flashes of reality

[chickenman]

i have been getting what i would call "flashes" of reality. moments when everything seems crystal clear. not only durring meditation, but just in random quiet moments durring everyday life. just walking around, looking at a tree or a bird or the sky or even staring at the ground, driving a car, working in the garden, it could be at any time i'll get a flash of realization that there is no past or future, that all there is is the now. but as soon as i notice this revelation of truth, it is snatched away from me, like a bubble bursting. for one beautiful moment everything seems perfect, and durring that split-second i am as awake as i think i could ever be.
i am always so disappointed when the next second comes around and i am back to where i was in the material world.
how can i keep this feeling from slipping away so quickly? or, should i even worry about it? we don't want to be "grasping" now, do we.
any thoughts?

[gregkavarnos]

i have been getting what i would call "flashes" of reality. moments when everything seems crystal clear. not only durring meditation, but just in random quiet moments durring everyday life. just walking around, looking at a tree or a bird or the sky or even staring at the ground, driving a car, working in the garden, it could be at any time i'll get a flash of realization that there is no past or future, that all there is is the now. but as soon as i notice this revelation of truth, it is snatched away from me, like a bubble bursting. for one beautiful moment everything seems perfect, and durring that split-second i am as awake as i think i could ever be.
i am always so disappointed when the next second comes around and i am back to where i was in the material world.
how can i keep this feeling from slipping away so quickly? or, should i even worry about it? we don't want to be "grasping" now, do we.
any thoughts?

Instead of grasping at the experience, just relax and let it unfold.

[Jeff]

i have been getting what i would call "flashes" of reality. moments when everything seems crystal clear. not only durring meditation, but just in random quiet moments durring everyday life. just walking around, looking at a tree or a bird or the sky or even staring at the ground, driving a car, working in the garden, it could be at any time i'll get a flash of realization that there is no past or future, that all there is is the now. but as soon as i notice this revelation of truth, it is snatched away from me, like a bubble bursting. for one beautiful moment everything seems perfect, and durring that split-second i am as awake as i think i could ever be.
i am always so disappointed when the next second comes around and i am back to where i was in the material world.
how can i keep this feeling from slipping away so quickly? or, should i even worry about it? we don't want to be "grasping" now, do we.
any thoughts?

Very cool. Driving the car can be a great way to reside in the moment. Also, consider just "listening" to relaxing music. Let it just wash over you...

[chickenman]

"relax and let it unfold"
"let it wash over you"
thanx for the advice. i try, but the problem is it "unfolds" so very quickly and then folds back in an instant. it "washes over me" as quickly as someone throwing a bucket of water on my head and then it's gone. i hope in time i can learn to somehow stay in these moments for a longer period of time. when they happen, in that flash, i always think "can i just stay here?" but then, just as quickly, i get pulled out of that moment. i gotta figure out a way to live there.

[oushi]

how can i keep this feeling from slipping away so quickly? or, should i even worry about it? we don't want to be "grasping" now, do we. any thoughts?

Ofc you shouldn't be grasping after it, that's the whole problem. But you want to keep it. The question is, how to stop that noticing mechanism that initiates grasping and breaks the perfection. You need to figure it out yourself. I'm thinking how to explain it but I can't. Of course, let it go, relax, go with the flow... The point is to drop everything to the point you cannot drop more. Then you will settle in a "body" that walks without you walking, talks without you talking, eats without you eating. Is not conscious of what's going on, but responds perfectly. It is here all the time, but covered by this noticing, and "controlling" parasite. Without noticing you will naturally rest there, like you occasionally do. Most of meditation practitioners develop noticing, and staying in noticing state. No wonder they find no rest even after 20-30 years of practice.
How to settle when noticing comes up? Trust:

Just put your heart at rest and seek nothing outside. When things come towards you, look at them clearly. Have faith in the one who is functioning at this moment, and all things of themselves become empty.

But, its not about "looking clearly" all the time! This is only a tool that you should use when noticing appears. Look at it and it will be released, than forget about "looking clearly", as it is not your job.

Though attachment, aversion, dullness, pride, envy may arise, fully understand their inner energy; recognize them in the very first moment, before karma has been accumulated. In the second moment look nakedly at this state and relax in its presence. Then whichever of the five passions arise becomes a pure presence, freed in its own place, without being eliminated.

See the process of noticing and its desire to remember, and don't let yourself be evolved in it. It is not your responsibility, nor your failure.

[lobster]

When i was developing my night vision, I used to only look in the dark corners. This increased my vision in the areas of little light . . .
Can you find the moment in the movement?
Slow down and enter the space between the flash and its absence.
I would also mention this saying from Sufism 'increase in Love' for some reason . . .

Hope of some use.

[Jesse]

i have been getting what i would call "flashes" of reality. moments when everything seems crystal clear. not only durring meditation, but just in random quiet moments durring everyday life. just walking around, looking at a tree or a bird or the sky or even staring at the ground, driving a car, working in the garden, it could be at any time i'll get a flash of realization that there is no past or future, that all there is is the now. but as soon as i notice this revelation of truth, it is snatched away from me, like a bubble bursting. for one beautiful moment everything seems perfect, and durring that split-second i am as awake as i think i could ever be.
i am always so disappointed when the next second comes around and i am back to where i was in the material world.
how can i keep this feeling from slipping away so quickly? or, should i even worry about it? we don't want to be "grasping" now, do we.
any thoughts?

What special thing are you doing when the flashes happen? So what special thing do you need to do to 'keep' it? Basically just relax and don't try to 'keep' it, the moment now isn't good enough.. it'l never be right?

the grass is always greener..