Category Archives: Meditation

Exercise: Suppressed Memories

February 5, 2019 – 5:56 PM

Up until now you have been running out the reactions triggered by the external environment. In this exercise you shall be running out the suppression of past experiences. It is possible that the suppressed memories may have already been released through pervious exercises.

Meditation Exercise:

Unwinding suppressed memories

Purpose:

To train the student to BE there and let the mind unwind. The idea is to get the student to BE there and not do anything else but BE there.

Pre-requisites:

Complete the exercises up to Exercise: Reaction to Locations

Study Unwinding the Mind

Instructions:

Find a quiet location to meditate, where you may be undisturbed for at least half an hour. Start by observing your breathing. Let your attention roam freely. Notice if there is an area of memory where your attention goes to automatically. Notice if there is a location or a person central to that area of memory. Use this “item” as your stabilizing factor for the successive steps. In other words, if your attention gets lost, then you bring it back to this item, and start all over again.

Use the location or a person central to the area of suppressed memory as your stabilizing factor.

Let you mind roam freely in that area of memory. Simply follow the natural flow of attention and observe whatever is unfolding. Do not avoid, resist, deny, or suppress what the mind brings up. Just be curious. Do not interfere and try to figure it all out. Let the mind associate the data as it may. You simply observe and experience the thoughts and emotions as they arise.

Observe and experience the thoughts and emotions as they arise without interfering with the mind.

If attention gets lost during meditation, then you simply bring it back to the location or the person that you are using as your stabilizing factor. Continue to observe and experience without interfering. You simply BE there and not do anything else but BE there.

If the mind has stopped unwinding and nothing new is coming up then go back to the beginning. Let your attention roam freely and notice the area of memory it is going to automatically. It may take some trial and error on your part before you discover the area of memory that is ready to unwind. Make sure you are not rushing the mind.

It is absolutely imperative that you do not dig into the mind in your anxiety for answers.

Continue this exercise for at least 20 minute. You may continue for longer if it is going well. Soon or later you will have the area of suppressed memory that is ready to unwind, Very soon after that you will find yourself in possession of some answers and relief.

If, all of a sudden, there is a big realization that makes you very happy, you may end the session immediately and enjoy your win.

You may repeat this exercise often as long as suppressed data is coming up..

End of Exercise:

When major suppression of memory has been released, accompanied by great relief, then this exercise is passed.

NOTE: At any point you may return to a previous exercise if you feel that you need to complete it.

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By vinaire | Comments (0)

Unwinding the Mind

February 3, 2019 – 4:52 PM

To unwind means “to undo or loosen from a tightly engaged condition:” For a spring loaded toy, it would be loosening the spring from a tightly coiled condition. For a tense mind, it would be loosening it from a tightly suppressed condition.

Most difficulties in life arise when perceptions and memories get suppressed. Such thoughts are then waiting to be released. Relief comes when the mind is allowed to unwind itself.

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Suppression

When too many things are happening at once as in an emergency, and there is impact and pain as in an accident, then there is little time to sort them out. As a result such perceptions get suppressed and become deeply buried memories. One may have some idea of such a memory, but the details are not available to consciousness.

Suppressed memories are waiting for calm moments so they can come up to consciousness, get sorted out, and released.

The stress of daily life, however, does not provide calm enough moments to release deeply buried memories.

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Unwinding

After several sessions of mindfulness meditation the mind begins to settle down and arrive at some calm moments. This provides the mind with opportunity to start unwinding itself. The attention automatically goes to an area of memory that needs to be examined and sorted out.

But that area of memory may have mental pain and confusion associated with it. Under these circumstances one must be cautiously aware of what is unfolding without interfering with it. To become anxious and start digging into the mind for answers is something you must not attempt.

The mind seems to unwind in a certain way to protect itself. It releases suppressed memory slowly so as not to overwhelm awareness with too much pain and confusion. Left to itself, mind will gradually present data that is safe to look at. Any attempt to rush the mind only makes it less responsive and it may get you into deep trouble.

Simply follow the natural flow of attention and closely examine what is unfolding. Do not interfere and try to figure out things beyond what the mind is presenting.

Soon the mental fog shall start to lift and long suppressed material shall come to view followed by realizations. This process may continue even outside the meditation session. Sometimes the mind may take days before all the suppressed data is available to arrive at the answer.

Relief comes from looking patiently and not from searching anxiously.

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Locations & Personalities

You have been using breathing as a stabilizing factor while your mind is settling down (See Settling the Mind Down). This means that as and when attention gets lost during meditation, you bring it back to your breathing and start all over again.

Once the mind has settled down enough the attention goes automatically to a suppressed memory that is available to be sorted out. You use the location or personality that is central to that memory, as your stabilizing factor. If attention gets lost, then you bring it back to the location or personality of that memory, and start all over again.

Use the location or personality central to a memory as your stabilizing factor.

It is possible that the details of the suppressed memory have sorted themselves out and the attention is freed up with a sense of relief. In that case, you may not even care about that memory, or its location and personalities. If the sense of relief is great, you may even end the meditation session, and enjoy the win. Otherwise, you may go back to breathing and simply wait to see what the mind brings up next.

Session after session you let the mind unwind until no more suppressed data is coming up.

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By vinaire | Comments (0)

Exercise: Reaction to Locations

February 3, 2019 – 12:58 PM

Until now you have been meditating in a calm environment. You may find that the calmness of the mind may be affected by different locations. The environments at different locations may trigger different reactions in the mind.

Meditation Exercise:

Confronting different environments

Purpose:

To train the student to be there comfortably in different environments. The idea is to get the student able to BE there comfortably in any environment, to BE there and not do anything else but BE there.

Pre-requisites:

Complete the exercises up to Exercise: Reaction to People

Instructions:

Choose an environment that is only slightly more chaotic than the one you feel comfortable in. Sit at a location in that environment where you would not be disturbed physically . Start meditating in that environment with eyes closed, half closed or open as happens naturally. Handle any reactions and mental chattering as per the previous exercises. There should be nothing added to BE there.

You may be apprehensive in the beginning in a new environment and may start meditating with eyes open. But as you feel more comfortable your eyes may close naturally. Let the reactions run out and discharge with eyes closed, half closed and open. Let it all happen naturally.

As you are able to be there comfortably in an environment with no more reactions to run out, you may choose to meditate in a slightly more chaotic environment. You may do at least one 20-minute session in each environment. Some environments may require multiple sessions until you feel totally comfortable.

You should build up your ability to be there comfortably even in very chaotic environments, such as, a crowded mall, a street corner, a crowded bus or train station or even a graveyard in the night (if it is physically safe) without feeling afraid or embarrassed.

End of Exercise:

When major reactions are discharged, and the student can just BE there comfortably in any reasonably safe location, then this exercise is passed.

NOTE: At any point you may return to a previous exercise if you feel that you need to complete it.

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By vinaire | Comments (0)

Exercise: Confronting

January 20, 2019 – 8:33 PM

This exercise is inspired by a similar exercise, called TR0, developed by Hubbard in Scientology. This exercise is different in the sense that it is designed for meditation unlike in Scientology. In this exercise it is not necessary that you should have the same person to confront every time.

Meditation Exercise:

Confronting

Purpose:

To learn to be there comfortably in front of another person. The idea is to BE there comfortably in a position three feet in front of another person, to BE there and not do anything else but BE there.

Pre-requisites:

Complete Exercise: Being There.

Instructions:

You sit in front of another student, a comfortable distance apart—about three feet. You both sit facing each other with eyes open, neither making any conversation or effort to be interesting. This is a silent drill. You sit and look at each other and say or do nothing for some hours if possible. Or you may do this exercise in 20 minutes sessions until passed.

You must not speak, blink, fidget, giggle or be embarrassed or go blank. You must confront all reactions fully without avoiding, resisting, denying or suppressing them. If a reaction is overwhelming, simply close your eyes to assimilate that experience fully. Then open your eyes and continue with the exercise as before.

It will be found some students tend to confront WITH a body part, rather than just confront; or they use a system of confronting, rather than just BE there. Confronting does not mean that you do something to the other person. The whole action is to become accustomed to BEING THERE three feet in front of another person without apologizing or moving or being startled or embarrassed or defending self. Confronting with a body part can cause unwanted pain or sensations in that body part being used to confront. The solution is just to confront and BE there.

End of Exercise:

When all social mechanisms are discharged, and you can just BE there comfortably in a position three feet in front of another person in all sincerity, this exercise is passed.

NOTE 2: If you find the sitting meditation difficult to do then do the walking meditation exercises for a while, and then come back to this exercise.

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By vinaire | Comments (0)

Exercise: Being There

January 20, 2019 – 4:32 PM
Reference: A Scientific Approach to Meditation

Meditation Exercise:

Being there.

Purpose:

To learn to BE there and not do anything else but BE there.

Pre-requisites:

Complete Exercise: Meditative Posture.

Instructions:

Start in the meditative posture as determined in the previous exercise on posture. Do not move or do anything. Just be there. This exercise is done with eyes closed.

After closing your eyes, simply observe what is there. At first, you may perceive only blackness. But soon you may become aware of light and darkness, various sounds and smells, the temperature in the room, the pull of gravity, the taste in your mouth, and scores of other such perceptions from the body. The mind may present pictures of current or past situations, thoughts, emotions and conclusions. Simply face whatever comes up without flinching or avoiding. 

At the beginning stages of meditation you will run into all kinds of physical and mental reactions. You face them by fully experiencing them without avoiding, resisting, denying or suppressing. A reaction, when confronted patiently, discharges and vanishes. If you feel drowsy, simply experience the whole cycle of the body falling asleep and eventually waking up. Make sure your posture is stable enough so the body does not slump during sleep. When it wakes up, continue as before.

If you find your mind chattering, realize that there is missing information that is suppressed. Do not dive into the mind to find that information. Let the suppressed information come up by itself.  The mental chatter shall subside. As suppression comes off there are naturally going to be realizations. Do not force any realizations. You simply BE there and not do anything else but BE there.

Continue this exercise for at least 20 minute. You may continue for longer if it is going well.

If, all of a sudden, there is a big realization that makes you very happy, you may end the session immediately and enjoy your success.

You may repeat this exercise as often as you wish.

End of Exercise:

When major reactions are discharged, and you find that you can simple BE there without any effort, then this exercise is passed.

NOTE 2: If you find the sitting meditation difficult to do then do the walking meditation exercises for a while, and then come back to this exercise.

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