What is the inner sense and how do we develop it? This article deals with open eye meditation that imply the concentration on both, material and subtle objects. As subtle objects, I present some entoptic phenomena and provide a short introduction on using them in our daily meditation.
After having
explained the inner sense as connected to the visual sense (third eye),
and presented squinting methods on material objects as meditation suited
to develop that inner sense, we will now consider open eye meditation
on subtle phenomena. Afterimages: contrasting colored afterimages may be explained as the continuation of
the effect of a visual stimulus when this stimulus has gone already. For
example, blinking into the sun for a short time period will produce the
colored afterimage of the sun in our visual field. Phosphenes: Phosphenes are colored spots and blurs in the dark, often seen with eyes closed. They are said to be discharges of visual neurons. Meditation on phosphenes works similar like meditation on afterimages. However, it is more difficult because it has to be done without the stimulating effect of an external light source. We close the eyes and watch the colored spots taking shape in the dark. They tend to disappear from our awareness and therefore have to be made aware again and again by realigning our attention. An elaborated system of consciousness development focusing on afterimages and phosphenes was created by the French scientist and inventor, Dr. Francis Lefebure; the exercises of his “Phosphenism” combine visual concentration on afterimages with (neuro)physiological rhythmics. Eye Floaters (mouches volantes): Eye floaters are scattered semi-transparent dots and strands appearing with bright light conditions in our visual fields and following the eyes’ motions. In ophthalmology, they are regarded as a normal opacity of the vitreous due to progressing age. Eye floaters meditation means that we bring these the objects into our field of vision and consciously look at them. We explore them, get to know their forms, constellations, and movements. We notice that the floaters constantly drift away, mainly down, and try to keep them in the field of vision. More advanced meditators of eye floaters will begin to see changes in movement, size and luminosity. The teaching of my mentor, seer Nestor, provides elaborated seeing and ecstasy techniques to work with eye floaters, as well as a spiritual interpretation of these dots and strands. Blue
field entoptic phenomenon: this formal term refers to “flying
corpuscles” or “luminous spots”, tiny luminous spheres
moving fast along in wound tracks. It is best seen in the blue sky (therefore:
blue field entoptic phenomenon), but can become very strong in situations
with extreme physical challenges like shocks or blackouts. From a medical
point of view, it’s related to white blood cells flowing in the
capillaries of the retina.
Some entoptic phenomena: a) flying corpuscles; b) eye floaters; c) form constants; d) afterimage (source).
By consciously looking at entoptic phenomena like the above mentioned, we withdraw our five senses from the material sense objects and channel the energy usually needed to maintain their functioning to the inner sense. This way, we awaken the inner sense, which in turn will help us recognize and feel immediately and with great intensity the higher significance of these dots, spots and strands as well as their relation to ourselves. We then intuitively understand why such entoptics were watched by people of all times, often provided with religious meanings and used as concentration objects.
The following feedback was sent by reader Mike.
Dear
Mike,
Christian Georg Theodor Ruete, Illustration of scintillating scotoma (as seen during migraine headaches) from "Textbook of Ophthalmology", 1845
Spirit does not have form, you say, but rather is to be experienced by feelings only. To me, it makes perfect sense to experience spirit in your own feelings. According to my idealistic and monistic thinking, the same holds true for forms. For spirit is a force that creates forms and names to express itself. Everything we are aware of is spirit. The interesting question is whether there are experiences, perceptions, feelings or forms which are nearer to the “pure” spirit. Perhaps, we must live through the concrete appearances, be it feelings, thoughts or forms, to experience spirit more directly.
Thank
You, Mike,
for your report! Dear readers,
do you have personal experiences with eye floaters or other entoptic
phenomena? Or any suggestions what they could be? Send your hints, experiences
and/or pictures to me, I am very interested.
Email: floco.tausin@eye-floaters.info
Eye floaters and their meaning were interpreted differently depending on the time, culture and personality of the observer. We learn a spiritually meaningful perspective about floaters from Nestor, the seer, with whom I have studied and whose teachings I recorded in the book „Mouches volantes – Eye Floaters. The Shining Structure of Consciousness“. In this category, a particular statement from the book on floaters shall be presented and explained.
From: Mouches Volantes – Eye Floaters. The Shining Structure of Consciousness, p. 178 et seq. (source)
According to Nestor, eye floaters are a phenomenon whose subjective visual appearance depends on both outer material and inner spiritual conditions. The seer explains about the outer conditions: first, to inexperienced observers, floaters may seem to move uncontrollably and randomly, and thus they evade the observer’s view. It needs “a fine feeling in the eyes” to control them gradually and move them into the visual field through willpower. This feeling has to be developed by continuous seeing practice – it’s a realization about the interplay of ocular movement and the flow behavior of these spheres and strings. With the idea of “holding them in suspension”, Nestor already refers to a practice that goes beyond mechanical eye movements and contains different consciousness states of the observer (cp. later issues of this newsletter). Nestor
mentions the lighting conditions as a second outer condition for seeing. Floaters seem brighter and clearer if outer light falls into the eye in
sufficient amounts. In fact, Nestor holds that the dots and strings of
the consciousness structure can also be seen in the dark (as colored spots
of light – from a scientific view, he possibly refers to so-called
phosphenes). But, as mentioned, daylight is best for the seeing practice.
The category "Quarterly Picture" introduces realistic, artistic, and/or spiritual/religious representations from different cultures and times which could show entoptic phenomena, or be inspired by it.
In Orthodox Christianity, the well-known Christmas story was depicted in various ways in the images of saints, the icons. It is interesting that most of these icons represent God as a sphere from which light beams are emitted onto the creatures blessed by him. This seems to be a constantly recurring motive in Christian religious painting. Similar abstract representations of God and the emission of his light or blessing are also found in the Western Europe art history, cf. German newsletter 2/08 and 2/09. In the icon represented above, we also find abstract transcendent elements that resemble those seen by the seers in the shining structure of consciousness: the all-pervading divine light or “Glory of the Lord” gathers in the form of a sphere with two or more membranes. From this sphere, the light spreads in regular paths or strings and reaches those worthy of or similar to that light. In the picture, it is the newborn Christ-child and the angels in the heavenly realms. So
the Christmas story can be read with regard to seers who
report a multi-membranic sphere and its connection string to the observer
that light up in intense consciousness states and seem to be the destination
of the way in the shining structure. The birth of Christ, therefore,
is the realization of our connection to the highest divine, the calling
to mind that this connection becomes more obvious to us the more we
try to light up our consciousness.
You will find this and other pictures in the gallery. Do you have drawings of eye floaters or other entoptic phenomena (flying corpuscles, afterimages etc.)? Do you know of realistic, artistic, and religious representations of such appearances? Then send me the picture or give me the tip; I would like to publish it in the newsletter and/or in the gallery.
Publications by Floco Tausin Find a
complete list with all previous publications (monographs, anthologies,
journals) on Website.
Awakening
the Inner Sense – Some Methods and Meditation Objects Published:
Review of “Mouches Volantes” by Jerry Katz “I was sorry to see this book, this wonderland, come to an end. … Read Mouches Volantes and enter a world of challenging, original spirituality and memorable, uncompromising characters.” ……. Full text -- Written by Jerry Katz, Nonduality Blog, (nonduality.org), November 2009
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