Hallucinating Whyle Meditating

BuckeyeBushHippie

Hi everyone. I was wondering if it's normal to see odd things while meditating.
It seems each time I meditate for long enough I start seeing things. Usually it's just random shapes and colors but sometimes it's a vision like it's right there in front of me.
Most recently I was meditating near a waterfall and the first vision was me flying away from myself like i switched minds with a bird or something.
Then I saw a man who seemed to be in his late 40s to mid 50s. He had a mustache and a black dress shirt. He looked kind of like hank from King of the Hill. Then it went to me seeing random shapes.
But then I saw a distinct shape of a crescent moon inside a triangle. Does that mean anything to anyone? If not that's ok. I really just want to know if things like this happen to other people.
Here's a link to what the shape basically looked like http://www.flickr.com/photos/65142257@N06/5929430255/in/photostream

NachoLibre

Maybe you're experiencing OOBEs (Out Of Body Experiencies). If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask google
Or maybe you're developing some kind of clairvoyance.

Did you feel like your mind aggregate was leaving the body?
Did you feel the presence of your body?

I once read in a book written by Ajahn Chah that visions during meditation are not a strange happening, and one has not to worry about it, you just have to let them go and not develop attachment to them. Altough he couldn't explain the cause of this, he wrote that it's just something that happens.

Blessings to you all,
NachoLibre

Dazzle

Hi BBH,

Some of us can have all kinds of different experiences. Don't follow after them and when you notice that your attention has wandered, just gently bring it back to the breath or whatever other meditation object you're using.

with kind wishes,

Dazzle

Jeffrey

symbols like the crescent moon in the triangle aren't metaphysical realities like dark forces like magicians. The reason we have those archetypes is because there are people who tend towards taking too much weight with ideas in the spectrum. 'its like this'...

i think the best to abstract for such are 'morals' such as from fables which is a good example because the symbols seem fearful and freaky due to the dichotomy of outside/inside.. They are all phenomena arising from your own mind. your good heart. no thought deserves censure or a gold star.

An upright triangle is a symbol of masculinity. A crescent moon is a symbol of regeneration and creativity. Hank on king of the hill is a good solid man with some set thinking but he basicly treats people right. I think you are looking for good solid values and masculine energy... supportive energy... Or possibly you are judging yourself hard and wanting to leave behind some quality for which you feel unworthy.

Cum granis salis

Vincenzi

yes it isn't unusual... don't worry; you can interpret them as you wish but don't over analize or cling to them.

OtioseDodge

Hey Buckeye,

I have similar experiences while meditating. The traditional Buddhist interpretation is certainly that these are essentially experiences like any other, and should be merely be observed mindfully, without feeding into them or without suppressing them.

That said, I don't know your views on dream interpretation, but sometimes I treat these experiences as "mini-dreams", or symbolic messages from the unconscious. I then use a psychoanalytic technique of association, which basically involves bringing the image to mind again, and then seeing the next thing that comes to mind. Or the next emotion, or the next intuition. Also useful for me is considering the context in which I had the "hallucination". (Buddhists tend to prefer the word "vision" to describe these experiences.) Or else, sometimes the immediate intuition after the vision is enough to tell me the meaning, though I think it takes time to develop that ability. All these techniques, together or separately, usually give me a good perspective on what the message actually means. I would also add that it's probably a very personal experience, so there are probably countless tools to draw value and meaning from these experiences.

Again, I think it's important to emphasize that these phenomena shouldn't be dwelt on for too long, or over-analyzed. Tibetan yogis have been known to use visions as aids to spiritual development (in fact, a yogi's vision proved invaluable in finding the current Dalai Lama), but I would keep in mind that they should probably be only used as aids in authentic spiritual practice.

Best

abhishek_laser

Yes, such things can happen during meditation, mainly because of the reduction in attachment to perceptions of conventional reality. But usually what monks do when such experiences happen is that they use equanimity, in that when such things do happen they note it saying that "this is how it appears to be" and just let it go. Also do read ajahn chah's expeience of his body exploding an a general interest.

Out of the ordinary experiences are normal to experienced meditators so nothing needs to be made out of such things. Since even such experiences are impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self. Also meditation is done not for the sake of getting some sort of experience but for the path that leads to the end of suffering. I wouldn't make too much out of these things.

caz

Meditation is ment to be single pointed concentration Ignore anything other then the object you are focusing on these are non other the mental distractions.

BeachHouseGuy

you are, the chosen one. Or, maybe your a little schizophrenic lol, get checked out if you worry.

vixthenomad

I've just looked at the moon-in-triangle picture and something about it really disturbed me. I can't quite establish why that should me - it just unsettled something in my mind.

If I see that next time I meditate, I'm holding you personally responsible.