It was about 33 degrees when I took my walk around the neighborhood about 6:00am . I could see the bright sliver moon up high in the southeast over the pines, just a sliver in the sky. I’d had a good meditation earlier with many thoughts to ponder. Roy Eugene Davis student and disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, talks about meditating to the superconscious state” and says, “Regular superconscious meditation practice strengthens the body’s immune system, slows biological aging processes, improves powers of concentration, clarifies awareness, and quickens spiritual growth.”
I admit, even after meditating regularly since the 1970’s, I do not always reach that superconscious state. Sometimes I sit for my hour and never really feel I am “in the slot” and simply feel I am off and on and off and on that razor’s edge in between leaving thought behind and achieving meditation. Sometimes it’s easy, not always.
No matter what, I sit for that hour, whether I‘m feeling it or not. I catch myself in mid thought and release it. Every few seconds. When I finally get over myself, I’m there, I’m in the slot and then…
If I’ve been successful, I may open my eyes and find that the hour has passed. That tells me I went superconscious. Actually my mind usually alerts me every 20 minutes. Now I just note the time as another thought. I used to open an eye and check the clock. I did that for years, not realizing I was just introducing new thoughts.
And it doesn’t count if you doze off! That’s part of the discipline, learning to surf the alpha wave as it comes upon you. Riding that wave just so, staying alert enough to be aware, yet relaxed enough to be without thought. And it’s not as easy as simply catching yourself before you nod off.
For me, I have to be at that point of alert and aware yet relaxed and detached. My way of achieving that is to simply become my breath as it moves in and out of the body. Yes it took discipline and practice but now it’s largely on autopilot.
Boy, am I glad I was so disciplined early on. 🙂
RELATED:
Andrea’s Meditation Process and links
Meditation Twice a Day Keeps the Outside World at Bay
Preparing For Relaxation; Preparing For Meditation; Daily Practice
Herbert Benson’s Relaxation Response is Transcendental Meditation minus the ritual
Paving neural pathways to achieve meditation and access elusive inner states
Neurotheology: How God Changes Your Brain
Regulate your body chemistry: meditation as anti-aging medicine
A list of meditation’s positive effect on some of your body’s chemicals