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WMS HOME PAGE | LIBRARY TABLE OF CONTENTS Shifting The Coordinator For me, spiritual practices are never so much a matter of following strict regimens, as they are an opportunity for exploration and discovery. In meditation for instance, it was difficult for me to apply fixed procedures according to a. set regimen. The procedures themselves always seem to get in the way. Ideology becomes its own trap. This is why my preference has always been self guidance and flexible technique. Intent in this regard is very critical. All spiritual practices are only as effective as the Intent with which they are employed. With this knowledge, one may simply use intent and a knowledge of basic principles, (natural laws) while employing very few procedures at all, and make maximum inner progress. Through applied principles and intention then, I have been able to make inner progress toward greater clarity, self realization and higher vibration. I see all spiritual techniques as simply tools designed for given ends. When they themselves become the most important subject of focus, it is then that they lose their effectiveness. It is the inner results of practice which are important, not tradition, technique or theory. Many practices of meditation advocate certain postures, combined with breathing techniques. Others suggest given visualizations, the movement of chi in the body, the repeating of certain mantras, or focusing on given objects or phrases, for specific periods of time. I was personally never very enthusiastic about these regimens, because I felt the regimen itself was an unnatural distraction from the goals of inner transformation. Simplicity always seems much more preferable. Obviously, some people gain benefit from traditional methods, but I have never been one of them. I would rather focus on the goal of inner progress rather than the means for its attainment, year after year.
So in my practices of meditation, I’ve tried at least a dozen
traditional approaches, found them wanting, and decided to explore on my
own, using intuition and feeling as a guide to new vistas.
Feeling itself in fact proved to be the most simple, direct and
effective “entry point” into deeper states of consciousness.
In most systems of spiritual practice, one of the
major goals to be achieved is to go beyond the habit of continuous
thoughts, (words) in the mind. There is no doubt that this is a valid
endeavor, since thoughts and words are the bane of the modern mind.
Psychology would still have us believe we ARE OUR THOUGHTS, when in fact
they do not and cannot represent the essential Being within. Thoughts are
something we do not something we are, which is why we should never
identify with habitual thought patterns. In many spiritual systems, the mind is most often
seen as a thing to be subdued. It
is treated much like an unruly animal, one that is to be disciplined
repeatedly, in order to train it to do spiritual feats.
The mind to me however, is an ally in spiritual growth. The
mind is not in itself to blame for modern ills; these are the result of
its wrong use. The mind is not something to subdue or to ignore, but to
expand, so that it can work in conjunction with the body and soul.
This conscious body-mind-soul trinity is exactly the kind of
holistic approach that has worked best for me, since I like to clearly
understand as well as experience. My
early meditations began with candle and mirror staring.
This proved useful, but not ultimately so.
Better still was, (and is) the focusing of the mind first on
feelings in the body, and then awareness itself.
Of particular merit is focusing upon feeling/awareness within the
head, (6th and 7th chakra region), and ultimately,
upon the entire body as a whole. The
body thus becomes the focus of meditation, and feelings the guide to
higher states of consciousness. I recommend the following meditation; Focus your awareness on the feelings in the
middle of the forehead, (this is the frontal lobe of the brain) in a
sphere centered there which is no bigger than a tennis ball.
Take notice of all the subtle feelings in that area.
Do this for at least five minutes or until you feel your awareness
is firmly and comfortably centered in that area.
Note every aspect of how you feel, what your energy is doing, and
in what manner your awareness is focused. Many of these impressions within
the forehead will be subtle, but never the less important.
Now shift your point of focus to the back of the
head, (the occipital lobe of the brain) to a point that is also the size
of a tennis ball. Do this for
about five minutes, or until your feel your awareness is firmly and
comfortably centered in that area. Note every aspect of how you feel, what
your energy is doing, and in what manner your awareness is focused.
Notice the subtle differences, (of feeling, energy and mindstate)
between holding your focus in the forehead region, and that of the back of
the head. Compare these now
by shifting your focus back and forth between the two points, and see all
the subtle details of the shift. In
so doing you are causing your brain and body to function differently at
will. Next, focus your attention first on the right
temple area, then the left, and then both simultaneously. As before, note every aspect of how you feel, what your
energy is doing, and in what manner your awareness is focused. Notice that when your focus on both your temple areas at once
a line of awareness, energy and feeling is formed between them. I call these meditations, for lack of a better term,
“Shifting the Coordinator”. The
shifting part of this exercise is self explanatory, but the term
“coordinator” needs clarification.
The “coordinator” in this case is merely that area of the brain
which is the most active. You can always scan the inside of your head with
your awareness, to determine which area currently has the most feeling and
intensity. In so doing you have located the coordinating area of the
brain for that moment. Note
how this area shifts around on its own, and sometimes just through the act
of focusing upon it. There is always one such area that is most active in
the brain at any given time. In most cases, we enhance the type and location of
activity in our brains, by virtue of certain daily activities. The scientist enhances rational thought and pinpoint focus
through experimentation, (thereby stimulating frontal lobe function) while
the artist enhances visualization, holistic understanding and intuition,
(which enhances occipital lobe function.
Try noticing the difference of feeling in your head, after drawing
a picture, reading a fiction novel, after you have just had a dream, and
balancing your checkbook. All
of these activities stimulate certain regions of the brain, and this fact
can be clearly felt by turning your awareness within. This
“coordinator” area of strongest activity, is a kind of “pace
setter” for the rest of the brain. It establishes the current mode of brain and body function.
When the most activity in the brain is centered in the frontal lobe
of the forehead region for instance, the mode that is set is one of
greater pinpoint clarity, analytical acuity, and logic.
When it is centered in the occipital region at the back of the
head, the mindstate that results leans toward holistic understanding,
intuition, visualization, “daydreaming” etc.
By “shifting the coordinator” or area of greatest activity to
other parts of the brain, (as in the meditations above) such as the
temples or elsewhere, our mind-body functions shift correspondingly.
An emphasis of focus upon each area of the brain, results in a wide
variety of mind-states, spiritual perceptions and mental functions. My experience has shown me that wherever awareness is
consistently and quietly focused anywhere in the body, energy and
heightened sensation immediately accumulates around that region. An important fact to remember is that awareness is focused
according to intent.
If one intends
their awareness to center itself on the forehead, temples, or the back of
the head, then this is where energy immediately goes.
The body’s energy instantly and progressively responds to focused
awareness, by accumulating at the point of focus. The longer the
meditative focus on a given region of the body, and the more unwavering
the focus, (no thoughts or distractions) the more intensely our energy
will accumulate, and even linger in that region. The
universal principle of consciousness being demonstrated here is that;
“Energy follows awareness, which is in turn directed by intent”.
This principle of natural law has enormous self healing potentials.
Any point of injury or pain can be focused upon.
This increases energy, (chi flow) at the point of focus, and
intensifies the degree of awareness there.
One then has an enhanced opportunity to Intend an accelerated
healing process through a variety of methods.
These include visualization, the replacement of pain or fear with a
feeling of higher vibration, and “talking to the cells”, (raising the
morale of the cell group so effected). It also has a great potential for raising one’s
consciousness at will, as the meditator will soon discover. Next,
try focusing on that sphere in the forehead region once again.
While doing this, focus also on the sphere at the back of the head. Hold both of these simultaneously with your focus for some
time. Carefully notice any
differences made in feeling, energy level and state of consciousness as
this meditation proceeds. When
thoughts enter the mind, simply return to a feeling and awareness focus of
these areas. Now try focusing
on both temples, in conjunction with the front sphere of the forehead
region.. Notice how a
triangle of awareness is immediately formed between these three points.
Try this also with the spot at the back of the head, and notice how
another triangle of consciousness is formed there.
The principle of natural law demonstrated here is that “Any
two (or more) points of awareness, which are focused upon simultaneously,
are immediately placed in closer alignment, (unity-resonance) with one
another”. What this
implies in the case of a frontal and occipital, (forehead and back of
head) simultaneous focus, is that these two areas of the brain are made
more unified with one another. Interestingly, all the areas of the brain
in between these two points are also stimulated, creating the sensation of
a “line” or “tunnel” of enhanced clarity between the two. Through
this simple method, practiced just 15 minutes a day, The occipital and
frontal lobes of the brain are brought into closer and closer harmony.
This acts to increase manifest intelligence, wisdom, clarity, vital
energy peacefulness and depth of perception. Logic and clarity are made
more accessible to holistic intuitiveness, and holistic intuitiveness is
made more available to logic and clarity.
In other words, these two areas of the brain and their
corresponding mental functions, are brought into closer and closer harmony
through such meditational practices.
The same is true when using the focus of the temples
simultaneously, where the two hemispheres of the brain are also brought
into closer harmony. This
also applies to the triangle of consciousness formed by the temples and
frontal region, (or occipital region).
When three such spots are focused upon simultaneously, all three
are brought into closer alignment and cooperation. By focusing on all four
spots at once, (temples, occipital and frontal) a diamond of consciousness
is immediately felt, and which increases over the duration and repetition
of the meditation(s). Experiment
with the benefits of this practice, and take careful notes of its
resulting influence on your daily life. Notice also that when any two, (or more) points
anywhere in the body are focused upon in this way, they are brought into
greater cooperation. Try
focusing on the forehead sphere (third eye) and the heart simultaneously.
Notice how a connection between them is soon enhanced, allowing a
greater alignment of love and clarity as a unified state of consciousness.
Love is added to clarity, and clarity to love in this way, with
practice. Any of the chakras
can be so aligned with one another, and experimentation along these lines
unlocks a great deal of inner wisdom.
Such a focus can even be extended between two or more
people. Try focusing your
awareness on the third eye while staring into the eyes of another person
who is doing the very same thing. Intend that you connect
with each other with your clarity. Feel
a “tunnel” of awareness pass between your third eyes, as well as the
physical eyes.. With
practice, clarity can be shared and mutually enhanced this way.
Through the same technique and a focus on the heart, love can also
be intentionally shared and built up at will, as can any other quality,
via any other chakra. Ideally, the experienced meditator will want to focus
their awareness not just on one area of the body or even many regions at
once. They will prefer
instead to focus on the entire body at once with their awareness. This unifies the body’s consciousness throughout, and in
subtle detail. The result of
such meditation is enhanced cellular cooperation and intelligence, and
therefore greater health, intelligence and wisdom. Also of importance is
the fact that when such a focus is centered or “coordinated” by the
forehead region, (clarity, third eye) the entire body-mind begins to gain
clarity at its direction. When
love in the heart coordinates the body this way, love changes its overall
state to increasing and cumulative degrees.
The same can be done with pleasure from the first chakra,
willfulness from the third chakra, enhanced communication and symbolic
understanding from the fifth chakra, and soul-connection from the seventh
chakra I suggest experimentation along these lines! Matthew Webb
visionquest@eoni.com The World Mind Society http://www.eoni.com/~visionquest
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