×
Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by whitelisting our website.

Tag: meditation

  • Why so Serial?

    Why so Serial?

    It’s been getting a little deep around here, so here’s a little Troma perspective on Yoga.

    YouTube player
  • Dualities of Mind and Travel in Higher Dimensions

    Dualities of Mind and Travel in Higher Dimensions

    Greetings, my cosmic traveler friend! As we embark on a journey to explore the dualities of mind and travel in higher dimensions, let us dive into the mystical and mind-bending realms of Tao and I Ching.

    While Western psychology has been struggling with the apparent dualities inherent in conscious existence since Queen Victoria’s time, other cultures and societies have been creating more accurate models of the nature of these dualities for centuries. Here I present two of these models for your consideration, so buckle up, baby!

    1. The Tao and I Ching

    Trigrams of the IChing

    If we look at the base truths of our reality we can see from our perspective there appear to be three physical dimensions, while we experience another dimension as the passage of time. To science, this is where reality exists. At some momentary now point, despite the Universe expanding and all items within it in constant relative motion an “objective” reality exists. This presupposes an objective reality apart from mind or consciousness. However given the rapid advances of theoretical physics and the apparent facts of either string theory or M-Theory being true, we know quite concretely that we are missing dimensions that the whole would depend upon given its measurable features. Most likely our reality has either 10 or 11 dimensions and we are only aware of four of them if you believe the materialists. Now think about the directions and the cardinal points. On the plane we have four directions, depth gives us two more (up and down), and time gives us two more (past and future), despite not being able to travel from future to past in our current predicament. If we make the dualistic Yin-Yang center of our consciousness the relative center of the Universe, we arrive at the eight possible directions of travel seen in the above diagram. Each of the Trigrams represents a mode of direction proceeding outward from the center of the mind.

    The Yin Yang symbol is an apt one for our conscious exploration of the nature of mind as each side contains the seed of its opposite and it is depicted in motion. I would posit to you dear reader that this symbol represents the positive and negative currents of mind each stimulated by its opposite pole but different than the deeper duality of root consciousness and the mind itself. I would suggest that in order to realize this fact in action it is necessary to silence the thought track, whether that be verbal, like most people, or more like pure thought for others. Not everyone has an internal monologue, but it is easier to observe the roots of thought if you are able to silence the thought process that you have identified with in this lifetime. If you have an internal voice and silence it, you can observe the two other voices which create this experience of living through monologue. They are the twin devil and angel of your waking being, they are most noticeably not your voice. They are seeds of mental motion who, in their interference pattern of waveforms generate that stream of rambling that the unfortunate believe is their consciousness. In the sleep-walking world of this society, seemingly externalized and very dangerous to navigate, it is beneficial to surf this center wave of consciousness, whether it is breaking good or evil, because those are the rules of the game we are given.

    But wait, there’s more! What about the question that arises when you encounter this aspect of mind: if my inner voice is not me, and this devil and angel are not me, who, what, and where am I? We can say, that for now, you are that thing which is observing these facts of mind. In Yoga it is referred to as Purusha or Soul and for our purposes now we can also refer to it as witness consciousness. It is possible through meditation to show the conscious mind the appearance of Purusha which is then reflected back at itself to be witnessed, but itself is the thing which is doing the observing. What you have come to accept as mind is actually the motion in life-force, Chi, or Prana closest to the metaphysical consciousness of your individual Purusha. The ether is the mind, and all matter, including your body and brain are merely regularized and temporarily structured disturbances in this Universal sea of Life. The organs of sense, with their electrochemical signaling, merely translate and transmit manifest point-events to and from the Purusha.

    Now, what the I Ching theorizes is that moving up one level in awareness rather than giving us 10 directions of travel the map itself doubles to 64 different modes of movement.

    64 Hexagrams of the I Ching

    This may be great for divination and to show the combination of states of mind, but if we are to travel any further up the central axis of consciousness, the exponential explosion of states of mind quickly becomes overwhelming as the next level gives us 64 X 64 states at minimum. Better then to switch to a different map or model.

    2. The Tree of Life

    Occult version of the Tree of Life

    If we think of this model as approximating similar ideas of dimensionality as the I Ching, we can use it as a map for exploration of higher dimensions. The first four dimensions of the manifested Universe being represented by the four-fold division of Malkuth into the cardinal points, then every plane on the way upward can be seen as a new dimension. This adds the element of multi-dimensional directionality to our map, as well as a description of the modes of travel between these higher coordinate points. For example, the straight path upward along the beam of consciousness takes us to Yesod, the bottom-most point of which is the dreamworld and is visited by passing through the unconscious or awakening the Kundalini. It only adds a new directionality of up and down perpendicular to all the right angles of the four dimensions. The current illustration, though not all theorists agree on this point, shows two divergent paths on either side that we can use to get to the sixth dimension, the Hod-Netzach plane, through the conscious modes of madness on one side and death and rebirth on the other. By the time we reach this 6th dimension, we already have 22 directions of travel along 11 paths, but like traveling from the South Pole, if we are grounded in Malkuth, every direction is also North.

    This is where we get the feeling that Heaven is in the sky, or the idea that certain types of consciousness are “Higher”, the realm we are beginning from is the South Pole of Consciousness and if we want to stay in the World of awareness all other directions are “Up”. Various means of exploration are available to the traveler from the Shamanistic to the purely mathematical, but within the superstructure there has to be a witnessing consciousness. The wave function of probabilistic ether only collapses to a point-event upon observation. What we cannot take up the tree is the material body and physical mind of the brain. The current of life-force is such that all gross material manifestation is pushed to the four-dimensional world and a successive chain of vehicles for the Purusha is necessary to travel higher. Luckily for us thinking/dreaming creatures the next vehicle up is the astral body, or as you may be more familiar with it, the dream-body. This body takes less of our ego and persona with it, yet we are able to recognize it as ourself and rarely have an identity crisis upon waking from dream. You do not have to be asleep to access this body on its travels, you only have to be very relaxed. The probability of any event being observed in dream is much easier to influence than here in the manifested material spectrum, and once dreamed, easier to bring into this world. All the techniques used to visualize a point-event in a higher dimension and then observe the desired event in this realm constitutes Magick, and it is the reason persisting in a very rigorous meditation practice is necessary to produce reliable willed occult events on our plane. Increasing the difficulty of this endeavor Purusha is at the center of every living being, collapsing the wave function every moment and continuing the existence of this reality in every possible direction.

    Given the unpleasantness encountered regularly on our current shared plane, it only makes sense to stop incarnating as profane matter beings and pursue a more permanent place in a higher realm while keeping the option to manifest here at will. The surest path to such an existence in our waking hours is deep meditation and reconciling these dualities in a synergism of higher self. Whether that is a truer existence is up to the traveler, but given the doctrines of Maya as illusionary existence and the so-called Allegory of Plato’s Cave, it is worth an effort for us to master travel up the Tree or into the Tao as your preferred map guides you.

  • Music and Beej Mantras for Breathwork Sessions

    Music and Beej Mantras for Breathwork Sessions

    I plan on leading some Holotropic Breathwork sessions here locally and wanted to make sure I had music and imagery that I could legally use so here’s the latest video in our yogapunx series. Enjoy.

    YouTube player
  • Kundalini Activation Syndrome and How to Cope

    Kundalini Activation Syndrome and How to Cope

    As we’ve given a technique to trigger Kundalini in our discussion of the Tarot card The Hanged Man, this would be an excellent time to discuss what’s known as Kundalini Activation Syndrome as the easy trigger of withholding ejaculation means that many Westerners can invoke an experience for which they are totally unprepared. Many, who have had this energy aroused by trauma, danger, drugs, or spiritual techniques practiced without guidance and preparation ultimately find themselves institutionalized in mental facilities or jails. Others seek to dampen the energy through alcohol and sedative drugs, destroying the psyche and persona until a better way is found to express the energy. If these apply to you, or you’d like to pre-prepare, let’s explore what’s happening internally and what you can do to channel and harness the energy.

    The Kundalini awakening is a mysterious and powerful phenomenon that has captured the imagination of spiritual seekers for centuries. It is said to be the unlocking of the divine energy that resides at the base of the spine, and its ascent through the chakras can lead to a profound transformation of the mind, body, and soul.

    Those who have experienced Kundalini awakening describe it as a state of heightened awareness, where the senses become more acute and the mind is flooded with a sense of awe and wonder at the universe around us. It is as if a veil has been lifted, revealing the true nature of reality and our place within it.

    But the Kundalini awakening is not without its dangers. The sudden influx of energy can be overwhelming, causing physical and emotional discomfort, and leading to a sense of disorientation and confusion. The unprepared seeker may find themselves lost in a world of delusion, unable to distinguish reality from fantasy.

    Yet for those who are ready, the Kundalini awakening can be a life-changing experience, leading to a greater understanding of the self and a deeper connection to the divine. It is a journey of self-discovery, where the seeker must confront their deepest fears and desires in order to transcend them.

    In the end, the Kundalini awakening is not just a spiritual phenomenon, but a profound testament to the power of the human spirit. It is a reminder that we are all capable of greatness, and that the universe is full of mysteries waiting to be unravelled. So embrace the journey, and let the Kundalini awaken within you.

    What is Kundalini? According to authors Mini Sharma,1Mondeep Dhankar,1 and Deepak Kumar2

    “Kundalini,” meaning “coiled-up” in Sanskrit, is a type of Hindu Yoga practice. 3 It is also related to the practice of all kinds of Hindu tantra, Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Qigong (Chi Kung), and some Eastern martial arts. 3

    According to the yoga tradition, kundalini is like an energy, a serpent, or a goddess that lies dormant at the base of the spine of all human beings. 3 Sivananda says that the awakening of kundalini manifests itself through various physical and psychological signs and symptoms such as feeling the currents of prana (vital energy) rising to the Sahasrara chakra (thousand-petalled: the individual’s center of spirit, enlightenment, wisdom, universal consciousness, and connection to higher guidance), feeling vibrations of prana in different parts inside the body, feeling electric-like currents flow up and down the nerves, experiencing bliss, having divine visions, and getting inspiration and insight. When kundalini is at one chakra, intense heat is felt there, and when it leaves that center for the next chakra, the former chakra becomes very cold and appears lifeless. 3

    Many Mind/Body sciences have been developed to awaken this energy, which is seen by these traditions as a Universal good. However, in the unprepared, the accidental triggering of this process is often identified as psychosis or bipolar disorder. Given some of the symptoms, we will see why. According to the Sai Ayurvedic Institute symptoms of the awakening are:

    • Muscle twitches, cramps, or spasms
    • Energy rushes or immense electricity circulating the body
    • Itching, vibrating, prickling, tingling, stinging, or crawling sensations
    • Intense heat or cold
    • Involuntary bodily movements: jerking, tremors, shaking; feeling an inner force pushing one into postures or moving one’s body in unusual ways. (May be misdiagnosed as epilepsy, restless legs syndrome, or PLMD)
    • Alterations in eating and sleeping patterns
    • Episodes of extreme hyperactivity or, conversely, overwhelming fatigue
    • Intensified or diminished sexual desires
    • Headaches, pressures within the skull
    • Racing heartbeat, pains in the chest
    • Digestive system problems
    • Numbness or pain in the limbs (particularly the left foot and leg)
    • Pains and blockages anywhere; often in the back and neck
    • Emotional outbursts; rapid mood shifts; seemingly unprovoked or excessive episodes of grief, fear, rage, depression
    • Spontaneous vocalizations (including laughing and weeping) — are as unintentional and uncontrollable as hiccoughs
    • Hearing an inner sound or sounds, classically described as a flute, drum, waterfall, birds singing, bees buzzing but which may also sound like roaring, whooshing, or thunderous noises or like ringing in the ears
    • Mental confusion; difficulty concentrating
    • Altered states of consciousness: heightened awareness; spontaneous trance states; mystical experiences (if the individual’s prior belief system is too threatened by these, they can lead to bouts of psychosis or self-grandiosity)
    • Heat, strange activity, and/or blissful sensations in the head, particularly in the crown area
    • Ecstasy, bliss, and intervals of tremendous joy, love, peace, and compassion
    • Psychic experiences: extrasensory perception; out-of-body experiences; past life memories; astral travel; direct awareness of auras and chakras; contact with spirit guides through inner voices, dreams, or visions; healing powers
    • Increased creativity: new interests in self-expression and spiritual communication through music, art, poetry, etc.
    • Intensified understanding and sensitivity
    • Insight into one’s own essence
    • Enhanced awareness of one’s energetic environment (including “impressions” from others)
    • Enlightenment experiences
    • Sense of a more expansive reality, transcendent awareness
    The Wreckage of Awakening

    All of these psychophysical changes brought on rapidly and a source of clear distress can send the practitioner right to Doctors, counselors, priests, cult leaders, or whatever source of guidance they can locate to try and make sense of the experience. The real problem is, the unwary practitioner has not done the preparation of energy work or of the psyche and the energy, encountering a diseased body and mind recoils and attempts release at every energetic point. This is not a hopeless situation.

    The Sai Institute has some recommendations that might be helpful, such as ceasing energy work or eating vegetarian, but for me, these did not work, and eating a strict vegetarian diet especially sent me to the heights of mania and psychosis. First, the practitioner needs to ground. Don’t eat a more spiritual diet, eat the heaviest Tamasic diet possible. Meat, burgers, stew, chili. Weigh that energy body down with meat and fat. Put butter in everything. Eat potatoes. Heavy, think heavy, but lay off the alcohol and sedatives. Even though they provide relief from the strain, it is only a temporary reprieve, and you will still have to learn to contain the energy. Start building muscle, the increased testosterone this brings will help with courage. Keep meditating. You have no choice but to live as a cosmic cat and mystical adventurer now so establish that regular meditation practice and connect with the energy at a deep level, drawing it back down to its root. The entire reason these problems are happening is the overall energy of the body was not balanced and strong, so the Kundalini could not rise straight up the spinal channel. You will have to deal with all your blockages and issues until you can rise through the chakras.

    Physical blockages and knots in the energy body are known as granthis, and your average westerner never puts in the work of dealing with them. These are psychosomatic traumas and entry points for negative psychic energy. A physical routine of Hatha yoga, combined with the practice of Kundalini yoga will help energize and then release these blockages. Regular massage and physical therapy practices can help. If you want to take a sledgehammer to the problem the breathwork routine of Dr. Stan Grof known as Holotropic Breathwork combined with deep tissue massage can heal years of damage very quickly. Ultimately though there is no easy cure and it’s going to take time to prepare or reprepare the vessel for the successful channeling of this energy.

    The key practice is learning to feel, see, and utilize the cosmic energy known as Chi, Prana, or Life-Force. According to Yogic physiology the right and left channels Ida and Pingala have to be in balance for the Sushumna channel to open.

    By Alex-engraver – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12786255

    Balanced expression of the mind, body, and spirit are essential, so be calm and guide Shakti to her rightful place through all 7 chakras to the crown. This is the key to enlightenment and it is why the figure of the Serpent is so central to the world’s religions. If you are living this experience, so matter how stressful and disorienting it is now, it is a great gift to put one’s foot upon the path. Hopefully, you can survive and be successful in your journey. Best of luck to you Cosmic Adventurer.

  • Guided Meditation Om Mani Padme Hum

    Guided Meditation Om Mani Padme Hum

    YouTube player

    A friend needed a guided meditation video to help her focus and not fall asleep so I thought, why not make use of that neglected youtube handle and post a video. So here it is in all its AI enhanced glory. Enjoy.

  • Plato’s Cave

    Plato’s Cave

    Like many School of Life videos, the above is a great introduction to the story and background to what is known as the “Allegory” of Plato’s cave. I appreciate their effort, and love their work, but like most philosophy students steeped in western thinking they hear and see and mouth the words but pull back in fear, and make academic rationalizations about the exhortation to practice philosophy as the solution to our captivity. In the gentle, but not so socratic method outlined above, they settle on the teaching and practice of western philosophy as the intent of the story, and completely miss the point. The Neo-Platonic philosophers knew the answer and it is Find the Exits. Plato had been trying to convince people of the existence of a higher world and the particulars of the ideal forms that reside above. He knew he sounded like a lunatic, but luckily he was an interesting enough lunatic that people preserved his thoughts. The irony is that we remember his best effort at making this clear as an allegory, when it is a statement of absolute fact.

    You are looking at the shadows projected from the higher reality, all the real and better stuff is behind you and you have no idea how to turn around and look because your perceptions are chained forward looking away from the source. It is the tragedy of philosophy that Plato could not leave a training program for escaping the cave, but instead just hinted that maybe you are not perceiving enough. The story is a treasure of the ages, but go further. The Kabbalists actually went there and drew a map if you are interested in getting closer to the truth. The map has hints and pictures, but in order to follow it you have to have a spiritual practice, not discourse in the town square. Turn your perception above and behind you. Everything in front of your eyes exists in the 4 lowest dimensions and through a trick of refraction the higher 6 dimensions appear invisible. They are not. Sit, meditate, and search inside your head for the bit of sunshine peeking in. Follow it out to freedom.