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amoux
United Kingdom
266 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 11 2011 : 07:43:57 AM
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I'm not entirely sure this is in the right forum to post this, but I'll put it here and moderators please feel free to move it.
For the past ten days or so, and with growing intensity, I'm experiencing a sweet taste in the mouth all the time, am going very deep very quickly in meditation - there's a feeling of being disembodied, moved rather than moving, intense desire to spend more time in meditation, involuntary weeping, a feeling of pre-orgasmic tingling throughout the body, eyes constantly moving into sambhavi during meditation, again involuntary - and causing a feeling of extreme pressure in the head when it happens.
Practice at the moment is breath meditation only, 40m twice daily. I switched from DM with mantra because I just couldn't tolerate it - was at the point of gritting teeth to get through it, hence the change to breath.
This isn't affecting functioning in the everyday world, but I'm a little concerned at the lassitude, for want of a better word, that I'm feeling. I guess what I'm asking is 'is all this to be expected?' I do a lot of grounding activities, but feel incredibly laid-back - possibly too laid-back? - about things generally.
Any comments? |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jul 11 2011 : 11:50:21 AM
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Hi Amoux,
and yes this is all pretty much expected and you'll get used to it... It will become lighter and second nature. You seem to be in need to self pace a little IMHO because of that head pressure... The sweet taste in the mouth is amrita, If you search for the word inside the forums you'll find tons of useful discussions about it.
Good thing are happening
All the best!
Love,
Ananda |
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amoux
United Kingdom
266 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2011 : 05:06:14 AM
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Thanks Ananda
Yes, I read up on amrita - the thing is, the inner skeptic is alive and well in me so I didn't want to make any assumptions. It's very peculiar to experience something that I'd dismissed as a 'mystics only' sort of experience - not being mystically-inclined myself these days.
It's very pleasant anyway, and your reassurance is much appreciated |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2011 : 08:29:12 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by amoux
For the past ten days or so, and with growing intensity, I'm experiencing a sweet taste in the mouth all the time, am going very deep very quickly in meditation - there's a feeling of being disembodied, moved rather than moving, intense desire to spend more time in meditation, involuntary weeping, a feeling of pre-orgasmic tingling throughout the body, eyes constantly moving into sambhavi during meditation, again involuntary - and causing a feeling of extreme pressure in the head when it happens.
MMMMMmmmmmmMMMMM.. the sweet taste of amrita.
Its amazing when it happens right?
Here was my experience of amrita.
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=5395#48190
quote:
A few months back I went through a phase of increased soma production (after every meal and meditation had a feeling of being gassy, bloated), and this would be accompanied by the production of large amounts of amrita. This lasted for about two or three weeks after which I have been experiencing a constant flow of amrita. There is a sweet very slightly minty taste in my mouth all the time.. which increases with meditation, energy practices and kechari.
At first when the constant amrita experience started, it felt like being on Oxycodone. It was a feeling of being high (intoxicated), a feeling of well-being, a cut back in thoughts making me feel completely present. I felt very clear headed and completely grounded when I was engaged in activity, however when I sat down to watch TV or meditate.. I felt really high (floating) and fuzzy headed for a few mins followed by the fuzzy headedness being replaced by a very focused/meditative state, a state of being very present.
I talked to Yogani about the intoxicating effects of amrita and he said, amrita can be very intoxicating, however since it is produced by the body in a few days the body gets used to the high. And sure enough, after 2 or 3 weeks of feeling intoxicated, the "high" feeling was gone, however, the feeling of presence and amazing clarity is still very much here.
I was pleasantly surprised to read about amrita (the Biology of Kundalini) after experiencing it (I am quoting a small part, read the rest of the article.. it's very interesting).
http://biologyofkundalini.com/artic...rystalPalace
The Crystal Palace
The opiate substance secreted from the pineal gland during Samadhi has been variously called Nectar of the Gods, ambrosia, amrita, and the Living Water. Gurus like Sai Baba claim to materialize amrita and can shaktipat others into generating their own nectar. It is said that to experience amrita is to be bestowed with immortality, that is to be freed from the cycle of birth and death...hence liberated. The term Amrita is Sanskrit for "elixir of immortality," it literally means "deathlessness". This has obvious parallels to "ambrosia" the name of the classical Greek "food of the gods" which means "no death."
During shaktipat, inner-conjunction or through initiation in meditation this nectar is produced and drips down the back of the throat. Perhaps an associated phenomena to the generation of the nectar, is the intense light of a Thousand Suns that occurs sometimes during its "manufacture." This secretion gives one the experience of Timelessness, and being a divine God or Goddess. It is "sweet" in taste and in sensation--it is described as nectar, honey, gold dust, euphoric, ecstatic, intoxicating and gives the feeling of being imbued with holiness.
"My own experience of amrit is that it started to occur to me during times of very concentrated, long periods of sitting meditation, and usually happened while practicing the Khedari Mudra (tongue upward on palate). It would then occur spontaneously without the mudra and at times during the day for no apparent good reason. There is a definite sweet taste involved with a sort of swell of ecstasy experienced as well that can last for hours, perhaps days. It is always extremely pleasant and 'heightening'. The subject/object perspective can stay largely intact while experiencing 'Amrit' and one can remain highly functional (as opposed to a samadhi that transcends all body awareness). I do not recall ever being aware of amrit during a heightened experience of inner light (which tends to drown out and overwhelm any other perception)." ~ Michael Roark
Another article from the same site:
http://biologyofkundalini.com/artic...rtConnection
The only thing that you may want to keep an eye on would be the pressure in your head with the release of emotions. If, once it passes, you are fine then be with the emotions, watch them and let them go, it is purification and release of blocks. If it happens too often, or it makes you uncomfortable for long periods or it is interfering with your every day living, please self pace and ground.
Try alternate nostril breathing before breath meditation if spinal breathing is too much for you. |
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amoux
United Kingdom
266 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2011 : 09:44:26 AM
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Thanks Shweta That was a very interesting thread.
And yes, it's definitely an intoxicating feeling - really quite euphoric. I appreciate the advice: the weeping seems generally unconnected to specific emotions - tears just well up and overflow. Definitely some kind of release/purification going on - I'm sleeping like a baby and I'm a fairly chronic insomniac most of the time. But I'll keep an eye on things and self pace if necessary. Good idea about ANB - I used to do that a lot, and might just add it in if things get rocky. I do notice with breath meditation that there's a lot of 'informal' SBP going on too ... 
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2011 : 10:55:56 AM
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Hi Amoux
quote:
Originally posted by amoux
I do notice with breath meditation that there's a lot of 'informal' SBP going on too ...
I've noticed this with a lot of people who find that DM is too much for them and who use "breath watching" meditation as an alternate. I've noticed that for a lot of people "breath watching" naturally turns into "breath controlling" and this turns their meditation practice from meditation into pranayama and can actually make things worse then if they were using DM (the whole "pranayama without meditation" thing). I think there is a very fine line here with watching the breath. It seems less energetically stimulating to use breath watching over DM but it seems very easy to go from breath wathing to breath controlling making the practice even more energetically stimulating then DM would be.
For example, my wife could not use DM for over a year due to the amount of overload she would feel after just 10 minutes once a day of DM. So she switched to breath watching. But the overload actually seemed to increase with breath watching and this became a source of frustration for her as she felt like she was too sensitive to do any meditation at all. Then, one day we ended up sitting together for meditation (usually we practice at different times due to our schedules) and I noticed that she was controlling the rate of breathing and not just watching the breath. After realizing this and switching the technique up a bit her overload seemed to dissapate considerably.... even to the point where she was eventually able to switch back to DM for 10 minutes once a day without any adverse effects.
Generally it sounds like things are going great for you... happy to hear it. 
Love!
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amoux
United Kingdom
266 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2011 : 12:28:48 PM
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Hey thanks, Carson - that's really interesting. I guess for me, after the best part of 18months of SBP and DM the sushumna had opened up a bit, and I notice the 'informal' SBP only happens when the breath pattern shifts to a deeper rhythm. I remember when I first started DM the inclination to match mantra with breath, but that did fade away quite quickly. You make a very good point about there being a fine line between breath watching and breath control.
So glad to hear your wife has been able to switch back to DM - that's great
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2011 : 4:36:36 PM
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quote:
feel incredibly laid-back - possibly too laid-back?
Hey Amoux - I definitely know what you mean about feeling 'too laid-back'. There is the sense that I could go bankrupt, get fired, having everything taken away from me, and it wouldn't affect the joy I'm experiencing. Since it's a joy that is not rooted in externals, it comes from within.
As a result of this, there's greater freedom from attachment and aversion to the events of daily life, hence a lot less of what I call 'ego interference'. E.g. the mind poking it's nose in, trying to control things, unnecessarily 'doing' things and trying to affect the outcomes of life. You just feel happy to go with the flow. In my case, I feel this is allowing God's will.
I got uncomfortable for a while with feeling too laid back (I got kind of lazy and withdrawn) so I took a bit of a break from meditation (cutting down to very short periods of meditation, only a few times a week, and never twice daily). During this time, there was a resurgence of motivation, and I've come to a happier balance. I still feel so laid back and peaceful, but now I'm working harder, albeit in a much more inspired and intuitive way.
I took very important guidance during this time, which I'd reccomend to you, from Ram Dass - 'Living the Bhagavad Ghita', and from Paramahansa Yogananda's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.
During my time of feeling so laid back, I felt the desire to live as a renunciant (for ex. in a monastery) or just to completely let go of my wordly duties and responsibilities and live as a homeless person. I figured I could probably go somewhere where the weather was warm all year round, where I could eat at soup kitchens, and sleep outside. Sounds far out, but I thought about it pretty seriously. The third alternative, I wanted to do a charity job, where I could just dedicate myself to helping others.
The expositions on the Bhagavad Gita really helped me. I'll talk less about my personal learnings, as they may not be relevant to you, but if you find that you are feeling a bit uncomfortable about how 'laid back' you feel (you say you feel perhaps too laid back) those two expositions on the bhagavad gita (particularly Ram Dass's one) give advice on how to act, when you are gradually losing your attachments and aversions.
In the ego mentality, how to act is generally pretty clear. You act out of self interest, with whatever degree of intelligence you are capable of. The self-interest I'm talking about has to do with seeking and preserving your attachments and fulfilling your desires, and avoiding your aversions. It's pretty emotionally motivated: you do what feels good, and you avoid what feels bad. The intelligent predictive mind, combined with self-control gives us the ability to do things which feel bad in expectation of future positive gains, so it gets a bit more complex than that. Like perhaps you go to work (which for the example, feels bad, you don't enjoy it), to get your paycheck (which feels good). Or maybe you go to work (which feels bad, aversion), because you think otherwise you'll lose your job (which would feel even worse, aversion..!!). I found myself in a situation when everything was feeling pretty good, and all those emotional motivators were dissapearing. I felt VERY laid back. Like I was walking around on a ton Xanax or Valium.
The purification and inner ecstasy seem to result in a falling away of attachments and aversions. Your whole motivation for acting at all completely changes. You get thrown about by your emotions a whole lot less. Self-interest decreases. You are content with the present moment, instead of hoping for a better future or worrying about a future which gets worse.
Anyway, I digress. In summary, if that chimes with what you are experiencing, and you start to feel confused about how to act, when you're no longer being driven by fluctuating emotions, and maybe a little uncomfortable about your new ability to be completely laid back and just let things happen, the Bhagavad Gita is a great source of guidance about how to function when the old paradigm of self-interest and being governed by the mind (instead of the heart/intuition) starts to breakdown. |
Edited by - mr_anderson on Jul 18 2011 4:51:53 PM |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2011 : 04:56:08 AM
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quote:
the Bhagavad Gita is a great source of guidance about how to function when the old paradigm of self-interest and being governed by the mind (instead of the heart/intuition) starts to breakdown.
...
stillness in action..... |
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amoux
United Kingdom
266 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2011 : 06:28:46 AM
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Thanks Mr Anderson - that Ram Dass book is great
Everything that needs to be done is getting done, the fogginess appears to be lifting - so far, so good. The closest way to express the experience right now is that it's like dreaming, whilst aware of dreaming. Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? |
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2011 : 3:04:28 PM
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quote:
Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?
nope, but it sounds like fun to me ;-) |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2011 : 3:18:08 PM
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Hi Amoux
quote:
Originally posted by amoux
The closest way to express the experience right now is that it's like dreaming, whilst aware of dreaming.
I recognize this. I have gone through periods (they seem to come and go) where I regularly end up asking myself whether I am dreaming or not. Both in "dreamstate" as well as in "waking state." Sometimes I will be "awake" but the sensation in the body/mind is the same as if I am dreaming... sometimes it is so strong that I will try my patented "jump-flying technique" that I regularly use in my lucid dreams just to see if I am indeed awake or asleep. Usually I am awake.  I've also had it go the other way... where I feel like I am awake while I am dreaming. I will be going about my regular day, doing my practices, going to work, driving my car, interacting with friends and family, and then realize that I think I am dreaming. Then I will try to "jump-fly" and will be successful and am usually certain that I am dreaming (I have yet to jump-fly while I am certain that I am awake).  Sometimes the line between awake and asleep seems so thin that I can never be quite certain which state I am in. This doesn't usually last very long (maybe an hour at most) and usually I am technically awake during these periods.
Anyway, I'm quite sure that (at least for me) this is all just purification... the body/mind getting used to being truly "awake" and learning to recognize the inherent awareness under it all no matter the technical state of the body/mind.
Love!
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