Time distortion?

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Paul Rig, modified 8 Years ago at 9/24/15 6:34 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 9/24/15 6:34 AM

Time distortion?

Posts: 30 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
Hi!

Ill be short. Maybe a not important message and maybe a very bad written message due my not native english knowledge.

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Today, during a 10 min. exercise in which my objet of attention was free (non selective attention), and being really into it, seeing with good accuracy my sensations and etc.. I noticed that time had passed a little bit faster to me than it uses to. I always meditate with a chronometer to measure my different exercises, and I use to look at it in the middle of the exercises from time to time. So today, when I opened my eyes, I was expecting for example, that from the last time I looked they should have passed around 2 mins, and they had passed 5.

That thing wouldn’t have caught my attention if usually, when really focused doing this same exercise it hadnt happened the very opposite. I mean, when I do this kind of meditation and I consider myself doing it right and concentrated, I use to look at the chronometer and have the sensation that time is going very slow for me, like in a mushroom trip.

I know that maybe this is due to nothing important, and that it can be related merely to my expectations.
I only want to know if some of you have something to say about that; if someone has experiences related to that to compare.

Thank's

: )
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 8 Years ago at 9/24/15 8:16 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 9/24/15 8:14 AM

RE: Time distortion?

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
I only want to know if some of you have something to say about that; if someone has experiences related to that to compare.

Hi Paul,



I) To me, when there is mental and bodily calm/ease/heaviness/contentment, even boundarylessness, it will be easy to sit in comfort and, as a result, the clock hands may show more displacement; "time passed quickly."

This is, to me, the hallmark of the third mental stabilization training: training in and/or the mind-body has developed the ability to rest in sukkha.


II) When sitting and attention are more tedious/ uncomfortable/restless/itchy/achey/irritating, the clock hands may show that less displacement than expected; "time passed slowly."

To me, this is also pointing to a) mental aggitation (e.g., maybe one just has chores to do; has strong moods; this can be settled with long slow deep breathing) and/or b) physical tensions, which may be settled with some form of apt exercise.


Both mental stabilizations (can be a range between I-II) allow one to see mind functioning:
i) -- sukkha can have a hazard of becoming a "La La Land" if one doesn't let go of any treasuring it, which letting go is also vey comfy, there is just a mental shift to into equanimity. However, just sitting in sukkha without passing through to equanimity, is also wonderful brain therapy (anecdotal experience), flooding a brain with ease and contented pleasantness can be therapeutic for a brain subject to very strong moods, particularly negative ideation such as strongly negative memories or future fears/nightmares. Sukkha can precede later action that is receptive, open, light, fluid.

ii) --sitting always in strong aggitation/strong moods can have the effect of just deeping mental tendencies, exacerabating irritations, moods, aggitation. Strong moods can precede acting out of the moody mentation.