Yes! In fact, I wouldn’t live any other way. Really. Ever since I started nearly two years ago I could never go back to the state I lived in beforehand. (And I realized this from firsthand experience just by taking a weeklong hiatus—was that a mistake). The two main types that I at least try to practice these days are what mario calls “concentration based”—although I used to refer to that as mindfulness—and my personal favorite, lovingkindess meditations. (I also do the occasional walking meditation when I’m fed up with sitting still).
I’m not going to try and pass myself off as some sort of guru or meditation teacher. I’m just someone who has experienced the wows that so few—if any—around me can relate to. But the intense joy that comes out of a great lovingkindness and the energy it gives me…these days I feel like I can’t go without it. It’s an addiction to the positivity. And in my classes if I can find a quiet moment I’ll close my eyes to practice some concentration based meditation because I crave the stillness so much. And the awareness! There’s just something about a good mindfulness of breathing session that I’ve been craving lately.
And lucid dreaming! I know how meditation helps with that, I’ve been there too. Lately my dream journal has pretty much been nonexistant, but back in the days when I was immeresed in my dreams, meditating, and practicing lucid dreaming, the results were staggering. Lucid dreams left and right, dream recall through the roof—and the dreams were fantastic. These days I just have vivid dreams and…eh…dream recall, just because I haven’t been writing them down like I used to. Maybe I’ll get back to it. Jeez, there’s just nothing like having great dreams—and great lucid dreams—all the time. It’s no wonder I was so happy back when I started meditation and lucid dreaming.
Anyway, the site that gave me the most comprehensive and detailed info was Wildmind. I still worship it.
Right. Well, I mostly meditate to live an optimal day-to-day life in which I eliminate all the negativity that I possibly can. And to develop a joyful, relaxed, and worry-free personality. Sometimes I even find myself living—actually experiencing for myself—the lessons on life that I once only read about while reading about Buddhist philosophy. The most glaringly ovbious lesson that I learned was how happiness is based more on internal and not necessarily external factors. Last year I once noted that things were going great for me—and yet I wasn’t very happy as compared to the previous months when my outer life wasn’t so great. Meditation has taught me what it takes to be happy…although sometimes I may need reminding.
I meditate every night for about 15-30 minutes. I’ve been only doing it for 2 months, but I can easily say, in the past month, I’m happier than I have ever been in my entire life. Originally I started with the Silva Ultramind technique, but I didn’t like it very much. I mean, it started me out fine, but I didn’t like the style in which it was done in. I don’t know. Now, I’m following the method laid out by Bodhipaksa, the same guy behind Wildmind, the one Sonia gave the link to. Usually what I do is 10 rounds of counting to 10, counting my breaths after the exhale. Then I do lovingkindness for 4 rounds as Bodhipaksa says, although usually I don’t get out of it as much as I’d like. Tonight was amazing though. Then I count my breaths again, this time, right before inhaling, for 10 rounds of 10. It has changed my life, and I am happier now than ever before. I couldn’t imagine stopping. I don’t ever want to stop. It is usually the highlight of my day, and I look forward to it everyday. It makes the day seem easier to get through, knowing that I have 30 minutes of peace guaranteed for myself. Tonight was amazing though. I had something happen to me, that I could only describe as a body-orgasm, like feeling positive energy throughout my entire body, but mainly in the chest. hahaha, great times.
hmm ok I see this topic has been merged. Thanks Mod, i suck at using the search engine
Thankyou Sonia for the wonderful testimony. Just goes to show what meditation can do. What is your favourite meditation technique?
For me, I started meditating for better mental control over my thoughts… I wanted to be able to turn off that inner-voice which I can now successfully do with little effort. I can make it go completely silent for hours at a time just by intending to turn it off. The meditation I used to achieve this ability is what i call Stillness meditation. There are a few ways to do it:
1.) put your attention on your breath, and listen to the sound it makes. Then use that sound to replace the innervoice. You want to try and mimmick the sound in your head, or if you find that too hard you could start off with a mantra like “in” and “out” for every in and out-breath.
2.) actively listen with your ears to the sound of nothing. let me explain… when we are listening to music, or listening to someone talk, all our attention is being focused on our ears to listen and it halts that innervoice… so if you try to actively listen (put your focus on your ears) to the sound of nothing it will stop that innervoice.
3.) there is a part of you deep within, which is still and at rest. It doesn’t care about worries, or the stresses of life… If you look within to find this part of you (perhaps it is the soul?) and just focus your attention on it, then your mind slows down and thoughts disappear.
4.) this is similar to #3, something that Buddha used to reach enlightenment… focusing on the hara/dantien/solar plexus/stomach/diaphram lol there are so many words for the same thing but yeah if you focus on that spot (you should be breathing using your diaphram) it will settle the mind.
Something interesting I found out, is that the intestines are made very similar to the brain… same materials… nerve endings wrapping them all… so the intestines are like a second less intelligent brain. Another thing that is interesting… is that they spiral like a vortex… perhaps this is why people experience a ‘gut instinct’… it is like a lesser brain which interprets emotional energy. So if you focus all your attention on this area, you are paying less attention to thoughts, and more attention to emotions. Once you are feeling a relaxed peaceful emotion, focus on that emotion and try to amplify it.
My favourite meditation technique is one called “running energy meditation” but I am relunctant to share it because it isn’t appropriate for beginners.
There are sooo many meditation techniques… and once you get good at it you can even make your own. Who ever thought you could be good at sitting still? lol.
Just curious about something really…
I personally practice what I believe is a form of Zen meditation, though it probably isn’t. Basically I let myself be relaxed, assume a sitting meditation position (on a chair or on an improvised zafu), balance myself and then concentrate on my breathing until I’m “under”.
What I’m curious about is, what are some things I could use my meditation time for? Of course, simply enjoying the stillness of your mind is valuable as it is, but what do other people tend to do?
moved from stuff forum into the meditation as a LD aid topic
I know it helps alot in Lucid dreams, to have a Lucid dream. I used to combine the techniques together, but I think that, the other night, I was just doing a meditation where you are wide awake and reading something, but concentrating on your breath, clearing out whatever was in my mind , and when I went to sleep, I noticed myself falling asleep and I remembered my dreams without myself telling myself I wanted to remember them. I had no interest until now in recording my dreams. They were the longest dreams and probably remembered every single one of them. I think that you should try this technique. I don’t mean it to brag or anything. But I think meditation does have more of an affect on Lucid dreaming then we know. I don’t remember my dreams, but I remember having them. And the first couple of dreams, I controlled, but I don’t remember the dream I controlled. I want to continue trying this technique out to see what happens. I’m wondering what you think about meditation helping with LD’s. I’m new at this, so maybe I just got lucky that night. Who knows. lol!
I don’t know, that was the first time I meditated in a while. When I used to meditate, I would listen to music and close my eyes and then just try to go somewhere in my mind. Like a beach or something and actually end up there somehow, then when I wake up, I find out that I’m here at home and didn’t really go anywhere. But I’m not sure about any other type of meditation. I don’t know much about meditation. I 'm curious if there is actually a way to go places in your mind spiritually as if you have never went there,while being awake?
I take heaps of medications including vitamins and I can still reach a very deep meditative state regardless. In fact, i would go as far to say its easier to attain a deep state of meditation than it is to lucid dream. But if your a beginner to meditation then it may take you a few attempts before you experience a deep trance-like state.
I usually meditate about 30mins to 1 hour each day, sometimes more. It takes at least 5 minutes to relax yourself and get into the state so I would say 5 minutes is not enough.
I have been meditating on Monday nights with a group for many years. I’ve noticed that quite clearly, Monday nights have produced my most lucid and most vivid dreaming. For me, there is a direct positive correlation between meditation and dreaming.
I just sort of skimmed the topic and picked up a few links and such. The ones I did pick up and red are just so wordy. It’s not direct and to the point. I mean… I can’t really explain it. I guess I’d like to learn how to meditate and what I need to do, rather than sifting through paragraph after paragraph that seems like nothing more than a bunch of spiel.
Which leads me to ask, straight up: I’d like to improve concentration and silence my mind and be more aware of myself and my surroundings and perhaps use meditation to calm myself or maybe even solve certain problems that I have (such as dealing with anger, frequent depression, etc.), and of course get closer to successfully and consistently having lucid dreams.
Hello,
Am new to this forum, new to lucid dreaming.
Got interested though practice of Tibetan Buddhism.
Would like to make an observation that developing mindfullness/awareness in waking life will lend to developing mindfullness/awareness in dream life.
Shamatha meditation is a very simple and direct way to sit and be still, simnply working with your own mind. Instruction is available (for free) at any Shambhala Center. There are such centers in all major cities in US and Europe. You don’t have to prescribe to any particular “religion” to learn how to meditate like this, and it is available to people of any faith or walk of life. The centers were founded by Chogyam Trungpa, so some of his books might be helpful as an intro. to this meditation.
I attended one of Chogyam Trungpa’s talks in Boulder many years ago. He was very alive and spontaneous. Have you studied any Tibetan Dream Yoga practices? I’ve read a little from Lama Surya Das.
I haven’t dreamed of Trungpa, but I had a cool dream with Muktananda.
The two main types that I at least try to practice these days are what mario calls “concentration based”—although I used to refer to that as mindfulness—and my personal favorite, lovingkindess meditations. (I also do the occasional walking meditation when I’m fed up with sitting still).
