More on Emptiness/Vacancy of Mind
© 2004
[Note: "EOM" and "VOM" refer to the third mental exercise of Step One, known alternately as either "Emptiness of Mind" (EOM) or "Vacancy of Mind" (VOM).]
>> This morning whilst meditating with the intention of achieving Vacancy of Mind, I first passively observed my thoughts for a few minutes and then focussed as intensely as I could upon one single question for a further few minutes. Suddenly, instead of striving to empty my mind as I have done previously, I felt a sudden surge of energy fill my body and mind instantly - it is difficult to explain but it was very intense, but at the same time not really distracting (I can't really communicate that concept properly with words), and then it was as if Vacancy of Mind filled me rather than me striving for it... if that makes any sense to anybody. I think I achieved VoM for several minutes, perhaps even five minutes, but I can improve on it because there were still shadows of thoughts once in a while (although they were easily dismissed). Is this surge of energy something to be ignored? I felt that I had to concentrate at first on relaxing my body because I was resisting it and becoming a little tense. <<
This energy is a side-effect and of no intrinsic value. Judging from your description, I'd say that it was the result of your achieving VoM. It's such a different state that your body likely translated the newness into the sensation of energization. You did the absolute correct thing by *relaxing* and letting the energy dissipate. In other words, you stayed with the VoM instead of focusing upon the newness. :)
>> After the meditation, I felt extremely joyful and still. I felt that everything around me (even the wallpaper) was alive and almost a part of me. <<
:) That is because you had just experienced what it means to *BE*. Which, of course, is the whole point of VoM -- BEing. Thinking is what defines differences and separates but VoM is what unites -- through BEing, which is a common trait of *all* that exists, even the wallpaper. :)
>> Rawn, what is the best way to build on this during future meditations? Am I on the right track or being distracted by irrelevant occurrences? Any advice would be appreciated. <<
You are most definitely "on the right track"! This first experience of VoM was very dramatic because of its newness but don't be trapped by the expectation that your next experiences of VoM will be quite so dramatic. And don't let yourself be disappointed if they aren't. Accept them as they are, when they occur, which is the real key to VoM. Expectations will very quickly remove you from VoM, from BEing. :)
Nonetheless, you now know, through personal direct experience, what VoM *feels* like. This means that you now have a "location" at which to aim yourself. Let that be your guide.
Congratulations! :)
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
07 Nov 2004
>> Another "side-question" just occurred to me. In previous meditations when trying to "achieve" VoM, I felt quite unsettled compared to how I felt when doing the other mental exercises of Step One. Twice I awoke the next morning to find that my body was aching all over as if I had run a marathon - my muscles were physically hurting and my chest was very tight... this might be totally unrelated, but I had not done any strenuous physical exercise on either days, so it seemed a bit of a coincidence that I had just started the VoM exercise. I only ask in case it is related and it happens again. <<
Perhaps you were expending an inordinate amount of mental effort and energy in trying to force a VoM. This can lead to tiredness as you draw energy from your physical body for your mental effort.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
08 Nov 2004
>> I want to ask what may be a stupid question connected with this: is it absolutely unheard of for someone to find the Step 1 Mental exercises to sort of be in reverse order of difficulty? That is, to find VoM relatively easy but the witnessing of a normal flow of thought rather hard? I ask because I think I have experienced a version of what M. is talking about here all my life, and can sort of turn it on and off at will. That whole thing of being blank and everything around me being conscious is very familiar to me. <<
:) Lucky you! No, it is not unheard of by any means.
>> Maybe I'm missing something, and certainly I've never tried consciously to make that state last any particular length of time, <<
And that will be the real test / challenge -- making it last *intentionally* for a specific duration.
>> I've never experienced that big surge of energy though or anything like it, and I've never even thought there was anything special about that state! <<
As I wrote to M., the surge of energy he experienced was most likely a side-effect of the newness of his experience. But if it is not new to you then this side-effect would not occur.
>> but it seems to me this is almost ludicrous, getting the 3rd exercise right away but having trouble with the 1st forsooth! <<
I don't see it as ludicrous at all. Each one of the mental exercises presents a specific technique which you may or may not have a native ability for. All it means is that VoM comes more naturally to you while the techniques of the first two exercises do not. Nonetheless, the techniques of the first two exercises must be learned as they are just as important to your progress as VoM.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
08 Nov 2004
>> I found the last few posts interesting, as I have similarly felt a VOM during previous meditations practices. I have no thoughts and the longer I stay within it the more 'at-one' I feel. It also seems to make everything a lot more clear, like my sight and my head and body feel lighter. I have been pursuing this for quite some time before I came across Bardon's work. I have tried this for some time with thoughts occurring, but with my focus on VOM, the thoughts only occur when necessary, mainly from outside of myself, and although it may be unrelated, it seems to amplify synchronicity, i.e. lots of coincidences occur. <<
As I explained in my Self-Healing Archaeous audio Lessons, VoM occurs when your awareness is focused exclusively within the Fire region of your temporal mental body. Which is to say, when your awareness is focused exclusively upon *perception*. By exclusively, I mean that you have excluded thinking (the Air region of the temporal mental body), feeling (the Water region of the temporal mental body), and physical sensing (the Earth region of the temporal mental body) from your conscious awareness and are focused only upon *perception* without these additional layers of *interpretation*.
When this occurs, your conscious awareness is in absolute sync with the objective universe, with the NOW. It is the *temporal* state of BEing without DOing. It is therefore no wonder that you are left feeling as if it "seems to make everything a lot more clear, like my sight and my head and body feel lighter". :)
>> My questions are basically what is the difference between thought and no-thought, i.e. how are they related? Are they like two paths one leading to a centered state, and the other through the myriad branches of thought to the circumference of the centered state? Is one way better than the other? <<
Both are aspects of *awareness*, one perceptual and one interpretive. Thinking is the purview of the Air region of the temporal mental body and perceiving is the purview of the Fire region. Thinking is the first stage of interpreting, personalizing and processing the perceptions of the Fire region. Without thinking, these perceptions cannot be integrated into the personality or day-to-day awareness. Neither can be said to be *more* nor *less* important than the other.
>> Is it possible to live more and more through VOM? <<
It is possible to integrate VoM into your life more and more, but living requires thinking, feeling and doing in addition to perceiving.
>> I tend to get a mild pressure between my eyes (third eye area) during the VOM, after the exercise it disappears and it feels the opposite, light and clear, but it is not as bad as it used to be. Could this be an imbalance of some sort? <<
It is more likely that you are furrowing your brow during heavy concentration.
>> I was slightly surprised but as alcohol is fiery it may partially explain why it affected visualization? <<
The primary reason is that alcohol defeats your inhibitions. It is amazing how much we tell ourselves we cannot do! Alcohol over-rides that internal programming.
>> What is the Will in your personal experience Rawn? (Bardon says it's an essential aspect of the spirit.) <<
It is an aspect of the Life Force itself, regardless of what level of "will" you speak of. Even within VoM there is will -- the will to continue perceiving, to keep BEing. I recommend that you spend some time in deep meditation on this subject. :)
>> My experience of no-mind has cleared out my head, and let me see things from a centered point of view, but in your opinion are the steps 1 and 2 of level 1 just as important as VoM? (I think I know what you will say!) <<
Yes, absolutely!!!
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
10 Nov 2004
>> I can't seem to have an idea how to focus on the absence of thoughts? Is there a method (or something like that) that helps to take the step from "faint thoughts arising that mostly don't seem to be my thoughts" to "no thoughts appearing at all". I can imagine that once you've experienced that state of mind sufficiently you'll get to know what the EOM "feels" like and can focus on that. But I just don't seem to know how to get there... <<
The *brain bound* mind, or surface awareness, never actually stops thinking while the body is alive. The point of EOM is to introduce you to the rest of Mind which is *not* bound by the physical brain and consequently, is not limited to thinking. So EOM requires that you *completely* ignore the surface awareness and the thoughts that constantly pass through it. To do this, you must willfully turn your attention *away* from thoughts and thinking, and focus upon the silence itself. In other words, apply the technique of one-pointedness to the *silence* instead of thoughts.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
16 Nov 2004