A much-belated hello to everyone...I've fallen almost completely out of the meditation habit, something that always happens at the beginning of summer when I'm trying to "re-enter" life after the school-year ends.
But, today I start again, repairing my commitment for what seems to be the umpteenth time.
I'm beginning to think that life & practice is more about *repairing* commitments than it is about *keeping* them to begin with...
Lorianne: welcome back! I tend to agree with your final para.
I don't know whether anyone else has had anything similar, but sometimes if I meditate when I'm tired (which given my sleep patterns is quite frequently) I find myself slipping into almost a dream-like state, almost like watching a film or comic strip, with clear images of characters and audible voices, most of which I don't recognise, don't make sense and have nothing to do with what is happening in my life.
I mentioned it to the meditation leader at the Buddhist centre the other day and he said it is not uncommon and not to worry. The mind is simply "loosening up".
I have to say though that I find it rather strange. The only time I've had something similar happen is when I've been ill, and I put that down to being feverish ....
Am I just weird or have other people experienced anything like this?
nice to have you back loraine... i have almost abandoned myself now to lapsing. The mistral wind is so strong I can't go out. the house is full of buildres and Julian's chaos and there is absolutely no place for me to be quiet. I know its temporary and its ok and letting go for the moment feels like part of the practice. tomorrow is our weddinga nniversary but the long walk and posh meal on the coast seems to have been winded off so perhaps we will just be where we are, tamp down a bit of hemp flooring and have dinner locally.
Lorianne, I appreciate so much what you said about life & practice being more about *repairing* than *keeping* commitments. It certainly seems to be true for me, anyway, and your comment helps me to adjust my expectations and be a little less harsh with myself on that issue.
Mary, I have not experienced that while sitting, but it sounds a lot like what I experience sometimes while starting to doze off, or starting to fall asleep — not really asleep, but half asleep — which I've always interpreted as the "beginnings" of dreaming, even though I'm not fully asleep. It is a little odd, I grant you, but I've never worried about it. Not sure if that's the same thing you are experiencing.
Ruth, good luck with wind, builders & Julian... but most of all: Happy Anniversary!! How many years?
Yes, I've had stuff like that happen, Mary. As far as how to deal with it in meditation, it's easy -- it's just more stuff. If it sweeps you away, then it's a distraction. If it doesn't, it's just more mental phenomena. For our purposes it doesn't really matter where it comes from or what its significance may be.
But I do have a suspicion that many of us, maybe all of us, are perceiving a lot of stuff like that all the time, but that we're usually clenched too tight on our agendas and expectations to really become aware of them. In sleep sometimes we become vividly aware of them, but we don't usually mind much, because we have a safe category for them; they're dreams, and we know we don't have to take them seriously. (This is not something that most human beings through most of history have "known," though.)
But anyway, I think it's important not to attach any particular importance to it, positive or negative, in the context of meditation. Just more stuff.
6 Comments:
A much-belated hello to everyone...I've fallen almost completely out of the meditation habit, something that always happens at the beginning of summer when I'm trying to "re-enter" life after the school-year ends.
But, today I start again, repairing my commitment for what seems to be the umpteenth time.
I'm beginning to think that life & practice is more about *repairing* commitments than it is about *keeping* them to begin with...
Devon: sounds good to me ...
Lorianne: welcome back! I tend to agree with your final para.
I don't know whether anyone else has had anything similar, but sometimes if I meditate when I'm tired (which given my sleep patterns is quite frequently) I find myself slipping into almost a dream-like state, almost like watching a film or comic strip, with clear images of characters and audible voices, most of which I don't recognise, don't make sense and have nothing to do with what is happening in my life.
I mentioned it to the meditation leader at the Buddhist centre the other day and he said it is not uncommon and not to worry. The mind is simply "loosening up".
I have to say though that I find it rather strange. The only time I've had something similar happen is when I've been ill, and I put that down to being feverish ....
Am I just weird or have other people experienced anything like this?
nice to have you back loraine...
i have almost abandoned myself now to lapsing. The mistral wind is so strong I can't go out. the house is full of buildres and Julian's chaos and there is absolutely no place for me to be quiet. I know its temporary and its ok and letting go for the moment feels like part of the practice. tomorrow is our weddinga nniversary but the long walk and posh meal on the coast seems to have been winded off so perhaps we will just be where we are, tamp down a bit of hemp flooring and have dinner locally.
love to all,
Lorianne, I appreciate so much what you said about life & practice being more about *repairing* than *keeping* commitments. It certainly seems to be true for me, anyway, and your comment helps me to adjust my expectations and be a little less harsh with myself on that issue.
Mary, I have not experienced that while sitting, but it sounds a lot like what I experience sometimes while starting to doze off, or starting to fall asleep — not really asleep, but half asleep — which I've always interpreted as the "beginnings" of dreaming, even though I'm not fully asleep. It is a little odd, I grant you, but I've never worried about it. Not sure if that's the same thing you are experiencing.
Ruth, good luck with wind, builders & Julian... but most of all: Happy Anniversary!! How many years?
Yes, I've had stuff like that happen, Mary. As far as how to deal with it in meditation, it's easy -- it's just more stuff. If it sweeps you away, then it's a distraction. If it doesn't, it's just more mental phenomena. For our purposes it doesn't really matter where it comes from or what its significance may be.
But I do have a suspicion that many of us, maybe all of us, are perceiving a lot of stuff like that all the time, but that we're usually clenched too tight on our agendas and expectations to really become aware of them. In sleep sometimes we become vividly aware of them, but we don't usually mind much, because we have a safe category for them; they're dreams, and we know we don't have to take them seriously. (This is not something that most human beings through most of history have "known," though.)
But anyway, I think it's important not to attach any particular importance to it, positive or negative, in the context of meditation. Just more stuff.
Devon, it's nice to hear you sounding upbeat!
Lorianne, I think you're right about repairing.
Ruth, happy anniversary!
MB, you and I both, I think, have to be kinder to ourselves about thi sort of stuff.
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