What are your favorite single-focus techniques?

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

While I've done a lot of thought watching (tend to do that all day as it is really) and attempts at deliberate thought sessation and clearing, I really hadn't done a lot in the way of single-focus visualization. Part of my problem was that anything that I tried to visualize out in front of me would dance if it was stationary. Someone recently gave the suggestion to close your eyes and visualize a flickering candle - seems like a pretty good one and I'm wondering if anyone's thought of some others that seem to really lend themselves to pulling you in and shutting out all other thoughts.

[Ramscha]

Dancing cleares the mind, or wandering around if you have enough time and plan to do something out in free nature. When wandering to your destination point and only listening and looking to your breath and sourrounding your mind will be soon pretty empty. Same goes for sports if you do something inside. A small workout, just focusing on the excersize itself wipes your mind [wink]

All of those things are rather motion based, but they make your energy flowing and at least some jumping up and down so that your legs don't get numb should be the minimum you do.

Ramscha

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

Heh, would breaking out the glowsticks in my room and brocking out to a good Loxy or D-Bridge set work in that sense? It sounds from what you're saying like tunneling into a there-and-then experience can pretty much get the job done - if that's the case I'll try to stay a little more open minded to my options.

[Ramscha]

It is one way to get into shift of consciousness. By the way, one mention that there are lots of different ways to get to a consciousness shift and depending on the method the experienced shift can vayrie a great deal.

Example:
Compare the shift of daydreaming (this is already a very simple shift) to the shift of a workout, when you are completly focused on the body motion.
Two shifts, completly different experience.

I once read that you can seperate trance into two genereal types, a maximizing and a minimizing trance/shift.

Maximizing means to get your mind overrun by information and impressions to come to your shift (example: dancing and singing and laughing)
Minimizing is the exact opposite, you clear and isolate your minds from any impression and impuls, mostly focusing only on one thing (example: Asana)

To experiment with those states of consciousness is a very interesting work, I can say that much. After the traditional ways you get ideas such as eating yourself into trance or you find your perfect music for getting the easiest shift ( Goa and psychedelic Dub are very easy to handle for such operations).

Ramscha

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

I guess my question was really in this spirit:

I understand that certain types of meditation on an ongoing basis help aid your more psychic/clairvoyant capabilities as well as drawing down guidance more directly from within. It seems to be facilitated by building of a neurological potential of sorts and with that the mid-range goals can be things like focusing on one thought or object while letting no thoughts in for about half an hour or alternately staying completely empty for that half hour without a single thought passing through. I know that such things are a process because you need to be able to sort of dismantle the interruptions.

I guess that's what I'm working toward more than just a daily reset and I'm trying to sort out, if anyone's been meditating in that general direction and applied single-focus techniques, what they found to be a good and practical stimulus.

[albatross]

For the past several months I've been trying to employ some of these techniques as well, to improve lucidity in dream-states and to promote clairvoyance. These are the 2 practices I'm attempting to make a regular part of my life, and I've already noticed a significant improvement... with the added bonus of seeing my winter blues subside a bit.

1. Engaging the senses
What I mean by this is finding some activity, preferably outside, that stimulates your sense of sound, touch, sight, and smell. Like digging around in a garden, climbing rocks, or even just sitting up against a tree in a forest with your hands touching the ground next to you. Focus your vision on the textures of objects and surfaces around you... like those of rocks, leaves, bark, and insects.

2. Meditation
I belong to a meditation group that meets weekly and practices the way of Meditative Inquiry. Its a great nondenominational meditation method, no dogma attached... and it meshes nicely with occult philosophies. Look up books by Toni Packer if you're interested in reading about the approach.

I feel the combination of these methods helps to create a cycle of triggering or creating sensory memories, which then help enhance your awareness while in an altered state. Those memories are 'filling in the blanks', so to speak, to give clarity to an energy or entity that is trying to express itself to you. Our senses are the only tools we've got to even perceive that these energies are out there, and unfortunately our senses can get pretty dulled down by modern life. Being out in nature also helps us to tune into an environment that is more 'active' with these energies we're trying to engage with. If we learn to feel what its like to interact with them in those natural environments, we'll be more perceptive to them everywhere else.

I apologize if I'm explaining things too abstractly, or if this sounds like a bunch of hippy-dippy bull. Just my two cents, and its what works for me.

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

I apologize if I'm explaining things too abstractly, or if this sounds like a bunch of hippy-dippy bull. Just my two cents, and its what works for me.

Nah, this is awesome actually. You just gave a lot more solid creds to a lot of what a particular Rosicrucian system I've been in has been saying about the five senses. I've also had I think a bit of clairsentience through touch and inner-mind imagry but it's like you said, it's scrying with the senses and the pigeon that you can scare up with these sentient energies is based on the degree of sensory rhetoric that you have available for them to work with.

In a way that helps connect the dots on some things - like for instance I thought cancelling all thoughts to listen to higher self or guides might have been (since I'm still somewhat out on how to tell what they're saying and how much I an trust the limits of the dialog before it gets to...err....pointed? I try to avoid the falsifiable at this stage in the game since faith-building is still in progress regarding my ability to 'hear' through things like touch or synchronicity). I've heard people speak of angels as being geometric beings in such a way that they'd show up in manners that would be too cloaked or woven into the physical for most people to sense unless they really knew what they were looking for and had the practice - sounds like this is the claim about seeing entities in general and that it may be a little less about 'turning your pineal gland on' than most people make it out to be.

TY for the thoughtful response and no - if abstract is accurate it's perfectly fine. In a way we're dealing with abstract phenomena on a lighter/subtler stage of existence to begin with so it makes perfect sense that things like this or Eliphas Levi's conversation on the astral light would have that particular bend.

[elderos]

Sensation of water is my favorite. Often I'll sit in the shower (yes, sit haha) and just focus on the hot water hitting my body, flowing through it, and imagining it to be a source of energy. Other times I'll displace my mental imagery to be in some sort of tropical island and imagine sitting under a warm waterfall.

Floating in a pool during the summer time. I love literally just floating around and using my rhythmically deep breathing to keep me afloat. It becomes so rhythmic that my weight that would cause me to sink calibrates with the air in my lungs that keep me afloat. Almost trance-inducing!

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

Sensation of water is my favorite. Often I'll sit in the shower (yes, sit haha) and just focus on the hot water hitting my body, flowing through it, and imagining it to be a source of energy. Other times I'll displace my mental imagery to be in some sort of tropical island and imagine sitting under a warm waterfall.

Floating in a pool during the summer time. I love literally just floating around and using my rhythmically deep breathing to keep me afloat. It becomes so rhythmic that my weight that would cause me to sink calibrates with the air in my lungs that keep me afloat. Almost trance-inducing!

Good suggestion. A bit on the humorous but simultaneously practical side - this reminds me of some of the stuff William Mistele was talking about in his undines book. You could probably get Istiphul or Isaphil on speed dial with that.

[elderos]

I didn't know who Istiphul was and just Googled it. Super cool!! I've always found water absolutely ecstatic and swimming around underwater is soo freeing.. often when I go to the pool with friends they think I'm slightly strange because I'll swim around and do flips and swirls the span of the entire pool.

Now I know who to invoke when summer gets here

[manonthepath]

If the development you seek means enough to you, you might want to find a Tai Chi instructor. If you find a good one, it will be well worth the price you pay. That failing, try visiting your local Buddhist Temple. The monks are usually in touch with squared away practitioners, who don't advertize. They also know many of the best Yoga meditation instructors.

[Cybernetic_Jazz]

If the development you seek means enough to you, you might want to find a Tai Chi instructor. If you find a good one, it will be well worth the price you pay. That failing, try visiting your local Buddhist Temple. The monks are usually in touch with squared away practitioners, who don't advertize. They also know many of the best Yoga meditation instructors.

My martial arts instructor actually teaches Tai Chi and Chi Quong in addition to our usual material. He usually has it at times however that I'm not able to attend but I'm sure he'd work with me on it. From what I remember of the 24 form its a pretty good stress reducer.