--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "claudiouk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> There is a loss of "experience" when one slips into sleep - if
during
> this time there is transcendental consciousness there is no
> recollection of it. In meditation the loss and recovery of
experience
> happens during a shorter period and one becomes aware of this
change
> or gap. But interestingly the sense of self or wakefulness during
TM
> is not lost, as in sleep. That, and a sense of finer quality of
> thinking and breathing (one rare occasions amazingly fine), has
> featured in my "subtler" experiences during TM. Hard to see how
these
> experiences wouldn't be overshadowed by grosser awareness, as in
CC
> though. Another important consequence of "experiencing" finer
values
> within the mind is a great boost in general positivity in oneself
and
> the world - a new glow, somehow. But actually most of the time
during
> TM it's a struggle, paradoxically, to remain effortless in the
> process because even the faintest preocupation with "thinking" a
> mantra eventually creates tension and headaches - a very
discouraging
> effect. Yet not "thinking" a mantra seems counter the
instructions. I
> end up having to re-invent the process of meditation anew each
time
> as nothing seems to "work" effortlessly more than a few times in a
> row. Have tried countless "checks" to no avail. Have tried your
> approach of accepting the mantra as just very "abstract" but often
> doubts creep in that I'm not doing "TM" after all!! Also can't see
> how further advanced techniques can help as the pronounciation of
the
> mantra has just gone now and any attempt to retrieve it, however
> gentle, ends up in headaches. If I weren't hooked on MMY's Gita
> philosophy I'd given up ages ago!!
>
Meditate without thinking the mantra, and see what happens. Sounds
like there is some resistance in your meditation that needs to be
cleared, and that you are short-circuiting the process by forcing in
the mantra. Try it without the mantra, just thinking and looking
around mentally. Your mantra isn't going anywhere so don't be
concerned about losing it. When the mental stuff is resolved, you
can go back on it easily.:-)
