I think I've hit the doldrums.  In the beginning of my meditations, I had all sorts of profound things happen to me.  Now, despite my best efforts, I seem to be be floundering.  My meditations are mediocre at best and I feel like I've lost the edge.  Has this happened to anyone else?  What did you do to get over it?  Thanks.

ETA: I wasn't sure where to post this, so if it needs to be moved somewhere else, please do so.

Hi Rebecca,

In my experience, this is more the rule than the exception.  The first time I listened to a hemi sync CD, I had a typical OOB experience.   Often, I'll go through a spell now where meditation is not accompanied by going OOB.  For what its worth, I think the best things to do are to continue your meditations, and just relax.

Profound relaxation is the key to achieving other goals.  In a state of relaxation (from focus 10 on in Monroe/Moen speak), you then have the ability to set intent.  Intent appears to be the key, our inner creative core that makes things happen.  So don't fret if you don't have OOBEs or visit with deceased loved ones for a time.  Do what you can do to relax and set intent for what you want.  In general, in this manner, you will see results when the time is right.

Matthew

Hi Rebecca,

As Matthew mentions, intent is the key. Being in a state of acceptance is important, too. During meditation you can simply float within your own consciousness or you can use your intent to explore the nonphysical realities, heal yourself and others, release fear, ask questions, etc. 

The consciousness system itself is set up to help you learn, understand and grow the quality of your being.  It really doesn't care about our egoist needs or wants.  If your inner guidance, the part of you that is always in connection with the totality of you, deems something will not promote the quality of your growth at the core level of your being, it most likely won't be experienced. Understanding this and having acceptance that we are guided/nudged toward what is beneficial for spiritual growth often times clears the way for greater connection to other realities and greater understanding.

Kathy

Thank you to both of you.  Maybe this is just a little lesson is patience :-/.  I continue to do daily meditations and even though they are pretty lackluster, they are very relaxing...

Rebecca wrote on Aug 1^st, 2009 at 8:13pm:

I think I've hit the doldrums.  In the beginning of my meditations, I had all sorts of profound things happen to me.  Now, despite my best efforts, I seem to be be floundering.  My meditations are mediocre at best and I feel like I've lost the edge.  Has this happened to anyone else?  What did you do to get over it?  Thanks. ETA: I wasn't sure where to post this, so if it needs to be moved somewhere else, please do so.

Hi Rebecca,  :) :)

The post is in the right place!

There is some truth in the saying "We should not become so spiritually minded that we become no earthly good"

The real key to any altered state of consciousness, is not to try to make it happen, strangely the very opposites most times apply.

The less you know the more you will know. I have demonstrated some remarkable remote viewing on this forum, and the less I knew about the person the more accurate the reading.

The other guys on the forum will verify the above statement

Regards

Alan

Hi R. I'd just confirm that it's quite normal. As the guys say getting uptight and trying to force the mind to comply with some mind made objective will just damage your meditation.

For what it's worth 'quality' is very much a matter of perception too. Some for example get hung up on stopping thought - and end up wrestling with their mind. That's not meditation.

On the other hand there will be times when the mind is very turbulent, and there's lots of thoughts, and other times when its more inclined to be still.

Meditation involves cultivating the equanimity to watch the thoughts go by without getting sucked into engagement in or identification with them.

It's the ability to rest easy while this full range of activity is going on that we seek to cultivate. There are of course tmes when it's easier to retain our equanimity than others, but one situation is not 'better' than the other.....

Hello Rebecca:

First of all, just simply sitting in meditation and waiting for something to happen doesn't tend to work real well.

The best thing to do is to find a way to get over the though patterns that limit you. Fears, anger related issues, guilt, thought patterns that relate to when you've been hurt emotionally, addictions, prejudices and limiting belief systems.

Make a list of the things that troubled you during your life, and find a way to get over them. Also pay attention to your dreams. If you're in contact with higher self/spirit guidance, you can also receive messages this way.

Don't worry about getting over what some people refer to as ego. It's fine to have a sense of self. What's important is to become less self-centered and more loving. Growing in love doesn't mean that you have to pretend to yourself that you don't exist.

The more you become free of the thought patterns that limit you, the easier it will become to tune into a state of being that feels quite nice. Being free of thought patterns doesn't mean that you have to stop thinking.

Don't make a test of it. Don't worry about the state of consciousness other people claim to have. Find out what works for you.

None of us have all of the answers despite what some people claim, so don't expect that you have to know everything while here in the World.

Greetings Rebecca.

   I have a suggestion to help with meditation. It doesn't have to always be done in silence. I've had many of my more successful meditations while listening to light instrumental music, like new age or classical. It gives a platform to help with concentration and still the mind.

   I feel strongly that most good music is inspired by and traceable back to the source of all energy, which is God. I used to belong to Eckankar, which is actually Radhasoami/Ruhani Satsang (Sant Mat), and learned about the sound force that emanates from God, which is actually stronger than the light force. God's energy is divided into light and sound in this physical world; and probably most of the focus levels as well.

   There is something about certain music that let's my mind soar and causes my imagination to kick into high gear at times. Even better yet, is when I use my electronic brainwave synthesizer (mind machine) with Audiostrobe music ( music with light glasses activation encoding). Lately it's been helping me open the third eye so I can see the etheric plane while my eyes are closed.

   Someday I hope to save enough money and go to The Monroe Institute and use the Hemi-Sync classes in the meditation chambers. This is where many of the members here learned retrievals, which I'm not sure if I've done any yet.

Sincerely,
Ralph

Hey Ralph, also a sant mat initiate! Glad to see others on here.