Do we "think" in Meditation? [split from Manu's thread on Witchcraft]

I think it honestly depends on how you meditate. If I'm thinking about events throughout my day that brought negative emotion, so that I may clear it from my being, I typically think to myself. But if I am simply relaxing my body and attuning myself to the force in and around me, I typically think of nothing but the force.

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: We can also be in Gamma states where we are focused outwardly and in a super-conscious state which gives us an awareness of our actions. This is a sort of "moving meditation" in which we achieve a heightened cognizance of our surroundings and of our interactions. For example when we get angry we become aware of that anger and are able to both be angry and step outside ourselves to evaluate that anger and thus be able to make decisions cognitively that will allow us to be constructive (and not destructive) in the expression of our anger.

Is there a way to know what kind of "state" of brain we're in? Gamma, Delta, etc.

TheDude wrote: There are many forms of meditation. The experience of no-self, or lack of ego, or lack of perception, etc. can be had during meditation, and in many of those experiences I'd say that there is no thinking involved -- or mind, really.

Hm. Lack of perception? As in separating from the physical body? Losing the senses? Could you describe this a little more?

Connor L. wrote:

TheDude wrote: There are many forms of meditation. The experience of no-self, or lack of ego, or lack of perception, etc. can be had during meditation, and in many of those experiences I'd say that there is no thinking involved -- or mind, really.

Hm. Lack of perception? As in separating from the physical body? Losing the senses? Could you describe this a little more?

I wrote briefly about this, which was made into its own thread in the meditation forum. It is a bit hard to explain in-depth, and I've only tried to teach it to one other person (even that took a few months of regular practice).
I'm currently on my phone, but later I will expand on what I mean in that thread, and if you have any more questions about it after that feel free to message me about it.

Connor L. wrote:

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: We can also be in Gamma states where we are focused outwardly and in a super-conscious state which gives us an awareness of our actions. This is a sort of "moving meditation" in which we achieve a heightened cognizance of our surroundings and of our interactions. For example when we get angry we become aware of that anger and are able to both be angry and step outside ourselves to evaluate that anger and thus be able to make decisions cognitively that will allow us to be constructive (and not destructive) in the expression of our anger.

Is there a way to know what kind of "state" of brain we're in? Gamma, Delta, etc.

Biofeedback of some kind?

Sure, but I wonder if anybody has made up a chart of that. "If you feel like ____, then you might be in Delta state"

Like this?

Hmmm. Interesting. I need to do some more research on this. I'll be back... later. lol.

Connor L. wrote:

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: We can also be in Gamma states where we are focused outwardly and in a super-conscious state which gives us an awareness of our actions. This is a sort of "moving meditation" in which we achieve a heightened cognizance of our surroundings and of our interactions. For example when we get angry we become aware of that anger and are able to both be angry and step outside ourselves to evaluate that anger and thus be able to make decisions cognitively that will allow us to be constructive (and not destructive) in the expression of our anger.

Is there a way to know what kind of "state" of brain we're in? Gamma, Delta, etc.

Absolutely there is. It's about our personal awareness in conjunction with our will. This is the beginnings of Magick.

Attempting to relate to awareness at some more discrete level for me is achieved by understanding awareness in groups associated to their temporal centre of gravity in ones focus, whether its more on the past, present or future, to offer some nature as to how they might flow through different parts of the nervous system and therefore improve efficiencies in them functioning, some useful associations I use at the base level are. and note the various terms only bring some small measure of utility to bridge thoughts, feelings, and ideas;

Past - Orbit - Contemplation - Ziran - Purify - Predominantly conceptual thinking
Now - Spin - Calm Abiding Meditation - Samatha/ShikantazaZuowang - Access - Predominantly feeling and/or no thinking except awareness
Future - Charge - Visualization - WuWei - Strengthen - Predominantly visual-spatial thinking

Noting all efforts are to improve access to the now, but also practises in the other areas need to improve function in the other areas as well so the whole thing can continue to make progress as progress is made. I have the nervous system mediating the spiritual, and the body mediating the nervous system, and so along those same lines the body is very important as well, yes that means health and behaviour, as well as those thoughts and meditative efforts.

Now what is missing of course in those approaches in imagination
This then tends to remain as the familiar manifested nature of a more base awareness, and seen in more complex behaviour as being curious. Hence why dreams are so imaginative, because they are a peeled back more raw flow of awareness.

So while I think we think as a function of awareness or indeed even being alive, the extent of thinking really can benefit from being defined into types and quantities of thinking, which at the lowest level for me is that orbit, spin and charge concept, alluding to some concept of flow in some base, most pure, nature of awareness. From that simple construct then other patterns can further serve to orient around the progression of awareness in complexity to derive efficiencies and ideally capabilities not otherwise easily accessed.