Strange Meditation Experience

Bunks

Hi all

A few weeks ago I went and sat in a Zen meditation class at lunch time.

I had a bit of a blocked nose that day so was having some trouble breathing in and out through it. All of a sudden the teacher heading the class sneezed and immediately my nose cleared up! Granted, I was startled by the noise so it was probably that that caused my nose to clear but I still found it a little odd.

Then, a few minutes later, the teacher came around to adjust people's posture (as they do in Zen). He lightly touched my shoulders and moved them slightly. Then he stayed with his hands on my shoulders for what seemed like ages (about a minute). I began to get uncomfortable with this until I opened my eyes and realised he had walked back to his cushion and wasn't there any more!

It was kind of weird. It's funny how the mind plays tricks on us.

how

Meditation sometimes seems an exercise in experiencing how the difference between self and non self is just that what conditions sense gate data and that what doesn't.
That experience is a perfect illustration of what was real compared to what wasn't.

pegembara

So which is real? What you saw or what you felt?

Then, a few minutes later, the teacher came around to adjust people's posture (as they do in Zen). He lightly touched my shoulders and moved them slightly. Then he stayed with his hands on my shoulders for what seemed like ages (about a minute). I began to get uncomfortable with this until I opened my eyes and realised he had walked back to his cushion and wasn't there any more!

It was kind of weird. It's funny how the mind plays tricks on us.
VastmindEvenThird

Barra

The sneeze thing was just a coincidence. Nothing more.

Hawkins

sounds like a phenomenon of the mind that shouldn't be treated as superstition

how

pegembara said:

So which is real? What you saw or what you felt?

Then, a few minutes later, the teacher came around to adjust people's posture (as they do in Zen). He lightly touched my shoulders and moved them slightly. Then he stayed with his hands on my shoulders for what seemed like ages (about a minute). I began to get uncomfortable with this until I opened my eyes and realised he had walked back to his cushion and wasn't there any more!

It was kind of weird. It's funny how the mind plays tricks on us.
VastmindEvenThird

@pegembara

A reasonable question for contemplation
But usually
the dichotomy of what is real and not, is just a side track off the meditative path. Another intellectual cul-de-sac of mental stimulation, a diversion, from just staying the meditative course toward it's transcendence.