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[corvus]

Has anyone ever noticed that they go into a state of detached brain fog after meditating? Sometimes my head gets clearer like it should, but a lot of the time I get kind of mentally numb, like I'm swimming through icy water and molasses at the same time. Any ideas on why this could be?

[Shinichi]

Can you detail what kind of meditation you do, and if you can remember doing anything differently the times that it causes "brain fog"?



~:Shin:~

[corvus]

Recently I've noticed that when I enter my mindscape and perform a catharsis or actively sort through my thoughts, I am keeping my mind awake and I usually feel more alert. However, if I'm just clearing my mind and keeping it blank, I often end up feeling detached afterwards. It's hard to explain exactly how I feel, but my mind gets strangely void of thought and I feel detached from reality, like I don't fully exist. Once I looked at my hands and felt for a moment as though they weren't mine and I was watching someone else's hands. It's not exactly a pleasant experience so I'd like to know the root of it. :/

[Shinichi]

If detatchment is what it is, there are mystics that would give you an arm and more for that degree of detatchment.  lol

To put it simply, detatchment isn't a bad thing, and is one of the natural effects of meditation. Its part of the process of overcoming the illusion that your body and mind are the limit of who you are, and its the beginning of the first step on the long path of self-realization.

It may be something else anyway, or you may not really be looking for spiritual experiences. But even if it takes some getting used to, detatchment is a very valuable virtue. Because, unlike apathy, when your in a state of true detatchment you can fully experience anything (such as telepathy and empathy) without being influenced by those things. The key is to simply stay centered in your personality and grounded in reality at the same time.

Anyway, I hope you don't consider it too terrible an experience. It is progress.



~:Shin:~

[corvus]

Thank you for that valuable insight. I can see how it can be helpful to be an objective observer of life. Could I get past feeling like my thinking processes have been slowed down, or is this a temporary part of the experience? It does go away after a while.

[Shinichi]

The thinking slowing down is a part of it.

Samadhi/Nirvana/Gnosis, which is the highest state of detatchment and the state of "enlightenment" where microcosmic conciousness merges with macrocosmic conciousness, is a state where thought ceases entirely. Which is why this state is often called the state of "no-mind," and why saints and masters are sometimes considered eccentric or crazy. They, quite literally, have "lost" their "minds" so that they're mental body becomes instead the seat of the soul, or pure conciousness.  Which isn't to say you can't think, or that you lose your individuality, or anything like that. Its all a bit more complicated then that.

Its hard for me to explain things I haven't properly experienced yet, so all I can properly say is that if I were you, and the "fog" is anything like what I've experienced before, I would consider it more a sense of inner peace and mark of progress then anything else. But your goals may be different then mine, so I don't know if that helps you.



~:Shin:~

[corvus]

That's very, very good to know. I was wondering if it was a problem or a good thing. And I'm really pleased with the answer! I could never have imagined that I was so close to this state of enlightenment--and as a cluttered mind is central to most of society today, I guess I saw it as a problem before I could recognize it as a blessing. So thank you so much for enlightening me to my enlightenment!

[Shinichi]

I wouldn't exactly say that your close to enlightenment, but rather your on the way towards it. There are many peaceful, deeply quiet states of mind that are often confused for enlightenment. But as wonderful as they are, they are still states of mind and not the state of samadhi its self.

Its all in Yoga terminology, but you can read about some of the states leading up to enlightenment in these two articles:

Hatha Yoga, by Veos.
Raja Yoga, by Veos.

Enlightenment is the result of a lot of hard work, as you may learn from those short articles.

This is all my own opinion as a Magician who aspires for such heights, though. Im sure someone else will step in and give other opinions on what you've experienced.



~:Shin:~

[corvus]

Okay, I see now. Thanks again for all your help. I'll definitely take a look at those articles.

[Dante_pk]

If I were you, I'd use those states of mind wisely. Casting sigils and stuff 

[ZeroHour]

If detatchment is what it is, there are mystics that would give you an arm and more for that degree of detatchment.  lol

To put it simply, detatchment isn't a bad thing, and is one of the natural effects of meditation. Its part of the process of overcoming the illusion that your body and mind are the limit of who you are, and its the beginning of the first step on the long path of self-realization.

It may be something else anyway, or you may not really be looking for spiritual experiences. But even if it takes some getting used to, detatchment is a very valuable virtue. Because, unlike apathy, when your in a state of true detatchment you can fully experience anything (such as telepathy and empathy) without being influenced by those things. The key is to simply stay centered in your personality and grounded in reality at the same time.

Anyway, I hope you don't consider it too terrible an experience. It is progress.



~:Shin:~

I don't mean to divert this topic but after reading this I thought back to awhile ago when I would sometimes stare at my reflection in the mirror, mainly twords my eyes, and my mind went numb/detatched if nothing was real

Is this the same or something else entirely?