Third eye pressures

Third eye pressures Jean B. 1/17/14 3:32 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Banned For waht? 1/17/14 5:21 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 1/17/14 4:36 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Banned For waht? 1/18/14 6:44 AM
RE: Third eye pressures John Mckinstry 1/23/14 10:56 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Elysian Fields 11/2/14 6:04 PM
Tips and Muscle Balancing Technique Avi Craimer 1/19/14 9:43 PM
RE: Tips and Muscle Balancing Technique Jean B. 1/19/14 12:16 AM
RE: Tips and Muscle Balancing Technique Avi Craimer 1/19/14 9:51 PM
RE: Third Eye Pressure Jean B. 1/28/14 4:52 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Eric G 1/28/14 9:11 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Not Tao 11/10/14 5:23 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Gregory R. H. 2/16/14 7:35 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 2/16/14 5:50 PM
Investigate jhana's and formless spaces Avi Craimer 3/9/14 10:00 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Pjotr Hill 11/3/14 1:39 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Simon T. 11/3/14 10:18 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/3/14 9:25 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Simon T. 11/4/14 1:31 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/4/14 5:41 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Simon T. 11/5/14 8:33 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/5/14 4:34 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Simon T. 11/6/14 11:01 AM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/6/14 6:09 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Simon T. 11/6/14 10:50 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/9/14 7:14 PM
RE: Third eye pressures SeTyR ZeN 11/9/14 9:47 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Simon T. 11/10/14 3:08 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/10/14 4:43 PM
RE: Third eye pressures Jean B. 11/25/14 9:05 PM
RE: Third eye pressures shastra yana 11/10/14 4:02 PM
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Jean B, modified 10 Years ago at 1/17/14 3:32 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/17/14 3:22 AM

Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
I took the initiation for Kriya Yoga on June of 2011 followed by a 4 days retreat, at the end of which I've been accompanied with a rather strong pressure in the forehead that has never gone off since then.

Pressures in the forehead then became very strong and uncomfortable. At times it was like a extremly concentrated point was pulsating in my forehead. I have recognized various patterns of energy moving : sometimes on left side, sometimes on right side, sometimes pulsating on both sides alternatively.

Also, at the end of 2012, I experimented for a few months very strong dizziness, with the sensation of flush of dizzy energy in my head. I had them everytime I would sit or stand up or bend, especially in the evening with the fatigue of the day.

Sometimes I do not feel it for days, or just slightly and not enough for it to bother me. But sometimes it's just too strong to be ignored and it's exhausting.

When pressures hit hard, I became irritated, angry and emotionally unbalanced. It's like it is sucking my energy and don't have any more patience for everything else.
When I don't feel it or I can ignore it, I feel ok, energized and much more balanced. I feel happy, like nothing can touch me and life feels great.

Doing Anapanasati, at first it's strong due to concentration at the tip of the nose (I guess because it's near third eye), but eventually rapture and bliss spaces it out and it becomes sweeter and lighter.

But those pressures days bring with them irritation, anger and strong burst of emotions.

Is that normal? Can I expect it to go? Can it be related to some sort of cycle I'm going through?
I can't help but fear it will last for the rest of my life.
Banned For waht?, modified 10 Years ago at 1/17/14 5:21 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/17/14 5:21 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 500 Join Date: 7/14/13 Recent Posts
Its normal. Its an indicator of a block, energy have no-where to go. Your option is to waste this energy or open up a chakra that you could have more space for energy, but also this will get full over time, so you need to work again with the block till next chakra or space opens.
When chakra opens you feel literally more powerful too, its an event you won't miss. Its worth the effort.
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Jean B, modified 10 Years ago at 1/17/14 4:36 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/17/14 4:36 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
That was my first guess indeed.

Will concentration and insight practices alone, allow it to open and/or dissolve? Does it need specific energy practices?

I don't do energetic practice, and it would be hard for me to add one to my daily practice --- which are sometimes hard enough to maintain!
Banned For waht?, modified 10 Years ago at 1/18/14 6:44 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/18/14 6:44 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 500 Join Date: 7/14/13 Recent Posts
Concentration is a tool for helping to discover the static force. If you find it you can't concentrate anymore. Your practice will come different.
Energy consists of two forces, dynamic and static. At first we are lost in dynamic forces, we need to recognize the static and mix them together. Its all done in awareness. Its metaphysics or inneralchemy.
Insight is wisdom or knowledge about nature or energy.
I think with concentration only we won't dissolve the blocks in- or open new channels/chakras.

In these times when everything evolves fast(technology) we are able to evolve fast too, i wouldn't miss it. Its in the suttas too written that these times(dharma ending time) is the best time to evolve but rare to see a person who understands dharma.
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Avi Craimer, modified 10 Years ago at 1/19/14 9:43 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/18/14 10:59 PM

Tips and Muscle Balancing Technique

Posts: 114 Join Date: 10/29/13 Recent Posts
I've had similar experiences. Here are practices that worked for me.

First, if you are doing concentration practices, practice zooming out and in between wide and narrow focus. I think that the pressure at chakra points can be caused by an involuntary single-pointedness that remains after the meditation period is ended. I found that using kasina meditation was a great way to learn to zoom in and out my focus. First see the kasina close up then far away. Keep investigating until you find the mental knobs to move your focal point to different spatial depths and different widths. Another option is to do concentration meditation on the soles of your feet, this tends to draw energy away from the head. The danger of doing this with a lower spinal chakra point is that it can start to open the chakra and release even more energy up through the spine into the head. The feet seem to be pretty safe thought. You can also do standing meditation and focus on a point about 6 inches below the feet in the centre (earth chakra).

I also recommend the lessons on self-pacing at this yoga site. AYPsite.com is sort of the yoga-tradition equivalent of the Dharma Overground in my opinion.

If you want to take a more direct approach to solving the problem, here’s what I’ve discovered works after many years of trial and error. This approach balances the distribution of nervous system energy between opposing muscle groups. To do this, start by noticing the tension in your forehead and while maintaining focus there, bring your attention to the muscles in the back the base of your skull, as well as you temples. These tissues form a sort of headband around your head. Try to relax your muscles in your forehead and notice how this transfers the tension to the sides or the back. Now, see if you can get good at transferring the tension back and forth from front to back (being aware of the sides as well). Don't try to get rid of the tension, just move it around. Finally, when you are quite familiar with how to move the tension back and forth from front to back do the following. Clench your brow in the familiar tension pattern. Form the mental intention to keep firing off those muscles maximally. Then, while maintaining this intention SIMULTANEOUSLY fire off a very strong intention to relax the muscles and transfer the tension to the back. In other words you mentally trigger two equal and opposite movements at the same time. Keep this up, don't just fire it for a second and stop, keep a constant intention for both movements for as long as you can remain focused. Although this involves effort try to remain calm at the same time so you don’t add extra stress to the system. Keep your breath slow and deep. This will take some practice to get down. When you've got it, the contradictory signals to your nervous system will sort of short circuit the whole tension pattern and your entire head might shake a little and feel out of control. You might experience fear, as the you experience and unfamiliar body configuration. Do the practice with somebody else present if you are nervous to try it on your own. After you get a shift that feels like a complete or partial cancelling out of the tension pattern, stop and move your head normally through its full range of motion with your eyes open. Do this several times to help your brain build correlations with the new movements.

Anyway, in my experience this is the most powerful technique for diffusing energetic tensions. Don't over do it though or push too far past your comfort zone. Just work on releasing a little tension every day. It's also normal for the muscles to be a bit sore for a few days after a major release as they adapt to unfamiliar movements enabled by greater mobility.

Good Luck.

Avi Craimer
Meditation Teaching
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Jean B, modified 10 Years ago at 1/19/14 12:16 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/19/14 12:16 AM

RE: Tips and Muscle Balancing Technique

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Thank you for the tips.

Actually I've discovered AYPsite in early 2011's, and been doing AYP deep meditation during all 2013 20 min twice a day as recommended. It helped me with dissolving pressures in the head, they were far stronger before (the worst begin second half of 2012).

I'll give a try to your technique. I know I can move the tension back and forth with concentration, so hopefully I can do what follows.

Cheers!
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Avi Craimer, modified 10 Years ago at 1/19/14 9:51 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/19/14 9:49 PM

RE: Tips and Muscle Balancing Technique

Posts: 114 Join Date: 10/29/13 Recent Posts
Great, I look forward to hearing how it works for you. A point of clarification.

There are actually two ways to think about the equal and opposite movements. First is to contract and expand a single muscle group at the same time. The second is to expand two (or more) oppositional muscle groups simultaneously. So for example you could contract your forehead and then, without releasing the contraction, fire the signal to release it and move it the tension back (method 1) OR you can try to release the forehead and move the tension back while simultaneously releasing the back of the skull and moving the tension forward (method 2). I think these two methods amount to the same thing in terms of the effect they have, but sometimes it's easier to do it one way or another. Let me know which you find works better.
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John Mckinstry, modified 10 Years ago at 1/23/14 10:56 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/23/14 10:56 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 16 Join Date: 12/12/13 Recent Posts
Thank you all for this post! It was exactly what I was looking for! Such a strange site (something I'm not used to) we can talk about this and others know (somewhat) what is going on. I am surrounded by such intelligent people!!!
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Jean B, modified 10 Years ago at 1/28/14 4:52 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/28/14 4:52 AM

RE: Third Eye Pressure

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Some news about how I deal with third eye pressures.

Avi Craimer : I've not tried you technique as much as it deserves, because I found that some adjustments to my practice and lifestyle to be quite successful in dealing with the issue.

A lighter diet with less meat and less coffee seems fine to avoid heaviness which can lead to head pressures.

I tried concentration on rise and falling of the belly instead of tip of the nose, and this as well seems better suited to me; with attention placed to a lower zone in the body, I don't have pressures in the head during and after practice.

Also, mindfulness of body and recognizing physical / mental sensations as "not me" seems to allow me to live less in my head, which I think could help to lower pressures.

I need to check all of this on the long run, but it seems promising.
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Eric G, modified 10 Years ago at 1/28/14 9:11 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 1/28/14 9:11 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 133 Join Date: 5/6/10 Recent Posts
It is pretty normal. For me it was happening for a couple of years fairly strongly.

I tend to model this a bit differently, as increased activation of the prefrontal lobes (and concomitant blood flow). Within neuroscience this is a known outcome for advanced meditators. Some people get a bit of a headband effect as well.

Lots of remodeling taking place.
Gregory R H, modified 10 Years ago at 2/16/14 7:35 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/16/14 7:35 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 8 Join Date: 1/8/14 Recent Posts
Jean B.:
I took the initiation for Kriya Yoga on June of 2011 followed by a 4 days retreat, at the end of which I've been accompanied with a rather strong pressure in the forehead that has never gone off since then.

Pressures in the forehead then became very strong and uncomfortable. At times it was like a extremly concentrated point was pulsating in my forehead. I have recognized various patterns of energy moving : sometimes on left side, sometimes on right side, sometimes pulsating on both sides alternatively.

Also, at the end of 2012, I experimented for a few months very strong dizziness, with the sensation of flush of dizzy energy in my head. I had them everytime I would sit or stand up or bend, especially in the evening with the fatigue of the day.

Sometimes I do not feel it for days, or just slightly and not enough for it to bother me. But sometimes it's just too strong to be ignored and it's exhausting.

When pressures hit hard, I became irritated, angry and emotionally unbalanced. It's like it is sucking my energy and don't have any more patience for everything else.
When I don't feel it or I can ignore it, I feel ok, energized and much more balanced. I feel happy, like nothing can touch me and life feels great.

Doing Anapanasati, at first it's strong due to concentration at the tip of the nose (I guess because it's near third eye), but eventually rapture and bliss spaces it out and it becomes sweeter and lighter.

But those pressures days bring with them irritation, anger and strong burst of emotions.

Is that normal? Can I expect it to go? Can it be related to some sort of cycle I'm going through?
I can't help but fear it will last for the rest of my life.


Good day Jean. Could i ask you how you managed your third eye pressures. I have been having a hard time with it for a while now. I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Greg
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Jean B, modified 10 Years ago at 2/16/14 5:50 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 2/16/14 5:50 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Gregory R. H.:
Good day Jean. Could i ask you how you managed your third eye pressures. I have been having a hard time with it for a while now. I would appreciate it.


There are several things you can do in order to deal with third eye pressures. What has been a tremendous help is to identify what increase or decrease the intensity of those pressures.

In my case, I noticed that some things actually make them worse: not enough sleep, heavy diet, too much coffee, and sometimes cannabis and codeine used several days in a row get it worse as well.

Self-paced practice has been very helping too. Concentration practice (I was doing deep meditation as taught on AYPsite.org before, now I'm in anapanasati) helps me to keep the pressures diluted, so they do not gather in a single spot. You might be aware of doing it without tensing or forcing, finding the right balance was another great help to me, both to decrease pressures in general and to handle them during the day.

Vipassana practice (noting in my case) seems to help as well, but I cannot be sure about this one because I've begun to practice Vipassana only recently. To me it's helping by allowing me to dissociate from pressures, by noting and finely observing them it I can see they are impermanent and not mine. After some time of practice, I would say it helps too.

I can't stress enough the time factor. Whatever I've tried, it took me some time (therefore patience) to be effective.

Hope you'll find anything valuable and worth trying to get some relief.
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Avi Craimer, modified 10 Years ago at 3/9/14 10:00 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/9/14 10:00 PM

Investigate jhana's and formless spaces

Posts: 114 Join Date: 10/29/13 Recent Posts
Hey, I've just been doing a bunch of insight meditation on the jhanas and formless realms. One unforeseen beneficial side effect of this has been a great reductions in the pressures at various natural focus spots like the brow and back of the neck. My theory is that as soon as meditators start developing the ability to really concentrate, the brain starts to get addicted to the pleasurable jhanic effects, and so it automatically tries to maintain these effects to the extent that it can even in the midst of daily life. However, after following Daniel's instructions about investigating the jhanas, this tendency is much diminished. I cycled through fruition many times with each jhana at each focus spot where I've been having problems. It was pretty intense, a lot of second door entries, which are never that fun, but I guess that's the only way out of strong attachments. Obviously, there are also broader benefits to doing this sort of investigation from an enlightenment point of view, but the most immediate tangible benefit is less pressure in focus spots.

I recommend starting with 1st jhana to investigate effort. Then go to 2nd jhana to investigate piti, then 3rd for sukka, and 4th for equanimity. The formless realms are each their own beast.
Elysian Fields, modified 9 Years ago at 11/2/14 6:04 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/2/14 6:04 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Post: 1 Join Date: 11/2/14 Recent Posts
Good to see a lot of us doing this. Hope we multiple emoticon its been 5 yrs doing this daily. my body has been feeling like im inside a magnet growing stronger with the kundalini flexing i have been doing. Amazing supernatural outcome so far. Seen thing only seen in sci-fi movies, i bet most of you know what i mean. seeing 360 and through walls etc?
Pjotr Hill, modified 9 Years ago at 11/3/14 1:39 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/3/14 1:39 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 28 Join Date: 7/7/14 Recent Posts
Interesting topic, good to read this is normal emoticon

I sometimes experience third eye pressures as well. Tingling and pulling, especially during longer retreats and also during daily life sometimes. The sensation for me get stronger when i have to make decisions or experience emotions. Sometimes the sensation haven been so strong I felt unbalanced because of it. Sometimes i also find the sensation very pleasurable. At the moment I still sometimes experience it but it feels much more balanced.

What helped for me was:
- Treating it like any other ordinary sensation, just observing it and accepting it. And not giving it more meaning than it has, it is just a bodily sensation.
- When i experience it strongly it often helpes to give attention to my whole body, and all other sensations. That makes me feel more grounded again.

Good luck!
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Simon T, modified 9 Years ago at 11/3/14 10:18 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/3/14 10:18 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
To learn how to move "energy" (read: tension) in the body can be useful. This add a bit more details to what has already been said by others. You can learn to move various tension your body until they get released at various points. Tension in the back can be moved down, along the hip or back and side of your legs, to the side of your feet, to the top of your feet, some release can happens there. If not, you move the tension at the front of your leg, to your knee cap (some tension can release there) and then to your quadriceps. You can learn to maintain that cycle through the day. If it’s happens during the 3C, finding painful nerve spots and massaging them until the tension is gone (sometimes you will feel the connection with another spot in your body, where the tension will be released) can help. The shoulder and upper-back are common spot for this.
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/3/14 9:25 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/3/14 9:25 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Until now, the only way I've found really helpful to release tensions is to watch them closely vipassana-style, with the help of a mantra to deepen the focus. When I can feel --become-- the vibrations, then they dissolve and are released.

But they come back eventually in the following hours.

For me, good sleep helps a lot too. A few bad nights and tensions are back.
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Simon T, modified 9 Years ago at 11/4/14 1:31 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/4/14 1:31 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
Do they get actually released with small spasms or you simply feel more relaxed after the practice?
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/4/14 5:41 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/4/14 5:40 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
When vibrations get very close to sync / dissolve, indeed there are small spasms followed by the feeling of release and greater relaxation. These spams feel very internal, almost not physical, and sometimes come with sparks of internal light.
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Simon T, modified 9 Years ago at 11/5/14 8:33 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/5/14 8:33 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
Jean B.:
When vibrations get very close to sync / dissolve, indeed there are small spasms followed by the feeling of release and greater relaxation. These spams feel very internal, almost not physical, and sometimes come with sparks of internal light.

Evaluate your balance between concentration and insight. For me sometimes, doing purely insight practice, getting myself in a comfortable position and doing fast noting only of all body sensations works better at releasing tension.
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/5/14 4:34 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/5/14 4:34 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Simon T.:
Jean B.:
When vibrations get very close to sync / dissolve, indeed there are small spasms followed by the feeling of release and greater relaxation. These spams feel very internal, almost not physical, and sometimes come with sparks of internal light.

Evaluate your balance between concentration and insight. For me sometimes, doing purely insight practice, getting myself in a comfortable position and doing fast noting only of all body sensations works better at releasing tension.

Just tried that this morning, fast noting mixed with bare awareness, and the feeling was very nice and spacey. It felt like I was entering some kind of flow, with no very much effort to do to be with everything that occur.

It felt less intense than concentration practice though, or maybe it was but in a different way. Not sure about that. Dancing lights on the black internal screen and light bliss. Not very showy.

Concentration leads to tension in the head, but although it permits much deeper and subtler investigation. As you say, I'm gonna experiment with some balance between both of them.

Thanks for the tip.
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Simon T, modified 9 Years ago at 11/6/14 11:01 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/6/14 11:01 AM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
Rule of thumbs, Light, bliss and flow are signs of the A&P. If that’s where you are and you commit yourself to cross the A&P (which many of us have to do again and again), dealing with the corruption of insights is essential.

http://www.vipassanadhura.com/sixteen.html

We can deal with light and bliss and so forth with some sort of “not that” training. When they arise, some sort of story-telling comes with them and we lose the plot. Someone that aim for the A&P has to recognize that little story-telling, wondering, wandering that come with such events and through effort come back on his feet as quick as possible to stop the story in his track and note the next sensation or note the story-telling itself, and build the momentum of noting. We eventually train the main to not being carried away by such events. Of course, this will lead to increased attention, possibly increased tension in the forehead, decreased sleep, meditation in sleep, etc etc.

If this is the right course of action, if someone is prepared to commit to a breakthrough at one point in his life, or if it’s better to build some skills or release tension in the lower stages is a matter of debate and circumstances.
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/6/14 6:09 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/6/14 6:09 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Thanks again for your sharing.

As you might read on my practice log, I think I've been in the A&P zone for a while now : http://dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5222636

Maybe it could help to see where I'm at, if you care.

So if I'm understanding your point, you're telling me to consider each and any phenomenon as a possible hindrance, and to notice/note them to build aand conserve the insight momentum?

Another question: will the tension in the forehead permanently decrease or disappear in the future, eventually? It's the main unpleasant side effect I've been having these last years.
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Simon T, modified 9 Years ago at 11/6/14 10:50 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/6/14 10:50 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
Jean B.:
Thanks again for your sharing.

As you might read on my practice log, I think I've been in the A&P zone for a while now : http://dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5222636

Maybe it could help to see where I'm at, if you care.

So if I'm understanding your point, you're telling me to consider each and any phenomenon as a possible hindrance, and to notice/note them to build aand conserve the insight momentum?

Another question: will the tension in the forehead permanently decrease or disappear in the future, eventually? It's the main unpleasant side effect I've been having these last years.

The first time I crossed the A&P, it was all about momentum. I was doing noting all day long, even doing noting while working (I'm a programmer), and pretty much all the free time I had was spent on the cushion building momentum. I was totally driven by this thing, fully motivated in nailing it. Is this the wisest thing to do? It's hard to say. There might be advantage to loose his A&P virginity early, I don't know what others would say about that. Are there other practice that can release energy and make it easier later in the dark night? There are, but it seems that just going for it like a madman seems to be the approach took by most people on this website who made progress. The head pressure  became pretty insane at someone point during that time, combined with some pretty violent spasms. It seems that it was unavoidable in my case. I keep having head pressure when I run back in those territory, which is why I switched to energy practice, something closer to Goenka-style.  But there are stages like dissolution when such pressure completely vanish, but then you have to deal with a different set of problems. 

I wouldn't call light and bliss hindrances as we generally reserve that terms to mean something else in Buddhist parlance (the 5 hindrances) but there are pretty much that. There are stuff thrown at you to break your momentum. 

Are you using the codeine and cannabis because of those headache? Codeine can have some awful rebound effect and is pretty nasty. I'm not against substances, I personally started using nicotine gum this winter to deal with those headache, which might sounds like a stupid idea considering the reputation of nicotine, but it's the only substance that I find to be truly compatible with the practice. It reduce my headache, make me more alert, assist my energy practice. It has the reputation of being addictive but I feel no craving for it. Creation of new thoughts pattern probably as a lot to do with addiction and the practice of deconstruction of thoughts pattern seems to counter the effect. I cannot deconstruct thoughts pattern as effectively with other substances like cannabis or benzos, for instance.
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/9/14 7:14 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/9/14 7:14 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Simon T.:

The first time I crossed the A&P, it was all about momentum. I was doing noting all day long, even doing noting while working (I'm a programmer), and pretty much all the free time I had was spent on the cushion building momentum. I was totally driven by this thing, fully motivated in nailing it. Is this the wisest thing to do? It's hard to say. There might be advantage to loose his A&P virginity early, I don't know what others would say about that. Are there other practice that can release energy and make it easier later in the dark night? There are, but it seems that just going for it like a madman seems to be the approach took by most people on this website who made progress. The head pressure  became pretty insane at someone point during that time, combined with some pretty violent spasms. It seems that it was unavoidable in my case. I keep having head pressure when I run back in those territory, which is why I switched to energy practice, something closer to Goenka-style.  But there are stages like dissolution when such pressure completely vanish, but then you have to deal with a different set of problems. 

I wouldn't call light and bliss hindrances as we generally reserve that terms to mean something else in Buddhist parlance (the 5 hindrances) but there are pretty much that. There are stuff thrown at you to break your momentum. 

Are you using the codeine and cannabis because of those headache? Codeine can have some awful rebound effect and is pretty nasty. I'm not against substances, I personally started using nicotine gum this winter to deal with those headache, which might sounds like a stupid idea considering the reputation of nicotine, but it's the only substance that I find to be truly compatible with the practice. It reduce my headache, make me more alert, assist my energy practice. It has the reputation of being addictive but I feel no craving for it. Creation of new thoughts pattern probably as a lot to do with addiction and the practice of deconstruction of thoughts pattern seems to counter the effect. I cannot deconstruct thoughts pattern as effectively with other substances like cannabis or benzos, for instance.


I still haven't find a way to note all day long while being active. I'm fastly absorbed in my everyday duties, and it's really hard for me to keep noting (or at least noticing) my surroundings for more than a few minutes. I hope it's easier and easier with practice.

Practice on the cushion is hard to maintain with a demanding child at home and a lot of sleep to catch up. If I can progress off the cushion, good!

I'm all in for an early A&P deflowering.

Lately I've been doing mostly insight practice, noticing as much as I can from surroudings (physical perceptions, thoughts, feelings, etc.)
I noticed that with pressures in the head come little stories about these pressures, how they are unpleasant, how they should not be there, what I can do to make them go away, and so on. By simply noticing "pressure, pressure" than moving on to the next perception, it's sometimes enough to make them disappear, or at least to get notable release. Which is great!

Generally, not to cling to a perception and simply notice its presence then move to the next one is something I'm trying to do throughout the day, although I'm regularly forgetting about it. It's hard to go against this natural tendency to cling to stuff, but I think that going against it again and again should reeducate the mind in due time.

I'm doing cannabis and codein purely recreatively. It doesn't make pressures better, quite the opposite actually --- although it depends on other factors like tiredness, heavy fooding, etc. But after a month of abstinence, the dirty feeling of being on codein has struck me lately. The anticipation of being pleasantly high is sometimes to strong for me, even when I'm consciously noticing perceptions and thoughts giving birth to such a craving. Step by step...
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SeTyR ZeN, modified 9 Years ago at 11/9/14 9:47 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/9/14 9:40 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 113 Join Date: 9/9/14 Recent Posts
hi guys; i second that about codeïne and its nasty systematic rebounds and quite lasting fog. it can also become a serious physical addiction and strong lust for it if it is being used recreatively.

Also thank you Simon for sharing your experience about Cannabis and the path; I recently came to the same conclusion , it feels like a hindrance to dissect this life experience further. I still have to proceed with definitely cutting my attachment with it
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Simon T, modified 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 3:08 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 3:08 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
Jean B.:
Simon T.:

The first time I crossed the A&P, it was all about momentum. I was doing noting all day long, even doing noting while working (I'm a programmer), and pretty much all the free time I had was spent on the cushion building momentum. I was totally driven by this thing, fully motivated in nailing it. Is this the wisest thing to do? It's hard to say. There might be advantage to loose his A&P virginity early, I don't know what others would say about that. Are there other practice that can release energy and make it easier later in the dark night? There are, but it seems that just going for it like a madman seems to be the approach took by most people on this website who made progress. The head pressure  became pretty insane at someone point during that time, combined with some pretty violent spasms. It seems that it was unavoidable in my case. I keep having head pressure when I run back in those territory, which is why I switched to energy practice, something closer to Goenka-style.  But there are stages like dissolution when such pressure completely vanish, but then you have to deal with a different set of problems. 

I wouldn't call light and bliss hindrances as we generally reserve that terms to mean something else in Buddhist parlance (the 5 hindrances) but there are pretty much that. There are stuff thrown at you to break your momentum. 

Are you using the codeine and cannabis because of those headache? Codeine can have some awful rebound effect and is pretty nasty. I'm not against substances, I personally started using nicotine gum this winter to deal with those headache, which might sounds like a stupid idea considering the reputation of nicotine, but it's the only substance that I find to be truly compatible with the practice. It reduce my headache, make me more alert, assist my energy practice. It has the reputation of being addictive but I feel no craving for it. Creation of new thoughts pattern probably as a lot to do with addiction and the practice of deconstruction of thoughts pattern seems to counter the effect. I cannot deconstruct thoughts pattern as effectively with other substances like cannabis or benzos, for instance.


I still haven't find a way to note all day long while being active. I'm fastly absorbed in my everyday duties, and it's really hard for me to keep noting (or at least noticing) my surroundings for more than a few minutes. I hope it's easier and easier with practice.

Practice on the cushion is hard to maintain with a demanding child at home and a lot of sleep to catch up. If I can progress off the cushion, good!

I'm all in for an early A&P deflowering.

Lately I've been doing mostly insight practice, noticing as much as I can from surroudings (physical perceptions, thoughts, feelings, etc.)
I noticed that with pressures in the head come little stories about these pressures, how they are unpleasant, how they should not be there, what I can do to make them go away, and so on. By simply noticing "pressure, pressure" than moving on to the next perception, it's sometimes enough to make them disappear, or at least to get notable release. Which is great!

Generally, not to cling to a perception and simply notice its presence then move to the next one is something I'm trying to do throughout the day, although I'm regularly forgetting about it. It's hard to go against this natural tendency to cling to stuff, but I think that going against it again and again should reeducate the mind in due time.

I'm doing cannabis and codein purely recreatively. It doesn't make pressures better, quite the opposite actually --- although it depends on other factors like tiredness, heavy fooding, etc. But after a month of abstinence, the dirty feeling of being on codein has struck me lately. The anticipation of being pleasantly high is sometimes to strong for me, even when I'm consciously noticing perceptions and thoughts giving birth to such a craving. Step by step...


During the periods where it's too hard to pay attention at large, you can rely on body awareness and the various arisal of stress and tension. You can balance effort of attention with relaxation, and carry your task by keeping that physical bitterness at least in the background and bringing it in the foreground when you can.
shastra yana, modified 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 4:02 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 4:02 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 2 Join Date: 11/8/14 Recent Posts
Third Eye pressure is concerned  with any type of Kundalini Yoga or Tantra practises, In fact the Kriya Yoga is a form of Kundalini Yoga, If you do not follow the right method then these pressures can stay and give unpleasent feelings. If you still have this issue then you need to practise what you call  "shanthi yoga". This is very simple just meditate on the muladhara, the 1st chakra (the seat), this will help in bringing this energy blockage from the Ajna Chakra ( third eye) to the base, keep on practising till this uneasiness subsides. In fact everytime we must practise this while finishing the kundalini yoga or playing around with internal energy. Normally in Kriya Yoga they always compliment Pratista with Visarjan, the former is meditaing from lower chakras to higher chakras and the latter is in the reverse order so that there will not be any kind of blockage of energy at any fixed point and an equilibrium is mantained. I had big issses with this once and energy got stuck in the crown chakra for 2 weeks and refused to come down, it was really unpleasent. I resolved this with a constant meditaion on the 1st chakra ( Shanthi Yoga for a week) with proper guidence from Guru's. Now I can handle with ease. so try this for a week and let us know.
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 4:43 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 4:42 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Simon T.:
During the periods where it's too hard to pay attention at large, you can rely on body awareness and the various arisal of stress and tension. You can balance effort of attention with relaxation, and carry your task by keeping that physical bitterness at least in the background and bringing it in the foreground when you can.

By this you mean a body awareness, keeping track of the moving moiré of tensions and releases? As mush as I can, I'd include feelings, thoughts and other perceptions like space, time, proprioception and so on. That's indeed (and ideally) what I attempt to do, hoping that with time it will becore more and more automatic.

shastra yana:
Third Eye pressure is concerned with any type of Kundalini Yoga or Tantra practises, In fact the Kriya Yoga is a form of Kundalini Yoga, If you do not follow the right method then these pressures can stay and give unpleasent feelings. If you still have this issue then you need to practise what you call "shanthi yoga". This is very simple just meditate on the muladhara, the 1st chakra (the seat), this will help in bringing this energy blockage from the Ajna Chakra ( third eye) to the base, keep on practising till this uneasiness subsides. In fact everytime we must practise this while finishing the kundalini yoga or playing around with internal energy. Normally in Kriya Yoga they always compliment Pratista with Visarjan, the former is meditaing from lower chakras to higher chakras and the latter is in the reverse order so that there will not be any kind of blockage of energy at any fixed point and an equilibrium is mantained. I had big issses with this once and energy got stuck in the crown chakra for 2 weeks and refused to come down, it was really unpleasent. I resolved this with a constant meditaion on the 1st chakra ( Shanthi Yoga for a week) with proper guidence from Guru's. Now I can handle with ease. so try this for a week and let us know.

Indeed in Kriya Yoga we were asked to concentrate from muladhara to sahasrara, then back to muladhara. During the post-initiation retreat 3.5 years ago, I already felt some tensions at ajna level, and it never went away.

Draining the energy to other body parts or chakra has been one of the numerous ways I've found in order to keep blockages sustainable. Nothing systematic though. I'm gonna try to address more awareness to the 1st charka during my concentration practice, and see where it leads.

Thanks for the tip.

SeTyR ZeN:
hi guys; i second that about codeïne and its nasty systematic rebounds and quite lasting fog. it can also become a serious physical addiction and strong lust for it if it is being used recreatively.

Also thank you Simon for sharing your experience about Cannabis and the path; I recently came to the same conclusion , it feels like a hindrance to dissect this life experience further. I still have to proceed with definitely cutting my attachment with it


One way or another I'll have to deal with my codein addiction; although not very strong, subtly and pervasively it's here nonetheless.

About cannabis, I don't see the point in completely abandoning it. Although it's not very compatible with practice, reasonable and sporadic consumption should not be an obstacle I think. But maybe I'm just deluded here.
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Not Tao, modified 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 5:23 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/10/14 5:23 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 995 Join Date: 4/5/14 Recent Posts
Eric G:
It is pretty normal. For me it was happening for a couple of years fairly strongly.

I tend to model this a bit differently, as increased activation of the prefrontal lobes (and concomitant blood flow). Within neuroscience this is a known outcome for advanced meditators. Some people get a bit of a headband effect as well.

Lots of remodeling taking place.


Yes, the headband! Actually, there's a theory that this is where the halo came from in religious iconography. emoticon

The third eye stuff really annoyed me for some time (not years though!) along with a throat lump. These things go away for me if I just accept them. It can be difficult to grasp completely what "accepting" means, but maybe try just holding the sensation.  Make you intention to have it stay the way it is.  This generally causes it to "move through."  Chakra stuff is weird, haha.
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Jean B, modified 9 Years ago at 11/25/14 9:05 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 11/25/14 9:05 PM

RE: Third eye pressures

Posts: 212 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Third eye stuff 's still here, but guess what: I think I might have found a good way to deal with it.

It's a subtle blend of no codein intake, light concentration, inclusive awareness and story droping (or, as I like to call it, "not giving a shit").
  • No codein intake : because it just makes things worse (cannabis is still ok though)
  • Light concentration : at the tip of nose, does not mean I have to keep hard focus but just keep the sensation at the first plan
  • Inclusive awareness : being able to notice (or even note) every phenomenon which imprints awareness, then leave it where it is and go back to the tip of the nose.
  • Story dropping : that's the main realization I've had recently. A growing pressure in the head will NOT lead to a bigger pressure UNTIL I'm focusing on it with a "no no no please don't grow" state of mind. If I would just notice it, then move on, for instance by noticing the pattern it follows throughout the body down to the feet then go back to the tip of the nose, then there is no pressure building and everything keeps smooth.