is my meditation going on properly?

misecmisc1

Hi,

i have started meditation since 1 month now. i m trying to meditate on my breath. i have observed that in a specific posture, i m hearing a ringing in my right ear only and the ringing sound is something like - 'zzuuu zzuuu zzuuu ...'. At a specific posture - back straight, neck and head - i hear this ringing in my ear and that too only in right ear. But when i move even slightly like i move my head even slightly, the ringing is gone. But when i try to move my head back in that position, the ringing again starts.

So my questions are - what is this ringing? why is this occurring at a specific posture position only? when i sit to meditate, then should i try to search for this posture to let the ringing start, then meditate on this ringing - or - if the ringing occurs, then should i move my body so that the ringing stops and then i meditate on my breath only?

Please help. Thanks.

taiyaki

listen to the gaps between the ringing.

then if you hear clearer ringing, then move inbetween the ringing some more.

ring, silence, ring, silence

focus on the silence between the rings. if you cannot then follow the single ring to the end, right there is the gap.

focus all your attention on that gap. ok?

Floating_Abu

Hi,

i have started meditation since 1 month now. i m trying to meditate on my breath. i have observed that in a specific posture, i m hearing a ringing in my right ear only and the ringing sound is something like - 'zzuuu zzuuu zzuuu ...'. At a specific posture - back straight, neck and head - i hear this ringing in my ear and that too only in right ear. But when i move even slightly like i move my head even slightly, the ringing is gone. But when i try to move my head back in that position, the ringing again starts.

So my questions are - what is this ringing? why is this occurring at a specific posture position only? when i sit to meditate, then should i try to search for this posture to let the ringing start, then meditate on this ringing - or - if the ringing occurs, then should i move my body so that the ringing stops and then i meditate on my breath only?

Please help. Thanks.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, it could be titinus and whatever it is - just keep sitting.

person

Do you hear the ringing in your natural meditation posture? A simple solution would just be to use a comfortable posture where you don't hear the ringing. But maybe thats not really possible. As the other posters have said, you can also just notice it and let it go or even use it as the focus of your meditation.

misecmisc1

Thanks all for replying.

Some more observations of mine : Sometimes, not often, during my daily activities, suppose i become some what free, then if i try to make my back straight and put neck and head straight over it, then i can again hear that ringing sound in my right ear only. So even if external sounds r there, i think i can still hear this ringing sound at that moment.

@taiyaki: The ringing sound is dominant and the silence between them is for a very small duration. Something like ringing for 2 sec, then silence for 0.5 sec or may be even smaller, then ringing for 2 sec, and it continues in this pattern. So focusing on the silence seems to be too difficult, as by the time i will try to focus on silence the next ringing sound will come.

Sometimes when i try to map this ringing sound in meditation with AUM sound manually in my mind, then sometimes i feel that this ringing sound has the AUM sound in it.

The posture in which i hear this ringing sound is normal full-lotus posture with back straight and neck and head straight over it.

So please suggest should i try to sit and try to hear this sound and try to keep my focus on it in meditation - or - whenever this sound arises, i should move my body so that the sound is gone and then i should focus on my breath.

misecmisc1

Any replies please. Please help.

pegembara

This ringing[whoosh] is just tinnitus caused by blood flowing in the ears. The reason it occurs in certain position only is because the blood vessel gets compressed in that position.

It is different from the persistent ringing["cosmic ringing"] one notices by paying attention. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Sumedho#Sound_of_Silence

misecmisc1

@pegembara: this sound which i hear in my right ear only is not always. it comes when i try to hear it - by making my back straight and head and neck straight over it.

what are the signs of tinnitus? is it always occurring or at some times? in both ears or only in a single ear? Please suggest.

Floating_Abu

Dear misecmisc1

You sound like you only want one answer, but it could just be something medical. Or not, does it really even matter?

pegembara

@misecmisc1 Tinnitus is usually in one ear and is related to the flow of blood. You may even be able to time the whoosh with your hearbeat. You don't notice unless it is loud or you pay close attention. It can become louder in certain head/neck position.