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Thread: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

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  1. #1
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    Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    I don't really know how to phrase this properly, but I need to know "how to behave" in a way when it comes to closing your eyes. When my eyes are closed in meditation, am I supposed to forget about my field of vision (ie: the blackness that is clearly visible from having my eyes closed) ad focus on something else entirely, am I supposed to focus on the variations of colors that can come up from the darkness when my eyes are closed (ie: a lot of times I'll see purples and greens and such when I close my eyes (which I remember learning years ago in a psychology class had to do with the light sensitive chemicals interacting with the retina)), am I supposed to consciously think of an image (such as God), am I suppose to imagine movement into the darkness? Am I supposed to be moving my eyes (I've read somewhere that REM live movements while meditating a certain way can lead to hypnosis like states). I've never really read anything that directly addressed these questions.

    Also, I don't really know how one is supposed to chant when meditating. Are you supposed to physically say it (and if you do, how does that interact with breathing), are you supposed to imagine chanting/chant in your mind (the breathing question applies to this to, because if I'm doing that I usually have trouble breathing and mentally chanting at the same time). Also, while I'm at it, is the point of meditation supposed to be focusing on God, or is it (at least initially) about finding stillness and peace (and thus from that stillness you just happen to find God, as opposed to trying to find it)

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    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    BloodyRose,
    Good..so many questions . The purpose of meditation is to control the mind so try not to do anything consciously except observing your breath going in and out at the area of nostrils. Like you said you will see blackness .. let it be you can't avoid...and after sometime you will see different colours.. weird psychedelic designs.. if you are persistent. It's better to avoid chanting or thinking of an image as chanting will bring your deity or something into your vision and this will further lead to series of images and you will lose control of your mind. So it's always good to avoid all things and observe only breath.

    In the beginning you are supposed to consciously observe breath going in and out and as you advance (once you have many hundreds of hours of quality meditation) it will happen so easily that you don't even think you are doing it consciously. Also don't count the breaths as your mind can't do efficiently both counting and observing the breath one takes precedence over the other. Meditation is about to calm the mind and experience the reality.

    Also check this video.. it's a good start

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rSmxsVHPE

    But if you are interested in some serious meditation..check dhamma.org and attend a 10day course. It surely is beneficial.

    Good luck
    ॐ महेश्वराय नमः

    || Om Namo Bhagavate Rudraya ||

    Hara Hara Mahadeva Shambo Shankara

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    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    Namaste,

    the term 'focusing' as used in English language could be the cause of confusion.

    Don't practice visual focus - this would cause headaches & cross eye.

    For meditating, the term 'focus' means clearing your mind of thoughts and reducing the noise. Closing the eyes helps to reduce visual distractions.

  4. #4

    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    Hi !

    Suppose I ask you ... when I want to slip into sleep ... should i lie down towards the left/ right ? what should I see with my eyes closed ? How should my breathing be ? Should the bed be soft, very soft or hard ?

    What would be your answer ?

    I do not know what you would answer ... but if someone asks me this question ... I would say "First feel sleepy" and then everything falls in place.

    The same thing with meditation ... First become Meditative. When one is meditative everything automatically falls into place. What ever way one sits, that itself becomes a meditation posture!! what ever one does that itself becomes meditation.

    One becomes meditative when one starts to inquire into the nature of things ! Who am I ? whats all this ? When one sees things as they are ... transitory , changing and dying ... when one sees all this ... and thinks deeply ... one gets meditative. Then one should seek a guru and ask them the Truth ... becoz one would naturally get lot of questions to ask then . The guru teaches the Truth ... and as the Truth settles ... one becomes very meditative.

    in short ... meditation is not yet another activity to add to our list of daily chores. Meditation is really "Meditative-ness". One remains ever blissful and ever serene ... 24 7... no matter what activity one involves in. Every activity becomes a meditation.

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    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    Quote Originally Posted by Seeker View Post
    Namaste,

    the term 'focusing' as used in English language could be the cause of confusion.

    Don't practice visual focus - this would cause headaches & cross eye.

    For meditating, the term 'focus' means clearing your mind of thoughts and reducing the noise. Closing the eyes helps to reduce visual distractions.
    I have had some serious headaches and nausea from doing that too, so thank you lol.

    And thank you everyone for the answers .

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    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    Namaste,

    The colours you see may be energies. I used to myself see them when meditating and or while candle gazing. So I asked somebody that is this illusion as if you rub your eyes, you will see these colours and rings and patterns, etc.

    So he said, if the thing is real it will stay at it's place. If it's in your mind, it will move with your vision.

    e.g. if you see purple colour, and then move your eye sight to another place, if the colour follows, it is inside your mind. If it is real, then the colour will stay at same place.

    If you want to chant any mantra, shastras say, you begin with verbal chanting. So chant is verbally, then decrease the volume, so that only you can hear and then later on when you have practiced a lot, chant mentally.

    So you can chant it not too loudly.

    if you be aware of breath, it is fine, but there is no need to be specifically be aware of breath.

    simply chant the mantra. If you want to visualize an image, some visualize in 3rd eye (ajna chakra) - center between eye brows, I prefer to imagine it at center of chest in anahat chakra.

    Focus and awareness is a different issue. You can focus and concentrate on on thing like a nail on wall, but you can be aware of 360 degree around you. Awareness is a state of de-focusing. So just be aware.

    I would say simply chant the mantra. If it is difficult, then use Mala, still find it difficult, you can imagine an image inside heart chakra or at the level which is between center of chest. You wont have headache or feel heaviness in head.

    If you are chanting any mantra, then let those colours come and go, no need to focus on them. You should neglect it, unless you are practicing kundalini Yog or any energy based technique.

    when you close your eyes, begin chanting verbally (not too loud to disturb your neighbours ), be aware of mantra. When you realize your mind has distracted, make yourself understand that you are supposed to chant mantra and not think on any issue. Do not force. Simply convince your mind that you need to just chant mantra. Do not give importance any thoughts or any colours you see. Also do not try to avoid thoughts. Do not do this, else more and more thoughts will come and you will end up being frustrated.

    So if thoughts come, let them come, do not give importance them them and surrender to God. Pray to god to take these thoughts and help you focus in meditation and chant thy name. Pray to God before beginning meditation. Prayer helps a lot

    simply pray, oh god, I have come to your refuge, please accept me and guide my meditation. Surrender all thoughts and emotions to God by saying Oh god, take all emotions, positive and negative, good and bad thoughts and give me pure devotion. This helps a lot.

    There is no need to tune chanting with breath, it will later happen by itself, just leave it to God, unless your destination is to explore powers of God and explore the energy world.

    Aum

    IS
    Only God Is Truth, Everything Else Is Illusion - Ramakrishna
    Total Surrender of Ego to SELF is Real Bhakti - Ramana Maharshi

    Silence is the study of the scruptures. Meditation is the continuous thinking of Brahman which is to be meditated upon. The complete negation of both by knowledge is the vision of truth – sadAcAra-14 of Adi SankarAcArya

    namah SivAya vishnurUpAya viShNave SivarUpiNe, MBh, vanaparva, 3.39.76

    Sanskrit Dict | MW Dict | Gita Super Site | Hindu Dharma

  7. #7

    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    Namaste Indiaspirituality!

    What a great reply! It helped me a lot too.
    Om Gam Ganapataye Namah!

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    Re: Serious questions relating to having eyes closed in meditation

    Quote Originally Posted by Indiaspirituality View Post
    Namaste,

    Awareness is a state of de-focusing.
    Aum

    IS
    Namaste,

    It would be great if you please share some more thoughts on the above.

    Gratitude,
    Namaskar,

    AmIHindu ?

    यज्ञानां जपयज्ञोऽस्मि ।

    नाम्नोऽस्ति यावती शक्तिः पापनिर्हरणे हरेः । श्र्वपचोऽपि नरः कतुँ क्षमस्तावन्नकिल्विषम् ।।

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