Hi,

Yesterday, I found a useful tool to get more precise and less distorted informations in my meditation.  I call it Click In.  It basicly a Intended Refresh.  

Ex.:  My meditate, and I have some kind of information via feeling, imagination or sound... whatever.  The refresh imply to flush all data and re-init it to get fresh ones. It can be done many time and the data become sharper.  I sometime use a mental image to get a stronger intent... Like pushing away some pictures, erase them with a eraser or simply imagining that i press the 'F5' button to send a refresh signal.

The refresh insert consciouness in a specific space to get more precise data, that why the 'Click In' name came in my mind :)

It sounds like another way to describe Bruce's concept of how the Perceiver and Interpreter work.  He says that letting go of the first image allows the Interpreter to have more information pulled in that the Perceiver is continuing to gather.  Continuing to let go and see what else comes in is the process of getting to the next nearest similar thing.  

Your description of how you use this concept sounds like you are very visually oriented and that it works to your advantage in implimenting this process to a T.  I think I'll borrow some of your ideas.

:)

Thank you for the tip, PhantasyMan. love, blink

Phantasyman,

I do something similar (I think) I have this ability to stop thinking go blank. I don’t try to banish thoughts. I just somehow can put my restless brain on pause.

Does this make any sense?

Regards

Alan

Yes, it does, Alan. I, too, can put my brain on pause and sort of withdraw to an Observer perspectove, without a lot of overlay from my inner voice, or thoughts on top of it.

Like learning new things, we are forming new pathways in our brains, which makes new connections and such in response to our thoughts and cerebral activity. Remember we are processing over 400 BILLION bits of information in our brains at every second, and are only aware of 2000 or so of them consciously. For more, and in an entertaining format, consider "What the Bleep Do WE Know?"

Several other authors suggest techniques that are similar, such as declaring "Awareness now!" or "Clarity Now!".

Thomas

Hi PM and guys. I relate to what you describe through my experience as a meditator taught via the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The 'observer' perspective you describe Thomas is probably as I'm sure you know one aspect of the state of non-discursive (no thought) emptiness or pure awareness the meditator is hoping to cultivate the ability to rest in.

A related state is where we develop the ability simply to passively observe thought without getting sucked into identifying with it.

With time, and in the right state of mind this becomes something that's more easily done, and in fact eventually starts to carry out into normal life.

The thinking mind can become a tool that sits quietly on the shelf until we choose to use it. The result is that our awareness is not sucked unintentionally into narrowly focusing on whatever ego driven stuff it's chattering about, and so we remain truly 'open'. Open in terms of perception and analysis. Including to extra-normal experience and how we interpret it. (when dominated by a system of thought we lapse into seeing and concluding only that which fits with our preconceptions)

The 'reset' technique rings bells too. We're not always able to hold the state of 'no thought' when meditating, so it's often suggested that we gently brush aside those thoughts that do arise. Gently, and without getting frustrated or we create the very problem we try to solve.

When doing this there's often this short period of absolute crystal clarity that dawns just after becoming aware we're thinking - just after acting so that it stops.  :) Which I guess is your reset in action.

I've mentioned it before, but if we can get past our preconceptions about it Buddhism is an absolutely amazingly refined source of meditation 'how to'. Most Tibetan groups (the likes of Shambhala, Rigpa and so on) are more than happy to have people attend beginners classes with no requirement for commitment for a very nominal fee. There's lots of books out there by people associated with these groups too...