Jhana experience

The cultivation of calm or tranquility and the development of concentration
User avatar
TravisGM
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:23 pm

Jhana experience

Post by TravisGM »

Hello everyone, I've been doing Anapanasati meditation and I had something interesting happen recently... I was hoping someone might be able to tell me if this is jhana.

I was focusing on the anapana spot when all of a sudden I felt like I was growing in size. I continued to grow, or felt like it until I stretched across my room and started to bolt off somewhere. I attempted to continue to focus on the anapana spot but found it to be very difficult. Is this jhana? Again, thanks for the replies.
To be happy...
User avatar
bodom
Posts: 7215
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: San Antonio, Texas

Re: Jhana experience

Post by bodom »

Experiences like this in meditation are quite common and not indicative of jhana.

The following from Bhante G. may be helpful to you:
Problem 3
Odd Sensations


People experience all manner of varied phenomena in meditation. Some people get itches. Others feel tingling, deep relaxation, a feeling of lightness or a floating sensation. You may feel yourself growing or shrinking or rising up in the air. Beginners often get quite excited over such sensations. As relaxation sets in, the nervous system simply begins to pass sensory signals more efficiently. Large amounts of previously blocked sensory data can pour through, giving rise to all manner of unique sensations. It does not signify anything in particular. It is just sensation. So simply employ the normal technique. Watch it come up and watch it pass away. Don't get involved.
:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
User avatar
TravisGM
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:23 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by TravisGM »

Experiences like this in meditation are quite common and not indicative of jhana.
Thank you :)
To be happy...
User avatar
marc108
Posts: 463
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:10 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by marc108 »

bodom wrote:Experiences like this in meditation are quite common and not indicative of jhana.

The following from Bhante G. may be helpful to you:
Problem 3
Odd Sensations


People experience all manner of varied phenomena in meditation. Some people get itches. Others feel tingling, deep relaxation, a feeling of lightness or a floating sensation. You may feel yourself growing or shrinking or rising up in the air. Beginners often get quite excited over such sensations. As relaxation sets in, the nervous system simply begins to pass sensory signals more efficiently. Large amounts of previously blocked sensory data can pour through, giving rise to all manner of unique sensations. It does not signify anything in particular. It is just sensation. So simply employ the normal technique. Watch it come up and watch it pass away. Don't get involved.
:anjali:
:goodpost:
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
User avatar
black hole
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:32 am
Location: Abu Dhabi (UAE)

Re: Jhana experience

Post by black hole »

Sorry Bodom, could you tell me who is Bhante G. and what's the article or the book you quote ? Thank you.
Everything is naturally perfect just as it is
User avatar
thaijeppe
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2011 3:13 am
Location: Thailand

Re: Jhana experience

Post by thaijeppe »

The book is Mindfulness in plain English

http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/mindfuln ... nglish.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali: jeppe
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you
let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely,
you will know complete peace and freedom.
Ajahn Chah
User avatar
black hole
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:32 am
Location: Abu Dhabi (UAE)

Re: Jhana experience

Post by black hole »

Thank you :anjali:
Everything is naturally perfect just as it is
User avatar
LonesomeYogurt
Posts: 900
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 4:24 pm
Location: America

Re: Jhana experience

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

It might be indicative of access concentration coming on, but it's not something associated with jhana.
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
User avatar
TravisGM
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:23 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by TravisGM »

It might be indicative of access concentration coming on, but it's not something associated with jhana.
I'm curious, does the anapana spot move often too during access concentration? Because I find it difficult to locate an exact pOint for the spot and I'm not sure why...
To be happy...
User avatar
LonesomeYogurt
Posts: 900
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 4:24 pm
Location: America

Re: Jhana experience

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

TravisGM wrote:I'm curious, does the anapana spot move often too during access concentration? Because I find it difficult to locate an exact pOint for the spot and I'm not sure why...
That probably just an indication that concentration has not fully developed. I'd recommend trying to focus more on the breath itself, rather than searching for a sensation spot. Anapana is mindfulness of breath, not mindfulness of sensation on the upper lip!

Just pay attention to the breath as it passes into your nostrils and soon a anapana will show up. But if you want to progress to Jhana, it's important to move attention from the coarse physical pressure or tingling or coldness and onto the actual breath itself. A good analogy is when you're trying to nail something into a wall. You have to hold the nail with your hands for a bit until you've got the nail deep enough into the wall that you can let go and the nail will stay there without support. In the same way, after you focus for a period on the anapana spot and concentration gets stronger, try and start focusing on the more abstract breath instead of just the feeling. Does that make sense? I hope it does. It's a hard concept to get but if you try it it'll make sense.

Good luck!
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
daverupa
Posts: 5980
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:58 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by daverupa »

LonesomeYogurt wrote:Anapana is mindfulness of breath, not mindfulness of sensation on the upper lip!

Just pay attention to the breath as it passes into your nostrils...
It's interesting to say that anapanasati isn't mindfulness of a sensate-spot, and then to recommend a sensate-spot...
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
User avatar
TravisGM
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:23 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by TravisGM »

LonesomeYogurt wrote:
Anapana is mindfulness of breath, not mindfulness of sensation on the upper lip!

Just pay attention to the breath as it passes into your nostrils...


It's interesting to say that anapanasati isn't mindfulness of a sensate-spot, and then to recommend a sensate-spot...
I think, respectfully, he is advising to first focus on the spot or sensation until concentration increases then to focus on the breath. Is this correct or have I mis-understood what you've said?
To be happy...
User avatar
LonesomeYogurt
Posts: 900
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 4:24 pm
Location: America

Re: Jhana experience

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

TravisGM wrote:I think, respectfully, he is advising to first focus on the spot or sensation until concentration increases then to focus on the breath. Is this correct or have I mis-understood what you've said?
Yeah, that's kinda what I meant. Sorry if I wasn't clear!
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
User avatar
TravisGM
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:23 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by TravisGM »

:namaste: that's ok :)
To be happy...
daverupa
Posts: 5980
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:58 pm

Re: Jhana experience

Post by daverupa »

:anjali:
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
Post Reply