Quote Originally Posted by CFTraveler
Maybe you achieve enlightenment as you choke to death.
I don't think so. I nearly choked to death a few years ago and the only thing going through my mind was, "Well, if I can't get this out of my throat, I'm going to drop dead right here in the kitchen." It was a very surreal experience. On the one hand I was gagging and desperately trying to clear my throat, and on the other I had this totally calm "voice" in my head thinking stuff like "guess I'm gonna die now". Weird.

Somehow I don't think that's enlightenment.

Quote Originally Posted by Nick----
here is my experience...it brings mild to intense euphoria, helps with quieting the mind, and draws the energy inward and upward in the body. However, I don't think this is the "miracle" mudra people hope for. There are lots of techniques that help spiritual progress (NEW for example), but I don't think there is any technique that works as fast as most people in our times want.
Thanks for sharing that. I agree that there's no "fast track to enlightenment".

Quote Originally Posted by Nick----
It seems to me that devotion and surrender to the divine, along with positive thought and action raise energy better than doing techniques in a mechanical way. [...] A wise man once said to me, "Don't seek techniques, seek only God, and God will then send you the tools you need to find him."
I agree with this completely and absolutely. Seek the Source.

I had a look at those MRI pictures. Fascinating. I gave it a try to see how flexible my tongue is and I can actually touch my uvula quite easily. It sets of a gag reflex, of course, and I don't think I would personally want to pursue this technique (the stuff I've been doing seems to be working pretty well, and I don't believe that this technique, while undoubtedly useful for some people, is going to speed anything up), but it was interesting to see that I can curl my tongue around that way.

Hey, learn something new every day, right?