When I close my eyes to meditate I have a hard time focusing on the spiritual eye since I only see darkness. I find myself opening my eyes often and trying to figure out if I'm gazing upwards, which is of course very distracting. I have also tried to imagine that I'm seeing the spiritual eye but then it seems I'm concentrating on imagining what it looks like and not actually meditating. Do you have any suggestions on where I should be focusing?
Thank you,
R
—Rael, USA
I would suggest that you continue focusing on your meditation practice and using the techniques you have learned.
The techniques that are part of the path of Kriya Yoga (Hong Sau, AUM, Kriya) all have you focus at the spiritual eye, or the point between the eyebrows, as it is also referred to. Whether seen or not, the spiritual eye exists at this very powerful place in the brain. In fact, scientific studies are now also aware that this area of the brain has an important effect on human life.
I know it can be frustrating trying to focus on something you can’t yet see, but by continuing to focus at the point between the eyebrows during meditation, you will begin creating a magnet there. This magnetic pull will in turn draw more and more of your energy and awareness to this area as your concentration deepens. And it is through deepening concentration that the spiritual eye is finally seen most clearly.
It is also from this point in the body that we are able to access the superconscious, a state that great saints and masters live in all the time.
The other aspect of deepening concentration is the need for relaxation. To achieve this while gazing at the point between the eyebrows, you might try the following. You can lift your arm up to about a 45% angle with the thumb pointed upward, then gazing at the thumb, gently close your eyes, keeping the eyes uplifted. Try at the same time to relax in this area even as you concentrate there.
(Concentration does not mean tension, although the two are often thought of as the same thing.) This is about how high you need to look to be gazing at the point between the eyebrows in meditation. You can experiment with this and see if it helps.
The other thing to keep in mind is, that before you reach a deeper level of concentration, you may begin to see some of the colors associated with the spiritual eye in meditation, such as a field of deep blue, or a golden light. Being aware that this is possible can help you know what to look for.
These colors can be seen in the still time following the practice of the meditation techniques, when your concentration may be deepest.
