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"Steal This Book of Shadows"
ver 2.0
by
Azzerac
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Page 5
Concentration
(Brought To You By,...)
Now that you've had the opportunity to try your hand at what can be a daunting mental exercise (for most) by it's self, you can begin to understand why I put Concentration next in line for study. Visualization is just one of four other attributes to hold in your head, and you better be able to concentrate! Not only are you sending patterns/data/energy out, but it's also coming in, from as-yet unfamiliar senses.
Where better to start than meditation? The mistake most people make, at first, is trying to meditate on nothing. Sometimes they just try to clear away their thoughts, sometimes it's the "Big Nothing", that all "things" exist in. Both ways can be quick road to failure. You have to start meditating on something. That's the point. There are two great example (maybe more) at the bottom, but lets walk through the pits & pratfalls you'll encounter first.
So, there you are. Lighting is dimmed to allay distraction, and you have 'object X' in front of you (or maybe a concept you choose to delve into, in your mind). You're legs are crossed, and your in a lotus position,...or not. It's not mandatory. Just because you saw it in a movie or TV show, doesn't mean it's the only way. What do you think the European Wizards & Witches did? It's perfectly fine to sit upright, is a comfortable chair. I get "Hunchback" from doing the Lotus posture too long.
So, you're seated, and focusing on the object/concept at at hand. Then it starts....
"The Chattering Monkey"
That's what they call it. That little voice that starts in. It will, at length, think about your day, muse about tomorrow, replay movie quotes, and on, and on, and on! It jabbers away about everything that bothers you, worries you, and every concern about anything & everything.
This is not your Brain. This is your Mind.
It's a software-thing. It's a wonderful little mechanism, enforced by evolution, and a survival trait you've developed, keeping you constantly aware of your surroundings, your drives, and your motivations. For millions of years, it's been one of those incredible free-form thinking processes that have kept you and your ancestors alive.
It has no Place here!
For this time, it's okay to not do it. You're in a safe place, and a controlled environment, right? It's time for it to take a break!
How?
We have two schools of thought, here:
The first is to quiet it, repeatedly, endlessly, it may even seem. Every time it starts in, stop, take a deep breath, and begin again. This is why mantras are popular. Something to do! It's a single sound (or complex set of them), that gives The Monkey something to do. It may make it easier to quell, and therefore easier to stop when you don't use mantras.
The second is called The Short-Path. You indulge it. Keep it running and running, until it has nothing left to say. Let it burn it's-self out. Straight through mania and out the other side. Also, you'll get so sick of doing it that reflex will take over and you'll just make it stop in stead of thinking about "Forcing it to stop".
Now, what is meditation, scientifically?
It's called "Achieving an Alpha State". That's where your brain-waves slow down to around 8-13 Hz (Cycles Per Second), and you are focused. You approach the same effect from watching Television, intently, but that is actually a form of Hypnosis. What we'll be working with is a sort of Self-Hypnosis.
NOTE: Hypnosis is actually a form of Super-Concentrative State. You are very aware during both forms.
~WARNING!~
DO NOT FALL ASLEEP IN THIS STATE!
You are inducing an Alpha State. When you sleep, you need to be able to achieve a Theta State, to reach R.E.M. Sleep. Your mind needs to dream, and sleeping in an alpha state suppresses REM Sleep. REM deprivation is the cause of at least one form of Psychosis.
After finishing these exercises, get up, stretch your legs, read a book, whatever. Just do something to reset your mind afterwards.
(That being said...)
The two exercises I prescribe are....
It's inexpensive and more rewarding, as you learn more about your own inner workings, in the long run.
Sometimes it's more important to take the harder course.
It's more expensive, but the act of playing & focusing on the bowl works like a bio-feedback device, and is great for setting you on the right path. This exercise isn't true meditation, mind you. It's a method to get into the right mindset before you start. Like Skiing: You can walk all the way up the hill, or take the lift and just ski. The bowls are like the Ski-Lift.
Then again, the goal is concentration, and that's what the bowl is teaching you to do. Just don't mistake one for both.
Other exercises, Like The Aura Visualization, Fill-The-Room, and more play a positive role in developing Concentration, but these are the main two. As these pages fill, I'll simply be placing the Associated Exercises to each attribute & manifestation, at the top of the page, for quick reference for the regular reader.
Suggested Reading: Almost anything on the various practices of Meditation (I've simply stated my favorites. You may need more choices & suggestions).
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