Today, while I was sitting in meditation (with my eyes closed) I felt for a solid five minutes like I was on a roller coaster. That I was being pushed to the left as we went through a turn and then somwhat back as we went up a hill, etc. But I was completely stationary and unmoving. That turn was actually intense enough that I found myself cursing quietly as it "happened".
This wasn't the first time I've had such strange sensations (probably once a month one will come up--I've had my head floating on the ceiling, riding the teacup ride at Disneyland, etc) nor do I think it's a problem. (I've certainly heard more than a little testimony to strange sensations when sitting from other meditators.)
My biggest question is just: any advice? How have you worked with it? What was your experience like? Do I take any meaning from it?
All posts tagged “spinning”
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Shakuhachi — 12 years ago — permalinkThis is one of the best treatments of all phases of meditation I haves seen but you have to search through all the highly technical stuff. it is written by a neuroscientist. Maybe look in the index.
I could not cut and past the link but if you search "elibrary Zen Brain Reflections pdf" you will find it.
I have a hard copy of the older edition "Zen and the Brain". It is a good resource.▲
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hanjini — 13 years ago — permalinkBriefly, my understanding of the standard teaching for this sort of experience is to note it, find a word to describe it, and then go back to the breath. That would be if you're doing a "concentration" meditation - i.e., when you have decided to focus on a single object, the breath. Alternately, if you were doing a "mindfulness" session, you could just go with it, noticing everything about the experience, noticing your thinking about it, such as the thought that you're perfectly aware that you're also sitting quite still. Then you would be noticing the beginning of the feeling, the middle of the sensation, and its fading away. Overall, I'd say the standard teaching is not to attach any significance to it, don't "get into it," and don't give it any more significance than just noticing it.
What you do with it beyond that, like after you meditate, is up to you. I mean, I'd be wondering what that metaphor's about - what else in my life is like a roller coaster? or explore the associations, like, am I making a tempest in a teacup out of something? But I'd say that's strictly outside of the sitting.▲
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meditateallday.com — 13 years ago — permalink
Hi!All your sensations are coming from mind. Meditation is a state of no mind. The only way to meditate is to witness only what happens
, but never make any analysis. If you think about all what happened, you are again in mind games.▲
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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalinkThat's interesting! I haven't had that meditating, although I have in other situations. (I also haven't sat with my eyes closed for a prolonged period very often.)Â I wonder if part of it is losing spatial orientation from having your eyes closed?Â
As you say, it doesn't sound like a problem at all, and also not necessarily like a particularly helpful experience. If it happened to me, I'd probably place it in the "Huh" category unless it got more prominent or seemed to be connected to other experiences. (That's where most things in my meditation go, I'd say.)▲
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