Thread: Candle flame meditation

I did this before, no it doesn't damage the eyes, it actually sets you into a daydreaming/trance, this is a plus for beginners to learn to meditate and either hypnosis to self. 15mins is good time length, this actually made me advance to meditation without a candle flame.

Cool thanks hathor28. I'll try this soon for 15 minutes.

Originally Posted by oneiroer

Cool thanks hathor28. I'll try this soon for 15 minutes.

If you need more time you are free to do so, if you think nothing happens in 15mins.

Ok, thanks again hathor28

when meditating what happens on your mind is up to you but phisically this are the phisical requirements: -breathe trough your nose and full your lungs of air(you might feel a slight pain but it will go away) exhale from where you see fit. -keep your body in the most relaxed posture a sofa with arm rests is the best but I dont have one so I cross my legs.

If you relax and breathe in as much as you can you will enter theta waves in less than 5 minutes and once you open your eyes you will feel "high".

Many people dont know how to meditate and I've never seen anyone post this.. so use it if you like it but to me breathing is the key to an altered mind. on another note, scan your body for muscle tension sometimes I need to relax a muscle manually by noticing it.

Originally Posted by oneiroer

I'm thinking about meditating with a candle flame and listening to binaural beats for about an hour and thinking about nothing except lucid dreaming... Anybody ever do something like this? Would staring at a candle flame for an hour cause damage to my eyes? If so could you recommend a time length I should practice this?

This could easily get you in the right frame-of-mind.

Do not sit too close to the candle. Yes, the light can leave your eyes feeling tired or cause you to see spots for a lingering time, but this is reduced by sitting about three feet back or more.

Because of the long time, practice safety....place the candle on a wide metal tray so you don't risk fire if you fall asleep or forget it.

Placing a lamp or colored filter between you and the flame can also make interesting effects/sensations. A filter could soften the light or even give you a pattern to get lost in. Worth a try.

why candle flame? is it better than any other visual object ?

Using a candle definitely leads to interesting results. The flame itself is very soothing and it's gentle flicker is nice to see through your eyelids once you close your eyes, although it can get a little tiring so make sure not to be too close at it, because you can strain your eyes of it, nothing permanent however.

So are you supposed to close your eyes in this case or not? I might want to try this as well.

No you are suppose to stare at the flame.

You can close your eyes if you want, meditation is about reaching an aware state, whether your eyes are open or closed is up to which you find more pleasant. I prefer closing my eyes because it keeps me from getting distracted, although the candle flame could have the same effect.

I've done candle flame meditation. I liked it because it gave me something to focus on. When I just close my eyes, my mind wanders like crazy.
I would sit about two or three feet from the candle, and meditate for at least 10 minutes. Although 15min is probably better.
I close my eyes a few time while doing it though.

I tried this last night and couldn't make it the whole 15 minutes. I'm going to try again tonight.

what you mean couldn't make it? lol

Originally Posted by oneiroer

I'm thinking about meditating with a candle flame and listening to binaural beats for about an hour and thinking about nothing except lucid dreaming... Anybody ever do something like this? Would staring at a candle flame for an hour cause damage to my eyes? If so could you recommend a time length I should practice this?

This is called Calm Abiding, or concentration. You can get into all kinds of desirable altered states.

1. Gently hold your concentration on your object: the candle flame. To the exclusion of all else. Rest your weary mind on the focus of the candle flame. Gently and slowly relax and settle into narrowing your focus until your mind is making direct contact with the candle flame. Abide in this focus. At first it is like taming a wild horse. You will start getting results when you see swirling colors, dimming of vision, things disappearing, etc. But if you persist and keep bringing your focus back, after 20 minutes more or less, it will become effortless and smooth. You will feel "high". Keep your focus on that flame. Be the flame lol.

2. Once your mind is tamed and concentration becomes effortless, this is called access concentration because from here you can access any state of mind with practice. But for this practice have a dual focus: one on the object, and at the same time focus on yourself seeing the object. The subject (you), and the object (the candle flame). Keep abiding deeper and deeper stabler in the concentration.

3. Once you can balance awareness of both subject and object, then bring your awareness to the space between you and the candle. So there is an imaginary laser-like line between you and the flame, and be aware of this space and ease focus on both subject and object.

4. Here are sensations to be looking for arising effortlessly: Temples and forehead tingling, peripheral vision opening up, head feeling transparent, feeling like you have no head, the space becomes luminous and shimmery, eyes feel like they are flashlights, a smile. If you keep this up the feelings may expand to your heart. You may feel all your desire to love and be loved completely satisfied moment to moment as subject and object collapse into unity. You may feel a deep unity with all things as if you are the universe aware of itself. This may seem like a lucid dream. These are all good sensations. Keep going.

5. Now you can close your eyes and concentrate on the etheric candle flame you see. Observe it to the exclusion of all else again for as long as you can. When it finally disappears completely, keep your concentration going! But now you are meditating on emptiness. See that there is just this awareness and dreamlike sensations arising and falling back into this eternal awareness.

This is all temporary but desirable states you can reach from access concentration. But this practice I talked about here is one of the best!

Originally Posted by hathor28

what you mean couldn't make it? lol

Lol sorry about that... I meant I couldn't focus long enough. I guess I got bored. I'm going to keep trying though.

Thanks a lot for the information Dannon Oneironaut!

Is it ok to meditate with a flame in a darkened room? That's what I've been doing... Or should I have the lights on?

Whenever I try this I still have the problem with my eyes flicking super-fast from side to side almost too fast to notice, but each time coming to rest back on the flame (or whaver I'm focusing on) but on a slightly different part of it. i googld a bit and ran across something saying that you're supposed to not focus too much on one tiny spot but instead let your eyes wander loosely around the object (or flame) - they recommended in a counter-clockwise direction. Gonna try it that way.

Your not suppose to focus on the actual flame, but also the light.

There is no 'magic way' to do it. Darkened room or whatever, light on, doesn't matter. I like the darkened room though personally. There is no way you are 'supposed' to do it. The point is it is about your mind. Not the flame. You aren't going to hurt your eyes looking at a flame for pete's sake. Ever look at a campfire? You can narrow your focus or whatever, experiment with it. Just make sure that you are relaxed and aren't all tense and obsessed like a neurotic dog waiting for you to throw the ball. Be more serene and relaxed like the Buddha.

If you shift your attention to the radiance of the flame pay attention to the whole spectrum of colors that is present in the flame's radiance. There are rainbows in there. This is very important but for more advanced stuff you work with that rainbow light to induce pure visions. But for now IF you shift your attention to the radiance, notice the rainbows. But first achieve access concentration before you do anything else.

Thoughts like "Am I doing this right? Am I doing this wrong?" are distractions and this is not concentration. Your attention should exclude any thoughts and be only on the object of your concentration.

Heck, when I am sitting waiting at the DMV for my number to be called I concentrate on the tack on the bulletin board on the wall on the other side of the room, or the piece of bubble gum stuck under the chair across from me.
When I am walking or driving on the highway I like to concentrate on where the road meets the horizon.

But but but.... what if I get blistering and a burning sensation of the forehead, right in the vicinity of the 3rd eye...

(Sry, couldn't resist! )

This may be a stupid question, but I was wondering why the flame moves around so much when I stare at it. I noticed it did this every 10 seconds or so. Is it because of a draft in the room...?