MuMuWu's Practice Journal

Awoke after a vivid dream in the morning. I was and still am able to recall a lot of it fairly well.

After this, I closed my eyes and watched for the next one. I was able to see a dream scene begin to shape itself together. It was like looking at a scene through a window with blurry edges. It became fairly stable but I still felt outside of it (it was a full color, tv like image of an old couple arguing). It eventually destabilized and fell apart. I drifted off to sleep at some point after that I don't recall.

"Kenneth Folk explains how Mahasi noting can improve psychological health."

This seems very important for me to do at this point.

"Kenneth Folk explains how Mahasi noting can improve psychological health."

This seems very important for me to do at this point.

So important, in fact, that you posted it twice.

Reading the Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle) again. Highly recommended for people interested in direct mode.

I'm finding that instead of chasing a particular state or goal (being fully present in this moment) it is much better to simply find the perfection in this moment. So rather than trying to achieve clarity or bring an end to tension I simply tune into what is perfect already and accept was is occurring.

Also had a very clear moment of total acceptance and wide centerless perception on the way home the other day. I was doing direct mode and then included the witness. At some point I let the witness go and said to myself "be everything". There was a palpable shift into a place where there was no separation between subject and object. It was so clear and still.

Was able to repeat this today at lunch time on a walk.

At first I did grounding and then noted thought or no though for a while. From there I asked "can I find perfection in this moment." I tuned into the senses more and continued to do grounding. Eventually I focused on the aspect of space in conjunction with direct mode and then switched to doing 6th jhana like focus. From here I dropped the witness and "said be everything." Awareness was much wider and clearer at this point. I repeated the last few steps several times. By the time I got back to my building I started to feel a subtle but clean joy/sense of wonder. There was a large truck parked outside our building - it looked gorgeous as did the compressed gas cylinders outside the shop doors. The writing on them looked exceptionally clear.

Sounds really nice!

I'm noticing I can go from a good version of direct mode (where I am grounding emotions) to a wide open state by asking who am I and then grounding the sensations associated with the witness. I'm assuming this is related to stage 7 in some way. I have a feeling that if this became my baseline, that would be stage 7. It's pretty easy to maintain the wider, no restrictive awareness once I'm in it. This seems like a great platform from which to work on noting thought/no thought.

It's a really great state, isn't it? Narrative thinking mostly goes away, so the times when it starts up are really salient because it's so out-of-place in this state.

Unfortunately (?) I have the worry that stage 7 isn't like this. I got into what I think is the same state as you're describing a lot, and eventually would find that I temporarily had something stage 7-like even when I was obviously not in direct mode. Same for stage 6 and the direct mode grounding of emotions (there is a non-direct mode analogue). Curious to hear whether you find something similar or different as you follow up on this state.

You and me seem to be at a similar stage of practice, so I'll be following how things evolve for you with interest.

Yes, it's quite nice. It seems to be at it's best when outside in a large open space with a lot of things going on (birds, sounds, cars, trees, clouds, buildings, people, etc.). Driving can be particularly nice as well.

Thinking is attenuated in this state but still occurs for me, a lot of the time it is extremely subtle and image based. Often it is practice related.

You can get into the same territory without using direct mode (it's still direct mode reall - more so without grounding in the body). If you are attentive and tuning into the senses mainly, that seems to be a way in as well. There is much less of a focus on what is going on in the body in that case and being in a relatively good mood seems to make it work better. This would be more in line with the method advocated in actualism as opposed to the grounding technique used in direct mode.

"Yes, it's quite nice. It seems to be at it's best when outside in a large open space with a lot of things going on (birds, sounds, cars, trees, clouds, buildings, people, etc.). Driving can be particularly nice as well.

"

Hi, yes, driving offers a possibility to completely sink into reality and disappear in it. Kenneth gave me "Why do I think that me and the environment are not the same?" to add it and it was very very easy while driving. Maybe the constant change of environment helps.

LocoAustriaco, I think you have a point about the constant change of environment. Perhaps the same reason why mumuwu prefers an open space with lots happening in it. I also find it's much easier to get into this state when there's a lot of sensory stimulation (but it's not always clear how much is just right).

About that state and its possible relation to stage 7, I've had non-direct mode experiences where the body isn't seen as "I" after hanging out in that state for awhile, and I'm sure they're not direct mode because they don't have any suppression of vibrations.

Mumuwu, It seems like you're saying there are times when you've attained that state but without bodily grounding of emotions during it...am I understanding you correctly?

Yes. By tuning into things in a sensate way.

Which emotions typically come up in that state for you, when there's no bodily grounding? How is it different in terms of emotions from normal consciousness?

Emotions? Wonder, happiness, well being. When those are the dominant theme, that sort of mode becomes more and more accessible. There's little focus on the body at all.

Noticing the effortlessness involved in seeing, hearing, etc., tuning into that effortlessness and resting in it seems very conducive to direct mode / pce-like experience.

"Noticing the effortlessness involved in seeing, hearing, etc., tuning into that effortlessness and resting in it seems very conducive to direct mode / pce-like experience. "


Right on, love it!

Noting mind states, feeling the corresponding phenomenon occurring in the body / grounding what comes up seems much more productive than simply trying to ground "tension" as it arises in the body. Antero suggested this to me today. I think it's a big improvement over my previous grounding technique.

Thanks Antero!

Every now and then when you get into really deep emotional stuff, childhood trauma or whatever, what worked for me was opening up to that emotion. Trying to get into it as deeply as possible and doing the grounding all the time. It can get painful as you open up and accept it all, but it is very powerful practise as well.

Keep on going Jayson!

That is a Mahamudra practice.

Edit: spelling

Yes, I've been doing that as well for a while now. If there is some pervasive pain, that won't go away I've been asking "what is this trying to tell me" and exploring the memories, emotions, etc. that come up as a result. I think this has been a big part of the drop off in negative emotions I've been experiencing over the past few months.

I will definitely try and keep it in mind go forward. Thanks for the encouragement.

"
That is a Mahamudra parctice.

"

Interesting.

Neat!! (relevant!)

"250 men аnd women asked to draw how several emotions felt in their bodies. These аre the combined results."

sharerimg.com/p/23678.html

Source - www.emotionallyvague.com/

After working with the noting/grounding technique as explained to me by Antero, I'm finding myself in what has the body feel of re-observation. The continuous grounding is making it quite bearable in that there is mostly just intense body feel with the occasional whiff of emotion which is then grounded.

This seems to be occurring again today.