funny sensation on my head

[ryu]

Hi all,

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"

Im not so sure about that but im certainly curious.

Is anyone familiar with it?

if so what it is?

Many thanks,

Ryu

[Karma Dondrup Tashi]

There are many many different sensations that might occur - depending on what type of practice you're doing.

[ryu]

Hi, Thanks for the reply,

I am a novice meditator using samatha/following the breathe.

[catmoon]

Hi all,

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.

[MrDistracted]

I get it in my temples often when I practice and sometimes it moves to my forehead. It's like a pleasant vibrating. Had it for years.

I was once told that it was due to me having been a slave in Atlantis, apparently the slaves had to wear metal bands around their heads to cover their third eye.

I'm not cynical or anything but I'd be keen on getting a second opinion.......

[nirmal]

Hi all,

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"

Im not so sure about that but im certainly curious.

Is anyone familiar with it?

if so what it is?

Many thanks,

Ryu

You can visualize a small hole,the size of a needle 'just above the centre of the eyes' and start breathing in and out of it very slowly keeping your concentration there.
Or if you wish, the 'funny sensation' can also be brought down to your face(wet area,eyes, nose and mouth are wet) to cool it down visualizing it flowing down like a waterfall to your chin and down the front of your neck and chest all the way down to your private part and then bring it up your back, right up to the back of your neck where it should split into two and let both flow behind your ears and just above your eyebrows only to meet 'just above the centre of the eyes' The process is repeated a few times and after that you can forget about it and concentrate on your meditation as the 'funny sensation would flow automatically by itself.When you are done with meditation, bring that funny sensation down to your navel cakra,visualize it as a ball of light which starts to get smaller and smaller until it switches off.When you start you meditation the next time, go to the naval cakra first and visualize it switching on as a small light and bring it up 'just above the centre of the eyes'
Be patient,as you still have a long way to go.

[gregkavarnos]

It's just your mind playing tricks on you to get you distracted from meditation and attached to sensation.

Don't give it any more of your precious time. Recognise it as merely a projection of your mind and let it go.

[ryu]

Yep your on to something there Greg. Its certainly distracted me.

[gregkavarnos]

You can visualize a small hole,the size of a needle 'just above the centre of the eyes' and start breathing in and out of it very slowly keeping your concentration there.
Or if you wish, the 'funny sensation' can also be brought down to your face(wet area,eyes, nose and mouth are wet) to cool it down visualizing it flowing down like a waterfall to your chin and down the front of your neck and chest all the way down to your private part and then bring it up your back, right up to the back of your neck where it should split into two and let both flow behind your ears and just above your eyebrows only to meet 'just above the centre of the eyes' The process is repeated a few times and after that you can forget about it and concentrate on your meditation as the 'funny sensation would flow automatically by itself.When you are done with meditation, bring that funny sensation down to your navel cakra,visualize it as a ball of light which starts to get smaller and smaller until it switches off.When you start you meditation the next time, go to the naval cakra first and visualize it switching on as a small light and bring it up 'just above the centre of the eyes'
Be patient,as you still have a long way to go.

Who taught you ths practice nirmal?

[nirmal]

You can visualize a small hole,the size of a needle 'just above the centre of the eyes' and start breathing in and out of it very slowly keeping your concentration there.
Or if you wish, the 'funny sensation' can also be brought down to your face(wet area,eyes, nose and mouth are wet) to cool it down visualizing it flowing down like a waterfall to your chin and down the front of your neck and chest all the way down to your private part and then bring it up your back, right up to the back of your neck where it should split into two and let both flow behind your ears and just above your eyebrows only to meet 'just above the centre of the eyes' The process is repeated a few times and after that you can forget about it and concentrate on your meditation as the 'funny sensation would flow automatically by itself.When you are done with meditation, bring that funny sensation down to your navel cakra,visualize it as a ball of light which starts to get smaller and smaller until it switches off.When you start you meditation the next time, go to the naval cakra first and visualize it switching on as a small light and bring it up 'just above the centre of the eyes'
Be patient,as you still have a long way to go.

Who taught you ths practice nirmal?

No one. It's just direct experience,the highest of all ways of gaining knowledge.That's how I sense the flow of energy and the path it takes on the external part of my body.I was just sharing from direct experience.I also play around with my cakras just spinning and vibrating them for a while before letting go of everything, even of my breath.I still would like to know if this path of the flow of energy and fine vibrations is wrong

[gregkavarnos]

I suppose the concept of lineage just waltzed straight past you?

You have sufficient realisation to be able to invent new methods?

Relying on mental fabrications can get one into a whole lot of trouble. The methods we are taught are tried and tested by enlightened beings, that is why one can trust them. Methods genereated from within our delusion will just lead to more delusion.

Don't lead new practitioners astray my friend.

[kirtu]

Hi all,

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"

Hi ryu -

This is a point used in Taoist meditation. The sensation is from chi flow in the body. In general that point is opening up (so the New Age people are partly right). However it could also be a result of concentrating there (most Buddhists don't do that though). Concentration can cause these sensations anywhere on the body (by which I mean concentration without focusing on any specific point).


Kirt

[nirmal]

I suppose the concept of lineage just waltzed straight past you?

You have sufficient realisation to be able to invent new methods?

Relying on mental fabrications can get one into a whole lot of trouble. The methods we are taught are tried and tested by enlightened beings, that is why one can trust them. Methods genereated from within our delusion will just lead to more delusion.

Don't lead new practitioners astray my friend.

Okay.Since the concept of lineage just waltzed past me and I don't have sufficient realizations to be able to invent new methods and rely on mental fabrications and am leading new practitioners astray, I guess I have to pack up and leave again as I might be doing a lot of damage by hanging around here.My apologies to all.Namaste and may the Buddhas be with all of you.
Anyway thanks Greg for being sincere.Nameste,my friend.

[Inge]

It's just your mind playing tricks on you to get you distracted from meditation and attached to sensation.

Don't give it any more of your precious time. Recognise it as merely a projection of your mind and let it go.

Do you know what it is, or not?

Saying that it is "just your mind playing tricks on you to get you distracted..." implies that there is a mind separate from the "you", that this mind is owned by the "you", that this mind has a will on its own, that it is an agent, and that it is wicked. What do you mean by your statement?

Saying that it is "merely a projection of your mind..." is like saying it is merely a phenomenon, which might be true, but is not really very useful.


When I was doing long sessions of "awareness watching awareness" meditation, I too experienced a strange sensation in the forehead. I do not know what it is, but my theory is that by sitting quiet and motionless while aware, I just start to notice more of what is going on in the body on the energy level, below the more gross physical sensations.

[gregkavarnos]

Do you know what it is, or not?

Saying that it is "just your mind playing tricks on you to get you distracted..." implies that there is a mind separate from the "you", that this mind is owned by the "you", that this mind has a will on its own, that it is an agent, and that it is wicked. What do you mean by your statement?

Saying that it is "merely a projection of your mind..." is like saying it is merely a phenomenon, which might be true, but is not really very useful.

I think you are just being a little too pedantic and over intellectualising what I have said. Ryu understood the point of my statement, ie it proved useful, which is not to get distracted by sensations. That is one of the key points of awareness meditation. Merely to be aware and not to enter into analysis and judgement of sensations/thoughts.

When I was doing long sessions of "awareness watching awareness" meditation, I too experienced a strange sensation in the forehead. I do not know what it is...

But you just (correctly) defined what it is: an experience of a "strange" sensation". So you do know what it is. A sensation albeit strange. If you get into analysing gross vs subtle sensations, energy level vs physical level sensations, etc... then you have destroyed the purpose of your awareness meditation. Awareness (Shine/Samatha) meditation is awareness meditation, analytical (Vipassana/Lhaktong) meditation is analytical meditation.

[gregkavarnos]

Okay.Since the concept of lineage just waltzed past me and I don't have sufficient realizations to be able to invent new methods and rely on mental fabrications and am leading new practitioners astray, I guess I have to pack up and leave again as I might be doing a lot of damage by hanging around here.My apologies to all.Namaste and may the Buddhas be with all of you.
Anyway thanks Greg for being sincere.Nameste,my friend.

Dear Nirmal,

Nobody says that you should not share your experiences and methods but you should make it obvious that they are YOUR experiences and YOUR methods. This allows people who are new to the site, looking for Buddhist methods, to then be aware of where the information comes from and then choose if they wish to utilise yours or those taught to us by our teachers, or both!

I'm sorry if I came across as harsh.

[nirmal]

Okay.Since the concept of lineage just waltzed past me and I don't have sufficient realizations to be able to invent new methods and rely on mental fabrications and am leading new practitioners astray, I guess I have to pack up and leave again as I might be doing a lot of damage by hanging around here.My apologies to all.Namaste and may the Buddhas be with all of you.
Anyway thanks Greg for being sincere.Nameste,my friend.

Dear Nirmal,

Nobody says that you should not share your experiences and methods but you should make it obvious that they are YOUR experiences and YOUR methods. This allows people who are new to the site, looking for Buddhist methods, to then be aware of where the information comes from and then choose if they wish to utilise yours or those taught to us by our teachers, or both!

I'm sorry if I came across as harsh.

Aiya Greg,no need to apologise at all.You were harsh though but above all you were sincere as always have been since I came to know you some ten years ago.You had your point.Point taken.It's that simple.I have decided to leave the meditation section though. I don't have an exit strategy for what I write for that is for liars.
Regards

[Paul]

It's just your mind playing tricks on you to get you distracted from meditation and attached to sensation.

Don't give it any more of your precious time. Recognise it as merely a projection of your mind and let it go.

Do you know what it is, or not?

Saying that it is "just your mind playing tricks on you to get you distracted..." implies that there is a mind separate from the "you", that this mind is owned by the "you", that this mind has a will on its own, that it is an agent, and that it is wicked. What do you mean by your statement?

Saying that it is "merely a projection of your mind..." is like saying it is merely a phenomenon, which might be true, but is not really very useful.


When I was doing long sessions of "awareness watching awareness" meditation, I too experienced a strange sensation in the forehead. I do not know what it is, but my theory is that by sitting quiet and motionless while aware, I just start to notice more of what is going on in the body on the energy level, below the more gross physical sensations.

My guess, based on talking to a neuroscientist who is also a Buddhist is that it is an increase in the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex.

Extant data suggest that these MPFC regions may contribute to the neural instantiation of aspects of the multifaceted “self.”

The presence of self-referential mental activity appears to be associated with increases from the baseline in dorsal MPFC. Reductions in ventral MPFC occurred consistent with the fact that attention-demanding tasks attenuate emotional processing. We posit that both self-referential mental activity and emotional processing represent elements of the default state as represented by activity in MPFC.

The MPFC is also among those brain regions having the highest baseline metabolic activity at rest (2). Ingvar was the first to note high resting blood flow in prefrontal cortex (17). He attributed this to spontaneous self-generated mental activity of the resting human brain (18).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC31213/

[gregkavarnos]

Or your awareness of a build up of snot in the frontal sinus (nasal passage).

Nasal Anatomy.jpg (36.73 KiB) Viewed 606 times

Blowing your nose before meditating is suggested.

I'm serious! Why do you think that yogis do purification breaths before starting?

[catmoon]

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.