noting ear ringing [Jake WM]


Jake WM - 2014-04-30 03:03:28 - noting ear ringing

recently during my meditation i have been using my breath as the primary object, noting 'iiiiin' and 'ooooout' in the moment. however sometimes i become aware of the ringing in my ears and it is quite strange to concentrate on. i decided to note it by saying 'ring' 'ring' 'ring' each time i become aware of the actual noise or whatever it is. it is difficult to hold focus on this sensation for more than a minute or so. i was wondering if i should investigate this object further or if i should focus on other sensations and disregard the ringing because it is just a side effect of the dark night.

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Psi Phi - 2014-04-30 04:27:22 - RE: noting ear ringing

Hello Jake, 

Interesting stuff, I have had some experience with this sound as a kid, and it was a precursor to other states of consciousness.

There are a couple , few ways that I know to look at this phenomenon.

First Nada Yoga, you can google this and find a wealth of info on the net, maybe this lines up with your experience.

Secondly Ajahn Amaro has a free pdf book called Meditation on the Sound of Silence.

These would mostly be directed towards tranquility/jhana, which is good i.e. a stable mind is a happy mind.

Thirdly, it could be Tinnitus, not that you still couldn't use the sound, but I'm no Doc.

If you were going to use it for jhana, just relax listen to the sound and when any thinking thoughts ( inner verbalizations), body sensations, etc arise simply let them go and bring your attention back to the nada sound. And relax...everything, and let go.....

Bryan

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Dream Walker - 2014-04-30 07:01:16 - RE: noting ear ringing

When I pop into third vip jhana my ears always ring...was the way I knew where I was. The longer you listen to it the more funky it gets...different freq and chords of sounds...very complicated stuff...I should check it out more but my concentration has yet to be put on this object intensely.
Here is a thread on it Link

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Jake WM - 2014-04-30 13:35:38 - RE: noting ear ringing



i will definitely look into this. however as a beginner meditator, i want to focus my efforts on vipassana insight practice and make progress as quickly as possible. but i've read that tranquility practice does help during the insight stages so i might rethink this strategy.



i found out about this not too long ago. before i crossed the a&p this sound was never present and i dont think it was until way later in the dark night that i became aware it was there. as for your other replies



i might just ignore it completely. the ringing doesnt really take over, its just if i lose focus and kind of wander in open awareness my i realize the strange ringing sound with no actual source.

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tom moylan - 2014-04-30 15:31:48 - RE: noting ear ringing

i note these sounds as "internal" and birdsogs etc as "external", "sound" is implied.  if you are doing vipassana stay with whatever your object is until another, more demanding, object displaces it in your attention. then go back to your primary object over and over again.  you are training.

tom