[wardMember]

My practical answer to the question is: Of course there is a Self; but I’m not It.

[wardMember]

At first I was resistant to the idea of focusing on the nostrils. I thought I would not be able to stay with something so light and subtle, as opposed to the more conspicuous sensations of the abdomen. Plus, I was conditioned to think of the hara as more significant, or energetically special, while the nostrils seemed completely arbitrary. These “negatives” turned out to be positives, in view of the goals of stable attention and vivid perception.

My suggestion is to give the nostrils a fair trial, for at least a few weeks, with the intention of perceiving as much detail as possible in each in/out cycle. You can always go back to the abdomen if desired.

[wardMember]

Although you requested only recordings, I would like to offer a listing of Culadasa’s posts from the old Jhana and Insight Yahoo group. This is in the spirit of compiling valuable info that is not directly from TMI. I found these posts to have both practical and historical interest. I posted the links here some time ago, but now I am attaching them in the form of a text file you can adapt to your own format. Someone will need to go through them and add brief descriptions and/or keywords.

Attachments:

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[wardMember]

I do think it helps to categorize thoughts. This is the benefit I get from labeling distractions. The idea is to recognize them quickly in the future before they snag you. A distraction such as a physical sound is easy to recognize, but some kinds of thoughts are downright sneaky and require extra vigilance.

[wardMember]

I am of the opinion that SOMETHING of the person persists after physical death, and I might describe that as the patterns of thinking, being, feeling, behaving, etc. that have built up in this life (and previous lives) and that already persist in some form outside time and space. Those patterns don’t belong to anyone, as there is no core self, but the greater, transcendent mind has an interest in conserving them and continuing the experiment in future human beings.

Thus, if I awaken in this life, the template of my awakening story could help some future person who is born with a similar makeup to mine and shares my patterns of suffering. That person won’t be “me,” but he will be so much like me that he might even have access to memories of this life. Even if I die unawakened, it seems “right” that whatever spiritual refinement I manage to achieve in this life will benefit whoever inherits my patterns. The downside is that my negative qualities will also get passed along. The poor slob deserves compassion.

Again, this is just my opinion. I’m trying to reconcile the no-self teaching with the massive anecdotal evidence that something persists between lives.

[wardMember]

I have had a few OOB experiences in my life and am familiar with the vibrations you speak of. I do not think they are piti or are directly related to meditation. For one thing, I didn’t have a regular practice until recently. Plus, the vibes were generally accompanied by sleep paralysis and sometimes the perception of demonic attack (incubus/succubus etc.).

[wardMember]

Look for friends who share your preferences. A few close relationships is plenty. Friends who are comfortable just sitting around saying nothing.

As for your old friends, you don’t have to break with them overtly. Just quit participating in the mindless stuff day to day. Show up at a party every now and then, shake everyone’s hand, and feel the love. You don’t have to know which football teams are on the HD TV screen.

[wardMember]

I fasted recently for 3.5 days, for the first time in a couple of years. It was rather difficult, due to my waning health (at age 65) and consequent heavy elimination symptoms (including emotional). I was open to going a few more days but opted out in the interest of safety. Meditation was not easy or satisfying; it was effectively like trying to meditate while sick. Also, the lack of sleep made for much dullness.

This is not to imply that there is no benefit to combining fasting and meditation. I suspect that some of us need to go longer and get past the initial heavy elimination symptoms for enhanced meditation to happen. If one fasts regularly, I’m sure this gets easier.

[wardMember]

Yes, thanks much. It’s hard to imagine that my subminds will ever “shut up and listen,” but I’ll try to stay open to that and hold the intention.

[wardMember]

Jeremy said “…the sub-minds in a mind-system unified by meditation are no longer wasting their energy by incessantly generating desire- and aversion-based thoughts and feelings at an unconscious level; the act of meditation is a much less energy-intensive process than our usual neurotic mental activity!”

Wouldn’t it be more correct to say that the thinking/emotional`submind projects less content into consciousness, thus freeing up mental energy? This would be consistent with Pacifying The Mind, p1 (p. 223).

[wardMember]

Relevant scientific article: https://aeon.co/essays/the-hard-problem-of-consciousness-is-a-distraction-from-the-real-one

[wardMember]

A couple of mundane thoughts, which may or may not apply:

If there is significant sugar and other empty carbs in your diet, dropping them in favor of increased dietary fat might make a difference. Could improve sleep too.

Bright light is said to inhibit melatonin production, which might explain a temporary increase in wakefulness. It’s also why you’re recommended not to use bright lights near bedtime.

[wardMember]

I see what you mean, now that I’ve looked into the hard problem a little further. I wonder if there are any meditation masters who have addressed this directly. I suspect that the answer you would get is that the solution is transcendent and cannot be expressed in the realm of duality.

[wardMember]

I suggest to go back and re-read the Seventh Interlude. It is one of the most profound pieces I’ve ever read. The problem is “hard” only if you equate consciousness with human subjectivity. You mentioned trees as an example of unconscious entities. Coincidentally, this article came out today: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3792036/Do-trees-brains.html

[wardMember]

For me it can definitely be a challenge engaging with the faint sensations at/in the nostrils. Two situations are especially difficult: strong dullness and strong agitation. Although these seem like opposites, what they have in common is that noise in the nervous system overwhelms the more subtle sensations in the nose. In the former case, it is hypnagogic material; in the latter case, it is bodily/emotional discomfort and scattered thoughts.

Focusing on the abdominal area provides a stronger attractor for my attention, and so I use this when I’m having a hard time. It’s a way to succeed at something. However, it presents a larger scope in which my attention can wander, and this seems to encourage discursive thinking (“Should I focus on the trachea? Or the diaphragm? Or the guts? Where is the impulse to breathe coming from?” etc.). So I normally don’t use this.

What I also like about the field of sensation in the nose is that it is secondary to the breathing impulse and thus more abtracted from my emotional center in the abdomen. I need to keep things simple for the time being.

Between the abdomen and the nostrils where is considerable territory to experiment with. When agitated, for example, I can start with a larger area by dropping my jaw, relaxing my soft palate, and feeling the wind flow through my entire nasal cavity and upper throat. As my thoughts settle, I can tighten up and focus more on the nostrils.

Another thing: The difficulty in engaging with the faint nasal sensations seems to be the very thing that challenges my mind and keeps it interested. It is almost like a koan, especially when the breath becomes very shallow. I know those vivid sensations are in there somewhere and, by golly, I WILL find them.

I hope this helps. I trust that more advanced practitioners will correct me if I’m misleading or on the wrong path.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by  ward.

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