Feeling the Third Eye

[Kirran]

I've been having an issue lately, that I wonder if y'all could advise me on at all (I don't get to say y'all in real life, imagine it said in a British accent). In meditation, I think it's important for me to learn to have my focus on the third eye, so that becomes where I'm kind of located while I'm stilling the mind.

So over the last few days, I've been really trying to feel the third eye in my meditations, as opposed to just looking in that general direction. But I'm having trouble really feeling that place, at least for any period, because where it is I'm feeling will drift down or off to the side or something, as opposed to me being able to hold my feeling there.

And it's not like just my mind wandering, I know what that feels like well and it's not that. Although it's tough to really get that state of settled and calm awareness when I'm questing for my third eye so much.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

 

[Kalibhakta]

I actually have some experience with that. Whenever I experience Darshan, it feels like my third eye is being forced open, like a bullet or a snakebite. It is rather ecstatic and purging feeling. It's not really a controllable thing. I would suggest try to focus...something like a mantra, or a bhajan. It's hard to describe this.

 

[Kirran]

I actually have some experience with that. Whenever I experience Darshan, it feels like my third eye is being forced open, like a bullet or a snakebite. It is rather ecstatic and purging feeling. It's not really a controllable thing. I would suggest try to focus...something like a mantra, or a bhajan. It's hard to describe this.

I can dig that. I haven't received darshan, so I don't know about that from experience.

As I say, it's not so much that it's concentration or focus that's tough. It's just feeling that particular place solidly while in that state of calm attention.

 

[Aupmanyav]

As I say, it's not so much that it's concentration or focus that's tough. It's just feeling that particular place solidly while in that state of calm attention.

Close your two eyes to open the third-eye. But who asked you to concentrate on that? Concentrate on your breathing, concentrate on the thoughts arising and dissipating in your mind, the third eye will automatically open.

 

[YmirGF]

I agree with Kalibhakta in that it is hard to describe. To compound this difficulty, once you have managed to open the so-called "third eye", it's quite impossible to close it off and one quickly loses track on what it was like prior to the experience. If that makes sense.... *gulp*

The only thing I'd suggest, as I'm still new to meditation, having only done it now for 4 decades, is to mildly focus on an imaginary point, directly in your field of vision. Do NOT force it too much. Simply focus on that point and let nature take its course, as it were. You'll be basking in the glow of inner sight in no time. I do hope this helps.

 

[YmirGF]

Close your two eyes to open the third-eye. But who asked you to concentrate on that? Concentrate on your breathing, concentrate on the thoughts arising and dissipating in your mind, the third eye will automatically open.

I've never been too terribly bothered about concentrating on breathing, although I recognize that that is important to some. People just need to learn to lighten up on themselves and their expectations to hone their meditations.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Close your two eyes to open the third-eye. But who asked you to concentrate on that? Concentrate on your breathing, concentrate on the thoughts arising and dissipating in your mind, the third eye will automatically open.

This has been my experience. Though I must add that opening the Third Eye was for me quite overwhelming. It felt at first as if a broomstick was pressing up against my forehead whenever I'd begin my practice. Once I allowed it "in", the sensation changed as if it burst outward and I could finally "see" things. If that makes sense.

So in spirit I agree with you. Stop fighting for it to happen. It will happen.

 

[YmirGF]

This has been my experience. Though I must add that opening the Third Eye was for me quite overwhelming. It felt at first as if a broomstick was pressing up against my forehead whenever I'd begin my practice. Once I allowed it "in", the sensation changed as if it burst outward and I could finally "see" things. If that makes sense.

So in spirit I agree with you. Stop fighting for it to happen. It will happen.

I guess what makes me the weirdo in the pack was that mine opened BEFORE I got into meditation... It was one of the principle reasons I paid to learn Transcendental Marination.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I do not need to do meditation now. I did it just for less than a fortnight. I did it while sitting in front of a busy road with all the honking of horns (as they like to do in India). Experienced the blank mind (so to say), got the hang of how to concentrate on a topic (manana). Solved all my questions that way. I do not meditate because I have no questions left. 40 years, YmirGF, wonder why?

 

[Quintessence]

Some feel placement of crystals can facilitate the process. Pick something you feel would correspond to the nature of the Third Eye. Typically folks will use something like azurite or lapis lazuli. Alternatively, some sort of anointing oil could also facilitate it, or burning some incense that corresponds. Lots of possible helpers out there.

 

[YmirGF]

I do not need to do meditation now. I did it just for less than a fortnight. I did it while sitting in front of a busy road with all the honking of horns (as they like to do it in India). Experienced the blank mind (so to say), got the hang of how to concentrate on a topic (manana). Solved all my questions that way. I do not meditate because I have no questions left. 40 years, YmirGF, wonder why?

Like eating and breathing, it`s just something that I come to enjoy.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Oh, an addict. Nice, nothing wrong with that. It is surely a very nice feeling even if happens for a moment.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Some feel placement of crystals can facilitate the process. Pick something you feel would correspond to the nature of the Third Eye. Typically folks will use something like azurite or lapis lazuli. Alternatively, some sort of anointing oil could also facilitate it, or burning some incense that corresponds. Lots of possible helpers out there.

Dim lights, candles (not that one should stare on the flame), incense; but objects or counting - personally, I would not suggest that. My method was mantra chanting. Of course, people feel comfortable with many different ways.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

So what it is actually like seeing through the third eye?

 

[YmirGF]

So what it is actually like seeing through the third eye?

I might try answering this a bit later. Time for breakfast.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

So what it is actually like seeing through the third eye?

For me, it's like seeing a page in a book, but then somebody puts one of those transparent overlays that adds to the page and either changes the color a bit, or adds another image/text to the orginial page. Have you seen those compilations? They're seen in childrens books or in color swatches for design or in art books. Sometimes it's a subtle change, and other times it's like several layers of those transparent overlays stacked on top of each other and the end visual is brilliant.

It's as if they were always there....those added visuals....but like how dogs can hear vibrations on much higher waves than humans can, it's as if our senses expand to include the higher and lower vibrations that were always there, but didn't have the capacity to see them.

Another way of describing it from my experience is how older photographs are scanned and digitized for greater clarity. The image was always there, but high def helps to see things in the details we weren't able to see before.

I'm only speaking from my own journey, however. YMMV.

 

[YmirGF]

For me, it's like seeing a page in a book, but then somebody puts one of those transparent overlays that adds to the page and either changes the color a bit, or adds another image/text to the orginial page. Have you seen those compilations? They're seen in childrens books or in color swatches for design or in art books. Sometimes it's a subtle change, and other times it's like several layers of those transparent overlays stacked on top of each other and the end visual is brilliant.

It's as if they were always there....those added visuals....but like how dogs can hear vibrations on much higher waves than humans can, it's as if our senses expand to include the higher and lower vibrations that were always there, but didn't have the capacity to see them.

Another way of describing it from my experience is how older photographs are scanned and digitized for greater clarity. The image was always there, but high def helps to see things in the details we weren't able to see before.

I'm only speaking from my own journey, however. YMMV.

This is an excellent description, MysticHeath'er.

While munching over breakfast, I was mulling how it was more an extension of ordinary seeing, but normally, only metaphorically. I mean when you find yourself agreeing with someone and say, "Oh, I see!" That extension in perception is how I'm most often meaning the "seeing" of "inner sight" of the so-called "third eye". Many times one will also have rather stunning visuals, but for the most part it is like your analogy of simply seeing a bit of a glimmer of an adjacent piece of the puzzle to the one in front of you, providing one with a larger perspective than is normally available.

I hope this is clearer than mud.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

So are we talking about understanding more clearly, developing some insight, experiencing things in a richer way, something like that?

 

[YmirGF]

So are we talking about understanding more clearly, developing some insight, experiencing things in a richer way, something like that?

An expansion of perception perhaps? For example, I'd never tell you that this extended perception is infallible or somehow "pure" or "absolute", etc... etc... etc... That said, one does FEEL the expansion happening when the inner perception impinges on ordinary awareness.... I don't know, think of it as an often amusing "Ah ha!" moment where things just fall into place or you make intuitive leaps that were not possible prior to the inspiration.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

An expansion of perception perhaps? For example, I'd never tell you that this extended perception is infallible or somehow "pure" or "absolute", etc... etc... etc... That said, one does FEEL the expansion happening when the inner perception impinges on ordinary awareness....

I have the experience of the mind being more spacious, calmer, clearer...well, on a good day.