13
votes
Are the Chakras present in the original Buddha's teachings?
There is nothing supernatural about chakras. They are psychosomatic phenomena; they exist only in the subjective world of a person. That's why you can't photograph a chakra, or measure its "field ...
- 55.2k
12
votes
Overwhelming states of being reached through meditation
First of all, I think your question has gotten worse at explaining your condition through your edits (sorry!).
In Theravada Buddhism, and really I think I speak for all of Buddhism when I say, the ...
- 23.8k
12
votes
That "Electric Feel" body sensation during meditation
This feeling is Piti. It is also in sphere of the sensual world hence has the 3 marks of existence. It arises and passes away. You should try to look at it more and more closely until you see it. At ...
12
votes
Unpleasant side effects of meditation
My local Buddhist temple's resident teacher Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo has this beautiful metaphor of the "poop soup", highly relevant to yours (and the rest of ours) situation.
In this metaphor ...
- 55.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Health Risks of Meditation?
Here is a physical problem: Knee injury from sitting postures without requisite hip flexibility. This applies to almost any floor-sitting posture, depending on the meditator's hip flexibility. This is ...
- 2,588
9
votes
Does meditation increase productivity for software developers and related professions?
I'm a software developer and practiced different kinds of meditation (first - sit for 5-10 minutes with open eyes and pay attention to inhaling and exhaling, second - 16th Karmapa meditation in the ...
- 652
8
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of using a wand to hit a monk in Zen meditation?
Supposedly it is used to help meditator fight drowsiness. It is said that drowsiness comes from stiffness, from meditator trying to artificially restrict their micro-movements and to severely narrow ...
- 55.2k
8
votes
Accepted
When during meditation we forget where we are
Since you are asking from a specific tradition, I can give a pretty specific answer:
Is this feeling expected at any meditation stage ?
Yes, it is expected at the stage of bhaṅga-ñāṇa (knowledge of ...
- 23.8k
7
votes
That "Electric Feel" body sensation during meditation
While this may sound similar to the second jhana, I don't think it is. In second jhana the rapture (piti) is enveloping all body, it may be somewhat more bright around chest, or head, or armpits, but ...
- 55.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Opening my third eye experience
Yeah, initially you may experience all kinds of glitches. When you don't meditate a lot of energy is stuck at different layers of your body-mind, and when you start meditating those layers start ...
- 55.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Can Buddhism help me find my passion?
The "passion" you talk about sounds like a craving for something which you haven't defined. Your question seems to be asking, "I crave something (I crave something to feel passionate about), but I don'...
- 43.1k
6
votes
Are dark night problems a common thing? It worries me that if I practice they might happen
Yes, passing through what you called "dark night" is a prerequisite for Enlightenment.
The term refers to existential crisis experienced around the time of fully realizing Emptiness and the Three ...
- 55.2k
6
votes
Health Risks of Meditation?
There are two types of meditations - calm abiding (Tib.: Shine, Skr.: Shamata) and insight meditation (Tib.: Lhaktong, Skr.: Vipassana).
The meditation of calm abiding directs mind towards one ...
- 2,756
6
votes
Accepted
Vibrating Sensation in Middle of forehead during meditation?
Yes the sensation is a normal condition.
It is just muscle/nerve spasms. They may be happening throughout the day but go largely unnoticed. They are also at level of neuron firings so you typically ...
- 1,163
6
votes
Vibrating Sensation in Middle of forehead during meditation?
This is your 1st glimpse of arising and passing away. When you practice more you will see there is no solidity any where and your body is completely a mass of arraigning and passing sensations which ...
6
votes
Accepted
"Creativity Attacks" during meditation
This is the way the mind is, uncontrollable. Acknowledge their presence and gently try to return to your usual object of meditation. If this fails, acknowledge the failure and gently try to return to ...
- 2,588
6
votes
Accepted
The formless jhanas in this world
When a meditator achieves e.g. the 5th jhana of infinite space, is he
or she still in this world?
Yes, he doesn't disappear. When you sleep, you are not aware of what's happening around you. But ...
- 25.6k
6
votes
Why does my mind feel slow to think nearly half day after my meditation?
Re: mind feeling "very slow", "very slow to think of anything" -- when someone tells you something, can you reply immediately without thinking? That's a sign of good meditation.
If your "very slow to ...
- 55.2k
6
votes
Accepted
What are the broad categories of the different types of meditation?
THE BROADER CATEGORIES ARE MENTIONED WITHIN SOME OF THE TYPES OF MEDITATIONS LISTED BELOW, and ALSO IS LISTED HERE:
Reflective meditation
There are a series of meditations that can put you in the ...
- 9,517
6
votes
Unpleasant side effects of meditation
A couple of days is not enough time for your 10 minute meditation to have resulted in any change in your mood, feelings, or anything else. Were those panic attacks accompanied by difficulty breathing? ...
- 2,401
5
votes
Sense of calmness in meditation, what is it?
The sensation of the body 'feeling heavy', very relaxed, 'numb' or almost as if it's disappearing is quite normal. When there is nothing new happening, sort of, when bodily sensations don't change, ...
- 1,870
5
votes
Sense of calmness in meditation, what is it?
(Disclaimer: Take this answer as a -means- to explore further and -not- as a definitive answer since the range of descriptions of meditative experiences varies quite a bit from person to person.)
1. ...
- 3,716
5
votes
What is the purpose of using a wand to hit a monk in Zen meditation?
During a weekend retreat I attended at a Zen monastery, the explanation I heard was that the sensation provides a point of focus for meditation. At this monastery (or at least at this retreat, which ...
- 835
5
votes
Accepted
Does meditation increase productivity for software developers and related professions?
There's an old (2004) article from the CBC: INDEPTH: MEDITATION
The Pursuit of Happiness
It includes:
Using an MRI to test monks who are meditating
Using meditation to help olympic athletes and ...
- 43.1k
5
votes
Accepted
"Kundalini" experiences during meditation
I've experienced this myself on a number of occasions though I never heard it called kundalini. Sometimes the experience has been exactly as you describe it. Sometimes it's a tingling feeling all over ...
- 20.8k
5
votes
Why does my mind feel slow to think nearly half day after my meditation?
If "slow to think of anything" means less distracted thoughts then that's good. But if that means your overall awareness/mindfulness decreases instead of increases then you might want to check your ...
- 9,458
5
votes
Accepted
What happens to my body when I breathe out?
There are a few mental cultivation techniques which involve breathing. E.g. there is Paranayama which pre-dates Buddhism. Here you do try to regulate the breath.
In Anapana there is no regulation of ...
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