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compassion
87 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 28 2014 : 01:07:51 AM
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Ok so I had a dream last night. Or a vision. Or an experience. Or all of the above… I’m not sure which. As sometimes happens, I was meditating for the first time of the day right before bed last night, which sometimes results in interesting experiences while in bed.
First off, while lying in bed falling asleep, my mind is rattling on about something, I have no recollection what, but what I am aware of is the sound of two beats of a drum which are accompanied by the removal of all thoughts and images from my brain. I’m not sure if the drum sound was the sound of many thoughts travelling at light speed away from awareness, or if it was a separate source, but either way both things happened simultaneously.
Immediately there was nothing. No sound, no images, no thoughts. Not even the familiar lights when my eyes are closed. Just nothing.
I’m not sure how long this lasted. Thoughts inevitably turn up. But next I remember I’m in some kind of a dream. I remember there was a boat… or a helicopter… and every time it tilted there was a force that returned it to the upright position. Some kind of stability designed in. But when it tilted, I felt something very strange. It was like entering a vision, the eyes roll up, but it was more intense than that. More raw..? Full of vibrations in my head and my body.
Now this helicopter or boat kept tilting, and for longer each time. Each time I entered the same state with some mild discomfort, longing perhaps for the stability to return. But after a longer time in this state, I came to the realization that this was my natural state, not a position of instability. And then something very strange happened.
I remained in this state… but instead of odd discomfort of vibrations, there was the experience of intense ecstasy rushing around my whole ‘body’, which was no longer my body. I realized I was light and energy and watched this energy starting to lift itself from my physical body.
At this point I started to think maybe not to try to make anything happen, wondering if maybe I was overloading or something. There was some fear that I might become stuck in this state, which seemed far too intense for me to handle right now. I remember at this stage, there were now two other people ‘helping’ me, though I don’t know how, and I’m not even sure what help is in this context. But they get a mention for being there.
So I have a few questions, but I’m not completely sure what I want to ask.
Is swapping one body for another a sign of progress or simply a distraction? Am I overloading (I feel fine now, just a bit like I haven’t slept enough)? Is there any possibility to find ourselves more permanently in states we are not ready to handle?
Any other comments or observations welcome! |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2014 : 3:27:38 PM
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I would say it sounds pretty cool.
Relax and enjoy is all I got.
Being ready is a state of mind. |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2014 : 4:34:33 PM
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Hi compassion,
Sounds awesome.
I've never known what to make of these types of experiences. I guess it's best just to let the questions go and not let the mind spin around them too much. (Don't want to get to caught up in energy experiences, ya know)
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 12:35:20 AM
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Dear compassion,
I've had similar very experiences to what you have described, and likewise similar questions. The awareness of your energy body is a good sign. You may have overloaded a bit; "been there, done that." I wouldn't worry about it becoming "more permanent" before being ready to handle it; the "readiness" is sort of a prerequisite for staying there. enjoy but don't obsess.   |
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compassion
87 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 12:42:06 AM
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Hello jonesboy,
I'd like to think that meditation practise had got me ready for anything, but seems not quite yet! If something similar happens again, I would be at least a little more ready, or perhaps my body more purified. Thankfully this energy body wasn't trying to leave my physical body during work yesterday, which had at least been one of my concerns :)
Hi lalow,
Yes, letting go sounds about right. As for the mind, perhaps with more familiarity it can learn to be quiet. At least that seems to have been the case with various bliss states in meditation.
Thanks, both, for your input! |
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compassion
87 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 01:38:24 AM
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Thanks Radharani,
Your words are comforting. I guess one side-effect of all the warnings of overloading, is the tendency to question the experiences with this in mind. Luckily this seems just to be a taste of something new rather than a one-way street. Certainly my bhakti is replenished after quite some time of feeling stuck!
Talking of overloading, I often get a lot of automatic head movements in meditation (mostly gentle), and I worked out one day that asking yes/no questions would result in a nodding or shaking of the head. "Are you God?" *nod* "Am I overloading?" *shake* I guess it's a matter of perspective.
Thanks again! |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1532 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 05:49:33 AM
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Ok, I would give some counter advice - that was your energy body. So next time, why not get out of the physical and go exploring...after that your curiosity would be satisfied and you can say "been there, done that". In typical out of the body experiences, there are often "Helpers" that come to your aid, like the two you mentioned.
You do gain some knowledge on how You operate out of the body and gain the reassurance that death of the body is just that..the physical body is shed, You do not die. Plus it's fun! 
Sey |
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Anima
484 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 7:20:07 PM
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Hi Compassion,
Thanks for sharing this. I'm not sure I can add any insight, except that these sorts of gifts can potentially feed our sense of spiritual superiority. But they can also be offered to silence (Brahman) and our friends, as you've done.
Be happy! |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 8:02:05 PM
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| Along the lines of what SeySorciere suggested, have you thought about trying to train yourself to become lucid during such exceptional experiences, as in, really increase your awareness of yourself and your state while still remaining in it? That way you should be able to confirm whether you are indeed fully in control of the situation, and also be able to explore and extend it further without necessarily breaking its flow as it plays itself out. Any insights into the nature of your helpers? Thanks for sharing. |
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kami
USA
920 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2014 : 8:18:02 PM
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Sounds like an out of body experience (OBE), compassion.
It is pretty cool it happened spontaneously, since people train themselves for long periods for such things. Helpers could be beings not otherwise perceptible, either here or on another (astral) plane. Fear or apprehension in such a situation is natural. If you are curious, explore it - it can provide great insights. But know that it is possible to get stuck in such experiences for years.. Having a broader perspective about all of it is very helpful..
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compassion
87 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2014 : 1:33:46 PM
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Thank you all for your comments. If I am gifted with the same experience again, I will hopefully be somewhat calm enough to go with the flow of things and see what's what. The idea of training myself for anything other than keeping a calm mind, is a bit too attached for my liking right now though.
AumNaturel: you asked about the nature of my helpers. They were two women, maybe 50 years old, at the foot of my bed. The location was the bedroom I used to sleep in about 15 years ago, which is about 2000km from here. I have no idea what the women were doing, or when exactly they appeared. During the experience I had the feeling that they were somehow unhelpful, or even a nuisance, but then immediately upon waking came the thought or feeling that they were actually helping me.
kami: It was interesting to read of OBEs, especially googling about getting stuck in such experiences. One of the first results I read, mentioned that Thomas a Kempis' physical body was buried alive possibly while having an OBE. By chance his book, Imitation of Christ, has been sitting next to my pillow for a while now. Coincidences abound!
Some more memories that came to me since: I had meditated a long time just before going to bed. I had the feeling that something was going to happen in meditation, but my feet and legs were getting sore, so I would ask "Should I keep meditating?" and the answer is yes. Not long later I'm really starting to hurt, and I ask "Should I get up?" and the answer is yes; "Should I keep meditating?" and the answer is still yes. So I spend the time getting ready for bed and preparing to fall asleep, clearing my mind and focusing on nothing.
And another memory related to the experience: it was pitch black, and my eyes were closed, yet I could still see. I remember being able to see the room and everything in it. And I even waved my hand in front of my eyes, and could see this also. I'm not sure when this happened in relation to the other events though. I felt awake at the time, but with hindsight not sure how much this might have been a dream :) |
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A dream
