blurred vision after meditation?

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
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blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

i've been meditating for eight years. my method is sitting upright with my eyes mostly open but relaxed and gently focused on whatever is in front of me within about four feet, usually the floor or a coffee table. i sit and focus on my breathing. two or three times i have meditated for thirty minutes and after have experienced blurred vision when trying to read anything. this lasts about twenty minutes and then returns to normal.

the first time this happened i had been meditating outside and had been looking at something about thirty feet away so i thought maybe it had something to do with the way my eyes were focused so i started fixing my gaze on something closer and a year went by without incident until today i had the problem again.

has this happened to anyone else? is there a way to prevent it?
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tiltbillings
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by tiltbillings »

end wrote:is there a way to prevent it?
Shut your eyes. (You are getting older and your eyes are not as elastic as they once were.)
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Ben
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by Ben »

tiltbillings wrote:
end wrote:is there a way to prevent it?
Shut your eyes. (You are getting older and your eyes are not as elastic as they once were.)
Seconded.
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

thank you for the advice i will try that. do you know this from experience or is this just assumption?

only problem is i have trouble staying awake when i shut my eyes during meditation. anything else you could think of that would help or maybe a way to stay awake with them shut?

also how do you know i'm not like eighteen? just kidding, i'm assuming you guessed that eight years meditating doesn't usually mean teenager lol!
Last edited by end on Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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tiltbillings
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by tiltbillings »

end wrote:thank you for the advice i will try that. do you know this from experience or is this just assumption?
I have no idea how old you are, but I am finding that when I read for long periods, my eyes take a while to able to focus on things far way afterwards. My optometrist said it is because I am getting older and that my eyes are much less flexible. As for sitting (meditating, I have always sat with my eyes shut.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

tiltbillings wrote:
end wrote:thank you for the advice i will try that. do you know this from experience or is this just assumption?
I have no idea how old you are, but I am finding that when I read for long periods, my eyes take a while to able to focus on things far way afterwards. My optometrist said it is because I am getting older and that my eyes are much less flexible. As for sitting (meditating, I have always sat with my eyes shut.
yeah i'm thirty, i was only joking around:) i think you're probably exactly right.
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tiltbillings
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by tiltbillings »

end wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:
end wrote:thank you for the advice i will try that. do you know this from experience or is this just assumption?
I have no idea how old you are, but I am finding that when I read for long periods, my eyes take a while to able to focus on things far way afterwards. My optometrist said it is because I am getting older and that my eyes are much less flexible. As for sitting (meditating, I have always sat with my eyes shut.
yeah i'm thirty, i was only joking around:) i think you're probably exactly right.
Try it with your eyes shut and see what happens.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

tiltbillings wrote:Try it with your eyes shut and see what happens.

i intend to give it a shot but like i said in my experience i pass out fast when i do it with my eyes shut. i mean it's ridiculous! i go from my breath to little dreams and scenarios the same as when i lay down for bed. any tips on staying awake?
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tiltbillings
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by tiltbillings »

end wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:Try it with your eyes shut and see what happens.

i intend to give it a shot but like i said in my experience i pass out fast when i do it with my eyes shut. i mean it's ridiculous! i go from my breath to little dreams and scenarios the same as when i lay down for bed. any tips on staying awake?
Ah, well. Sit facing a blank wall. Eyes half open and let your vision go out of focus.

On the other hand, having to contend with a few minutes of blurry vision after meditating probably is a small price.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

tiltbillings wrote:
end wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:Try it with your eyes shut and see what happens.

i intend to give it a shot but like i said in my experience i pass out fast when i do it with my eyes shut. i mean it's ridiculous! i go from my breath to little dreams and scenarios the same as when i lay down for bed. any tips on staying awake?
Ah, well. Sit facing a blank wall. Eyes half open and let your vision go out of focus.

On the other hand, having to contend with a few minutes of blurry vision after meditating probably is a small price.

yes i agree. i think i'll just go to the eye doctor, if he says there's no harm in it i'll just keep doing it the way i have been. i was hoping a bunch of people would say "oh it's normal, don't worry about it." and i could save my money and not go to the doc. that may still happen though, the post is still young! for the time being though i'll try your suggestions, thank you.
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by Jhana4 »

end wrote: i intend to give it a shot but like i said in my experience i pass out fast when i do it with my eyes shut. i mean it's ridiculous! i go from my breath to little dreams and scenarios the same as when i lay down for bed. any tips on staying awake?
What posture are you using?

Sitting up straight can help keep you alert, so can sitting up straight without the aide of a chair.
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One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by pilgrim »

Half close your eye-lids and sit in a lighted room.
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

Jhana4 wrote:
end wrote: i intend to give it a shot but like i said in my experience i pass out fast when i do it with my eyes shut. i mean it's ridiculous! i go from my breath to little dreams and scenarios the same as when i lay down for bed. any tips on staying awake?
What posture are you using?

Sitting up straight can help keep you alert, so can sitting up straight without the aide of a chair.
i sit up straight in a chair without a back so i don't think the chair has much to do with it. thanks for the thought though:) i realize the lotus would help but i have knee problems... i just sit in a normal sitting posture with my legs, my upper body is in the same position it would be with full lotus: back straight, chin level, hands in mudra, arms a couple inches from my body.
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by end »

pilgrim wrote:Half close your eye-lids and sit in a lighted room.

i was thinking lighting might have something to do with it... although one of the times it happened was outside on a perfectly bright day, just a little overcast so i don't think it was too bright either. half closing them might help, i will try this combination together, thank you.
Nari
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Re: blurred vision after meditation?

Post by Nari »

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd jump in and say I've got the same thing. Talked to a priest at my temple. She seemed to think it was pretty unusual, but after searching around online a little, Ive found others. Her suggestion was that I close my eyes if I need to.

It reminds me of the old joke where the patients says to the doctor, "Doc, it hurts when I do this..." and the doctor says, "Don't do that."

So I'm experimenting with closing my eyes a little more or trying to focus differently. Otherwise, I can never meditate in the morning before I hop on my motorcycle and take off for the day without making my ride more exciting than I'd like.
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