Foo:
I've always wondered how monks do this. How can you maintain mindfulness and an alert mind while in this state? Especially when these brainwaves create strong dullness.
Does anyone have more resources on this specific topic? I've been practising a lot of different types of meditation, specifically accessing and reprogramming your subconscious mind (Jose Silva, Joe Dispenza type stuff). But I've noticed I'm not able to remain alert beyond alpha, which has stunted my progress.
I figured training mindfulness specifically could help with this (which is what I'm doing), so I'm able to remain alert even as my brainwaves descend. But if anyone has any other resources or tips in regards to this, I'd be keen to see them.
Visualization produces theta waves.
The hypnogogic state also produces theta waves.
I do these relaxation exercises: (
http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2020/08/preparing-for-meditation-with.html ), which include visualizations, to prepare for meditation, but I don't go all the way into the hypnogogic state, by keeping the mind busy with the relaxation exercises you can stay mindful.
Actually at a certain stage I let the mind wander until I feel myself make a transition and then I go back to being mindful. After the transition there is an afterglow, the jhanas are accessible, and I don't feel any unpleasant emotions. Sometimes if I am experiencing a lot of emotional turmoil or stress I go into this state just to get a break from it all. Otherwise, in normal situations I can keep the state going after I finish the exercises if I stay mindful.
The transition can occur while you are being mindful, but very often it would happen just as my mind wandered for a moment, so I made "letting the mind wander" part of the technique at a certain stage.