Is it safe gazing into night darkness?

[Kay Kim]

It's getting cold and not much things to do on the outside other than stay indoor and reading. So I start to spent some time gazing exercise.
I made up by gazing one thing just enough to see it's aura or things surrounding light then mover to other objects.
It makes me still my thoughts and fully stay focus on at present moment, same time consciously aware myself doing that.
And last night, after Prayer of the Soul, unable to sleep right away due to sensation and heat, so I opened my eyes to pitch-dark space of the room. And stayed for a while, then the darkness becomes violet colors. It was interesting experience.
My question is,
Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

 

[Oxajil]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

It's getting cold and not much things to do on the outside other than stay indoor and reading. So I start to spent some time gazing exercise.
I made up by gazing one thing just enough to see it's aura or things surrounding light then mover to other objects.
It makes me still my thoughts and fully stay focus on at present moment, same time consciously aware myself doing that.
And last night, after Prayer of the Soul, unable to sleep right away due to sensation and heat, so I opened my eyes to pitch-dark space of the room. And stayed for a while, then the darkness becomes violet colors. It was interesting experience.
My question is,
Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

I don't see why it wouldn't be. If it helps you still your mind, I think it's okay. :)

On a sidenote, I once read that looking at objects that are in the distance is good for your eyes, especially if you read or sit at the computer a lot. So if you get a chance to look at trees or houses or other things from your window during your exercise, maybe you can give that a try as well.

 

[3DStudent]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

On a related note, I recall as a kid that I would daydream, although it was night and right before bed, with my eyes half open. It seemed as if the imagination could produce better visualizations than with eyes closed. I wonder if doing POTS before bed with your eyes open would help with the visualization (drop of water or your choice of object)?

 

[nicklebleu]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

On a related note, I recall as a kid that I would daydream, although it was night and right before bed, with my eyes half open. It seemed as if the imagination could produce better visualizations than with eyes closed. I wonder if doing POTS before bed with your eyes open would help with the visualization (drop of water or your choice of object)?

I tried that, but found it harder to visualize in the dark with open eyes, rather than with closed eyes - no idea why! And staring into the darkness with open eyes produces much more vivid pictures, like a movie - shapes, (unknown) faces, landscapes etc. This can be quite interesting, maybe helpful, but definitely is distracting from visualizing exercises and doing POTS. FWIW.

 

[mkrnhr]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

Visual experiences in darkness is common (closed-eye hallucination?). Right before sleeping, closing the eyes in darkness, one can experience flashes, colors, fractal-like figures, scenery, etc. This is very different from visualization as discussed within the framework of the meditation exercise where we consciously visualize an object (like in the drop of water example) and keep focusing on it. It is the visual equivalent of keeping the mind from wandering across random thoughts.

What I noticed is that during meditation, the visual experiences are less random, more vivid sometimes, with a certain consistency. The usual visual experiences in darkness may be an unconscious way to fill in the gap of the usual visual stimuli, the equivalent perhaps, if it might apply, of random and nonsense dreams.

As for keeping the eyes open in darkness, I don't see the utility, since the only difference is to have a physiological discomfort. On the other hand, one can consider it from a more symbolical point of view, in which case, the expression "if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you" comes to mind, whether it applies or not (is staring into darkness with open eyes a sort of an archaic psychomentum activity? don't know). Maybe keeping the eyes closed while meditating, at least for a maximization of comfort and relaxation is the way to go.
OSIT.

 

[United Gnosis]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

In eastern traditions, steady gazing practice is called tratak. It can be practiced with any focal point (or into emptiness), but is best done by choosing to focus on a candle's flame. It is an exercise in concentration which can be used as a tool to cleanse the emotional & intellectual bodies before progressing to deeper meditations.

As for keeping open eyes during meditation, it is also a common practice in some traditions, especially in zen, where meditations are usually sustained with half-open eyes; switching the glance downwards (calming) or upwards (exciting) is used to regulate wakefulness, as necessary.

 

[Kay Kim]

Thank you all,
Maybe gazing into night is safe and amusing but when I was doing, same time there was somewhat uneasiness. Then when I read this part...

Posted by mkrnhr,

"if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you"

Seems this is the answer to my question.
So now after Prayer of the Soul, I stay bed and closed my eyes to do Listening Meditation until fall asleep.

Since Session 29 August 2015, I start to do meditation that visualize drop of water but it was hard, because the water have no color.
So, I make up for few color to tried then I found out the light aquamarine color work for me best.
It looks vivid, realistic. And I can not do this meditation while lie down on bed. I have to do it by standing or sitting.
Everyday I do various exercise, spinning, EE, gazing objects, water drop meditation, and watch my self to make me energize to stay on present moment.
In the future I will try to do candle flame exercise too.

 

[MusicMan]

In addition to what Oxajil said, staring at an object on the horizon can help you with your internal 'balance', as I discovered when I was in the Navy, that it helped if I was feeling a little 'seasick'. This could also apply if you have been spinning, to look at a distant object to reacquire balance.
At night, you could find a light on the horizon or a low star to obtain your focus point.

 

[lainey]

In addition to what Oxajil said, staring at an object on the horizon can help you with your internal 'balance', as I discovered when I was in the Navy, that it helped if I was feeling a little 'seasick'. This could also apply if you have been spinning, to look at a distant object to reacquire balance.
At night, you could find a light on the horizon or a low star to obtain your focus point.

I was advised that if I found myself in a negative thought loop that if I focused on an object in the distance it would stop. I tried it and it worked. When we are caught in thought loops our focus tends to be narrow and close by so by directing the consciousness outward it releases us in a way.
I found it helpful FWIW.
Also I agree with mkrnhr, the image that comes to me is one of looking for something in the darkness almost as if you are inviting yourself to see something and the darkness could well look back. I much prefer to meditate with my eyes closed.

 

[RedFox]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

As for keeping the eyes open in darkness, I don't see the utility, since the only difference is to have a physiological discomfort. On the other hand, one can consider it from a more symbolical point of view, in which case, the expression "if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you" comes to mind, whether it applies or not (is staring into darkness with open eyes a sort of an archaic psychomentum activity? don't know). Maybe keeping the eyes closed while meditating, at least for a maximization of comfort and relaxation is the way to go.
OSIT.

fwiw The Eye Emits Actual Light (Biophotons) - so perhaps they need to be open to 'project'?
Maybe having eyes open in pitch blackness is a better way to visualize? I'm sure the C's mentioned that in 4D you could visualize externally.

I've never had trouble with images coming up in EE with my eyes shut though.
Which ever way it is (and as interesting as it is), sensation/experience seeking isn't the goal. Stilling the mind with the POTS is.

 

[lainey]

Re: Is it safe to gazing into night darkness?

As for keeping the eyes open in darkness, I don't see the utility, since the only difference is to have a physiological discomfort. On the other hand, one can consider it from a more symbolical point of view, in which case, the expression "if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you" comes to mind, whether it applies or not (is staring into darkness with open eyes a sort of an archaic psychomentum activity? don't know). Maybe keeping the eyes closed while meditating, at least for a maximization of comfort and relaxation is the way to go.
OSIT.

fwiw The Eye Emits Actual Light (Biophotons) - so perhaps they need to be open to 'project'?
Maybe having eyes open in pitch blackness is a better way to visualize? I'm sure the C's mentioned that in 4D you could visualize externally.

I've never had trouble with images coming up in EE with my eyes shut though.
Which ever way it is (and as interesting as it is), sensation/experience seeking isn't the goal. Stilling the mind with the POTS is.

That's really interesting RedFox, thanks for sharing!

The light that emanates through the "window of the soul," the human eye, is not "imagined," but real and these biophotons contain energy and information (wave-particle complementarity of Light), capable of transforming our understanding of one another, and ourselves.

 

[Kay Kim]

Thank you all, for suggestions.
It seems more members agree that staring at an object is beneficial and look at a distant object gives one's internal balance too. I will do it too.

RedFox's information is something new to me. The mammalian, which includes human eyes are when the moment sees object gets energy and information from it's dual nature of light. And the dual nature of light is properties of particles and it's waves.
So I am thinking, maybe I will start to do candle flame exercise and same day, do the open eyed pitch blackness visualization exercise( is different from just gazing into empty space). I have plenty time do everything due to retired from work and live alone with one year old dog.
If my understanding is somewhat bit off, please correct me. I like to learn. Thank you very much.