Seeking Insights on Unusual Visual Experiences During and After Meditation

[Sahasrara]

Hello everyone,

I've recently encountered some unusual visual phenomena that started during my meditation practice and have persisted afterwards, and I'm seeking insights or advice.

Description of My Experiences

Constant Visual Phenomena: For the past few weeks (two weeks maybe), I have been consistently seeing a white dot in the center of my field of vision, accompanied by rainbow-colored auras around it. This occurs regardless of whether my eyes are open or closed, and in different lighting. I also see rainbow-colored auras around things like people, objects, lights etc.

Changes During Meditation: While meditating, these visuals become more pronounced. The white dot sometimes grows to encompass my entire field of vision, pulsates, or rotates. The area around the dot sometimes appears to rotate like spirals or vortexes, creating a tunnel-like vision with the light at the center.

Formation of Symbols: On occasions, this dot transforms into various shapes or symbols, such as rotating crosses, swastikas, or lotus flowers, all maintaining the rainbow-colored aura.

Background Information:

I have a history of migraines and wear glasses due to vision issues.

I have not noticed any deterioration in my overall vision or field of vision over the years.

Questions:

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Could these experiences be indicative of a spiritual or meditative phenomenon, such as the awakening of the "True Sight" or astral vision?

Are there any specific meditation practices or spiritual traditions that discuss or explain such visual experiences?

Any insights, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated. I am open to exploring both medical and spiritual explanations for these occurrences.

I have booked a comprehensive eye examination to rule out any medical issues.

Thank you in advance for your time and responses.

[Miss Hepburn]

Gee, migraines certainly can cause all sorts of sparkles and colors, even before the migraine happens.
But, rotating crosses and such threw me off - that doesn't seem only medical due to migraines history, does it? (So I have no clue.)
So glad you are seeing a doctor. I hope someone here can give some insight.

PS Did you know during that German swastika era it was turned in the other direction or backwards...since in India
it is a spiritual symbol of prosperity and good luck? That part is a relief, I'd say!.
Just FYI. :)

[Unseeking Seeker]

@ Sahasrara ~ On an overall basis, my counsel would be to relax into the offered experience, neither seeking nor negating whatever appears. Sometimes, in order to ‘progress’, we subconsciously tend to manifest a surreal visual or sound. I’m not saying that is the case as far as you are concerned though.

To be able to see the auric field of people is a gift. Interpreting it however, is another story and Master Kuthumi cautions against it. There is a book he wrote on the subject: The human aura. Also Master Djwhal Khul has written a detailed text in the aura. There’s plenty of information on the net, including Kirlian photography.

[Sahasrara]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Gee, migraines certainly can cause all sorts of sparkles and colors, even before the migraine happens.
But, rotating crosses and such threw me off - that doesn't seem only medical due to migraines history, does it? (So I have no clue.)
So glad you are seeing a doctor. I hope someone here can give some insight.

PS Did you know during that German swastika era it was turned in the other direction or backwards...since in India
it is a spiritual symbol of prosperity and good luck? That part is a relief, I'd say!.
Just FYI. :)

You're absolutely right about the migraines. They can indeed cause a myriad of visual disturbances, including sparkles and colors. However, as you pointed out, the rotating crosses and such seem a bit unusual for typical migraine symptoms. That aspect threw me off too. I actually consulted an ophthalmologist today, considering the possibility of it being something more concerning, especially after reading about the dangers of seeing rainbow halos around lights. Fortunately, my eyes are perfectly healthy!

The doctor did mention that some of my experiences could be related to migraines, but they wouldn't typically persist so consistently and for such long durations. (And I chose not to mention the symbols to the doctor – didn't want to end up in a straitjacket! 😂)

Regarding your note on the swastika, I'm indeed aware of its ancient roots in many cultures. It's fascinating how symbols can carry such diverse meanings across different contexts. I've read that in some traditions, the swastika is associated with the muladhara chakra, symbolizing stability and grounding – quite a contrast to the negative connotations it acquired during the German swastika era. It's always interesting to delve into the original, often positive meanings of these ancient symbols.

Thank you for your insightful comment and for the well-wishes regarding my health!

[Sahasrara]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

@ Sahasrara ~ On an overall basis, my counsel would be to relax into the offered experience, neither seeking nor negating whatever appears. Sometimes, in order to ‘progress’, we subconsciously tend to manifest a surreal visual or sound. I’m not saying that is the case as far as you are concerned though.

To be able to see the auric field of people is a gift. Interpreting it however, is another story and Master Kuthumi cautions against it. There is a book he wrote on the subject: The human aura. Also Master Djwhal Khul has written a detailed text in the aura. There’s plenty of information on the net, including Kirlian photography.

Thank you for your thoughtful advice. I appreciate the reminder to relax into the experience without overly seeking or negating what appears. That's a very goog idea and I'll try to do that.

I'm grateful for your mention of seeing the auric field as a gift, and I understand the caution required in interpreting it. The guidance from Master Kuthumi and Master Djwhal Khul is indeed valuable. I'm familiar with the Masters but didn't know they had written in details about the aura. I'll certainly look more into it!

[Miss Hepburn]

Oh I just thought...during meditations these symbols , esp the swastika spinning could have appeared 1000s of yrs ago to yogis!
That's how we got them!
Like Acupuncture points....someone had a vision of sorts first time.
(I like you, you are very polite...I love that.) :)

[Omnicentrik]

Many years ago I started serious meditation by focusing through the spine for three hours a day, breathing light through the "cakras". After three weeks, I was having consistent nightmares, several of which proved to be predictive at the personal level.

I was literally hearing snippets of conversations on and off during the day, and strange events were going on that seemed to have symbolic significance. Years later, after another push of my energy system, I ended up at the house of a metaphysical teacher (where she held meditations every week).

A friend wanted to go for some consultation, and she offered to do a reading of sorts. I would wear these goggles with flashing lights and see patterns. Then I would tell her what I saw.

I saw all kinds of rainbow-colored spirals and other rotating shapes. I also saw a scarab glowing gold in a four sided pyramid with spiraling red, blue and green bands flowing through the edges.

There was a mouth. It opened, revealing an eye in it. There were other images that anyone with an imagination and sine Apocalyptic fervor could have made up. I didn't though.

I told the lady the extended version of what I saw, and she was taken aback. She thought it was a big deal because most people get blobs or afterimages.

My point is that intense inner work, or even just consistent inner work, can lead to a kind of charging of the nervous system that necessitates neural firing to discharge it.

Experiences tend to happen during this discharge effect. It is how the body-mind reshapes itself in subtle ways to gradually adapt to the stimulus of its own consciousness.

Most of these events are the result of a higher focus that causes current to flow in new ways depending on the focus. That does not mean the signs are not meaningful. The events are of the individual having them.

There is a similar idea around dreams. We need to discharge our brains when we sleep, and dreams are that experience of purging. That does not invalidate the significance and value of dream content, however.

It would be interesting to see if the light you see around people changes with their emotions, or if the effect is consistent and even static.

For me, if I focus intensely for a certain duration, I am more likely to have insightful or even predictive dreams. I may also be more sensitive to negative emotions and intentions. Over time, the wrinkles in the carpet correct themselves.

I think the value is in what they tell us, provided we can tune into their language. If we can, the ability to read the flow and presence of symbols becomes natural and permanent.