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NSB
Australia
32 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 12 2009 : 10:24:19 PM
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I'm having my first experiences in what I think is silence.
I felt like I slipped between thoughts, to the gap. I felt lovely bliss. Whilst in the gap, though, I got mental images. The first time I saw a vast mountain range, as if I had a bird's eye view on the Himalayas. I have had a few other times where I get a visual impression of some aspect of nature.
It seems to fit well. But I was wondering if this visual thing counts as a thought and therefore maybe I'm not in the silence at all. Does anyone know what I'm on about? |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2009 : 01:17:47 AM
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Hi NSB and welcome to the forums!
This is "scenery". It is best to not get too caught up with scenery. Simply favor the mantra. Don't judge your meditations, just do them
Onward and upward!
Love,
Carson |
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samara
Iceland
31 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2009 : 08:57:38 AM
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I have this observation: People here often talk about not getting caught up with the scenery. I am not sure what this "getting caught up" really means.
In my experience the scenery is like any random pictures that roll before the eyes as soon as thinking stops. When I "notice" what is going on, I am immediately called back from the silence and the scenery stops. Then I go back to the mantra and soon after the next sequence starts. Often, the scenery is my only way of knowing that I did enter the silence. These pictures are not interesting in any way, and I can not continue to follow them as they immediately go away when I notice they are there.
While I dwell in the silence, they roll. But as soon as my mind becomes active by noticing them, they are gone. So how on earth can I get caught up in them if they are already gone when I try to?
I feel when people are constantly repeating -warnings- about what to avoid in mediation, it only serves to undermine and make beginners uneasy and questioning their experiences. Because only direct experience can teach people how to handle the subtle effects of meditation. If people are thinking about what to avoid under meditation, I am not sure they will get to experience anything at all, with their mind filled with warnings and rules about how to behave. Not a good foundation for inner silence.
I can experience this inner silence simply by closing my eyes for a moment in relaxed setting. I often experience this while watching TV, if I briefly close my eyes during a commercial break, not thinking about anything in particular. The scenery is my proof that I did enter the silence, because the silence in itself is very subtle and barely noticeable. This is a result of many years of meditation, it has become a habit to enter silence. I have never felt that this scenery has in any way disturbed my experiences, it is only an indicator and not interesting in itself. Maybe the first couple of times I wondered what it meant, but eventually I got used to it as simply being a part of the experience.
So in my mind, when people are learning meditation and are being warned about it´s effects, it is useless. The only way to get to know one´s inner self is by exploring and finding out by experience what happens when you do. And the only way to be able to explore in the first place is to feel confident and not worry too much about what happens. Simply observe and learn from experience. And enjoy whatever comes along with confidence. |
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Lacinato
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2009 : 12:09:54 PM
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I think not getting caught up in scenery means, don't attach too much importance to it. It is temporary and doesn't mean much. But you can enjoy it, without looking for meaning in it or expecting it again alter. I have started to look for the deeper meaning in XYZ, or get disappointed that XYZ didn't happen again--but I remember that it's just scenery, and ignore those thoughts. So it's been helpful for me personally.
I do think of sound or visuals as thought (sneaky, disguised thought). But my mind was so crowded when I started, that I don't care if I experience "silence" in an absolute sense. I just feel so lucky to experience relative silence! :) |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2009 : 4:10:25 PM
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In the silence, is not just silence in an aural sense, it's absence of the mind and being without mind is to be without thought. Just total awareness. It makes it's way through to day to day living.
It's also illusive, because the very thought "I need to reach silence" becomes an attachment......equally "I'm not bothered if I don't get silence" is just the mirror image of the same thought.
Thats why the advice is to just do the meditation twice a day, regular as clockwork. Good or bad experiences are all just more scenery........exciting revelations, feelings of serenity and Bliss, just more scenery. Notice them and go right back to the Mantra.
It will happen soon enough if you just follow the simple plan. When the mind finally goes quiet, then the thought of even having a mind is gone and what is left is simply what is. It's cultivating this that allows the truth to shine through.
I know it's frustrating, people talk about these things and you think "I'm doing it right, I don't get this or that" and then the doubts creep in and you begin to wonder if it is all really worthwhile and you say "that goal of silence, that Zen like calm, I have none of it, I get just as annoyed and angry as ever".
The reality is that you have exactly what you need right now,whatever you get, however it seems to be, is totally OK and is perfect. How can it be other ??? It is as it is, there are no right and wrong ways, good or bad ways, fast or slow ways. Just the way you have chosen and it might be AYP or it might be some other way and thats fine too.
In this story we do AYP 
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samara
Iceland
31 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2009 : 10:22:50 AM
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As Yogani points out, the process of having thoughts is a part of the I AM meditation. You repeat the mantra, you have a thought and then you go back to the mantra. You can call the scenery "involuntary thoughts" but they are also a part of the process. The scenery is an indication that mind is becoming more passive, nearing the silence. In that aspect it is a good sign. But scenery is still thoughts, just involuntary and the content comes from the mind, similar to dreams.
I once heard a symbolic description of this process which I liked and made me feel confident about my practice:
If you imagine that consciousness is like a huge ocean. Every thought is like a small bubble of air, coming from the depths, rising to the surface. So in meditation we are trying to dive deep into this ocean, using the mantra to do it. Once in a while, we get caught by a thought bubble which takes us to the surface. As soon as we reach the surface we become aware of the thought. Then we go back to the mantra and it takes us a little bit deeper this time, until another bubble comes along. So we go on until we reach deep enough where we experience silence for a brief moment (nobody knows exactly how long it lasts) and we come out of the silence, riding on a bubble coming from our depths. This we repeat and by practice we can reach deeper and deeper and stay longer in the depths of consciousness. It is a beautiful and natural process and very enjoyable.  |
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NSB
Australia
32 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2009 : 9:49:12 PM
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This is "scenery".
I think it is really funny, I expected "scenery" to be a metaphor, but in this case it is absolutely literal, National Georgraphic landscape photography!!
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samara
Iceland
31 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2009 : 11:45:23 AM
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| Yes, it is quite literal. I get people, cars, buildings, mountains, flowers, animals, literally anything from this world we know. They do not seem to have any meaning whatsoever, just random pictures, sometimes beautiful, sometimes very mundane and boring. Like watching random video clips with no relation to anything. To be honest, I barely notice them anymore. Nice picture quality though,(high dynamic range). |
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Is this silence?
