Sensory disparity in breathing

[Telos]

While attempting to enter an expanded state of consciousness this morning, I felt my breathing was calm and relaxed. However, I suddenly heard the sound of a much heavier breath, as if it was coming from my own nose. It was especially startling given that it was out of rhythm with the feeling of my breathing. This has happened a couple times before in the past, but this morning it happened at least 2 or 3 times - each time startling me awake.

Has anyone experienced this kind of disparity between your senses? It is not an exaggeration to call it a sort of micro-nightmare, where you doubt your sanity and ask yourself, "which of my senses can I trust?" Because they can't both be right, can they? Do you know of any strategies for getting past this kind of setback?

[Frank]

Telos:

Are you sure you aren't simply hearing your own breathing with your inner senses? This can be startling, it even catches me out now and again. Sometimes I get into a state where it sounds like someone is breathing really deeply next to me, and it's my own physical. I'm not sure if you realise but when you go within yourself you begin to use your inner senses as opposed to the outer ones you'd normally use.

Yours,
Frank

[Telos]

Frank, that's just about exactly how it feels - like there is someone breathing really deeply next to me. There is a split second when I think, "who is that breathing?" But since I know intuitively that there is no one else nearby, I resolve it as the sound of my own breathing. It is at this moment that I recognize a discord between the feeling of breathing and the sound of breathing, prompting me to question my mental state and awake.

It is not a normal correlation of the senses. It would be as if seeing your arm move one way, but feeling it move another way.

If I am using my inner senses, then you're right, I don't realize it. Thank you once again for sharing your insight. The next time this happens, I will try resolving one of the senses as inner.

[Frank]

Telos:

It is normal to become a little confused at this transition point, but with practice you'll just get used to it and it won't bother you any more. A big problem I had was with my physical eyes. As my inner sense of sight came alive and I would see something within me, my physical eyes would immediately come alive and try to snatch a glance at whatever it was. Which, of course, brought me right out of the state I had tried so hard to achieve. Most frustrating.

Yours,
Frank