Everything around us vibrates, and our experiences—like thoughts and feelings—are made up of different vibrations. Understanding this can help us better describe our mental states.
Waves and circles are key concepts in understanding how vibrations work. These shapes help us visualize and relate to how things move and behave in cycles.
We can create different sounds and movements by combining waves. Each wave has its own properties, like size and speed, and by mixing them, we can create complex patterns like music.
Taking a break from information, like phones and books, can really clear your mind. After a few days, many thoughts are about the practice itself, which helps you focus more.
Meditation can lead to strange experiences, like hallucinations or feelings of disappearing. These moments offer new insights but can also feel intense and overwhelming.
Building trust with meditation teachers is important. Having friends who support your practice can make you feel safer and more open to deep meditation.
Experimenting with different meditation techniques can help if you're feeling stuck. Trying new methods like kasina or mirror gazing can bring fresh perspectives and experiences.
Pain can be a powerful focus during meditation. Instead of avoiding discomfort, you can lean into it to gain better awareness and understanding of your sensations.
Using substances like cannabis or psychedelics may enhance meditation experiences, but it's important to be cautious and not become overly dependent on them.
Psychology is getting more advanced by creating new ways to study the mind. This includes looking at both everyday mental experiences and the basic building blocks of consciousness.
Microphenomenology focuses on tiny details of experience, like how we feel pain or perceive sensations. It helps us understand consciousness in a very precise way.
Macrophenomenology explores larger states of consciousness, often influenced by extreme experiences, like those caused by psychedelics or intense emotions. It looks at how these experiences shape our overall mental landscape.
Experiencing ego death can involve shifts in perception and a dissolution of the sense of self.
During ego death, one may experience proprioceptive distortions, spatial distortions, and immersion in sensations, leading to a sense of losing track of reality.
De-reification plays a role in ego death, where concepts become fuzzy, reality is questioned, and a sense of self dissolves into the surroundings.