single pointed awareness simple stare at a thumbtac on the wall until the wall blacks out. For emptiness, it's easiest to do standing meditation for beggingers because then the single point dissolves into the rest of the body doing gung (work). When you engage in gung you engage body/mind whole. There is no division. The division is conditioned, these arts are unitive in nature, they bring separate things together to be whole.

 

The energy you feel flow when you let go is normal and is the reason why Taoist meditation focuses heavily on emptiness of the heart/mind to keep the chi flowing smoothly.

 

I think you are doing the right thing by having a dialog w/ other meditators. I personally avoid being to specific w/ sensations, but there are general ques that clue you in on whether what you are doing is working or not.

Edited September 9, 2007 by Spectrum

[Upfromtheashes]

Most practicing have an opening, middle & closing phase. During the closing phase you reintegrate your consciousness back to normal reality. This is much like coming out of a self induced hypnotic state. People w/ skill can "drop down" into meditative states pretty instantly, these states often end up going in the two directions that you mention.... but I must mention those are the starting points. Nothing, and something. Wu Ji, and Yin/Yang.

 

I am thinking you would probably glean many nuggets if you started researching the taoist classics. What you have mentioned so far is refreshing to hear from a novice because it shows you've been inside searching. Job well done.

 

Have a coorsponding physical practice w/ these techniques will help ground you. For instance for the single pointed awareness simple stare at a thumbtac on the wall until the wall blacks out. For emptiness, it's easiest to do standing meditation for beggingers because then the single point dissolves into the rest of the body doing gung (work). When you engage in gung you engage body/mind whole. There is no division. The division is conditioned, these arts are unitive in nature, they bring separate things together to be whole.

 

The energy you feel flow when you let go is normal and is the reason why Taoist meditation focuses heavily on emptiness of the heart/mind to keep the chi flowing smoothly.

 

I think you are doing the right thing by having a dialog w/ other meditators. I personally avoid being to specific w/ sensations, but there are general ques that clue you in on whether what you are doing is working or not.

 

Thank You

[freeform]

Yes - having a beginning and an end 'ritual' is very important... athletes do it to get in the zone too...

 

I also agree that you should do something physical - by the sounds of it, the physical aspect would be more beneficial for you than the meditation (especially if you have the effects that you do)... freeform dancing can really open you up physically and mentally for the 'overall awareness' (let that energy that's moving inside dance you - if you get what I mean)

 

and yes standing along with one pointedness would be good to try...

 

focus on the physical and you should integrate the experiences much better without getting overly diffused or too rigid...

 

enjoy your body!

[Spectrum]

Freeform you made me think about the "ritual" aspects of any form.... indeed the opening and closing can seem like that, but I have to say that if I don't "open" I'm not open. At least in my practice there are coorsponding psycho/physiological sensations and signs that indicate my body / mind is "opening"....

 

Interested in others experiences here as well...

 

I am thinking that when I observe what happens to a person when they get scared, the fight or flight mechanism if you will, i see them squat... this squat is automatic, it seems genetically engrained. Sometimes this sqaut/expansion turns into a hop or "startle" ... depending on how "grounded" the person is inside themselves. I have tried to scare some people who simple respond to the unexpected with grounding themselves... they sink instead of rise.

 

Anyways, I'm saying this to say that what might seem a "ritual" or a "system" for that matter is actually just a window into the most natural of human expressions. It's just that when we walk upright there are many curves in the spine.... and when we sink the center down it all balances out...

 

Spectrum

[forestofsouls]

I was at a (Buddhist) retreat recently and the nun leading us explained that these are like clenching and relaxing muscles: to fully work out the mind, you need both.

 

It sounds to me that you're experiencing dullness after a while with either technique. I think this is quite normal. One of my old teachers said its like walking from a smaller room into a larger one, it takes time to adjust. There is a stage of concentration where it becomes effortless, but at this stage the mind is clear and bright, there is no question.

 

Personally, I think it just takes time and cultivation for the mind just as it takes time and cultivation for the body. Not too much, not too little.

[Upfromtheashes]

I was at a (Buddhist) retreat recently and the nun leading us explained that these are like clenching and relaxing muscles: to fully work out the mind, you need both.

 

It sounds to me that you're experiencing dullness after a while with either technique. I think this is quite normal. One of my old teachers said its like walking from a smaller room into a larger one, it takes time to adjust. There is a stage of concentration where it becomes effortless, but at this stage the mind is clear and bright, there is no question.

 

Personally, I think it just takes time and cultivation for the mind just as it takes time and cultivation for the body. Not too much, not too little.

 

Ahhh the clenching and relaxing is a good analogy

It is almost like after certain amount of meditating my mind refuses to maintain one pointed awareness and yes I do sink into dullness - If I try to force one pointed awareness with a supreme act of will I seem to end up driving myself crazy but then completely letting go I have an awful feeling of having no volition and being powerless

[Ian]

I am looking for a bit of guidance or personal experience regarding one pointed awareness meditation -

The drawback seems that every time I do it I tend to lose my mind - I feel very powerful the first day or two then after about 5 -6 total hours of it something in my mind changes and the experience is different - It is kind of like a blankness that prevents concentration or maybe it is because I have achieved a higher state of concentration and there is no struggle -

Anyway another technique I do is just sit and let happen whatever happens - When I do this there often is a strong flow of energy or something in my body - and then it directs itself or something directs it which I am not sure is me - Once again this is good because it is lower stress as I am completely letting go - It is bad because I have no control or at least the I I am used to has no control so I often end up walking around in trance like completely undirected states almost like a bum on the street -

So it is like my choice is bum on the street mentality or one pointed which tends to make me very compulsive and rigid as well -

 

Another concern with letting go completely when it feels like energy starts moving itself or feels like the energy is directed by a part of me which isnt me

 

My other concerns are is it even worth asking for perpectives or maybe I will learn better by just doing and learning for years

 

 

The goal of my meditation is overall awareness, anchored low down in the body. We end with a rub down followed by a slapdown to return, if necessary, to having a body with outlines.

 

To begin this process is not really letting go, as it takes some vigilance to keep the attention in the body rather than in a mental image of the body or away with the fairies.

 

Anyway, I would suggest finding a teacher who can make you understand in simple terms exactly what each type of meditation will achieve and why you might prefer one over another. Then you will do what you do with more certainty and with more willingness to deal with the difficulties.

[Trunk]

Solution: one pointed awareness unified with overall awareness

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Typical of the deep-center, it is the unification of concentration and openness.

[Upfromtheashes]

Solution: one pointed awareness unified with overall awareness

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link 2

 

Ok thanks to all great information

Another concern I have is that If I exercise or do some things after I have been focusing my intent on one pointed awareness, I may acually do harm to my body because I can exercise and not feel pain that I normally would - I dont know if this is just because pain is reduced or if it because my focus is changed - Which brings to mind the question how much does your focus change reality - Does it acually allow you to exercise longer and be stronger and not feel pain or is it just ones perception that changes of the pain? By changing ones perception how much does that change reality?

Is their value in using one intention consciously to alter the nature of reality or is that just a side path?

Do I want to control reality or let it go?

What is the I that is doing the controlling?