Itching

[Saturn]

I've noticed when I'm trying to go into a trance I start to get an itch on some part of my body. Like one little spot on my head, or face, or arm, etc. If I try to ignore the itching it just keeps getting stronger until I cant take it anymore and move to scratch.

I'm wondering if anyone knows how I might deal with this. Should I scrub my skin with an abrasive? I could also be doing my "trance" wrong. I'm currently proceeding with the notion that laying very still as if paralyzed, will make my brain think that my body is asleep. So I will either actually fall asleep or be tormented by itching.

[ButterflyWoman]

You don't have to lay perfectly still. Your brain isn't stupid enough that it'll go, "Oh, the body is still, I must be alseep!" That's not how trances work. A trance is a shift in brainwave patterns, and while lying still can help facilitate that shift, and many people do find it helpful to physically relax and be still, it's not necessary.

Relaxation isn't just about being still and not moving. People move around all the time in their sleep. They scratch they turn over, they sometimes talk, they do all sorts of things, and they're fully asleep, so it's clear that "perfect stillness" is in no way a requirement of deep relaxation.

So, basically, just scratch the itch. Don't pay too much attention to the action, just gently raise your hand, scratch, and put the arm down again. The trance is in the brain, not the body (though the body can distract or assist the trance, of course).

[DarkChylde]

I have acute allergy flare ups when the season changes (it's BAD) , I even break out in hives and urticaria and bouts of pruritus and itching. (I'm on 3 different antihistamines and they have minimal effect at best).

If you have a steroid cream lying about , like betamethasone mix some in regular lotion and rub all over before meditating.Kills the itching immediately.

[Saturn]

Thanks for the responses. I guess I have some misconceptions to get past about how to enter a trance. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever actually relaxed... I'll have to try a few things on my skin and scalp.

[Frater.Akenu]

If you do some form of meditation where stillness is required, you of course shouldn't scratch the itch. Instead focus on the place that is itching and think for yourself: "Itch is just a chemical reaction separate from my consciousness, so actually, why is it bothering me?". This helps to disassociate yourself with the itch so though it will be still there, it won't bother you and soon it will disappear.

[Saturn]

Thanks Frater, I tried that and it helped. I could feel the distractions fading away