"MEDITATION CHAPTER 5"
VISUAL
There are many different techniques for visual meditation. I
cannot hope to cover all of them in this chapter. However, I will
include all that I know and any variations that are significant. If
you can think of any, use them. On any of these meditations if
you can come up with a variation or just get an inspiration from
what you have read, definitely incorporate them into your daily
meditations.
Meditation is a very personalized and individualized study. I
practiced meditation for nearly two years before I made a
significant breakthrough. I read books, got ideas from others,
tried many different techniques. What finally worked for me was a
meditation given me by one of my spirit guides. It was important,
however, for me to go through all that I did so that I would be
able to help others. Always remember, nothing is coincidence,
there is a purpose for everything.
CANDLE MEDITATION
For this meditation you will need a single candle. It does not
matter what it is in (as long as it is safe and not distracting) or what
size or color it is. The important thing is that you will be able to
view the flame easily. The wick should be long enough for you to
get a good sized flame that is easy to see. If at all possible having
the flame eye level is best, that way you are neither looking up or
down to view it.
Be careful not to put the candle anywhere that there is a
possibility of it falling over or catching anything on fire. Get into
your meditation position. It does not matter whether the room is
dark or illuminated by natural light. However, if there is no light in
the room don't turn on a light. Now place the candle at eye level
and simply stare at the flame. Concentrate on nothing but the flame
of the candle. Concentrate on every aspect of it. See the height of
the flame, the direction the flame is leaning, the color of the flame
and the way the flame flickers and moves. Do not dwell on any one
aspect or try to ascertain the meaning. Just concentrate on
watching, letting your focus be consistently the flame. If your mind
wanders away from the focus, gently bring it back.
If your eyes get tired from this meditation and you feel you
need a slight break there is an optical illusion you might find
interesting. If you stare at light for any period of time when you
close your eyes you will still see the light for several minutes. If your
eyes need resting merely do this and you will still see the candle
light. When you stop seeing the candle light open your eyes and
start again.
FIRE VARIATION
For this exercise you are going to use a larger flame. Fire is
very intense and very interesting to watch. It is almost mesmerizing.
This is one of the reasons it makes such a good focal point for
meditation. Many people meditate watching a fire without even
realizing that is what they are doing.
For this exercise you are going to need to have a fireplace or be
able to make a fire outdoors. The point is to have a larger flame to
focus on. You are going to focus on the flames, not the wood. Do
not focus on the popping or hissing noises the fire makes. Ignore
those and concentrate solely on the flames. Notice the size of the
flames, the dancing and constant changing shapes of the flames.
You are going to do this meditation sitting up (mainly because
most fires are more easily looked down on rather than at eye level).
Find a comfortable place across from the fire where you are warm,
but not too hot. Pick out a certain flame and use it as your focal
point. You can take in all of the other flames, but use a large main
flame as your focal point.
Delineate color, size, and how the flame relates to the other
flames in the fire. Watch the flame grow large and then diminish.
Do not think about these things as they happen, just observe and
move on when the flame does.
FOCUS OBJECT MEDITATION
It should have become obvious by now that all meditations
done in this chapter will be done with the eyes open. For this
meditation you will need to get into your normal meditative position,
except keep your eyes open.
What we are going to do now is find an object in the room to
focus on. Make sure that it is an object you won't mind looking at
for awhile. Also make sure that the object is easy to see. You
shouldn't have to move your neck or look behind something to see
it. If you are laying down looking at the light fixture over your
head, or a picture directly across from you should do. If you have
none of these things in your meditation room then find a small
object that you can place in a position where you can view it
comfortably.
The next thing we are going to do is merely gaze at the object.
There is no need to stare, in other words you can blink. Just keep
looking at the object studying every element of it. Do not let your
eyes close, but keep them open.
PICTURE MEDITATION
This meditation uses your creative visualization along with your
visual acuity. You are going to think in this meditation, so it will
probably be easier for most of you. The purpose of this meditation
is not to clear your mind, but to direct your mind on a clear cut
course.
Find a picture somewhere in your house that you love. This
should be a picture of a landscape. It doesn't matter whether it is
the mountains, ocean, country, forest, lake...wherever you feel the
most comfortable and serene. If you do not own a picture of this
sort you can find one at any local discount store. They are
inexpensive and easy to obtain. You do not need a frame, so a
poster would do just as well. Matted/unmatted it makes no
difference. Just make sure that you find the scene serene, and a
place that you would like to be.
Take the picture into your meditation room and place it either
eye level or just above. It doesn't matter if it is across the room,
just as long as you can get a clear precise look at it without
straining your neck or eyes.
I want you to start by looking intently at the picture. Look at
every little nook and cranny, studying the landscape. Now, I want
you to project yourself into the picture. This is not scary or some
kind of hocus pocus, so don't worry. You are totally in control and
you are not physically going anywhere. You are just taking your
mind on a trip, kind of like you do when you are day dreaming, and I
am sure we have all day dreamed at one time or another.
Imagine yourself in the picture. Visually put yourself in. This
does not mean that you have see yourself. What it means is that
you are looking at the babbling brook from the aspect of standing
right in front of it watching and hearing it babble. You can see the
grass, feel the earth beneath your feet.... Get the picture... For all
intents and purposes you are putting yourself there.
It is usually best to be alone in the picture and not have other
people around in the picture to have conversations with. If you
want to imagine a sail boat on the horizon or anything else in the
picture, go for it. Walk around, if there are mountains perhaps you
want to climb them and look to see what's on the other side.
Whatever your picture and whatever situation you put yourself in,
remember, there are no other people and there is no danger. You
cannot be harmed in any way in this setting. You can't fall off a
mountain or drown in the ocean. You are light as a feather and
indestructable with absolutely not fear.
Stay as long as you like, but come out slowly, taking three
deep breaths and letting them out slowly.
CONCENTRATION EXERCISE
This is an exercise that will help you with visualization, which is
in a later chapter. The reason I am putting it in now is because it
entails using your vision.
For this exercise you will stare at an object. Pick whatever
object you want. Make sure that it is small enough for you to move,
so that you can see all angles of it. Try to look at as much as you
can at once for any one angle, to avoid having to turn it often.
Pick an object that will be easy to place eye level so that your
your neck won't get strained.
The purpose of this exercise is to improve your concentration
level and also it will teach you to truly see an object. Just as we go
through life not truly hearing what people are telling us, until we
stop and come out of ourselves to do so, the same is true for seeing.
You would be surprised at how much we truly miss by glancing at
something and then going on. This planet is so full of visual
stimulation that it is impossible to study everything at once. We
must pick and choose the things we really wish to see and let the
others go with our percursory glance (which we all seem to be a
natural study in).
For this exercise you will find your meditation position. Place
the object directly in front of you and simply stare at it. Truly look
at it, not through it, not around it, but directly at it. See every line,
every dent, every flaw, every different color or texture that there is
to see in the object. When you feel that you truly have seen the
object close your eyes. You should be able to picture the object
down to the minutest detail. If you cannot, open your eyes and
start again. Continue doing this until you have it down and are able
to do it quickly.
When you have accomplished this with the object, go to
another one. Do the same thing. Continue to change objects as
you succeed with each one. Make the objects more intricate and
detailed as you go along. In other words, if you start out with an
apple, choose something with more texture and lines for the next
object, such as an orange, then a pineapple...
It doesn't have to be fruits, it can be a perfume bottle, trinket,
bracelet, figurine, anything that you want to study. Larger is not
necessarily better, keep it small and easy to take in with the eyes.