Phasing out?

[dharma_talk]

A few nights ago, after my nigthly zen meditation, I was lying in bed for quiet some time counting my exhalations i sets of ten.  For instance, as i exhaled i would say one in my mind, then two for the next exhalation and so on.  When i would get to ten I would count that as 1:10 and then start over.  When i would get to ten agian it became 2:10 and so-on.  Anyway I was lost in my mind, completely oblivious of my sorroundings, and I heard my phone ring.  At first when i tried to reach ovr and answer it, my body gave no reaction and I immediately though that i had phased out, as Robert Monroe describes in his books, but after i heard my phone ring again i broke out of it and answered it.  Is this anything important, should i keep counting breathes, what shoudl i do?

[Frank]

Hello:

As you are familiar with Monroe, from what you describe you reached the Focus 10 state, which sounds like a good start. Now all you need to is remember to disconnect your phone before you begin your practice. :)

Yours,
Frank

[Nick]

Hi dharma_talk,

Counting the breaths had been a good start for me, as I spent considerable time at the zen center in Los Angeles back in the '90's. However, after a period of time (and you should know when that is), try and let the counting part go and settle it without same. If the mind chatter returns, you can always fall back on following the breath perhaps without counting.

Keep up your practice, and as was mentioned above, turn off the ringers to any telephones. Very best to you in your astral endeavors.

Nick

[astralspinner]

I started out with counting breaths. Worked really well at helping me clear out all the surface chatter and learn to focus my mind on what I was doing.

After a while, exactly as Nick says, I realised that counting was actually getting in the way. It was when I spent a few moments clearing my mind and relaxing, preparing to meditate, and then noticed that as soon as I started counting, my mind tensed up very slightly.

It was only the slightest shift, barely noticeable. But it was enough. I stopped counting at that point, and actually found it easier to keep my mind clear and focussed without it.

Five minutes of just holding my mind relaxed and still gets me better results now than two hours (I kid you not!) of counting breaths ever did.