Trouble with being visual

BaseballBuddhist

For some reason, whenever I try to focus on my breath, I always find that my eyes try to look at my nose (because that's where the breath is coming from). It sounds weird (like a weird cross-eyed-ness), but I suppose it's because I've always been a predominantly visual learner, so I rely overwhelmingly on my sight over other senses.

I primarily meditate with eyes-closed, and just that in itself seems to give me troubles sometimes because of the weird sort of ambient glow you see on the inside of the eyelids that ebbs and flows in odd ways, much like a kaleidoscope.

Is this a common problem when starting out with meditation? Maybe just the confirmation that others have had trouble with this when starting out is the reassurance I need to stop worrying about it and just let it go.

P.S. I've been using the counting breaths method in that YouTube video I've seen posted on here a few times in recent days, so don't feel the need to repost it again (unless of course you want to )

RichardH

For what it's worth, everything you experience in meditation in all the senses, however they present, is the object. If you notice the breath, and the funny eye thing, and the struggle, and the uncertainty.. at once, just flash-out on the whole situation, just for a moment, you will have meditation. One thing I was taught is not to become a "unicorn" (get the joke?). It may be best to open out on the total sense of just being there breathing. Rather than you here focusing on the breath there. The breath is simply present. Thoughts steal awareness, it is noticed and the the presence of the breath returns.

thats one take on it anyway.

BaseballBuddhist

Thanks Richard, that makes a lot of sense. That also kind of addresses another question of mine that's been cropping up, about mindfulness and multi-tasking. Like the unicorn thing :P I think I've been too concerned with trying to 'zone in' on only one thing instead of taking a step back and just appreciating and being aware of what the moment holds.

RichardH

Both Theravadin and Zen teachers characterize awareness as being like the basic space in which the whole situation unfolds. Body, thoughts, and environment, the inner and outer sense of being here at any given moment. My favourite little helper is from a Theravadin Teacher. "It's not about having an experience, it's about knowing whatever experience is present". That "knowing" points to this basic awareness/space.

DairyLama

BaseballBuddhist wrote: »

Like the unicorn thing :P I think I've been too concerned with trying to 'zone in' on only one thing instead of taking a step back and just appreciating and being aware of what the moment holds.

I think you're describing the difference between samatha and vipassana meditation.:)

P

aMatt

BaseballBuddhist wrote: »

Thanks Richard, that makes a lot of sense. That also kind of addresses another question of mine that's been cropping up, about mindfulness and multi-tasking. Like the unicorn thing :P I think I've been too concerned with trying to 'zone in' on only one thing instead of taking a step back and just appreciating and being aware of what the moment holds.

Its great to have the skill of zoning in, if you do object meditation, it can lead to deeper mindfulness. Like Richard says skillfully, developing the "basic space in which the whole situation unfolds" is suggested as the aim. From there, everything else simply arises, even the focusing.

DairyLama

BaseballBuddhist wrote: »

For some reason, whenever I try to focus on my breath, I always find that my eyes try to look at my nose (because that's where the breath is coming from). It sounds weird (like a weird cross-eyed-ness), but I suppose it's because I've always been a predominantly visual learner, so I rely overwhelmingly on my sight over other senses.

I think for most of us vision is the dominant sense. Have you tried keeping eyes open and loosely resting your gaze on the floor ahead or on a shrine?
Don't be afraid to experiment.:)

P