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Jhana experience

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:33 pm
by TravisGM
Hello everyone, I've been doing Anapanasati meditation and I had something interesting happen recently... I was hoping someone might be able to tell me if this is jhana.

I was focusing on the anapana spot when all of a sudden I felt like I was growing in size. I continued to grow, or felt like it until I stretched across my room and started to bolt off somewhere. I attempted to continue to focus on the anapana spot but found it to be very difficult. Is this jhana? Again, thanks for the replies.

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:47 pm
by bodom
Experiences like this in meditation are quite common and not indicative of jhana.

The following from Bhante G. may be helpful to you:
Problem 3
Odd Sensations


People experience all manner of varied phenomena in meditation. Some people get itches. Others feel tingling, deep relaxation, a feeling of lightness or a floating sensation. You may feel yourself growing or shrinking or rising up in the air. Beginners often get quite excited over such sensations. As relaxation sets in, the nervous system simply begins to pass sensory signals more efficiently. Large amounts of previously blocked sensory data can pour through, giving rise to all manner of unique sensations. It does not signify anything in particular. It is just sensation. So simply employ the normal technique. Watch it come up and watch it pass away. Don't get involved.
:anjali:

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:04 pm
by TravisGM
Experiences like this in meditation are quite common and not indicative of jhana.
Thank you :)

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:12 am
by marc108
bodom wrote:Experiences like this in meditation are quite common and not indicative of jhana.

The following from Bhante G. may be helpful to you:
Problem 3
Odd Sensations


People experience all manner of varied phenomena in meditation. Some people get itches. Others feel tingling, deep relaxation, a feeling of lightness or a floating sensation. You may feel yourself growing or shrinking or rising up in the air. Beginners often get quite excited over such sensations. As relaxation sets in, the nervous system simply begins to pass sensory signals more efficiently. Large amounts of previously blocked sensory data can pour through, giving rise to all manner of unique sensations. It does not signify anything in particular. It is just sensation. So simply employ the normal technique. Watch it come up and watch it pass away. Don't get involved.
:anjali:
:goodpost:

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:12 am
by black hole
Sorry Bodom, could you tell me who is Bhante G. and what's the article or the book you quote ? Thank you.

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:24 am
by thaijeppe
The book is Mindfulness in plain English

http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/mindfuln ... nglish.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali: jeppe

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:31 am
by black hole
Thank you :anjali:

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:27 am
by LonesomeYogurt
It might be indicative of access concentration coming on, but it's not something associated with jhana.

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:35 pm
by TravisGM
It might be indicative of access concentration coming on, but it's not something associated with jhana.
I'm curious, does the anapana spot move often too during access concentration? Because I find it difficult to locate an exact pOint for the spot and I'm not sure why...

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:06 pm
by LonesomeYogurt
TravisGM wrote:I'm curious, does the anapana spot move often too during access concentration? Because I find it difficult to locate an exact pOint for the spot and I'm not sure why...
That probably just an indication that concentration has not fully developed. I'd recommend trying to focus more on the breath itself, rather than searching for a sensation spot. Anapana is mindfulness of breath, not mindfulness of sensation on the upper lip!

Just pay attention to the breath as it passes into your nostrils and soon a anapana will show up. But if you want to progress to Jhana, it's important to move attention from the coarse physical pressure or tingling or coldness and onto the actual breath itself. A good analogy is when you're trying to nail something into a wall. You have to hold the nail with your hands for a bit until you've got the nail deep enough into the wall that you can let go and the nail will stay there without support. In the same way, after you focus for a period on the anapana spot and concentration gets stronger, try and start focusing on the more abstract breath instead of just the feeling. Does that make sense? I hope it does. It's a hard concept to get but if you try it it'll make sense.

Good luck!

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:53 pm
by daverupa
LonesomeYogurt wrote:Anapana is mindfulness of breath, not mindfulness of sensation on the upper lip!

Just pay attention to the breath as it passes into your nostrils...
It's interesting to say that anapanasati isn't mindfulness of a sensate-spot, and then to recommend a sensate-spot...

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:10 pm
by TravisGM
LonesomeYogurt wrote:
Anapana is mindfulness of breath, not mindfulness of sensation on the upper lip!

Just pay attention to the breath as it passes into your nostrils...


It's interesting to say that anapanasati isn't mindfulness of a sensate-spot, and then to recommend a sensate-spot...
I think, respectfully, he is advising to first focus on the spot or sensation until concentration increases then to focus on the breath. Is this correct or have I mis-understood what you've said?

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:21 pm
by LonesomeYogurt
TravisGM wrote:I think, respectfully, he is advising to first focus on the spot or sensation until concentration increases then to focus on the breath. Is this correct or have I mis-understood what you've said?
Yeah, that's kinda what I meant. Sorry if I wasn't clear!

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:29 pm
by TravisGM
:namaste: that's ok :)

Re: Jhana experience

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:09 pm
by daverupa
:anjali: