I was wondering how to redirect your focus to the Spiritual eye while in deep meditation. In other words how to focus on the Spiritual eye from a state other than the original conscious state that you started with? I hope my question makes sense.
—Luis, US
Dear Luis,
Meditation involves an inward and upward focus of our awareness, withdrawing energy from the senses, and tuning into subtle divine realities. The spiritual eye, the energy center at the point between the eyebrows, is the doorway to these higher realities. So we concentrate there, creating a magnet to draw our subtle energy upward. Uplifting our eyes gently toward the spiritual eye during meditation helps access this level of awareness, but one-pointed concentration supported by use of meditation technique is also necessary.
It might help to understand the three primary levels of consciousness — and which level we seek in deep meditation. Our conscious mind is that level of awareness that is engaged in the senses, in the world. This level makes plans and puts out energy into the world to “get things done.” Its focus is outward, not inward. In meditation, if the conscious mind is dominant we will be restless, unable to get the mind off of plans, activities, etc. We will be tempted to just open our eyes.
Another level is the subconscious which stores habits, old reactions, personal history, and past karma. It is not engaged in the senses, does not put out energy into the world, and is not aware of higher realities. Its focus is inward and downward. If the subconscious mind is dominant during meditation we will mentally wander in old bypaths or possibly just slip into a dreamy images. At this level, our awareness of higher realities is most thickly “veiled”.
The third level of our awareness, superconsciousness, focuses inwardly and upwardly. At this level, we tune into subtle, divine realities that are beyond the body, the senses, the mind, and the world. This is the goal of meditation. The point between the eyebrows, the spiritual eye, is the seat of superconscious awareness. If our superconscious mind is dominant we experience profound stillness and expansion into pure states of joy, peace, love and other divine qualities. The superconscious experience is deep and true without vagueness or wandering. At this level we may see the spiritual eye with our inward gaze (see The Spiritual Eye for a description).
To answer your question most simply–we cannot focus deeply on the spiritual eye except when our consciousness is uplifted to superconsciousness.
To keep our focus on the spiritual eye it is important to distinguish when our consciousness has drifted and to redirect awareness inward and upward using meditation techniques. Meditation techniques involve deep relaxation but also intense awareness. Meditation is not a passive process — passivity leads to subconsciousness. If you have learned a meditation technique, it is important use it to keep your focus at the spiritual eye and tune into superconsciousness. The “monkey mind” requires training, and when we notice the mind is restlessly focused at the conscious level or has slipped into subconsciousness, return to the use of meditation technique, again and again as necessary.
If you do not have a meditation technique you can learn a simple one taught by our guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, at this link Meditation Mini-Course and also through our online classes at Ananda Course in Meditation 10-week course.
Many blessings on your meditation practice,
Nayaswami Mukti
