Meditation (samyama) as a tool for knowledge

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Swami
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Meditation (samyama) as a tool for knowledge

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Post by Swami »

In another discussion, I explained how everything is conscious. I also gave a general explanation on how we can know this. Diagoras asked a question about the tool of knowledge that I use. In this discussion I will go into more detail.
……………………..
What is my tool of knowledge?
One way to acquire knowledge is to use meditation, more specifically, a meditative state called 'samyama'. While in samyama, you've become so focused on an object (anything in the Universe) that you eventually "lose yourself in it" in a literal sense. While being one with an object, you get to have a direct experience of it. You experience what it's like to be it. The mind does not play a role because it is silenced so you are perceiving or experiencing without the filter of the mind and senses.

How meditation lead to knowledge?
The most important thing that I've learned through meditation is the nature of consciousness. I realized that everything is just one single consciousness (call it God) that manifests itself into the multitude of things that we experience. Here is the meditative process I experienced to confirm that this was true.

First, meditation enables me to perceive objects and all of reality as it is. This is a natural consequence of being able to perceive without the instrument that causes distortions, biases, misperceptions - i.e. the mind.

Secondly, with meditation, I am able to become one with an object. This enables me to experience what it's like to be anything. If I wanted to see if a rock was conscious, then I would engage in samyama (become one) with the rock. I would then be able to experience what it's like to be the rock. I would be able to feel some of the characteristics of a rock. If it were heavy then I would also have perceptions of being heavy.

Third and last, is that through the meditative state I can communicate with anything in the sense that I can tell an object how to behave. For instance, while being in a unified state with a rock I can tell it to move or do something and it will do it.

Again, the way this is all possible is if everything is conscious. I am able to connect with the consciousness of everything and experience it and even act with it.

Diagoras's question:
To the first part, does this mean the tool could be used to probe dark matter, for instance?
Yes, meditation can be used to probe dark matter and anything else in the Universe. However, this does not mean that I would discover some of the same types of facts that a scientists would discover. My approach has more to do with discovering the true nature of things and the effects I can have on it. Perhaps I can experience our conception of dark matter and experience what that's like and deduce some general facts from that.

The only exception to this is if you meditate on the aspect of God that involves omniscience. If we are God, then everything there is to know is already in us and it's just a matter of realizing it. Many have realized it after having brain injury... Look up "acquired savant syndrome". Others have experienced omniscient state during meditation, but it was only temporary - they weren't able to sustain it.

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Post #11

Post by Swami »

Diagoras wrote: As things to think about pop into my head, I’d like to ask another thing (hopefully ok with you):
I have no problem with questions and that's because I want people to experience these things for themselves. My only limitation is time. I can honestly say that most of my understanding is on an experiential level so most of my explanations will be based on that. So I may not know the answers to every level of the experience, like a sort of spiritual physics behind my experiences.
Diagoras wrote:To use our rock and apple example, does the fact that one’s organic and one’s ‘simpler’ in internal structure make a difference?
It would not matter in terms of achieving samyama with the either of the two, but it would matter when it comes to the type of perceptions I encounter. If I do samyama on a living thing, like a person, then I may not just perceive physical characteristics but also thoughts and feelings from the person.
Diagoras wrote:You mentioned at the start of the thread that in principle you could investigate properties like heaviness, but I don’t know if this extends to comparing objects over time.

I don’t expect you to do (or have done) investigations exactly like this just to answer, but, given the same apple a couple of weeks later, would you notice the difference - i.e. it’s slightly dryer, going mouldy, etc?
If you're focusing on a particular object that's in your presence instead of a memory of something, then yes, it's possible to perceive a difference while in samyama state. At the fundamental level of more subtle levels of the object, nothing would change. But if you experience the apparent physical level characteristics, like size, weight, strength, then experience of that would change as the object changes.

Meditation on the flames of a fire can increase body temperature. Read this interesting study (cbt= core body temperature)..
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/artic ... ne.0058244
The g-tummo practice involves both somatic and neurocognitive components. The somatic component involves specialized breathing techniques as well as isometric exercises (i.e. exercises performed in static positions, rather than incorporating a range of motion) involving muscle tensing and contraction. The neurocognitive component involves meditative visualization requiring the generation and maintenance of mental images of flames at specific locations in the body accompanied by intense sensations of bodily heat in the spine. The questions remain as to whether the g-tummo practice is indeed associated with elevated body temperature, and whether these temperature increases are due to cognitive (e.g., attention, mental imagery) or merely somatic, components of the practice.
Diagoras wrote:I’m imagining that the more practiced the samyana user, the more complex objects can be focussed on, and at further remove. Am I more or less correct there?
This is correct.

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Post #12

Post by William »


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Re: Meditation (samyama) as a tool for knowledge

Post #13

Post by OlivJasn »

Thank you for sharing this! I love trying new meditations. I find them relaxing, and I feel full of energy after I meditate. I also love yoga. I'm not too advanced in it. I started practicing it after I felt pain in my back. Basically, yoga was my first step towards meditation. Recently, I found on yogapractice.com a few yoga retreat places. This summer I couldn’t go anywhere for a vacation, and I can’t wait for the COVID19 to be over, so I can go somewhere. The Pearl Laguna and Esalen Insitute in California looks nice.

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