Question
QUESTION: Sir,
I have practiced meditation on and off for several years.I am currently undergoing a development in my spirituality, and have begun meditating again. Recently, I have begun to experience new sensations when I attain a certain level of concentration. They include a warm tingling throughout my body and a gently lifting or lightening of my limbs, accompanied by muscle twitching and rapid eye movement. It seems to approach a kind of physical ecstasy (too strong a word perhaps). It is new and a bit scary. What do you think of this? Thanks for your response.
ANSWER: The purpose of meditation is liberation. That means experience like the changing weather are to be differentiated from the unchanging sky. Who experiences the tingling, who experiences rapid eye movement? That who, can you see him?
Palbar
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I think it is me experiencing it. I "see" as from inside my head looking out my own eyes as if they are a mask during meditation. Today, as I meditated and pushed outward trying to open up to spirit, I experience the lightness, with my hands lifting off my legs, REM, and my left arm actually started moving up and down at about a 4 per second beat. I was unsettled by this, although I let it go on for a time to see what else might occur. Eventually I brought myself back and it stopped. Should I be afraid of this? Thanks for your comments.
Answer
When fear arises, relax and gently observe the fear. Fear itself has no real existence; it appears but is insubstantial. Within the soul of fear is pure-being. Focus on the pure-being aspect and it should release.
"Experiences are like mist, they soon fade away. Realization is like the the sky, unchanging." Experiences in mediation are insubstantial. Recognizing the insubstantial nature of experiences is meditation.
Palbar
