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I'm been trying to get into this for the past few weeks now, and I'm embarrassed to say that I've tripped, fallen, and ate dirt on what may very well be the first possible skill to learn.

Try as I might, I just can't seem to keep a clear head. (for meditation, obviously) Ever since I was... Well... Forever. Yeah, since I was born, my head has always been violently abuzz with thought. (Fantasy, contemplation, logic, analysis, what have you.) Whenever I try to shut it up, it only get's pissy with me. The most I've been able to hold an empty state of mind is.. ohh.. Thirty seconds, maybe a minute. Tops.

It's very difficult to explain. Whenever I think about nothing, something wants to pop in. My favorite is the one where my subconscious jams all of the tips I received that day into my thoughts. The ones saying to focus on my breathing, the ringing in my ears, the lights behind my eyelids, my body, my heartbeat.. (tried all of this btw). Of course, these are thoughts, which breaks my concentration. I'm beginning to suspect my subconscious is intentionally fucking with me; thwarting my attempts with tips for those very attempts. How coy.

Any suggestions in this department will be greatly appreciated.

Now, on a slightly off handed note, there are two things That I find quite bizarre, and would like some info about.
(Yes, both of them *can* be explained medically, but it's more convenient for me to ask here. Just humor me, please)

Numero Uno: Once again, as long as I can remember, I've had a strange sensation that seems to come and go completely randomly. Until about two years ago, that is. Now I can consciously control it. This sensation could best be described as someone pouring sand down my back. It doesn't quite hurt, it doesn't quite tickle. It isn't quite hot, or cold; Just... Very tingly. The sensation starts between my shoulder blades, and kind of.. Builds until it shots down my spine, stopping at the tailbone. I have enough control to reverse it, making it start at the tailbone, but... Whenever I do, it doesn't shoot up. It just builds until it bursts, causing my back to arch sharply. However, there have been a few instances that I cannot yet control where the pulse builds at the top, shoots to the bottom, bounces back up, and bursts again between my shoulder blades, sending a wave of tingles throughout my entire body, head to toe.
Anyone have any Idea what this may be? Or what it may be related to?

That does it for entry number one, now for entry number two.

This is a one time deal, nothing big either. I'm still curious though. Last night, while I was trying to relax and clear my mind, I was failing horribly. Then an article I read about the third eye barged into my head, so I decided... "Meh.. Let's see what happens."

I decided to take the tingles from my body, and try to focus them on that spot in particular. I was definitely getting results. That area of my forehead was beginning to get sort of.. Warm.. Then hot... Then I regretted doing this. That spot on my forehead was getting genuinely painful. Like my eyebrows were trying to push together and jump off o my head, or like someone balancing a weight on my head. Lots of heat and pressure would be the best way to describe it. I thought that maybe my muscles were just cramped, so I tried flexing, tensing, and relaxing those muscles on my forehead. No dice. The sensation got no worse, no better. Intentionally breaking my focus seemed to do very little, but at least something. After breaking focus, and rubbing my head, the sensation sort of coasted to a dull soreness that lasted all night. I didn't sleep after that either. Lets see.. That had to have been.. 5:30 AM, now it's 12:15 AM. Please note that I'm on a night schedule, so 2-4 AM bedtime is normal for me. I have thick (makeshift-custom) shades to block the light, so that is not an issue.

Anyways, If anyone has any input on any of these topics, that would be much appreciated.

P.S. I'm new here, so I must ask: Does it ever get annoying when complete amateurs just straight-up ask how to summon demons, fly, and materialize money?
I feel like i'd start to get annoyed after the six octillionth person asked me how to become their fantasy super hero.

P.S. I'm new here, so I must ask: Does it ever get annoying when complete amateurs just straight-up ask how to summon demons, fly, and materialize money?
I feel like i'd start to get annoyed after the six octillionth person asked me how to become their fantasy super hero.

Err...lol. [crazy] [shock2] [greensmile]

The asking isn't annoying,it's those who command who are worst. [twisted]

You know this is how it goes...

...So there I am sitting with the keys to the kingdom,just kicking back and waiting for teh nextest ebillest overlord to happen by and demand his/her birthright,from nasty ole me who for shure haz teh knowludgz but just won't share it with them cos I'm all mean n horrid n old.Boo me. [clown] [shh]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

The first things that I would like to say is that your assumption that in this practice of 'stopping the mind' what you are undertaking as the first step is not really correct. Further, so far as occult practices it is unnecessary. The Medieval and Renaissance magicians were very successful and this idea would have been incomprehensible to them. In general, one wants to be in a light to deep trance state (depending on the operation) and this can be accomplished by self-hypnosis.

I would also add that this concept of having to stop the mind is specific to Buddhism and Raja Yoga. They are not the sum total of thought from India or the only valid practices. It's the end of a process, not the beginning and the point of it is that when you have no thought then the reality of your Awareness or the core Experient within you shines through. You have to be aware to know this, so what exactly this means to 'stop the mind' is a whole separate discussion. The primary textual guide for this is the Yoga Sutra written by the sage Patanjali.

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Sutras-Patan ... 1938477073

http://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Raja-Will ... +raja+yoga

As to the other experiences, I do not know what you have studied and what exactly you are doing but you may want to consider deeper research and developing a plan for inner development based upon what you find. Also, ask for Higher help and guidance from you chosen God.

And yes, Nahemah holds the Keys ... she stole them from the Pope.

In another thread I posted these exercises, which are based on focusing the mind rather than stopping it (although, eventually, that will happen). I offer it for your consideration:

http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... va#p483169

DAMMIT.. (wrote an entire reply. accidentally backed out. Not gonna bother doing it all FUCKING over again. Just gonna get the main points)

-- Found a satisfying answer on the third eye thing.

-- Google won't shut the fuck up about neurological deficiencies whenever I look up "spine tingles". I KNOW i'm healthy. That's why I'm asking here. It's the only other field of explanation that makes sense.

-- Gonna try some of the exercises you mentioned in your other post.

-- I would ask for help from a god, but I prefer to rely on myself. It's not good to be dependent on others. Besides, I've asked god for subtle help before, and was met with nothing. (I prayed to have decent dreams. Still had nightmares. Thanks, god. Some pal.) No, I prefer to rely on myself.

-- If anyone has anything to add in the mean time, please do. I need the help.

-- Sorry If I come across as a bit rude. I spent fifteen minutes writing a full reply, but I accidentally erased it all. (hit one of the F keys or something) I hate repeating myself above all else. Pisses me the fuck off when shit like this happens. Sorry for my language as well; I'm not usually so foul.

Haha we've all done it, glad you finding some answers. I've found that using chrome i can usually go back or forward depending on what i've done and the post will be saved.

Google won't shut the fuck up about neurological deficiencies whenever I look up "spine tingles". I KNOW i'm healthy. That's why I'm asking here. It's the only other field of explanation that makes sense.

Oh dear.


Sounds like Kundalini energy moving around to me,the stimulus is often spontaneous and can be linked with Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response,which given your description,sounds to me like it's what's been happening with you.

ASMR is a hot subject and there's already a lot of woo flying around the internet on it.

It's neurological,but it's not a dysfunction.Not everyone experiences it and the research is in it's early days:

...Steven Novella, Director of General Neurology at the Yale School of Medicine and active contributor to topics involving scientific skepticism, wrote in his neuroscience blog about the lack of scientific investigation on ASMR, saying that functional magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation technologies should be used to study the brains of people who experience ASMR in comparison to people who do not experience ASMR. Novella discusses the concept of neurodiversity and mentions how the complexity of the human brain is due to developmental behaviors across the evolutionary time scale. He also suggests the possibility of ASMR being a type of pleasurable seizure or another way to activate the pleasure response.[28]

Dr. Tom Stafford, a lecturer in psychology and cognitive sciences from the University of Sheffield, was quoted in The Independent, saying,[1]

It might well be a real thing, but it's inherently difficult to research. The inner experience is the point of a lot of psychological investigation, but when you've got something like this that you can't see or feel, and it doesn't happen for everyone, it falls into a blind spot. It's like synaesthesia – for years it was a myth, then in the 1990s people came up with a reliable way of measuring it.

According to neurologist Edward J. O'Connor in the Santa Monica College newspaper The Corsair, an obstacle to accurately researching the ASMR phenomenon is that there may be no single stimulus which triggers ASMR for all individuals...[29]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous ... n_response

Amixed bag of articles on Kundalini,I'm sure Asurendra [and maybe others too] will have better resources on this.This is just a quick linkage as I'm pushed for time atm.Sorry if these are not that good [i'll check back later]

The advice Asurendra's already given above is good stuff and it makes sense to follow what he says on these matters. [thumbup]

http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Religion_an ... /Kundalini

-

Sorry If I come across as a bit rude. I spent fifteen minutes writing a full reply, but I accidentally erased it all. (hit one of the F keys or something) I hate repeating myself above all else. Pisses me the fuck off when shit like this happens. Sorry for my language as well; I'm not usually so foul.

That's cool.Like Sypharea says,we've all done it and I am Glaswegian,so swearing is my thing naturally,lol.Just kidding,but a little cursing is ok,in context. [thumbup]

And yes, Nahemah holds the Keys ... she stole them from the Pope.

Yeh,and one of them is or the Pontifical Privy,as it turns out...Holy Sheeeeeeiiiit,lol. [eg]

Hmm... Okay, firstly:

Google, how the fuck did you expect me to find this?

Secondly: Awesome, now I kinda sorta know what this is. After a bit more research, I might be able to advance to figuring out what it means. Baby steps though.

I say "Kinda Sorta" because it does sound strikingly similar to what I have, except.. It only ever occurs in my spine. Not my head. Neither does it have ANY form of stimuli. The article makes it sound like it is triggered by different things for different people. I can control mine at will; rejecting or calling it whenever I please. It just does a bit extra on some uncontrollable occasions, but still only when I call it.

Meh. Research always holds the answers, so that is exactly what I'll do.

Still, if anyone has anything else, do tell. Puzzles are only ever completed when all pieces are on the table.

P.S. I do use chrome. Now I feel cheated.

Hey man,

The trick to controlling your mind is focus.

We all have a little ADD. However, we all have moments in our lives where we have experienced extreme focus.

Try to think of something you do that requires your full attention. Be very self-conscious to the entire process of whatever activity it is you're doing.
If you're driving, when do you obtain full focus? Is it when you put it in gear? Is it when you hear the engine start?

Become familiar with the steps your mind takes inward and attempt to duplicate this when you want to meditate.

Music can be extremely helpful. I prescribe myself long continuous albums with a good treble and bass thats easy to follow. Progressive music is the idea. Follow an instrument or sound in your mind and see where it goes.

Regarding meditation - it's perfectly normal to struggle with clearing your mind at first. Practicing 30 minutes a day, it takes most people over 6 months to be able to still their mind for a minute or two, and 1 - 2 years to be able to still it for 10 minutes or more. People think they're failing at meditation because they can't get rid of the distractions, not realizing that that's what they're training to do. If you could do it immediately, you wouldn't be a beginner at meditation, you'd be a master.

As always, I recommend Franz Bardon's Initiation Into Hermetics. It's a manual for developing the spirit/mind, the astral body and the etheric/physical body simultaneously, and the material contained within is invaluable if you're serious about practicing magic and don't have access to a teacher, and learning to clear your mind is a huge part of the training in the first chapter. I also recommend the companion guides written by Rawn Clark and Frater Veos, the first can be found on amazon, the latter is available for free online with a quick google search.

As for your second question, it just sounds like you have a part of your body where the flow of etheric energy (vital force, chi, prana, etc) is particularly strong and you've grown aware of it. This is a good thing, although I'd advise not playing around with it too much - especially in the spine, condensing energy in the tailbone the way you described is just asking for a premature kundalini experience, which can cause all sorts of problems. Energy Work by Robert Bruce is a great book for learning how to work with your body's energetic anatomy, probably the best out there, and I highly recommend it.

Having a healthy, strong body does wonders for meditation.

The more efficient the machine, the less it costs to produce something of value.

I've also found that simply being slightly dehydrated can affect how focused I am.