meditation: open vs. closed eyes. discuss.

[sashamasha]

I have better luck, and concentration, when I meditate with eyes open.  I am debating with myself whether this is a cop-out or simply a preference.  

I also like the way sitting still and just taking things in visually without thinking about them enables me to see even more.  Is this different from meditation, do you suppose?  Or simply a different sort of meditiation?

[ASunnieSpirit]

i think it all depends on what you are trying to do. I just remember i was given a free aura cleansing (a really neat experience btw) and you had to sit with your eyes closed and meditate while some trained person preformed cleansing movements. most people were told to close thier eyes but the women feeling  my aura asked me half way thourgh to open my eyes because she wanted to me to "stay in my body" i was actually proud of this statement considering ive been praticing astral travel.

But if u want to stay grounded then maybe eyes open is better, but i always thought u werent suppose to...very curious

[Logic]

I prefer to close my eyes, my mind wanders easily and I need to remove as much distraction as possible, but yes different meditations would be more efficient with one way than the other.

[WalkerInTheWoods]

I find meditating with my eyes open helps me to remain grounded and in the present environment. Meditating with my eyes closed helps with looking within and doing internal things. It depends on what you want to do and what feels right to you.

[G3MM4]

I mediate with my eyes shut, I find it easier to concentrate in this way because there are less things to distract me.

[You]

Either way, I think it depends more on state of mind and sensitivity to distraction. Sometimes when I close my eyes they're all full of thoughts or I focus too much on surrounding sounds, while blanking out at the library while reading a book and having to reread a page a couple times before I actually get back to the book and away from my thoughts. Sometimes, looking at something not flashy or colourful or animated may even be helpful, unless you're trying visualization or something.

[kenshinhan604]

i used to do it eyes closed yet there are many distractions and other ideas come to mind so eyes open is kinda better
so who knows any good tips when meditating???

[UBKing]

I've wondered about this also.  Could it be easier to start a trance state with the eyes open for some people?

[Nay]

This is interesting.  With me it depends on what my goal is.  For instance, if I'm meditating in hopes of a OOBE, my eyes are generally closed, but if I'm dealing with like a spirit or something trying to give me a visual, I find I can see things with my inner eye alot better with my eyes open..  does that make me weird?

[sashamasha]

I think it might be a trance thing.  Meditiation eyes closed is perhaps closer to "meditiation," whereas eyes open is trance.  However I've found in recent days that closing my eyes for a moment at any time will yield some interesting insights, ie aural colors, etc.

[UBKing]

Here is something I just happened a pond.  Strange thing is that I had some thoughts about this over the weekend.

Ganzfeld Effect

http://www.brainmachines.com/body_ganzfeld.html

[pod_3]

It's all a matter of how you're using them  

[Adkha]

That Ganzfeld Effect is pretty interesting! thank u!

[Nay]

Hahahaha..cutting up ping pong balls to put over your eyes??  I don't get it, wouldn't that scare the neighbors?

Nay

[beavis]

Eyes open allows visual distraction and eye irritation. Eyes closed feels a little more like dreaming which is more like meditation. I can see random colors moving around, optical illusions, which I often mentally control. Thats mostly in my brain (at first), but sometimes it gets stronger and gains psi, which leads to weird things...

[Lickerish]

I prefer keeping my eyes closed most of the time while either meditating alone or with others because its less distracting and more calming.

[redcatherine]

I have better luck, and concentration, when I meditate with eyes open.  I am debating with myself whether this is a cop-out or simply a preference.   I also like the way sitting still and just taking things in visually without thinking about them enables me to see even more.  Is this different from meditation, do you suppose?  Or simply a different sort of meditation?

In the continuum of clairvoyance seeing spirit with the eyes open using the physical eyes instead of the third eye exclusively is much more difficult and much preferred .

Seeing spirit as ghosts with colour and form lifesize with the eyes open is much more real and amazing then seeing a golden orb with your third eye and opening to its identity . There are many stages along this continuum .

Although it is easier for most to meditate with eyes closed moving toward an open eye meditation has it's benefits too .

Open eyes can allow one to read sitters better on platform and is essential when linking to read online .

A medium can stand still with closed eyes during a reading but opening the eyes to see the sitter is much better for connecting with their energy and achieving a rapport and ease so that you can link better with each other .

In a closed circle development group
giving off what one sees
helps to confirm the perception by others in the group
and
when you travel in a group merkaba being able to open eyes and continue seeing is easier when you are in a group because the energy is sustained by your peers .

To be able to project and then give off and transfer the consciousness back to your projection and then back to the room allows one to slip in and out easier and allows further development of skills much like breathing when you swim . If you lift your head back you sink and have to level off again but if you turn your head just slightly you can breathe and continue to swim . So it is with slipping in and out of the body to a projection . Do it so it does not make it difficult to see again split the consciousness just subtlely not drastically so that you lose the meditative state . Bii locating can allow you to  slip back and forth too. Opening the eyes within the meditation and then closing them can teach control .

Also to open your eyes once you have built up the energy of the realm enough to see it will make you more capable of seeing that realm with eyes open .

So rather than trying to do it one way or the other why not alternate . Try open and closed and see , experiment and learn what works for you .