Éiriú-Eolas - Breathing Program

[Niall]

I've been noticing all kinds of strange things during sleep lately. Sometimes I dream non-stop through the night (which might be linked to whatever I ate that evening), sometimes I wake up with a very sore right foot, like a cramp or spasm (planetary linkage perhaps?), but it's the whole-body jolt I sometimes get either before or after POTS that is really odd! I will be lying there doing a few cycles of pipe-breathing, then I just kinda ... jump! I wonder if it's a change of state, like a clicking of 'internal gears'. Sometimes the jolt is so strong that my legs physically shift. It's not painful or worrying me, just darn curious.

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book at hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

I will be lying there doing a few cycles of pipe-breathing, then I just kinda ... jump! I wonder if it's a change of state, like a clicking of 'internal gears'. Sometimes the jolt is so strong that my legs physically shift. It's not painful or worrying me, just darn curious.

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book to hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

I had that too this week! I just jump and almost change position in the bed doing so! That's an interesting explanation for it, I thought it was food or supplement-related in fact, because it sort of feels like when I take magnesium citrate (I have bizarre spasms when I do, so I usually stick to orotate or glycinate), only stronger.
Otherwise, nothing to report this week. Just that the day after EE (Friday), I was inexplicably happy and excited (the day after EE I'm usually tired and despondent), like a kid on the way to the theme park. It was weird, but nice!

 

[shijing]

I will be lying there doing a few cycles of pipe-breathing, then I just kinda ... jump! I wonder if it's a change of state, like a clicking of 'internal gears'. Sometimes the jolt is so strong that my legs physically shift. It's not painful or worrying me, just darn curious.

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book to hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

I had that too this week! I just jump and almost change position in the bed doing so!

Do you guys do this while you are still conscious? I do it when I am either half or fully asleep -- sometimes I will wake up when I do it, other times I apparently stay asleep. I think I've done it for years, but it seems to have increased recently and my wife told me that it woke her up a couple of times.

 

[Keit]

I will be lying there doing a few cycles of pipe-breathing, then I just kinda ... jump! I wonder if it's a change of state, like a clicking of 'internal gears'. Sometimes the jolt is so strong that my legs physically shift. It's not painful or worrying me, just darn curious.

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book to hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

I had that too this week! I just jump and almost change position in the bed doing so!

Do you guys do this while you are still conscious? I do it when I am either half or fully asleep -- sometimes I will wake up when I do it, other times I apparently stay asleep. I think I've done it for years, but it seems to have increased recently and my wife told me that it woke her up a couple of times.

Had the same through out my life when on the verge of falling a sleep and sometimes during EE. I remember reading somewhere (regarding the jolts on the verge of sleep) that these were rapid shifts (or rapid return to the "default" position) of the assemblage point that changes position during sleep. It is similar to a jolt one gets when one suddenly wakes up from a dream as if being pulled down. Also remember that it was mentioned somewhere, on this forum or EE perhaps, that the jolts can signify release of muscle tension.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

I will be lying there doing a few cycles of pipe-breathing, then I just kinda ... jump! I wonder if it's a change of state, like a clicking of 'internal gears'. Sometimes the jolt is so strong that my legs physically shift. It's not painful or worrying me, just darn curious.

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book to hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

I had that too this week! I just jump and almost change position in the bed doing so! That's an interesting explanation for it, I thought it was food or supplement-related in fact, because it sort of feels like when I take magnesium citrate (I have bizarre spasms when I do, so I usually stick to orotate or glycinate), only stronger.
Otherwise, nothing to report this week. Just that the day after EE (Friday), I was inexplicably happy and excited (the day after EE I'm usually tired and despondent), like a kid on the way to the theme park. It was weird, but nice!

That's weird about the spasms and magnesium citrate, because magnesium is supposed to help PREVENT muscles spasms. Maybe you don't absorb the citrate as well as the orotate or glycinate?

As for these "jumps", like Shijing I've experienced them probably my whole life. I haven't noticed them as much recently (in the last several months). It's usually when I'm half-asleep, after I've been asleep for just several minutes, or when I wake up from a falling dream.

 

[Oxajil]

As for these "jumps", like Shijing I've experienced them probably my whole life.

Same here, I'm having them quite often (maybe because I take a nap or two every day), it happens when I walk up a stairs in my dreams, and when I miss one step, I kinda fall, and my body then moves too. Or when I'm ice-skating and I make a sliding, I also slide in my bed. etc It's pretty funny and a little shocking. Pretty normal though I think?
Not sure if we're all speaking of the same thing.

 

[LQB]

As for these "jumps", like Shijing I've experienced them probably my whole life.

Same here, I'm having them quite often (maybe because I take a nap or two every day), it happens when I walk up a stairs in my dreams, and when I miss one step, I kinda fall, and my body then moves too. Or when I'm ice-skating and I make a sliding, I also slide in my bed. etc It's pretty funny and a little shocking. Pretty normal though I think?
Not sure if we're all speaking of the same thing.

I think they are all the same thing or very closely related. I have had many much like you describe where it's a dream event that causes the shock. I've also had very strong ones when trying to maintain a twilight state between sleep and wake (watching dreams begin to form). Also tingling and twitches in various body parts. Years ago my mother told me of a family friend who suffered back damage due to a very violent one.

 

[Zadius Sky]

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book at hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

In The Unknowable Gurdjieff, under "Asleep" section (page 54, Rouotledge & Kegan Paul 1962 edition):

The three centres fall asleep separately. Sometimes at the beginning of sleep, you jump violently. This is one centre letting go of another.

Is the above what you were referring to, Kniall?

Referring to these "jumps," I had them throughout my life but not on a daily basis. Usually happened at nights, either before sleep or after.

fwiw

 

[Seamus]

I've been noticing all kinds of strange things during sleep lately. Sometimes I dream non-stop through the night (which might be linked to whatever I ate that evening), sometimes I wake up with a very sore right foot, like a cramp or spasm (planetary linkage perhaps?), but it's the whole-body jolt I sometimes get either before or after POTS that is really odd! I will be lying there doing a few cycles of pipe-breathing, then I just kinda ... jump! I wonder if it's a change of state, like a clicking of 'internal gears'. Sometimes the jolt is so strong that my legs physically shift. It's not painful or worrying me, just darn curious.

I recall reading about something along those lines in The Unknowable Gurdjieff by Margaret Anderson. She wrote that this shift was one's center of gravity switching from one center to another during pre-sleep states. Unfortunately I don't have the book at hand to quote from it, but it compliments the fact that EE is opening up and loosening rigid structures.

I often experience the jumping sensation if I fall asleep slowly. If I'm really tired and fall asleep quickly it doesn't happen. If I have a long POTS or relaxation session and zone out for a period of time, I often return to consciousness with a jump like you describe.

Recently I have been experiencing frequent cracking, snapping and popping noises during meditation sessions. They are not grouped like morse code or something like that, but rather are solitary and vary in "volume". Sometimes I will hear two or three during a session, sometimes none. Often there will be two or three "minor" pops proceeding a loud CRACK. They seem to come from random directions behind, in front, above, below, to the side. They seem to accompany shifts in my mental state while I'm meditating. For instance, I may be having a particularly difficult time concentrating because of a stream of internal dialog when a sudden CRACK causes a burst of color behind my eyelids, a settling in my body and a quieting of the dialog. After the crack I notice sounds that I didn't hear before because they were drowned out by my internal dialog, like the wind in the trees outside, the rain on the metal roof of the barn, a bird singing or the toilet filling with water.

Anyone else notice cracking noises like this, or am I just hearing my house settling or something like that?

 

[Aeneas]

The three centres fall asleep separately. Sometimes at the beginning of sleep, you jump violently. This is one centre letting go of another.

Referring to these "jumps," I had them throughout my life but not on a daily basis. Usually happened at nights, either before sleep or after.

Thank you for the interesting quote. I too have had these jolts all my life to my knowledge, though mostly not aware of them, but being told about them by my partner. My partner falls asleep very fast, so I observe the jolts in her just about every night. I have noticed that they occur mostly only in the twilight zone between wakefulness and sleep. When the jolts starts that means that she is no longer trying to fall asleep but has entered the twilight zone, and when the jolting movements stop, then she is fully asleep.

 

[Aeneas]

Anyone else notice cracking noises like this, or am I just hearing my house settling or something like that?

Do you by chance live in a wooden house? I am asking as I once lived in a brickhouse with a big wooden roofsection and often at the oddest of times loud cracks would happen. It took a while to figure out that it was just the wood that was expanding and contracting. Often meditating in that house, I am reminded of how the cracks worked to bring me away from the thinking mind into the present moment, when they did happen.

But this might not be the same as what it happening for you.

 

[shijing]

In The Unknowable Gurdjieff, under "Asleep" section (page 54, Rouotledge & Kegan Paul 1962 edition):

The three centres fall asleep separately. Sometimes at the beginning of sleep, you jump violently. This is one centre letting go of another.

Yeah, thanks for finding this, Myrddin Awyr -- very interesting. The jerking happens for me a lot of the time as I am going to sleep, but sometimes in the middle of the night -- I wonder if I have a very stubborn center that doesn't want to detach and go to sleep with the others :D

 

[Bluestar]

Experienced jerks as far as I can remember. Mostly what I have called muscle spasm jerks. They just shoot out like a bolt of electricity and then out my feet. Usually like most here at the point of twilight. Also had those jerks when I am dreaming of falling.

Though last night during POTS had a strange experience not felt before.

While reciting the prayer, not using the CD, I would zone out( first for me) and when I came back to awareness, could not remember my place in the prayer. I at times would start over from the beginning or a line would pop into my mind and would continue from there. Then I may have fell asleep which never has happened before. Usually I finish the pray and then fall asleep. This time I was woken up by a sudden jerk. Almost sat up in bed. Had a weird feeling as well. Mostly of confusion as to what had happened. So not sure if it was a zone out or just had fallen asleep.

 

[RedFox]

I use to have jerks like that a lot when I was a kid/teenager, and every so often afterwards....but oddly most of my odd sleep disturbances (sudden jerking - which would wake me up early in the morning some times, sleep paralysis...and any other odd sleep things I can't think of right now) seem to have faded away since doing the POTS regularly.

Experienced jerks as far as I can remember. Mostly what I have called muscle spasm jerks. They just shoot out like a bolt of electricity and then out my feet. Usually like most here at the point of twilight. Also had those jerks when I am dreaming of falling.

Though last night during POTS had a strange experience not felt before.

While reciting the prayer, not using the CD, I would zone out( first for me) and when I came back to awareness, could not remember my place in the prayer. I at times would start over from the beginning or a line would pop into my mind and would continue from there. Then I may have fell asleep which never has happened before. Usually I finish the pray and then fall asleep. This time I was woken up by a sudden jerk. Almost sat up in bed. Had a weird feeling as well. Mostly of confusion as to what had happened. So not sure if it was a zone out or just had fallen asleep.

fwiw I did the full program about 6 months ago whilst away on training for work in my hotel room. I zoned out and the next thing I know I'm slowly coming back to awareness....in a very confused state as to where I was, or what was going on (didn't even know I was in a hotel room to start with)....or why the MP3 player was still playing.
I realised I must have zoned out (because the MP3 player was still on and had looped).....I was pretty shocked when I checked my clock and it said 6am!! I'd zoned out for 6-7hours....
So its possible that you zoned out if you came back and were confused.....I've not read anyone else report this yet, but it may be that long periods of zoning out bring some confusion with them when you come back.
Wish I could remember what the heck I was doing all that time! interestingly I did seem to have changed (in a good way, but very subtly) after that. More confidence for one :)

 

[Iron]

As far as things that are happening right now I have been experiencing a gentle warmth in the top of the head and forehead, during 3 stage breathing.

My darker dreams have stopped, and have nothing else to add since I was not doing Baha, due to being overwhelmed by life and ongoing problems with a dysfunctional relationship that is now over.

Now that I got my feet back on ground I will resume doing the bioenergetic breathing.