Experience pulsing or strobing in and out - Discussion
Hi I've just had this mind-blowing experience whilst meditating and I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on what just happened.
Just recently I've had the opportunity to meditate pretty intensively (over the last couple of weeks). I've experienced vibrations etc, but on this occasion (about half hour ago), the pulsing or vibrating wasn't just localized in bodily sensation, my entire 'experience' (for want of a better word) began to strobe and it got extremely intense, like I was entering something (or nothing?) or entering into 'it'. And then then was a really intense 'rush' of what I can only describe as blissful ecstasy. I'm still reeling now from the experience.
I'll back up a little and explain details of this particular 'sit'. I first decided to separate and note experience in the Shinzen Young fashion of 'touch'; 'feeling'; 'talk'; 'sound'; 'sight'; 'image'. Then switched to noting vanishings. After a while of noting vanishings, and feeling I was getting in the 'drop-off' 'zone' I switched to choice-less awareness where I drop any intention to direct or control awareness/my experience, and I became aware of the 'figure-ground reversal' (to use Shinzen's terminology) starting to taking place, my body dropped-off entirely and it was some time after that that the short period (I don't know exactly how long it was but it was for a short, brief time) of 'strobing'/pulsing started to manifest. I've come across a very subtle/background (compared to this time) version of this before, but this time it totally engulfed me and 'spat me out'. It has a very 'heady' experience. I just let it happen to me, totally open and un-controlling/un-grasping.
Can any one shed some light on this? Was it the arsing and passing away? I'm guessing it was the actual arising and passing away event (last week I was experiencing vibrations and blissful raptures), having re-read the chapter on it in MtCTotB, specifically: "In these moments, most, but not all, of the meditator's sensate universe strobes in and out of reality, arises and passes."
Thanks in advance, Matt.
PS If this was the A & P event, does this mean it's dark night territory next?
Just recently I've had the opportunity to meditate pretty intensively (over the last couple of weeks). I've experienced vibrations etc, but on this occasion (about half hour ago), the pulsing or vibrating wasn't just localized in bodily sensation, my entire 'experience' (for want of a better word) began to strobe and it got extremely intense, like I was entering something (or nothing?) or entering into 'it'. And then then was a really intense 'rush' of what I can only describe as blissful ecstasy. I'm still reeling now from the experience.
I'll back up a little and explain details of this particular 'sit'. I first decided to separate and note experience in the Shinzen Young fashion of 'touch'; 'feeling'; 'talk'; 'sound'; 'sight'; 'image'. Then switched to noting vanishings. After a while of noting vanishings, and feeling I was getting in the 'drop-off' 'zone' I switched to choice-less awareness where I drop any intention to direct or control awareness/my experience, and I became aware of the 'figure-ground reversal' (to use Shinzen's terminology) starting to taking place, my body dropped-off entirely and it was some time after that that the short period (I don't know exactly how long it was but it was for a short, brief time) of 'strobing'/pulsing started to manifest. I've come across a very subtle/background (compared to this time) version of this before, but this time it totally engulfed me and 'spat me out'. It has a very 'heady' experience. I just let it happen to me, totally open and un-controlling/un-grasping.
Can any one shed some light on this? Was it the arsing and passing away? I'm guessing it was the actual arising and passing away event (last week I was experiencing vibrations and blissful raptures), having re-read the chapter on it in MtCTotB, specifically: "In these moments, most, but not all, of the meditator's sensate universe strobes in and out of reality, arises and passes."
Thanks in advance, Matt.
PS If this was the A & P event, does this mean it's dark night territory next?
Matthew Jones:
Hi I've just had this mind-blowing experience whilst meditating and I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on what just happened.
Just recently I've had the opportunity to meditate pretty intensively (over the last couple of weeks). I've experienced vibrations etc, but on this occasion (about half hour ago), the pulsing or vibrating wasn't just localized in bodily sensation, my entire 'experience' (for want of a better word) began to strobe and it got extremely intense, like I was entering something (or nothing?) or entering into 'it'. And then then was a really intense 'rush' of what I can only describe as blissful ecstasy. I'm still reeling now from the experience.
I'll back up a little and explain details of this particular 'sit'. I first decided to separate and note experience in the Shinzen Young fashion of 'touch'; 'feeling'; 'talk'; 'sound'; 'sight'; 'image'. Then switched to noting vanishings. After a while of noting vanishings, and feeling I was getting in the 'drop-off' 'zone' I switched to choice-less awareness where I drop any intention to direct or control awareness/my experience, and I became aware of the 'figure-ground reversal' (to use Shinzen's terminology) starting to taking place, my body dropped-off entirely and it was some time after that that the short period (I don't know exactly how long it was but it was for a short, brief time) of 'strobing'/pulsing started to manifest. I've come across a very subtle/background (compared to this time) version of this before, but this time it totally engulfed me and 'spat me out'. It has a very 'heady' experience. I just let it happen to me, totally open and un-controlling/un-grasping.
Can any one shed some light on this? Was it the arsing and passing away? I'm guessing it was the actual arising and passing away event (last week I was experiencing vibrations and blissful raptures), having re-read the chapter on it in MtCTotB, specifically: "In these moments, most, but not all, of the meditator's sensate universe strobes in and out of reality, arises and passes."
Thanks in advance, Matt.
PS If this was the A & P event, does this mean it's dark night territory next?
Just recently I've had the opportunity to meditate pretty intensively (over the last couple of weeks). I've experienced vibrations etc, but on this occasion (about half hour ago), the pulsing or vibrating wasn't just localized in bodily sensation, my entire 'experience' (for want of a better word) began to strobe and it got extremely intense, like I was entering something (or nothing?) or entering into 'it'. And then then was a really intense 'rush' of what I can only describe as blissful ecstasy. I'm still reeling now from the experience.
I'll back up a little and explain details of this particular 'sit'. I first decided to separate and note experience in the Shinzen Young fashion of 'touch'; 'feeling'; 'talk'; 'sound'; 'sight'; 'image'. Then switched to noting vanishings. After a while of noting vanishings, and feeling I was getting in the 'drop-off' 'zone' I switched to choice-less awareness where I drop any intention to direct or control awareness/my experience, and I became aware of the 'figure-ground reversal' (to use Shinzen's terminology) starting to taking place, my body dropped-off entirely and it was some time after that that the short period (I don't know exactly how long it was but it was for a short, brief time) of 'strobing'/pulsing started to manifest. I've come across a very subtle/background (compared to this time) version of this before, but this time it totally engulfed me and 'spat me out'. It has a very 'heady' experience. I just let it happen to me, totally open and un-controlling/un-grasping.
Can any one shed some light on this? Was it the arsing and passing away? I'm guessing it was the actual arising and passing away event (last week I was experiencing vibrations and blissful raptures), having re-read the chapter on it in MtCTotB, specifically: "In these moments, most, but not all, of the meditator's sensate universe strobes in and out of reality, arises and passes."
Thanks in advance, Matt.
PS If this was the A & P event, does this mean it's dark night territory next?
read this An Idiots Guide to Dharma Diagnosis
I really like your Shinzen practice, looks like it is working for you.
Additional information would make the diagnosis easier. Like where were you at before? have you ever crossed the A&P before? How long have you been seriously meditating? When it "engulfed me and 'spat me out'" did you loose consciousness momentarily? what happened right after the "spat me out"? what happened after that? any changes?
Based off of the information provided I would agree with your guess of A&P. Keep with it and see if the noticing vanishings gets more pronounced. See if fear arises around this investigation. If so, welcome to the DN region. Don't make the DN into a boogeyman, it is what it is and you may sail thru it very easy. You have some momentum so use it to keep on keeping on.
If you got first path then you are in review and this experience will repeat itself most of the time and you can see it more clearly the more times it happens. Again, keep on keeping on.
Good luck,
~D