Stephen M.
From: "darktemplarssj" <whited4@...> Reply-To: BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com To: BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com Subject: [BardonPraxis] clarity of meditation Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 05:29:52 -0000
Hello, I'm new here. I've been studing Bardon's method's for about 3 monthes now but some of his comments on meditation in "Introduction to Heremetics" are a little ambiguous. First, is "holding a single thought in your mind" the same as visualizing a simple object like a triangle or square? If not I am not sure what the second part of the Magical Mental Training in part I is asking? could it be more of an intense feeling? I know this is a hard question to awnser, any thoughts would be useful.
Also there seems to be a gradient of clarity during my meditations (when I am attempting part 3 of step I, the evacuation of any thoughts from the mind) and I have been wondering exactly what level of concentration is necessary for the completion of this step. It seems to be that there are about 4 levels of clarity 1)an intensly outlined picture, I rarely get these anymore and only for a second at a time. 2)a stream of thoughts with no accompaning pictures, This happens to me now and then, maybe once per 5-10 mins of meditation, but it happens for around 10-30 seconds at a time. 3) Pictures that are seen but are pushed out of the mind so quickly that they are barely considered, does this count at a "thought"? This happens to me fairly frequently, maybe once per 30 seconds. 4) perfect clarity, this is where you have an absolute mental vaccum. I can usually maintain this for between 10 and 30 seconds then I will usually have something from #3 occur then return to this state.
The way Bardon states it the hermeticist must maintain state #4 unbroken for 10 minutes or nearly so. This seems a bit difficult for this stage of development doesn't it? I would expect it to take 1 or 2 years to attain that, am I doing something wrong or interpreting him incorrectly? Thanks alot for any comments you guys can make -Dave