The Pineal Gland and the Spiritual Experience of Conscious Dreaming
Often when we talk about envisioning, soul journeying, or spiritual experience, many don’t know for sure what it is or what the terms actually mean in the real sense. Here my goal is to simply describe the basic nature of the mystical experience in terms of the energetic hallucinations that are a natural function of the imagination when being used with greater abilities. Everybody’s experience varies to a certain degree and some have distinct personal styles of envisioning just as we have unique and varying mental perceptions of normal day-to-day reality. I am only giving a basic idea as a means of comprehending what the experience might be like.
I will give basic terminology “meaning” simply as a means of creating distinctions for greater understanding of how it actually operates. The descriptions are not the things themselves, but simply the ideas used to illustrate the nature of the experience as if you were actually having it. Anytime we are attempting to describe what lacks description, a vague approximation as a representation must always be considered and applied in the practical sense. We must get a ‘feel’ for, or sense what we’re talking about. It’s only important that you understand so that you will know when you are actually having the experience. Like most forms of intuition, chances are you are doing it to a certain extent naturally as part of your human nature and simply don’t realize that’s what it is. Like most things if we don’t have some sort of direct training on or around an idea, or don’t have anybody to talk to about it, we are always left somewhat guessing and wondering, while never really knowing for sure. The more training we have, the more knowledge we gain about a subject, the more we begin seeing it all around us and know how to interact with it in a meaningful way. The first step to mastery at any level is education and obtaining knowledge that can be practiced accurately and with immediate results.
We must start by realizing that the most basic principle of the Universe is that of Evolution. Everything is in motion and a constant state of fluctuating as “becoming”. All energy and life-forms in the energetic realm of the astral plane (which we experience during meditation) move and flow through rhythmic movements that form a basic entrainment that serves to align the whole system through a natural form of rapport – resonance as energetic sympathy, where energy as information that enters into essence of some form and creates an effect. The nature of the energy as a “quality of consciousness” creates a analogous (like) form. Follow this basic procedure for starting any kind of meditation or hypnosis designed to stimulate and open the third-eye or Pineal gland.
Sit in a reclined position or lie down in a comfortable position. Systematically relax your body through a basic relaxation technique. Then scan your body for any areas you might still be holding tension in, and consciously relax it by intending it. Tell it to relax, and then allow it. Close your eyes, and focus on your breathing, the sound of your breath, the movement of your chest up, and down, rising and falling, and notice that the air you inhale is cool and dry, and as you exhale it is warm and moist. As you begin merging with your breath, sense your heart beat. Then simply observe the rhythm of your breath with the beat of your heart, and notice that just by placing your attention on both of them, they begin forming synchronicity. Continue breathing, listening to your heartbeat and relaxing your body. Don’t try to control the process, simply allow. Inside, find the center of your head, then create a spacious feeling around it. Place your attention straight ahead between your eyebrows, and slightly above eye-level. You should feel a slight strain in your eyes from the angle. Just relax into it by allowing it.
Notice that in the darkness you may not see much in terms of shapes, but maybe various saturation as patterns of black to grey. There maybe be clouded areas that take on colors, or simply seem grayish against the black background. You may notice a dark spot or ‘hole’ that either begins a swirling motion around it, or slowly forms into an eye, then fades and disappears. You may see the eye from different angles and various perspectives. You may notice pinpoints of light that resemble stars or form into constellations. They may be whitish or take on colors, or perhaps have rainbow-like halos.
Keep your attention focused in your third eye, the spot between your eyebrows in the lower part of your forehead. If it wanders, simply bring it back and continue to focus. If you find yourself allowing one of the thoughts to take hold and begin forming into a conceptual reality, simply refocus your attention to the center of your head and allow the thoughts to simply move by in a stream-like motion. Don’t try to make anything happen, or anticipate what’s going to happen, but simply allow your mind to feel spacious, vast and extremely open. Create the feeling of empty space. Imagine it like an open arena or large stage. You are not the director or writer of the play, simply the observer. The audience. You will allow whatever unfolds to entertain you. Reveal itself to you while you simply watch.
You may notice wave-like motions forming that either sweep from bottom to top, left to right or a combination of both. It may start as clouds or misty concentrations, much like nebula in space, or more like moving sensations with no real distinction. More like impressions that forms evolving patterns. You will notice some sort or a rhythmic pattern that rises up, expands into a flowing motion, fully expresses, and then dissipates. Simply watch it without attempting to control it. Create a kind of appreciation or admiration around it. Enjoy it and give it your full attention.
The movement may begin taking on prismatic colors that fluctuate and shimmer as it unfolds. The designs or patterns may begin taking on crisp, geometric patterning at the height of there expression and be a primary dominate color. These geometric patterns that are flowing in wave-like or spiraling motions may start taking on the qualities of distinct objects or features. Either primary shapes, shapes of certain objects, or distinct symbolic objects that are readily recognizable. Again, simply surrender to the flow of energy and do not attempt to control or determine it. Simply watch and allow it. Be fully present with it.
These patterns may start forming into either images of people, animals or full images of some sort. They may be a combination of human features, mixed with animals with areas of objects or patterning of some sort. As you watch, you may notice they become more and more distinct. Continuing with the wave-like, flowing, or spiraling movement, you may notice that they evolve through various combinations of human and animalistic characteristics. They may also evolve through different age groups, races, gender or move distinctly into humans with animal parts and strange features. It may seem as if you are watching the same essence or energy cluster evolving through various lifetimes and the forms each of those lives entailed. You may seem to notice how masculine images have inherent feminine qualities and how the feminine posses masculine qualities.
Sometimes it seems like you see landscapes, places, buildings or activities of some sort. When the images become crisp and fully developed they may begin taking on a distinct holographic appearance with shimmering, fluctuating or lustrous prismatic colors. Some may seem almost recognizable as someone you know, or resemble a clear rendition of a mythological or archetypal figure. Some seem pretty, beautiful and intriguing, while others seem demonic, disturbing or grotesque. They may evolve through a series of unfoldment that includes all of them. Some appear to have gross features, shadowy qualities and glowing eyes, others resembles angels that seem powerful and passionate, more like artistic ideas. You will notice that the demonic, grotesque images do not invoke fear of any kind, but seem to almost be beautiful in a different sort of way. You will begin losing fear as a response to various life-forms. You’ll develop the ability to view beauty and ugliness with the same internal response.
As you observe these images in detail you may start noticing energy in your body. It may come as distinct sensations like a sinking feeling, bubbly, having trouble breathing, or it may be a distinct sexual arousal that follows the flowing quality of the image. You may notice certain parts of your body with distinct sensory sensations as hot, buzzy, tingly, cool, or hot inside and cold outside. You may experience arousal that moves down your legs and out the bottom of your feet in flushing, wave-like or streaking, flaring motions. You may feel a tingling sensation as energetic rushes, or feel waves of goose-bumps. You may feel what seems like pin-pricks or distinct discharges or penetration of some sort. The energy may move upwards in the same fashion. If it moves into your third-eye, your thought/visionary process it can create an erotic feeling of flushing euphoria that is similar to a low-grade orgasm. It will quicken your thoughts and noticeably seem to excite them, change their nature and the feeling quality of their expression. This is the chemical reaction to the thoughts rising in you as a natural correspondence.
If you feel sexually aroused, or almost as if you are going to have an orgasm of some sort, don’t let it freak-you out, it’s quite normal and will serve as a distinct benefit to making it a point to meditate more often. (smiling) This is the experience of what we refer to as the ‘kundalini’ energy that resides at the base of your spine as the sexual energy that when aroused, rises up through the energetic system of the body creating an aroused sensation that promotes vitality and positive state-of-mind associated with the pleasure centers of the body that are often called “bliss”. You may even feel the sensation of being ‘entered’ into physically and filled up if you’re a woman, or the pleasure that comes from filling up, if you’re a man. It’s the experience of merging and expanding into energetically. Keep in mind that this type of practice is what led the Sufi’s to write erotic love-poems to God, the Beloved.
The more you practice, the easier it gets, the more readily it comes, and you develop your ability to hold greater and greater amounts of physical pleasure in your body for extended periods of time without feeling overwhelmed and needing to discharge it. Like all things it takes dedicated practice over a life-time. Once you begin experiencing the benefits of deeper forms of meditation, you may become almost addicted to it. Like the endorphins as pleasure-chemistry created from exercise.
After these types of practices, you will never again wonder why Shamans and Magi’s dress the way they do, or what the Native American rituals were all about. You will understand through experience what the term ‘shape-shifting’ means and where it came from, why it is a Universal theme. You will understand gargoyles and strange symbolic totems. Through this Universal experience of dynamic energy that has all the natural qualities that shape physical characteristics, you might even start desiring to change your personal style to take on less of a domesticated look, and instead choose a more natural, wild approach.
This practice will also help you to form immediate and natural rapport with Nature and all Living Beings. It creates the experience of feeling a deep connection to all of life. The experience itself acts to realign your whole system into a more organic and free-flowing structure. You will feel calm, confident and cultivate a kind of inner contentment. Peace of Mind that is based on passion and a devotion to all of life and Mother Earth. You will fall in love with life itself and begin rejoicing at the simplest of things. The magic of life, becomes normal. The ordinary takes on a sense of extraordinary through enhanced sensory experiences that make them seem erotically vivid and intensely alive!
Transpersonal Psychologist, Personal Transformation Coach, and Spiritual Mentor