Online Teachers - Possible or Necessary?

[mfadaie]

*I updated the above post with additional notes*

I am hoping to get feedback from those that have been posting on this thread currently. I was hoping to get a review of how I view the events that occur during meditation. Let me know if the conclusions that I am deriving are accurate or need some adjustments.

During, most of my everyday life I feel a tiny vibration when I close my eyes and focus in on my body. I am never been able to explain this. As I began meditating, I noticed that these vibrations got stronger(more noticeable) as you got closer to the first Jhana. At this point, I had only reached the first Jhana by luck a few times. As I am starting to refine the process I am starting to come to the conclusion that the First Jhana has nothing to do with a dopamine release or body sensations, but just the mind perceiving these intensifying natural vibrations as pleasurable sensation that occur on the body. But the body itself is not actually experiencing anything.

I have spent sometime finding the link between masturbation and the reasoning behind not doing it. I know that it is a sensual pleasure, craving, and the perception of association. But naturally, I was curious because most of my life I have never felt anything at the point of climax and was wondering if meditation could make me become more in tune with the experience. I think on one point it does as body sensations do become more noticed, but I also noticed that as I got better at meditating - the feeling that comes from concentration quickly overshadowed any sensation that occurs for me during climax when I did both at the same time.

So this just reaffirmed the idea above. On one note, I want to say that the only thing I ever felt during masturbation was the increase in concentration that comes from the rise to climax that puts me more in tune with these natural vibrations. But I also feel like these were two different pleasures and each can be distinguished from one another. Is this distinguishing of the pleasures because only one of them satisfies a craving, so I have greater attachment to it? It is only my thoughts and the craving that distinguishes them? This would then infer that their are no natural pleasures and all pleasures stem from vibrations leading into the first Jhana?

Ex: Is it the food you eat that releases the dopamine or the concentration that occurs during the act of eating that produces the dopamine. The argument of Mindful Eating vs. Unmindful eating and how it is perceived as so much better.

I would characterise natural pleasures as the senses; taste, hearing(Music), sight(Craving), touch, etc. When you choose an object for concentration in meditation is this not the same process the brain uses to decide your personality? If you love Rubbiks Cubes and have never practiced meditation and you have a natural tendacy to move towards this object because it gives you pleasure - is it not the same? It gives you happiness. So with meditation are we not learning or teaching our brain to find all objects in this world as objects of concentration? And if you get skilled enough, everything carries the same weight - no difference of attachment?

So is that the same for everyone? Are their actual natural pleasures? Am I unique in that I rarely feel natural pleasures? Maybe I am partial right and partial wrong. If anyone can feel in the missing gaps it would be much appreciated.

[sea-dove]

Originally Posted by mfadaie

I would characterise natural pleasures as the senses; taste, hearing(Music), sight(Craving), touch, etc. When you choose an object for concentration in meditation is this not the same process the brain uses to decide your personality? If you love Rubbiks Cubes and have never practiced meditation and you have a natural tendacy to move towards this object because it gives you pleasure - is it not the same? It gives you happiness. So with meditation are we not learning or teaching our brain to find all objects in this world as objects of concentration? And if you get skilled enough, everything carries the same weight - no difference of attachment?

So is that the same for everyone? Are their actual natural pleasures? Am I unique in that I rarely feel natural pleasures? Maybe I am partial right and partial wrong. If anyone can feel in the missing gaps it would be much appreciated.

Hi, I had a lot of trouble understanding your post but if I did at all, it appears you are focusing too much on the object part of the meditation thing.

Meditation is nothing really to do with the object, all the object in it is is something to focus one attention down to a single thought (it matters none which object is chosen) and in doing so stilling all other thoughts, to slow down the racing monkey mind one can say, so to give deep insights a chance to come in.

or meditation on an object can be used to become more observational with things, to be in the now moment more, to learn how to truely take in details of things instead of going about life half mindless which is something most do.

So it matters none how you feel about the meditation object if increased awareness or mind stillness are the meditation intention. A person can still their mind with an object or gain observational skills from objects which dont even bring much in the way of happiness from the object itself eg I could meditate on something like just a roll of tape or on my headphones sitting on a table. Its the stillness state itself, not the object which can bring peace and then help bring in happiness due to a peaceful restful state etc

. So with meditation are we not learning or teaching our brain to find all objects in this world as objects of concentration?

it depends on what kind of meditation you are doing if you mean are we teaching our brains to pay more attention to our now moments (living in the moment fully) and what is hence around us via meditation.

[sea-dove]

Originally Posted by mfadaie

5) Do you ever experience headaches when meditating? Is that because I am tightening muscles to concentrate? There could also be tightening of muscles in my temple, nose, etc. What do you do when this occurs? Ignore them?

I personally think its better not to just ignore it if your muscles are getting tight etc. It may mean you arent postured well eg sitting a bit crooked so check your positioning or you just havent entered the first kind of stage of meditation properly to start with where the whole body feels very relaxed(no matter what form of meditation you are doing). I find if Ive relaxed properly, i wont even notice if my posture has gone poor as I'll be in the meditation so deeply.

So I suggest to check in on your body and see what is wrong and fix the problem eg doing some more progressive relaxation exercises before you start whatever meditation you do may be a good thing to do eg where one goes throu the whole body tightening and relaxing different body parts till everything is soft and relaxed... after your body is right, then you can work on your mind throu meditation. Or if you get uncomfortable check in with your body and just tighten and relax those spots before getting back into your meditation, dont try to ignore and allow it to keep distracting you.

Dont allow thou your mind to though create problems of discomfort eg little itches or a need to keep needing to move. Some end up like self sabortaged by their own selves in such a way.

[sea-dove]

Originally Posted by mfadaie

I will be going on a six month to one year retreat for meditation and was wondering if there was a way to get a meditation teacher? I have never been to a formal retreat, but I know that a portion of it is dedicated to speaking with a guide that can help you along your journey.

Is it something that is required or makes progress easier? Anyone have any incites they can share?

if you have never done a formal retreat before, maybe it would be a better idea to do a couple of shorter ones first eg a month first rather then jumping right to doing one for 6 mths or a year. Forcing oneself to do too much too fast can be off putting.

One thing Ive found with self development is that one can need periods to really absorb experiences you may of had during it and to properly digest new info you gain from the practices. After some intense periods of meditation, Ive found Ive had to back off some to allow myself to settle at a new level gained. If lots of major new info is coming in, the whole process can be quite unnerving due to having to let go of old beliefs or whatever you've found you need to let go of. There also can be a uncomfortable feeling of loss of self with sudden rapid change. Self development isnt a race but should be something which one can steadily focus on ones whole life.

....

As to if focus meditations can be enough. That is just one form of meditation and you could consider taking on other forms as well at some point for more balance to things eg physical yoga forms too, energy body development forms, kundalini activation meditations (make sure your teacher is good if doing this form) or whatever so you arent just solely working on developing your mind. When Im really getting into things I use four different forms of meditations as like a complete program including one which is a meditation to develop awareness and holding a one pointed focus (which I do do also with breathwork, many of my meditations involve also some form of breathwork).