Meditation

[eurotrash]

Ok sounds good, I'll give it a go.
Thanks.

Is there a particular place I should focus on or feel? Like when I'm focusing on my breathing?

[eurotrash]

Well I went book shopping today at my favorite esoteric bookstores, and decided to go against all good advice and get a book on meditation (cause it had really good reviews on amazon ).
So I got this one here.

[asalantu]

Hi all...
Is my thought main problem arises when we cannot get an idea about what really happens when we meditate. If we thoroughly understand how some technique works, then we can use it in a more efficient and reliable way. As direct sequel, results are better... that´s my thought.
Fortunately, Robert Bruce already told us about what happens at meditation time.
Following is quote from http://forums.astraldynamics.com/viewtopic.php?t=2929 and is Robert Bruce's testimonial related to Void type Meditation mechanics:

Void type meditation is often criticized as having no purpose on the surface, because in clearing the mind and holding that state one appears to be doing nothing, and hence nothing of value.

Holding the mind clear puts one in an altered state of consciousness. This state deepens with practice. Only in a quite altered state can one approach a higher state of being.

During this quiet time the lower mind / ego is suppressed, and in this state it is slowly entrained to be quieter and more obedient at all times.

(Other conscious training processes are also required to help with the training of the lower self, especially self observation and introspection).

Also during this quiet time, the higher mind, superconsciousness, the higher self (there are many terms for our higher aspects) is encouraged to come to the fore, to be one with the meditator.

A quiet minded altered state takes the meditator closer to his/her higher mind. The higher mind is attracted to this and so also moves closer to the conscious mind. This association slowly evolves the meditator through close empathic association.

The essence of all spiritual development is to entrain the conscious mind to take on some of the 'knowingness' of the higher self.

The way of knowledge is, generally speaking, to absorb a lot of knowledge and to train the conscious mind and body according to a certain discipline. In essence, this involves taking control over ones life. This path has much merit and it suits a lot of people.

The way of knowing, however, is to quieten ones conscious mind so ones higher aspects can take root and flourish therein. Instead of learning and training and honing ones skills, one simply remembers and realizes and 'knows'.

A mixture of the above is probably best, as we all need some basic knowledge in order to achieve a state of nothingness.

The way of knowledge is to take control and make things happen, eg, creating ones own reality. In essence, if one masters this approach, its a bit like using God mode in a computer game. This kinda takes the fun out of things.

The way of knowing is to relinquish control. This is the essence of what I call Bee Following. Instead of trying to make something happen, one just expects things to happen. There is a profound difference between these approaches.

Mind you, it takes a lot of self control in order to be able to relinquish control, if that makes any sense....grin.

My best regards,
Ángel

[asalantu]

Hi eurotrash...
If you are reading Robert Bruce's Astral Dynamics book, jump to Core Skills chapter. There are a Section titled Taming the Mind. It seems very reliable the hypothesis Robert has done a word trick and create a sort of euphemism in order to overcome popular problematics (related to its understanding) arising from Meditation topic. Clearing the mind techniques (in a sustained way and leading to mind expansion as main sequel) resembles very well to Void type Meditation sequels (Higher Self coming to first plane. Look at prior post from mine quoting Robert's post from another forum thread). It is possible I'm wrong and if that's the case... apologize Robert since now..!
Sincerely,
Ángel

[oath]

lol, but you know Im starting to think the zen master is right. You can give people knowledge but you cant give them understanding.

After further contemplation I have realized that it is important to try, however one should be within reason.

[Rhone]

I'd have to agree with the previous posters; you are already reading Astral Dynamics--everything you need to know about meditating is right there in the Core Skills section.

You said you were specifically looking for something to complement the energy work? Well, energy work, while it can be done at any time, is much more effective in a meditative trance state. So, relax yourself physically and hold your mind as clear as you can for a while, and when you feel like it, start doing your energy work. You will feel the energy more strongly.

The more you practice holding your mind clear, the easier it will become. If you want to build up to it more gradually, you could do it the way Franz Bardon teaches in his first step of Initiation Into Hermetics (which has been highly recommended by many in this forum, including Robert Bruce himself):

First practice holding a simple awareness of your thoughts. Do not attempt to resist your thoughts, but do not indulge them either. Just observe. Over time, you should notice your thoughts popping up less frequently.

After you're comfortable with that, practice holding onto a single thought and preventing any other thoughts from intruding. You could visualize an object and focus on it, focus on a word or idea, or just focus on your breathing. But do not let any other thoughts pop up.

Once you have become comfortable with that, then start practicing with holding your mind completely clear.

To connect this back to your energy work... keep in mind that energy follows thought. By training your mind to focus on what you want and only what you want, you will be better able to control your energy and give it whatever "purpose" you intend. For example, imagine two energy healers: one who has a pure, single-minded, and uninterrupted focus on compassionately projecting energy with a healing quality; and one whose subconscious keeps them under a steady barrage of thoughts ("Is my spouse still mad at me?" "What am I having for dinner tonight?" "That toe I stubbed still hurts." "I hope this is really working.."). I'm sure you know which healer will be more effective!

[orbit1]

...and you end up thinking too much about every detail which is the EXACT opposite of what you want to do with meditation.

Thanks for your tips, Violetsky. My problem is self-congratulations. I'll be clearing my mind for 10 seconds or so and a voice way back will say "hey, good job! 10 seconds so far!", which I'm fairly sure defeats the point of the exercise. The other problem, which you pointed out very well, is that I try to tell myself tips that I've read while I'm meditating, again, breaking the silence.

Best of luck, eurotrash!

-m