funny sensation on my head

Discussion of meditation in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
User avatar
Grigoris
Former staff member
Posts: 21906
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 9:27 pm
Location: Greece

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Grigoris »

catmoon wrote:An intriguing theory, but it does not accomodate the occurrence of similar sensations where there are no sinuses, for instance the crown of the head.
Lice? Dandruff? Come on people I was only being semi-serious. Again we are showing an attachment to sensation and trying to justify the sensation as something important in order to further bolster Captain Ego!
chickenego.jpg
chickenego.jpg (60.31 KiB) Viewed 4518 times
The "third eye" should show up in thermography as a pronounced warm spot on the face, and only at times when the meditator reports the presence of the "third eye" sensation.
Should I be facecious (literally) and start talking about my fourth eye? And what about men's fifth eye (something about a trouser snake with one eye) which is, in the majority of cases, mens most important eye!

Get over it people, it's just a sensation. If it was important the Buddha would have spent a few hundred Sutta and Sutra (and then a few 100,000 Shastras) talking about it. Is there a scriptural reference to its importance somewhere? Well?
:namaste:
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
User avatar
catmoon
Former staff member
Posts: 3423
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:20 am
Location: British Columbia

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by catmoon »

Scriptural references abound.

For instance:

Image


So nyah.
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
User avatar
Karma Dondrup Tashi
Posts: 1715
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:13 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Karma Dondrup Tashi »

catmoon wrote:Scriptural references abound.

For instance:

...

So nyah.
Ooo yes awesome. I love me a bit of Lobsang in the morning. Mrs Fifi Greywhiskers thanks you!

Image
It has been the misfortune (not, as these gentlemen think it, the glory) of this age that everything is to be discussed. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France.
User avatar
Grigoris
Former staff member
Posts: 21906
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 9:27 pm
Location: Greece

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Grigoris »

Well if Mr. Tuesday (or his cat) says it, it must be true.
:crazy:
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
User avatar
Paul
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:12 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Paul »

catmoon wrote:An intriguing theory, but it does not accomodate the occurrence of similar sensations where there are no sinuses, for instance the crown of the head.

I believe, but of course cannot prove, that certain forms of concentration cause the dilation of blood vessels in the area focussed on. This is a falsifiable idea. I wonder if anyone has done thermal imaging of meditator's faces? The "third eye" should show up in thermography as a pronounced warm spot on the face, and only at times when the meditator reports the presence of the "third eye" sensation.
Things like this are indeed being measured at the moment by meditation researchers. Using MRI though, not thermography - that's a really interesting idea.
Look at the unfathomable spinelessness of man: all the means he's been given to stay alert he uses, in the end, to ornament his sleep. – Rene Daumal
the modern mind has become so limited and single-visioned that it has lost touch with normal perception - John Michell
User avatar
catmoon
Former staff member
Posts: 3423
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:20 am
Location: British Columbia

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by catmoon »

Well if someone produces a thermogram showing a pronounced hot spot in the third eye postion, the New Agers are gonna go hog wild with it claiming it as proof of, um proof of, well, something or other anyways!
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
User avatar
Dechen Norbu
Posts: 3056
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 6:50 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Dechen Norbu »

:rolling:
User avatar
Grigoris
Former staff member
Posts: 21906
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 9:27 pm
Location: Greece

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Grigoris »

What is this a picture of?
Fingers.png
Fingers.png (280.03 KiB) Viewed 4463 times
The finger position for an eye gouge technique on an enlightened being! :tongue:
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Kyosan
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:57 pm
Location: USA, Tucson

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Kyosan »

It's interesting to know why it happens; but if it happens, while you are meditating, don't dwell on it but refocus on your meditation. It is a distraction and should be treated like other distractions.
:namaste:
User avatar
catmoon
Former staff member
Posts: 3423
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:20 am
Location: British Columbia

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by catmoon »

Kyosan wrote:It's interesting to know why it happens; but if it happens, while you are meditating, don't dwell on it but refocus on your meditation. It is a distraction and should be treated like other distractions.
:namaste:

wellll I dunno. I find the sensation kind of pleasant, so when doing jhana meditation, at the point where one switches focus to a pleasant sensation I sometimes use the "third eye" sensation as the focus.
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
User avatar
Paul
Posts: 1726
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:12 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Paul »

Kyosan wrote:It's interesting to know why it happens; but if it happens, while you are meditating, don't dwell on it but refocus on your meditation. It is a distraction and should be treated like other distractions.
:namaste:
Personally, I think it's important since I consider it to be a good indicator that I'm grasping and should drop everything. It's like it's an exaggeration of the feeling of "I am me, and I am in my head". Considering it's located in the same position as the part of the brain that is probably responsible for creating that at the neurological level I don't think that's a coincidence (not that I think the mind is the brain...).

Interesting that as meditation progresses the feeling of "I" seems to drop to the heart. Moving fixation away from this point may well be related to why the fourth empowerment in a guru yoga visualization is where it is and why vase breathing has its focus in a similar place.
Look at the unfathomable spinelessness of man: all the means he's been given to stay alert he uses, in the end, to ornament his sleep. – Rene Daumal
the modern mind has become so limited and single-visioned that it has lost touch with normal perception - John Michell
Kyosan
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 10:57 pm
Location: USA, Tucson

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Kyosan »

catmoon wrote:
Kyosan wrote:It's interesting to know why it happens; but if it happens, while you are meditating, don't dwell on it but refocus on your meditation. It is a distraction and should be treated like other distractions.
:namaste:

wellll I dunno. I find the sensation kind of pleasant, so when doing jhana meditation, at the point where one switches focus to a pleasant sensation I sometimes use the "third eye" sensation as the focus.
That makes sense if it works. When I made the statement, I was thinking about the kind of meditation where you just focus on one thing.
:namaste:
User avatar
Virgo
Posts: 4844
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:47 am
Location: Uni-verse

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Virgo »

ryu wrote: Has anybody ever hard felt a funny sensation just above the centre of the eyes when meditating. New agers might say "its the minds eye/ Pineal gland etc being stimulated opening up"

It the minds eye/ Pineal gland etc being stimulated and opening up.

Kevin
User avatar
Grigoris
Former staff member
Posts: 21906
Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 9:27 pm
Location: Greece

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Grigoris »

So much interest in something as trivial as a mere sensation...

Well if you are going to get stuck on sensations/feelings at least turn it into a practice!
Contemplation of Feeling
The Discourse-Grouping on the Feelings
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el303.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jnana
Posts: 1106
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:58 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Jnana »

catmoon wrote:
ryu wrote:Has anybody ever hard felt a funny sensation just above the centre of the eyes when meditating. Ryu
Yup, sometimes it follows you around for a while after meditation. Similar sensations can occur on the bridge of the nose and at the crown of the head. I don't know what it is, but I'd wager that the sensation is the source of all the "third eye" stories.
A similar sensation is mentioned in the Śrāvakabhūmi as a sign of increasing pliancy:
  • Furthermore, due to cultivation and training in śamatha and vipaśyanā, there is physical and mental clarity, physical and mental suppleness, and physical and mental pliancy. The previous subtle and slight one pointedness of mind, and physical and mental pliancy, gradually increase and are able to induce strong [physical and mental pliancy] which is easily perceived. One pointedness of mind, and physical and mental pliancy, are due to the development of the forces, that induce the path of expediency. At this time, after a short time they shall become strong and powerful. This is physical and mental pliancy and one pointedness of mind that is easily [perceived]. Continuing thus, up until these aforementioned characteristics, the crown of the head will seem heavy, yet this is not a negative or afflicting sensation. Due to this sign arising internally, one takes delight in severing that which can obstruct. One attains elimination of all the grades of defilements, mental coarseness and stolidity, one is able to counter all of these. Physical suppleness and physical pliancy permeate throughout the entire body, and one feels imbued with strength. When this initially arises, it causes the mind to become exuberant, causes the mind to experience ecstatic bliss. The conjoined activity of bliss, causes the mind to become blissful. The nature of the object manifests before the mind. Subsequent to this, the arising of pliancy and strength gradually evens and pervades, a wondrous sense of pliancy accompanies the body, and acts throughout the body. Due to this cause and condition mental exuberance subsequently gradually diminishes. Due to the maintaining focus of śamatha, the mind courses passively on the object. From this onwards, throughout the practice of yoga, the initial cultivation of the practice is known as possessing mental attention.
While this translation by Ven. Huifeng is accurate, the sensation can be described in different ways and can occur at different places such as the forehead or between the eyebrows. Also, compare with the description given in the Vimuttimagga in the context of ānāpānasmṛti:
  • To the yogin who attends to the incoming breath with mind that is cleansed of the nine lesser defilements the sign arises with a pleasant feeling similar to that which is produced in the action of spinning cotton or silk cotton. Also, it is likened to the pleasant feeling produced by a breeze. Thus in breathing in and out, air touches the nose or the lip and causes the setting-up of air perception mindfulness. This does not depend on colour or form. This is called the sign. If the yogin develops the sign and increases it at the nose-tip, between the eye-brows, on the forehead or establishes it in several places, he feels as if his head were filled with air. Through increasing in this way his whole body is charged with bliss.
:buddha1:
User avatar
Thug4lyfe
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:40 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Thug4lyfe »

The feeling goes away after awhile.
Image
User avatar
catmoon
Former staff member
Posts: 3423
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:20 am
Location: British Columbia

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by catmoon »

Food_Eatah wrote:The feeling goes away after awhile.

Do you mean a few hours after meditation or do you mean it vanishes permanently?
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
User avatar
Thug4lyfe
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:40 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Thug4lyfe »

yeah, I don't get it anymore. I can't remember how long it took :/
Image
User avatar
catmoon
Former staff member
Posts: 3423
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:20 am
Location: British Columbia

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by catmoon »

hmmm. interesting. It started happening to me years ago and is still there.

Oh well, as Greg says. it's probably not very important.
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
User avatar
Thug4lyfe
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:40 pm

Re: funny sensation on my head

Post by Thug4lyfe »

yeah man, it's about kickin da ass of mara and da 5 poisons! Throbbin heads don't need to be kicked, just need to have a decent hair cut.
Image
Post Reply

Return to “Meditation”