Meditating on topics/trains of thought

[JAW]

Hi,
Im currently at a bit of a crossroads career wise and have so many options available to me that Im not sure which way to go. I dont know anyone else that can really help me so it looks like Im almost on my own... Can anyone suggest any methods or techniques they use whilst in meditation where you focus on a subject or train of thought in order to try and gain better clarity on issues and try to better find the "correct"/"right" way to go?
Im reasonably experienced with meditation/entering trance, but Ive only really used it up until now to try out phasing/obe techniques.
Would be very grateful for any help.
Regards.

[You]

Hi,
Im currently at a bit of a crossroads career wise and have so many options available to me that Im not sure which way to go. I dont know anyone else that can really help me so it looks like Im almost on my own... Can anyone suggest any methods or techniques they use whilst in meditation where you focus on a subject or train of thought in order to try and gain better clarity on issues and try to better find the "correct"/"right" way to go?
Im reasonably experienced with meditation/entering trance, but Ive only really used it up until now to try out phasing/ob techniques.
Would be very grateful for any help.
Regards.

Practising in a silent place is best, though not always doable. That's why I intend to invest in earmuffs, and possibly an eye cover (they look comfortable, and will help with movement that closed eyelids don't block). I doubt a nose plug would be necessary, but consider that too if you're near a kitchen. The more of your senses you cut off, the more heightened your others will be.

As for mental techniques, that's not really something I can think of how to describe... just focus... and yet relax.... relaxed focus.

Lastly... USE SPELLINGCOW!!!! ARG!!!! I bolded all the terms that need to be fixed. ARG.

[JAW]

Hi Tyciol,
I think maybe you need to meditate on the strange need to correct peoples minor spelling errors!

Thanks for the feedback but I was more after specifically meditating/thinking about certain things whilst meditating, and how this is best approached. Do I just meditate as usual then start thinking about something that I want to "figure out" or "solve"? Do I think about it in the same manner as when I think about things in a normal state of mind? Or is there some thought process or mind state you should be in first?

I guess because Ive always used meditation as a relaxation/obe/trance technique, I usually try to quiet my mind rather than fill it with a question that I hope to answer or bring light to, or find new alternatives etc.

Cheers.

[Rastus]

My guides have frequently pointed out that I have free will.  Well, we have free will in reference to my higher-self and I.  The guide I'm working with most right now steadfastly refuses to answer "What should I" questions.  Once I make a decision, he is great, but questions like "what path should I follow" won't get a responce.

Self introspection works well.  Let me give you an example of how spirit works.  About 10 weeks ago someone mentioned a topic in a conversation.  It was sort of out-of-the-blue so I decided to follow it up.  The subject was Theosophy, and I got a book from the library on it.  I never read the book until last night.  Care to guess what my guide did in his last incarnation?  Yes, Theosophy.  Whoops, I guess I didn't read that spiritual roadsign soon enough did I?  When I asked about the book, it was my higher-self in conjunction with my Guide that 'made it happen'.  Now why did I read the book now?  I got in touch with my newest guide last week, and in researching his past I came across the reference.  Missed the obvious connection and had to have it pointed out again.  Hey, I'm getting better at this  

I reccommend that you try and think of nothing, and see what 'pops' into your head.

[You]

Hi Tyciol,
I think maybe you need to meditate on the strange need to correct peoples minor spelling errors!

Thanks for the feedback but I was more after specifically meditating/thinking about certain things whilst meditating, and how this is best approached. Do I just meditate as usual then start thinking about something that I want to "figure out" or "solve"? Do I think about it in the same manner as when I think about things in a normal state of mind? Or is there some thought process or mind state you should be in first?

I guess because Ive always used meditation as a relaxation/obe/trance technique, I usually try to quiet my mind rather than fill it with a question that I hope to answer or bring light to, or find new alternatives etc.

Cheers.

Strange? I'm insulted! I prefer rageholically neurotic. Anyway, just think about the why, and the why beneath the why, and related things. Metaphors are a great thing to think about too. By linking it to other things, they can give you fresh ideas to apply to the topic.

[JAW]

Tycoil - haha! Thanks I will keep your tips in mind.
Rastus - Also thankyou for your detailed reply and time.  I just finished a meditation session and tried your think of nothing idea, which is quite similar to what I normally do. When thoughts popped into my head I tried following them more than usual, however it was mainly just the usual crap that pops in there... what am I doing tomorrow, ideas for this and that... How do I seperate or pick out whats important/meaningful and whats not? Im afraid I havent been able to project/meet my guides at all so I cant do much in that respect either. So all in all, another meditation session which was greatly relaxing, but from trying to clear my mind I pretty much ended up with a clear mind

[You]

As far as I know there's two ways to meditate. Either you follow each thought where it leads, or you blank your mind and let any thoughts that surface pass by.

[Selski]

JAW

One thing I do when I meditate is to have a focused daydream, if you like.  However, behind this daydream is something that is on my mind, usually.

For instance, I had someone on my mind and I kept them in the back of my mind, and started meditation.  I get myself comfortable and relaxed and then clear the surface thoughts first.  Then I go into a daydream, but try to keep it focused.  What happened was I started myself underneath a waterfall, just standing there (pure imagination at first).  I then created dragonflies, plants, and a small stone bench to sit on behind the waterfall.

I was minding my own business, but then a dragonfly seems to beckon me to one side of my "garden".  Now, this could still be imagination, or not, I'm not sure anymore.

I followed the dragonfly and we entered a grassy place with a tree to one side.  At first, it looks beautiful, the grass is very green, the tree looks well and cared for.  As I get closer, I notice the grass is astro-turf (false), hence it's greenness, and the tree is in actual fact dying, due to not getting the goodness from real soil.  

I then ended my meditation session.

At first, you might think this was just a nice daydream, but upon thinking about it, I realised that I was the tree and the grass was the person I was initially thinking about.  My relationship with this person looked great and wonderful from a distance, but once you got closer, the grass/person was not nourishing the tree/me and I knew there and then that said person was not good for me.  I also seemed stuck in the relationship, in that the tree wasn't able to help itself.  

I hope this helps.  I find imagination to be a wonderful thing - and very helpful for kick-starting genuine experiences.

Good luck!

Sarah

[Fyrenze]

I'm not sure that this is exactly on topic but it's is a bit coincidental that I was reading old entries in a journal today and came across a meditative method that I complete forgot. Every time a random thoughts pop up, introduce the exact opposite thought. It's a different way to follow thoughts and might perhaps lead you to a discovery.

[Mystic Cloud]

Selski's daydreaming method is efficient in various areas.
It will also yield an answer in this area. It's more symbolic
though.

When I try to check out what's the best in meditation I make a form
of the subject. The form is not visible but something that can be felt.
Then I meditate on that form and if everything is ok I get a flowing
feeling but if something is not ok I get a blockage feeling(Which does
not mean that the thing shouldn't be done). After that I meditate
on that blockage feeling to see whetever it comes from my own egos,
the other counterpart or the action itself.

[JAW]

Ok thanks heaps everyone. Very interesting angles and so on. Anyone care to explain how or why meditating is supposed to help with when performing the above techniques? When you say you "meditate on" something, dont you really mean youre thinking about it while meditating? Whats the difference in terms of your thinking patterns etc while meditating vs normal thinking? Is it something to do with removing/reducing the ego effect? And if so how do you know when youre in the proper state and not still in "normal thinking mode"?
Cheers.

[Mystic Cloud]

Actually I don't think at all when meditating. If I meditate on something
I concentrate on it's form until it vanishes or changes.

When thinking in trance, visualizations/other feelings tend to be clearer
because of the consciousness put into it. If you are tired and in a trance
the thoughts tend to be more random.

I would propose a different strategy for getting a solution for something.
You don't even need to consciously get to the solution you just suggest
your own subconscious to come up with an answer in any form you wish
and it will.

[You]

When you say you "meditate on" something, dont you really mean youre thinking about it while meditating?

Yes. Meditation in general, on no subject, is the void trance kind of thing.

Whats the difference in terms of your thinking patterns etc while meditating vs normal thinking? Is it something to do with removing/reducing the ego effect? And if so how do you know when youre in the proper state and not still in "normal thinking mode"?
Cheers.

Don't EVER focus on 'am I in the right state?' or you'll never get there. Try and push such concerns from your mind and focus on the topic at hand, or nothingness, if that's what you're after.

As for the actual brain, there are four states of brain waves. Beta, Alpha, Theta, Gamma. Left to right is highest to lowest frequencies. When you meditate, you will generally lower that frequency as you remain calm. I'm not exactly sure, but I believe the 'void' type of meditation is the lowest, on the other hand the 'topic' meditation allows you to think over situations, think of new ideas, make decisions, that kind of thing.

Void meditation is great for relaxing and clearing your head and attaining different levels of consciousness, but to actually accomplish something you need to meditate on certain things, even though you can incorporate thinking patterns and tendencies learned in void state.

[Mystic Cloud]

As far as my experience reaches I have noticed that in the 'void'
meditation (as Tycoil said it), when concentrating on any thing,
the illusion on that thing will just disappear. So if you have an ego
of something, by concentrating on it fully it will just vanish and if there
is anything 'real' or spiritual in it, it will remain for you thereafter.
This will also work on anything else that is not 'real' for your being.

Another thing when meditating on nothingness is that when you do
it for a longer time (over 30 minutes). Weird crap start to happen
It seems to be very efficient. I must say that I am still to inexperienced
to say why this happen but could be something with the lowering of
the brainwave states.

[JAW]

Tycoil, thanks, I have some understanding of the brainwave theories, I think for now I might just have to accept that when I'm meditating my mind should be more open to more creative thought and ill... I'll just go with that for now and see what happens.

Mystic - So when you say it will "just vanish", you mean the thought vanishes, or your ego? What exactly do you mean will "remain thereafter"? How do you know if its worked haha! Its complicated hey.

I think I understand what you mean about the illusion of something dissapearing, like you might understand that youre fooling yourself into saying you like something or someone... Like maybe itd click during meditation that you dont REALLY like doing x or being with y. Is that right?

I've always been an over thinker/analyser and was hoping that thinking while meditating would help my brain out a bit when trying to figure things out and make decisions, but I must admit Im still a bit confused sorry. Thanks for the help so far though, much appreciated.

[Mystic Cloud]

Remember that we all work differently, and usually you will
get exactly what you want. So if you really want this then it will
probably come to you.

I can say that it has disappeared because it is nowhere to be sensed in
the mental space and the energy bound to it is also released. The space
that it occupied becomes transparent. If there is something to know about
the blockage there comes a thought up concerning it.

[You]

Arg the brainwave theory stands but I used the wrong names.

It goes beta>alpha>theta>delta.