[SashaMember]

Hi Ted. I’ve partially gotten around the dullness problem by strategically timing my sessions, for example right after I’ve come back from outdoors. Aside from this, I find a couple of the antidotes to help. I think there’s really no universal answer and individuals need to figure it out for themselves, and finding joy is so important precisely because we do need to exert great diligence in the earlier stages at least. I also have split up my sessions into smaller segments at different times of the day. I also was not really structuring my sessions with specific goals beforehand which contributes to dullness. I do notice that dullness onset coincides with the empty moments of consciousness referred to in the book, and the importance of introspective awareness in helping one to realise this so one can snap out of this. It feels as though one’s awareness is sort of ‘diffusing’, less vivid, and it helps making this into an joyful ‘aha’ moment followed by intending to follow the breath and remain present and aware.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by  Sasha.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by  Sasha.

[SashaMember]

Thank you both for your replies.

Ted: I feel like dullness increases when I relax my attention actually. I suppose I’ll just try to soldier on. I think I’ll break my sessions into 10 minute sessions throughout the day to try avoiding the subtle progressive dullness issue.

Kim: thank you for the advice but I think my post sounds a lot unstabler than I actually am! I have tried therapists and they have not worked and have actually made me feel worse. And I just can’t afford to dish out 200+ dollars per session. I like to keep an open mind but I really have faith in meditation precisely because it is the ONLY thing that has helped me before. Its just that due to the recurring dullness problem and not wanting to make it a habit, I stopped meditating

[SashaMember]

Hi Charles,

I mostly meditate open-eyed due to the dullness, and it’s a bit better, but the dullness still overcomes me and I have to strive very hard to keep attention from weakening and scattering due to dullness, and sometimes strive to keep eyes from closing.

Sasha

• This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by  Sasha.

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