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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 05:07:03 AM
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Hi everybody,
I am experiencing the same problem I´ve written about before because it hasn´t stopped: this zoning out while in deep meditation. This has been happening for a long time. 6mo-1 year, really don´t know. When I first begin, everything is good, instant bliss, but after maybe 30seconds or so it shifts into thoughts where I do like Yogani says to easily favor the mantra and so on. This constant bombardment of thoughts finally takes over and I slip to this zone. I don´t know if this is light sleep or what, but after a period of time I come around not knowing where on my practice I am, then do, and realise that time has gone by so I stop.
The reason I am writing this is because I feel like I am missing something out of DM. I don´t have much of any subjective gains or progress to be noticed. Just this endless zoning out. It even happens during SB!!!
Help!!! What should I do? What is this? I don´t think this is normal.
Love,
nirmal |
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AYPforum
351 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 07:47:01 AM
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| Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 08:17:42 AM
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Hi Nirmal,
This is normal. I have experienced it too. http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=1475
And then it stopped after a while. It is some deeper level fatigue being purified. Just go with it. It is happening because you need it. The less you think about it, and the more you just go with it as a perfect session, the faster the purification can happen and you will be out of this phase.
quote:
The reason I am writing this is because I feel like I am missing something out of DM. I don´t have much of any subjective gains or progress to be noticed.
Your mind is missing something, you are not, you are getting exactly what you need, and the sleep is needed for this deeper level purification to work... where the mind is absent.. and the mind feels left out.
The gain is absolutely happening at an inner level.. again, since the mind cannot quantify it, it will label it as bad. Don't worry about it. Let things progress as they are, and you just go with what is happening.
Hope this helps.  |
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 09:43:50 AM
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| Hi Shanti, Thanks. This makes me feel a lot better. So you say this is a type of sleep? nirmal |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 09:56:22 AM
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Actually it is more than sleep :
http://www.aypsite.org/17.html
Meditation sometimes produces a sleep-like state, like you described, but the physiological parameters are different. The metabolism goes much lower than in sleep. Heart rate and breathing are much slower than in sleep, nearly stopped. The body and mind come to a state of complete silence, while still awake inside. The level of rest in the body and mind in meditation is deeper than sleep. It is a different kind of rest that removes impurities; obstructions to consciousness that sleep cannot reach. |
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Voyager
United Kingdom
11 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 9:07:33 PM
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I frequently experience this too and I'm glad you've brought it up.
I'm perfectly awake and then I hit this dead zone where there's nothing - it's exactly like falling asleep. The nothingness startles me so I jump out of it and can't stay there. It usually happens when I'm having a particularly good meditation. |
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WoodDragon
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 9:29:48 PM
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| I am uncertain as to whether this is related, but it might also be a factor here. Deep meditation can also induce a trance state which can feel like blacking out. A friend once described deep trance to be similar to the experience frequent commuters have when they sometimes get in their car, turn the keys and the next thing they know they are pulling into a parking space at work with no memory of the drive itself. This is similar to self hypnosis which is also a trance state. usually the commuter experience described above can be due to the conscious mind becoming either hypnotized by the road or if so hyper focused on issues that the unconscious mind takes over the task of driving. If a Deep Meditation session leads to trance it may feel like suddenly falling asleep or a "blank spot" in the memory of the meditation experience. Please understand that this is not something to worry about, it may be simply a method of the nervous system kicking in to achieve a deep cleansing and issue resolving mode of functioning. Just my two cents. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Apr 12 2011 : 9:31:57 PM
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Hi Voyager,
Yes I had that "jump out of meditation" thing too. Was a big deal to me... and if you search around the forum, I used to talk about it a lot (here is one: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=2015#16770)
It went away, when? I have no idea, but sometime along the way it was gone and I did not even realize it. |
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 05:27:54 AM
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Hi,
Everybody keeps saying that this zoning out is when you are Conscious. I tend to agree with WoodDragon. I feel like I am in a trance, then when I come out of it, it feels like a black out. When I am in this zone, or black out, I think I am asleep, but I do hear noises, so maybe I am awake. I really don´t know.
Having said all that, this morning´s meditation was absolutely perfect! I was awake and fully conscious, thoroughly enjoying the whole process! I had a visitor coming to the house, so I had to make it a quick session, and that may have had something to do with it. As a matter of fact, maybe I should do all my SB and DM in short order to experience what I did today, gradually extending the time to avoid the zone or black out.
What do you think?
nirmal |
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WoodDragon
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 08:04:59 AM
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Sometimes we dive too deep, the urge to immerse ourselves and completely surrender to the path we know will bring us Unity. Some people can just "dive in" but for most it is a matter of adjusting to the path, this can take the time it takes. In my own experiences I have found that unintended trance can mean that the DM is too prolonged and the practice needs to be pulled back just a bit until we adjust to it. Once our nervous system is used to it (and let us face it, this can be weeks, it can be years) then we can add more time to our DM without falling into trance.
Now if trance is the goal, and sometimes it is, then we extend the time of DM to induce trance with the Intention of reaching that state of being. I say experiment, and see if backing off the amount of time helps you gain control of your meditations, once you have properly adjusted then go back to the amount of time you were using before.
Your current experience with doing things a bit quick in response to performing your duties as host would seem to support this, so try it out and see, oh and please let us know the results! This is very interesting and I for one would love to hear from you on this.
Another thought occurs to me, you were serving as host to a guest. Part of Yoga is service to others, perhaps this is a component of your practice which was not being fulfilled to the proper extent and thus your meditations led to unexpected results. Perhaps finding new and more frequent ways to provide an increase in service to others can also be of use to you in this situation. When we look at occurrences within ourselves we sometimes forget that we are holistic beings and thus all parts of ourselves are always involved. |
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 08:43:15 AM
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WoodDragon,
You are one wise person! All I can say is wow! Yes, I am going to continue to cut back on the SB and DM, and see if this will work like it did this morning. For the first time since all of this zoning started, this is the first "real" meditation, and I am so happy!
Yes, WoodDragon, I´ll keep you posted on my progress and everyone else if you want!
You are so right about service to others.This is no excuse, but I´m an American living in Germany, and know only a little German. The visitor this morning was my teacher who is teaching me German. It was my first lesson! Anyway, I don´t really know how to be of service in this type of situation. I include everyone in my samyama, but that´s not exactly service! Any ideas?
Thanks to you WoodDragon and everyone for all of your help.
Love,
nirmal |
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WoodDragon
USA
56 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 09:40:41 AM
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Service to others takes many forms. Even if it is as simple as holding open a door, helping someone with directions and treating others with Compassion and respect. Helping others with Yoga practices is good service and yet I always feel that service in the physical world also brings a balance to service. Sometimes it can be as simple (though it never really is simple, is it?) as seeing that whatever you are doing is service, acknowledge it and see it for what it is.
As an example I know someone who is an engineer, she works in a large company facilitating technical data development and transfer. She considers her job to be a service to others as she is always helping her technical team understand the needs of other companies and other teams within the companies. her work helps to create many of the daily things we in a technological society take for granted (do you know how much technical information must be assembled to create a toaster, or medical equipment?) and thus she is also serving her community in a manner which may be considered hidden. She approaches her career with the Intention of service in accord with her talents and her path. This recognition and awareness of service is but one small way to accepting and generating the desire for providing service within herself. As a result she is charitable, always helping the people she meets within her work environment and outside of it as well. She takes her time to consider the best ways she can help each person within her means and for their specific needs. People come to her and they see the light of selfless service which has arisen through this sense of service to others.
See what it is that you do every day and find the service to others within. Find the Compassion and Love within you to do more and provide more service in your daily life. I look forward to hearing more from you, yours is a wonderful adventure in awareness!
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 2:08:34 PM
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Hi WoodDragon, Interesting name! This all sounds like karma yoga. I am full of compassion and love. I do do things like open doors and the likes and similar things whenever the opportunity arises, have always done this. Sometimes while on a bus or subway or a store that I am in I´ll pray for everyone there. Or even walking down the street I´ll pray for the people I pass and so on. Even something as simple as a smile can do wonders!
I used to be a nurse and I felt like that was of service at the time. I had to stop because I was too sensitive. I ended up crying with the patients! (so to speak) I took all of their pain inward, be it physical or physiological, I couldn´t separate, which you Have to do in nursing.
I´ll keep looking every day in my daily life to look for ways to be of service. This is another thing Yogani says over and over. And once again, he is so right! As well as you! My friend WoodDragon!
Love,
nirmal |
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 3:46:39 PM
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Oh, I almost forgot to mention the perhaps largest group of people I give service to is my family. My twin sons and my husband.And to my extended family in the States and here in Germany. I derive a great sense of satisfaction knowing I am taking good care of them and that they are well provided for. I once heard to do at least once in a while do something really nice/good for someone without telling them that you did. I think that is pretty great!
nirmal |
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BuddhiHermit
United Kingdom
84 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2011 : 6:21:03 PM
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Hi Nirmal,
For me, service is a spirit of sharing in the simple things in life. To your teacher for example, you might manifest service in the form of a gracious student.
Simply honoring the other, can be a massive service in itself.
I had forgotten about zoning out. It used to happen to quite a few of us in the early days, especially on retreats. Our teachers called it naturally occurring Yoga Nidra.
I was fortunate in that I was able to retrieve a faint memory of tingling and sparkling, and then somehow understood that some very deep healing was at work during those times, just as Shanti has noted. I felt always very positive about it, and it left of its own accord. I never self paced, but then I never suffered adverse symptoms either.
Namaste
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2011 : 03:07:37 AM
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Hi BuddhiHermit,
Yoga Nidra brings about a new twist to this saga! However with me I have been experiencing this for maybe a year with no sparkles, only a blackout during DM,with sluggishness coming out of it with feelings of missing out of the benefits of DM.
I guess I still am a newbie, having practiced only three years. But the cutting back these past few days has dramatically improved my meditation experience. I have self paced like this before, but never have I had such wonderful results as I have had at present! Go figure! Yes, I realise there must be deep healing occurring, but can´t I have Some positive action going on?!
nirmal |
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2011 : 07:21:30 AM
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Hi,
Since that last post I communicated with Yogani and he suggested to lengthen SB and DM, as I was continuing to have little feedback from practices. Once again his wisdom brought me around to where I needed to be:to lengthen my practice as originally instructed in the lessons.
Now I feel like I´m back home! And frankly, I had gotten kind of sloppy in some of the practices, so I´ve taken the time now to review all of them and applied them to my routine with marvelous results!
nirmal |
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kevincann
USA
335 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2011 : 12:22:58 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by nirmal
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the perhaps largest group of people I give service to is my family. My twin sons and my husband.And to my extended family in the States and here in Germany. I derive a great sense of satisfaction knowing I am taking good care of them and that they are well provided for. I once heard to do at least once in a while do something really nice/good for someone without telling them that you did. I think that is pretty great!
nirmal
To love one person without a conditioned mind, or a holding back of heart, is just as wonderful, just as important as any other outpouring of love. You don't lose "points" for loving a family member
Love you,
Kev |
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nirmal
Germany
438 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2011 : 01:55:38 AM
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Kev,
Ah, the beauty of un-conditional Love! Don't you wish more people practiced this?
nirmal |
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