Garms Holocron

Thats partly why im only active on the same 'family' of sites (TOTJO/TOTJF)

some people think this the wrong attitude - but thats up to them - those of us who know what your talking about will understand 100% ad i hope I speak for us all but for myself - I stand by you 110%

MTFBWY - A

something new, over the past few weeks, meditation has been different. In past practice I have been able to achieve a calm and passive state, what I am currently experiencing is more of a heightened awareness of my immeadiate surroundings, while the calm is there I seem to pick up on the smallest of sounds(?)movement(?) around me. I find it disturbing as it is not my norm and I'm not coming away with the same \"feeling\" as before. It's not a bad feeling, just different.

wow, that is interesting. I really don't know what to say about that except do you 'feel' a presence of some sort?

Are you the same person you were yesterday? Not if you dare to contact the Force, and meditation makes that possible. Unsettling, who isn`t when they`re dancing in the dark. I don`t think I need to tell you this but familiarity needs time and above all regularity. When I read your good news, since it is a message for us all that meditation works, the first image that came to mind was a pool of water being sucked up by a sponge as soon as they make contact. I saw you a being the water and the Force sharing and giving you room. The longer the contact the more we take on the form of that sponge... Anyway congratulations Brother and keep us posted.

I just seem to pick up on the small things around me. Anora, I don't feel as if there is anything else with me at the time, I'm not particularly attuned to that sort of thing (my wifes department)but i wouldn't rule out a third party (for lack of a better term ) being there.

The bothersome thing is that I don't get into as calm a state as before, while the little things around me are more pronounced they do present a distraction of sorts. I just may need time to adjust to this 'mode'. I'll concentrate on not concentrating on returning to the old method and just let it take its course and see what happens.

just a thought Master Garm - but if you remember from Watts Psychedelic piece - there he describes a person being aware of the little things not normally taken much notice of.

Perhaps your sort of going out of yourself in a different way - your less self focused and thus 'picking up on the little things'.

Not related to meditation as such but I hope you understand the comparison - I have 3 fish tanks in my bedroom - each of which has at least 2 filters p;us air driven supplies - essentially alot of background noise. Im so attuned to the noise of each piece of equipment that I now wake up at the slightest difference in sound (usually a reduction in flow). Now all my family etc say that theyd find it impossible to get to sleep in this noise whereas Im so used to it - I don't think id sleep without it.

This last few days - weve had a little invasion of mice - and for the first time I can remember - they've gotten into my section of the house and believe it or not - I was actually 'disturbed' by the sound of a mouse easting a few stray crumbs of fish food in the dead of night.

What im saying is that one becomes used to the 'normal' noises - ie the usual 'distractions' and the mind finds new ones.

Whether or not this is good or bad is open to debate (largely on the context I guess) but as Im saying to you - perhaps your tuning into a new level - perhaps trying to fight against this is a bad idea?

MTFBWY - A

I'm going to just let it be and become one with this, at least for awhile (like I'm really able to change it anyways :laugh:) like your background noise, I suspect that I will become accustomed to this new way in time.

For some reason, your dream about the stream and the rocks comes to mind. You were speaking about the force of water moving the rocks of our awareness crerating new expressions. It was a very enlightening, yet beautifully simple metaphor. Thank you for sharing.

As you said yourself in another post Master Garm - diversions are put in our paths for a reason that are not always clear at the time

If all else fails - Im sure there are prescription drugs for this

MTFBWY - A

i know it's been a while since the last post on this thread but i have a suggestion if you're still having difficulty with adjusting to the previously unnoticed sounds during meditation... find a good sized closet that is unused and meditate inside it with the lights off while wearing earplugs/muffs and blindfold...it sounds odd but works similarly to a sensory deprivation tank. by cutting off the physical senses you leave your mind with itself for company. this can allow you to take control of it. gradually remove the blindfold, then earplugs, then turn on the light and finally exit the chamber... by the end you'll be able to turn off your physical senses at will and this will allow you to meditate no matter whats going on around you.

on the opposite end you can overload your meditation space with ambient sounds and practice blocking them out one by one until they are all silent. both techniques work. which one is best depends on the individual. personally i use both depending upon the moment.

consider this thought i got from philosophy class: the river we step in today is not the same river we stepped in yesturday,nor will it be the same tomorrow.