Daredevilpwn's Yoga book of experience

Lesson #1: Sensory Awareness Meditation
I am going to start this class from the beginning. All skills here are all relevant to dreaming so I want to make sure I don't skip anything.

Version 1: Noisy World
Level 1
10 -2 -12

I tried to do this today. I know I was supposed to do this for a few days but I noticed some observations as I did this. First let me tell you that I started this meditation at around 5:00pm. I went into my grandmas bed room and sat on the floor and try to notice as many sounds as I can. I heard things such as cars driving across the street, the T.V that my grandma is watching in the living room.

These are all obvious sounds but as I focus more I notice the faint sound of a cricket. I live in an apartment so I also hear the sounds of other people living here such as them turning their faucets on. 30 minutes quickly passes. At this point I begin to feel very sleepy.

I became so tired that I had to take a nap. When I woke up it is 9:00. So why is this significant?. Well it made me realize something. I believe it was not the meditation that made me sleepy but it was the meditation that made me realize that I was sleepy. This leads me to believe that [B]most people are not all that aware of their own feeling states[/B.] I was not aware I was sleepy until I stopped what I was doing and to do the meditation exercise.

Just like a dream, if we get caught up in what we are doing we lose awareness of self and become oblivious to how we feel.

Version 1: Noisy World
Level 1

I notice that my mind seems to wander every once in awhile. I try to notice as many sounds as I can. The obvious sounds are the T.V, cars going by and the occasional mumbles I hear from people. And a more subtle sound is the background noise the crickets make. As I try to do this meditation after a couple of minutes or so my mind begins to wander off and think of something else. When I become aware of this I let the thought run its course and then focus on the sounds again. This happens quit a lot.It is a problem I must focus on. I will try level one for a few more days and then try out level two. I will update my progress in a few days.

Edit: Oh yeah and another observation. The body sure makes a lot of noises.

Welcome to the class. You are sure correct that mmost people do not know how they actually feel at any given point in time. The wandering mind is a worthy foe, and other lessons deal with it.

Version 1: Listening to a Noisy World.
Level 3)

I find it very hard to maintain my awareness. Usually I focus on sounds when doing a sporadic awareness sessions which is about 2 mins, but doing it for a day proves to be a very difficult task for me. I tend to be "in my head" so trying to shift focus externally is pretty difficult. But I guess I can just slowly work my way at it. First start small then do it for longer periods until I can maintain focus on hearing for a day. And eventually probably mix it up with being focused on both sound and tactile sensations.

I recommend that most students take no less than a year to get through all the stuff I will end up teaching here. I have more lessons to post, but none of the students have moved all the way through the lessons already posted. That is normal. This stuff is a huge stretch from the normal way people have learned to feel and live. You are doing great, and each part of each lesson may take from days to months.
I learned the stuff I will eventually teach here over about five years. I have now spent a total of about 25 years mastering dream yoga. It is a change of your whole awareness, and should take years.

Hey Sivason. Just wanted to be honest with ya but I've been slacking off a bit. But don't worry I haven't quit. I am resuming my practices now. I am going to be focusing on the visualization stuff but still do some of the basic skills since that is necessary to do the more advanced stuff in the course. Oh and I have a question for you too. In Robert Wagonners book Gateway to the innerself the author claims it is possible to heal yourself physically through the use of lucid dreams. He says the the rate of healing rapidly increases to produce very noticeable effects. I am not saying this is impossible, I am a very open minded guy but he seems like he is exaggerating. So I am wondering have you ever healed a physical injury through dreams? I thought the only way to heal ones physical body besides surgery and whatnot is to fix up the etheric body since that is (almost) exact duplicate of the physical body and then the astral body is a smaller copy since it doesn't have the internal organs and all that.

I am not sure aboout using lucid dreams to heal, but healing powers work better in an advanced state of yogic awareness. If I need to heal myself I can get into a "dream like" state to enhance my visualization. Does it work? Well, not many of the yogic powers one can gain are profound like you may see in a movie. I have extreamly good health, and have only had a single cold in about ten years, due to self healing using yogic knowledge. I did however get a hernia and despite my best efforts it ended up needing surgery. As far as healing others, you can enter a deep yogic state and still be able to move and interacct with the world eventually. I have never seen clear evidence of healingothers, that seemed more than slight. I have had luck with curing headaches aand minor infections, but nothing very convincing.

While doing some visualization, I noticed that I can faintly see the outline of my hands. I know this is legit because I covered my eyes completely with my left arm so no light is getting through. I then put my hand in front of my face and slowly move it around. I can see a shadowy outline of my hand matching my physical movement despite the fact my eyes are completely covered! Perhaps I can use this as a visualization exercise. This seems like some third eye stuff going on here or from a more scientific stand point I am simply tricking my mind into producing some sort of image of my hand. Either way I think I can use this for visualization practice.

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Originally Posted by Daredevilpwn

While doing some visualization, I noticed that I can faintly see the outline of my hands. I know this is legit because I covered my eyes completely with my left arm so no light is getting through. I then put my hand in front of my face and slowly move it around. I can see a shadowy outline of my hand matching my physical movement despite the fact my eyes are completely covered! Perhaps I can use this as a visualization exercise. This seems like some third eye stuff going on here or from a more scientific stand point I am simply tricking my mind into producing some sort of image of my hand. Either way I think I can use this for visualization practice.

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I have played with that exact thing many times. It is great practice. You are creating an image that corresponds to the sensations your arm is transmitting. Later you will be able to create the sensation of your arm moving, and see the same type of images. I would spend lots of time working on what you have found here, and get to where the images are more defined. It will be as good of practice as anything.

Thanksgiving break is coming soon. Will be perfect time to get some good sensory awareness and visualization practice in. Oh and Sivason. What got you into dream yoga?

Been trying to pay attention to my senses throughout the day. I can tell you that there was a small improvement in my dream state. Touch taste and smell are pretty non existent in my non lucids but today I had a dream where I 'felt' the wind blowing against me. So thats pretty cool. I take that as a sign of progress.

I do my hearing meditation before I go to bed. I like to listen to a binaural beat and pay attention to the subtle changes as it goes along. Also I can trick my mind into thinking the sound has changed when it didn't. I don't know how to explain it. It's sorta like listening to something on repeat over and over for example "Not the bees!" lets say that "Not the bees!" kept repeating over and over. If you try you can change what it sounds like. So instead of "Not the bees!" you hear "Not the geese!" It's kinda like that with the binaural beat, when it remains constant I can kinda trick myself into thinking it is getting louder when it isn't.

I also tried doing the feeling meditation while taking a shower. So many senses to pay attention to. I just focus on the water hitting my back right now but as time goes on I'll pay attention to the other feelings. Sensory meditation in the shower seems like the ultimate test. You have a lot of input coming from touch. But also you hear the water hitting the floor too. So I can pay attention to both senses if I wanted.

As for visualization. Still can't really manipulate the colors. I think out of all of them, visualization might be the longest to get down pat.

That is why visualization is in the intermediate stuff. It is definately harder to learn. You tricking your brain with the sound is kind of like the visualization stuff. It is the dream center of the brain this stuff helps develop, so changing the sounds is great practice.

I had little choice as far as getting into dream yoga, and energy type yoga in general. I am one of those reincarnated types. I was obsessed with any mystical/ meditation stuff even as a 4 year old. By the time I was 10 I actively set out to teach myself, and at 17 found my first real teacher.

Feeling the wind is a great step. I do think it shows your mind is developing more dream awareness. Smell is rare in any dream, and tastee is a bit muffeled, and bland. You can taste stuff, but it taste like when you have a plugged nose. Work on touch more, and if you get the chance, try actually hearing things in your dreams.

You do sound like one of them old souls. By old I don't mean age since souls don't age, by old I simply mean you've obtained a lot of wisdom. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and giving us a wonderful opportunity to expand our consciousness.

Yesterday as I meditated with the sound of rain in the background I had faint auditory hallucinations. Besides the sound of rain I could faintly hear the sound of someone laughing and on my right ear I could hear a faint music playing. To make sure that the author of the video didn't put that there for the heck of it I replayed it and listened intently. I heard nothing so I conclude it was just auditory hallucinations. Next time I'll try to manipulate them.

Theres something I want to ask you about. I can make my arms and legs tingle at will. It's much more stronger in my arms though. I've been able to do this since childhood, but forgot due to me thinking it wasn't important. I just remembered I could do this and wondered if it is significant to what we are doing. I can only do this while I am still. The best way I can describe it is that I get a tingling sensation that starts from my upper arm and quickly goes down. I can't really do this for more than a second since the feeling gets too intense and can't keep still any longer so I move.

It sounds like you have already some natural energy sense, which will help you alot. Take a look at the lesson about simulating energy flow. You should be good at it. At first, if you are truely causing a flow of energy many people can experience discomfort. It can even cause a degree of burning type pain. This is because the 'channals' along which the energy flows have shrunk and atrophied. Gently working up to more intense energy use, is like stretching and a light workout routine to avoiid the pain of jumping straight into athletics that are beyond your current level. So, it is a great thing that you can do this. It sounds like a real thing that happens in yoga often. The discomfort or over stimulation goes away as you do it more.

I've been making an effort, not to just do meditation but also do it in waking life. I've been trying to pay attention to the obvious senses as I go about my day. As a consequence I had a very vivid dream with a lot of sensory perception, mostly touch. And I am sure I will have more in the future. I was doing this during thanksgiving break but when school resumed after a few days I can feel it taking its tool on me. So I am going to take take a day off from doing that particular activity. But doing the meditation while relaxed instead of doing my every day activities should be fine for me. Haven't done energy simulation yet but I do plan too on the weekend. Hopefully this self induced tingling sensation really is energy.

Yep. I am pretty sure it is.

After doing this meditation for awhile I noticed something. First, it seems that I try to 'see' something when the goal of my practice is to either hear or feel. I try to look in the direction the stimulus is coming from like I am trying to see it. It seems to me that I (and most likely others) tend to confirm what our other senses tell us by trying to see what is causing a particular noise or sensation.

Another thing. My mind likes to over analyze things to death. As I meditate, thoughts like "Am I doing this right? Am I suppose to do it like this? Am I hearing all the sounds at the same time?" This meditation is supposed to be simple but my mind tries to make it something complex when it isn't. Well, I have no worries, this is just something that I need to work on. With time this will pass.

The sense of vision is very over used by people. We have stopped paying attention to much else. Humans have a nice visual ability with some fine detail, but we forget we have other powerful senses. Think about this. If you close your eyes and smell your food, does the small seem more intense, how about the taste. With me it does. learning to focus on other sense builds awareness, and soon you can have the increased awareness and also take in the visual field. that is why meditation begins with eyes closed. Later you should be able to do all the basic stuff and practice diffuse vision at the same time. Later. For now just have fun and explore, as you have been. Good luck, I think you are doing great.

I am probably trying to do to many things at once. Doing the meditation, doing the energy training. I feel like I am spreading myself to thin. I should just focus on one skill at a time and get a good grasp on it before even thinking about moving on. Anyway I am going to dedicate 2 weeks on just visualization for about an hour or so a day. Visualization, out of all the skills so far is important to me right now. Once 2 weeks are over, I'll post back with my results. Visualization training imo is just another form of sensory awareness meditation except with sight, but not the physical eyes but your minds eye instead so i'm killing two birds with one stone anyway. Cya in 2 weeks, provided that my internet doesn't get turned off again.

That is a great idea. I really assumed the fastest students would need at least a year. It is like studting martial arts, it can not be rushed, and takes devotion over the long haul.

Ok so its been two weeks. First I sit back and relax and focus on the void which eventually starts to get filled with some colors. I find that if I get distracted by thoughts they colors become less apparent but when I focus they become more active. So I guess they are maintained by observation and focus. Controlling them is still difficult. I don't try to make colors prevalent but conjure up other images like letters of an alphabet and numbers. I try many things like imagining I am drawing the letter and/or number and after a couple of tries the imagined letter/number appears in the void. So how can I explain the difference between what I am imagining and what I 'see'. I think that in order to actually 'see' something in the void of your vision it first needs to have an imaginary blueprint that you don't really see in the void. This is confusing honestly. There is the type of visualization that you actually see such as the color and stuff you see when you close your eyes and concentrate. Then there is this daydreaming type visualization that isn't visible inside the void but more out of the range of the minds eye. I am sure you know what I'm talking about so back to my results.

I can make faint images of number and letters when I concentrate enough. Like a shadowy 'D' or a shadowy '5' but only barely. I've also been playing around with 'seeing' my hands with my eyes close. This helps stimulate my visuals. So I am making some progress at least. I am going to practice for another two weeks and post results.

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Originally Posted by Daredevilpwn

So how can I explain the difference between what I am imagining and what I 'see'. I think that in order to actually 'see' something in the void of your vision it first needs to have an imaginary blueprint that you don't really see in the void. This is confusing honestly. There is the type of visualization that you actually see such as the color and stuff you see when you close your eyes and concentrate. Then there is this daydreaming type visualization that isn't visible inside the void but more out of the range of the minds eye. I am sure you know what I'm talking about so back to my results.

I can make faint images of number and letters when I concentrate enough. Like a shadowy 'D' or a shadowy '5' but only barely.

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You are doing great. The difference is hard to explain, but it sounds like you are getting it. This is a trainable skill, but takes time. I have been at it for 20 years or so. I can now quickly form all basic shapes and change the colors. In less than 2 seconds I can summon a somewhat complex image like a star of David with a blue triangle pointing up, and a red one crossing it. (Testing,,,,) yep, less than 2 seconds and very clear, bright colors... So keep it up for the rest of your life. It is a fun skill in itself, but the power it gives you over lucid dreams is phenominal.

It's been a bit more than two weeks but I have been practicing. I have discovered that saying outloud or internally of what the colors are doing helps me concentrate and also improve the intensity of the colors a little bit. I still have little to no control of the colors. How exactly do you control them? All I can do is visualize with my minds eye but as far as the actual colors I see, I have little to no idea how to manipulate them. Although i do manage to pull small feats like making a letter or number appear. Will definitely keep on practicing

Edit: By the way. You say you can make all basic shapes? That is pretty awesome! I definitely look forward to that. But can you also visualize in great detail a natural object like an apple? I hear some can take this a step further and actually interact with their visual stimuli as if it were real like 'eat' an imaginary apple and taste it.

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Originally Posted by Daredevilpwn

It's been a bit more than two weeks but I have been practicing. I have discovered that saying outloud or internally of what the colors are doing helps me concentrate and also improve the intensity of the colors a little bit. I still have little to no control of the colors. How exactly do you control them? All I can do is visualize with my minds eye but as far as the actual colors I see, I have little to no idea how to manipulate them. Although i do manage to pull small feats like making a letter or number appear. Will definitely keep on practicing

Edit: By the way. You say you can make all basic shapes? That is pretty awesome! I definitely look forward to that. But can you also visualize in great detail a natural object like an apple? I hear some can take this a step further and actually interact with their visual stimuli as if it were real like 'eat' an imaginary apple and taste it.

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I just tried to see an apple. I nly spent a minute at it. I could form a red sphere and then dent the top of it and have a little line come out of the dent, but it was kind of a shabby representaion of an apple. In an LD, using the same skill wouldhave materialized a perfect apple, but the true waking visual was kind of abstract. Iassume we get good at images we practice. I can whip out two crossed triangles of differnt colors in a couple seconds, but I have practiced that. Even though the image you get while doing this awake, is a bit less than vivid, the skill will be extreamly powerful in deep meditation or an actual dream.

To work with colors, you should observe which color appears to you most often, and work on just that color until you can make it increase and fill a portion of what you see. Then move to one more color.. When you can do two colors work on going back and forth. You actually must learn how to do each individual color. Think of it like tones in music, you train your mind to recognise the tones. In this case each color must be studied, until your brain gets it. So, do not try to switch colors; work on one until you get it, then add one more.

Starting over. I have been lazy during the past few months with school and all that but it is over now. I graduated. So now I have more time to do this. Although this is not a good excuse because I could've found the time to do so. I think it is best I simply start with the basics again and work my way up.

Update: I don't know if this is a result of the meditation or not but recalling what some dc's say is a bit easier than before. Usually I could remember a word of phrase, now I remember some more important sentences. Or this could be the result of my attempt to get better recall, or both.