2 MEDITATION
InnerSelf
in the
FLOW
Mind & HEART
with DR GRAHAM WILLIAMS
DEEPENING STAGES OF MEDITATION AND NEUROSCIENCE We have found in the Lifeflow Learn to Meditate course that the participants become fascinated by what is happening as they go deeper into meditation. Therefore we spend time in the course exploring the deeper states which are often called transpersonal states, alternate states of consciousness or trance states. They are often made to sound strange, but we experience them quite naturally when we are completely absorbed in something. This is why people love watching a film, reading a book, playing sport, listening to music, working, walking, swimming or surfing and experiencing those magic times when they “zone out” and completely lose track of time. You might have had the experience at these times of feeling almost as though you are not there, and that what you are doing is doing itself. This means that you have spontaneously entered a state of meditation. It can be quite light, where you are still thinking, or very deep, where your thinking has stopped altogether. Testing dee per sta deeper stagg es The deepening stages have been an integral part of the meditation tradition for thousands of years. Experienced meditators can recognise them clearly. However, even though there have been many studies exploring brainwaves in meditation, noone has previously discovered if the tests of neuroscience actually tally with the different stages meditators have been describing. So a couple of years ago, Flinders University and Lifeflow Meditation joined forces to explore what actually happens in the brain as a meditator goes through the deepening stages. Exper ts in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, psychology and engineering were brought in to monitor the tests. Fifteen Lifeflow students went into the neuroscience department at the University one at a time to be seated in a specially prepared room and wired up to an EEG machine for a whole morning. While they went through the different stages their brain waves were measured. Even to
the most sceptical, the results were clear cut. Relaxation and meditation The first thing the scientists wanted to find out was to see if there was any difference between just resting in a relaxed state and meditating. So the experiment started with each meditator closing their eyes and relaxing. And then, after a short break, they went into meditation. To the surprise of everyone it was very clear that there was a distinct difference between the two states. Not only did this show how meditation was clearly different from simply relaxing, it also showed how the mind was alert while meditating and how meditation increased the ability to concentrate. Four deepening stages What made this experiment so different from the many previous studies in meditation was that all the meditators were doing the same meditations, and, at the same time, each meditator could use the meditations to shift from one state to another. We measured four distinct states because these are the ones outlined in detail in the tradition. When you are trained in them, you notice the changes in the stages as you go deeper into meditation because they each have quite a distinct feeling. The first stage When people first star t to meditate they often describe it as being incredibly deeply relaxed, almost as though they are falling asleep. And this is exactly what the experiment showed. It showed how the meditators went through exactly the same process as falling asleep, but stopped right at the point before actually falling asleep. They could hold this point right between being awake and asleep. The scientists were very familiar with this process because of the work they had done in the sleep laboratory at the University. But, of course, the difference was that in the sleep laboratory, people did fall asleep. At the first stage, even though you are in a meditation state, you are still
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RELEASING BLOCKS thinking. But your thinking is not the highly aroused, demanding process we are normally used to – it is smooth, does not dominate your mind, and you have clear gaps between thoughts. With your normal thinking, the predominant brainwave is beta, which looks exactly how it feels –moving in quick, short pulses. Once you go into meditation your brain goes into alpha brainwaves which are smooth and slower-moving. As you go to sleep your brain goes into a delta wave pattern, so if this is dominant it is the indicator of having fallen sleep. When the meditators went into the first stage it showed that the delta waves which were clearly apparent when they were simply relaxing decreased markedly, and the alpha waves increased. Theta brainwaves also showed up and people can have their best ideas in this state. The second stage In the second stage you actually stop thinking, and so this showed up clearly in the results with no more beta waves. Even the smooth alpha waves star ted to decrease. Theta waves were also present, and these are often associated with a free flow of images. our th T he thir thirdd and ffour stages Here all brainwave activity decreased markedly at each stage with the fourth stage showing the brain in a very quiet, still state. This is the deepest state possible and while all the stages are very blissful to experience, the hallmark of this stage is the gentle bliss of deep peace. Dr. Graham Williams has thirty years’ experience in teaching meditation, is the Director of The Lifeflow Meditation Centre and an adjunct lecturer at Flinders University. His first book Insight and Love is in its third edition and his book Life in Balance was released in 2008. It is available online, in bookshops in Adelaide and throughout Australia. The Lifeflow Centre provides regular meditation courses in their city studio and retreats in a relaxing hills setting. P 8353 0000 W www.lifeflow.com.au
The great sages say there always is a clear pathway to our Inner Self. The only blocks to directly experiencing this divine connection are the ones we place there ourselves. What are these blocks? How do you experience them? Where do they come from? And how can you dissolve them? At the most physical level, blocks appear as tension. This can be the everyday discomfort of tight shoulders or pain in the back or neck. They can also be more blatant, as when you have received bad news and feel like you’ve been kicked in the stomach. Or when you have a lump in the throat or hurt in the heart. Emotionally a block may manifest through too much talking. Any time you hear yourself or someone else tell the same story over and over, you are experiencing an emotional block. The sullen withdrawal of depression also is an expression of a block. Most usual is when you simply don’t want to face something. What are the patterns? See if you can identify for yourself or another person an approach that seems to consistently arise. These may be statements, such as, I need to understand, or I need someone else to make me feel better, or I can’t bear this feeling. Some people want to hit something, divert their attention, or run out and do something to get their minds off the block. Others go into avoidance or get friends to agree with them. Usually it’s not until we hit a crisis or can finally admit we’ve had enough that we’re ready to look more closely. Are you ready to drop your own blocks? What Causes Blocks? It’s simple. Blocks are caused by thinking. At the most profound level, thinking itself diverts your attention away from focusing on your higher consciousness. Many meditation techniques help you refocus your mind inward on your own inner light. These may include mantra, the practice of silence, opening the space between thought, chanting, music or releasing the mind into pure awareness. On a more mundane level, blocks may be a reaction to a person, an event or circumstance. Or they may
just arise through impressions, memory or fantasy. Whenever you recognise you have a block, ask yourself what you have been thinking. It’s helpful to identify specifically what you have been telling yourself whether you feel you’ve been right or wrong. Here’s a contemplation that might help you uncover and dissolve an issue. 1. Recognize the block: If you already know where your tension or unease is located, focus your awareness there. Or bring in the idea of relationships, such as family, friends, children, par tners or colleagues. What comes up? When you have no blocks you feel expanded, clear and comfortable. Any tension or discomfort signals a block. Notice your energy. Do you have a lot of energy or do you feel depleted? Notice where you hold this tension in your body. Ask yourself: What is this block made of? 2. Identify the underlying feeling: Notice your mood. Is this feeling frustration, irritation or impatience? Is this feeling sadness, disappointment, or depression? Is this feeling worry, anxiety or doubt? Is this a familiar feeling? Try these statements quietly to yourself: I feel angry. I feel sad. I feel afraid. Watch your inner response to these statements. 3. Look dee per deeper per:: Ask yourself: When did this tension occur? Weeks or years ago? Yesterday or a few days ago? Today? What time, when. Who was I with? What was the issue? What caused the tension? Did I say something to create this tension? Did I do something to create this tension? Did someone hur t my feelings? Did someone get angry with me? 4. Accept: As best you can, try to embrace the insights you just received. Absorb the feeling and information with gentleness. These are my feelings, which are caused by my thoughts. This is my own feeling caused by attitude. This block is my reaction to something. This block is a conversation I need to have. 5. Release the energy: Investigate what you need to do to release the block. Ask yourself ques-
tions like: Who do I need to speak to? Who do I need to forgive? Who do I need to apologise to? Who do I need to accept? What do I need to do? What do I need to say? Do I need to give up something? Do I need to give my blessing to something? 6. Let Go: If nothing arises, you may not have as deep feelings about the issue as you thought. Or you may need to be more honest with yourself. Perhaps you will need to repeat the inquiry or similar questions; after all, it’s possibly taken years for the blocks to form. When you do release a block, you may feel more aligned or at ease. Tears may appear or you might feel a whoosh of energy. Tension dissolves and the mind opens to the light of your own inner Consciousness. Swami Dayananda is the Director of the Adelaide Shiva Yoga Meditation Centre at 79 Military Road, Semaphore. The Centre conducts courses and sessions in yoga, meditation, self-inquiry and the philosophies of yoga and spirituality. Join us for Satsang Saturdays at 7.30! The next retreat at our new Lokananda Conscious Living Retreat Centre near Eudunda will be October 1-4. For more information, contact 8242 4929 or www.meditationyoga.com.au