A Twist on Franks Noticing Exercise

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Xanth

What follows is my interpretation of Franks Noticing exercise along with a slight change to how I did it.  For me, it's much more effective than the original Noticing Exercise.  I devised this a few weeks ago and have since had some nice results with it:
QuoteI was meditating yesterday doing the Noticing Exercise, not really with any particular goal in mind other than trying to relax and de-stress myself by focusing within and just becoming "lost", allowing my mind to drift where ever it wanted.  Anyway, I was staring out into the blackness trying to "notice" changes when I began to notice more than just slight changes.  These were full patterns instead, in some cases full objects.  Now, I never really considered in the past that I'd see more than just "slight variations" in the blackness.  But, I started focusing more on the patterns that I was seeing and I'd see an eye, maybe a wing of a bird, or a cube, etc...

I'm not sure if this is a twist so much as a realization of the nature of the exercise, but instead of "passively observing" I tried "actively creating" in that blackness.  I began to look at the blackness and the swirls of changes that I usually see, and tried to find patterns in it.  I don't actively create either, I just kind of allow things to 'form' until I recognize something (ie: a wolf howling), then I try to focus upon whatever it is. The object will either get stronger or it will just fade away, at which point I start the process again of allowing something to form.

Now, the trick here isn't to see a pattern and think to yourself, "Oh, I see a circle!" or anything like that, you still want to remain passively observing, yet focused upon the image you're seeing and try to strengthen it if you can (don't try too hard, remember to stay relatively passive).  Bring your full attention towards it.

You might even see more than one pattern at a time!  Try to bring them together if you can by using your Intent. Then to deepen the state, try interacting with whatever you've created. Try making it move. If it's a person, move an arm by using your Intent. If it's a ball, try rolling it around the blackness.  Your goal here is the same as the Noticing exercise: the total removal of your conscious awareness from this physical reality and place it ENTIRELY within the blackness (viewing the blackness).

So a quick recap... the usual Noticing Exercise would have you staring into the blackness behind your closed eyes and trying to "notice" any changes in that field of vision.  Then you would focus into those changes, and try to see more changes, and then focus into THOSE changes... etc.  This Noticing Exercise with a Twist is different because instead of focusing in on "changes", you're going to focus in on recognizable patterns that you're seeing.  These patterns might initially start off as slight "changes", but then just use your Intent to try to "see" more.  You can even try to mentally give a command and see what happens.  :)
http://unlimitedboundaries.ca/2011/05/18/a-twist-on-the-noticing-exercise/


Summerlander

I was waiting for something like this. :-)

On creating rather than waiting for things to form...this must take practice because we must be careful not to use to much of our conscious mind as we are altering our awareness to become our unconscious...

QuoteNow, the trick here isn't to see a pattern and think to yourself, "Oh, I see a circle!" or anything like that, you still want to remain passively observing, yet focused upon the image you're seeing and try to strengthen it if you can (don't try too hard, remember to stay relatively passive).  Bring your full attention towards it.

Exactly, don't try too hard or you'll end up using too much of your left hemisphere and it can go against the the very act of phasing and the activation of the right hemisphere. I think we must be passive because, if we are too conscious or too analytical at that stage (during Phase entry), we may phase back to full physical awareness.

Selea

#2
I tell you a little thing Xanth.

In more "ancient" times when students approached "visualization" in occidental "occult" schools the teaching was structured more with the student having to effectively visualize an object, as an apple, actively, and this was the primary way of doing it. Nowadays the thing has, indeed, much changed. When a "visualization" excercize is approached, at beginning, the student is usually advised on expecting to see the thing s/he tries to "visualize", until it's not there. You don't "actively" try to visualize nothing, you let your "will" do it.

The difference is that in doing so you utilize the subconscious part of the mind instead of the conscious one and the creative subconscious "power" is much more than the conscious. "Active" visualization is nowadays only used to teach the student certain specific things, but not more to "create" visual images in the mind and their applications.

Everybody does this, unconsciously. If for example with the eyes closed you relax and listen to sounds "images" will arise in your mind tied to that sounds, by themselves. This is also why it is said that "language creates" (apart some other "mystical" motives) and all the theory of fenomenology behind this. When someone uses the term "house", for example, you visualize the object and create a "structure" of what you see, so you can share that interpretation and its meaning with other people and agree on it.

An year ago I posted about this in reply to you speaking about Phasing. I said to you to try something: to "pretend" you were seeing an object in your room (or the whole room) as if you had the eyes open. Just pretending, nothing more. You didn't notice the difference  *consciouly* at that time (you didn't focus on it, thinking it was just a"noticing" excercize as you did always do, where the "images" arised by themselves, instead of your will creating them), but I was sure that "subconsciously" the difference would have reached you, one way or another. You have now mixed (so to speak) the two: you let first an "image" (or a sketch of an "image") form by itself and then you "strengthen" or "structure" it with your intent.

As for little "secrets" on how to do this effectively: the more your mind doesn't wander, the more it is calm and you don't have internal dialogue, the more powerful the "intent" is setted and fidelity of "visualization" will be. It also helps in being "absorbed" in the thing you "see" so that your "reality" shifts.

This is also tied to what I told you about using the "light" to create a "vehicle". It is used in the same way, only the "medium" is different. You actively "visualize" nothing, it is your will/desire/intent that does it, only this time instead of with so called "thought forms" with somenthing else.

As for not putting too much "force" on the intent, that's a thing you learn with practice. It is a sort of equilibrum of passive/active that you have to reach and learn by practicing. It is like when you first learn on how to stop the internal chatter and you put a lot of concentration doing it at beginning, until "you" (or better, something inside you) doesn't learn the "trick" and you actually relax when you do it.

Xanth


floriferous

#4
I use this technique as well. I actively try to creates images in the blackness. I find the easiest thing to try is moving down an astral tunnel. It is simple to visualize and has depth and parallax which seems to facilitate the process. I even do it on the commute home. I find it remarkably easy here. Once I start seeing the tunnel it just develops of its own accord and I just go with. I would say though that so far they have not developed into a fully blown experience yet.


In addition, what I find stimulates these images is the using the hemi-sync cd Sound Sleeper. I've no idea why but I put it on at bedtime with not particular aim (not even to create an image in the blackness). After about 5 mins I just start receiving interesting visuals. They are very different from the images I get using a specific focus level cd. Those tend to be fleeting that disappear as soon as I look at them whereas with sound sleeper I find they hold firm and once I lock in on it I find they evolve.

One important thing with this technique I would say though is in being careful how you look with your eyes. When you are just passively observing  your eyes are in that natural position (that relaxed, looking slight down towards your nose position). If you are actively trying to create something you might be tempted to force your eyes to look outward ( I liken it to focusing somewhere in the distance). There is a definite strain in the eyes with this which would be detrimental to the process. So it is important to maintain that relaxed eye position when doing this.

CFTraveler

That's how I do chakra meditations- by 'making myself see' the color of the chakra I'm concentrating on.  It gives the exercise more depth, and it involves more of your attention.

Xanth

Quote from: CFTraveler on June 30, 2011, 16:38:21
That's how I do chakra meditations- by 'making myself see' the color of the chakra I'm concentrating on.  It gives the exercise more depth, and it involves more of your attention.
That's exactly what I'm finding too.  It's bringing my attention away from the physical so much easier.

dotster

After my success with the primer you threw together Xanth (thanks again for that!), this started happening to me too, particularly after I read a post from someone on here concerning what to do with your actual physical eyes while noticing. I was having problems keeping my eyelids shut and one technique the poster advised using is where you kind move your focal point to a space in the middle of your brain. I found this to be most helpful in keeping my eyes closed because I would find my physical eyes trying to look out and notice depth "through" my eyelids and by turning them inwards everything just seems kind of internal so my eyes just calm down and let things happen. It may just be a coincidence but one of the most frequent images that I tend to see is an eye as well. That's normally one of the first things I see. I also try "passively" creating things, or influencing the things my mind just throws at me. It's a great way to relax, and it's also kind of just a friendly reminder through out the day when I close my eyes that what we perceive this world to be through our 5 main senses is really just a very acute form of the true nature of reality.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. Perhaps some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one.