Closed eyes and opened eyes meditation

[Aphrodite]

As a beginner I find it easy and effective to do meditation with eyes opened. It helps me to anchor myself in the present moment without getting lost in unconscious thoughts, basically it feels more real. When it comes to meditation with closed eyes, often times I find it hard to stay anchored in the present moment and in awareness, it feels vague and confusing at times.

What are your experiences in this matter ?

Should doing closed eyes meditation will get better in the future by doing it more or is it going to be waste of time in unconscious mental activity ? 

Can doing meditation with eyes opened help me to go deep and can it improve the level of consciousness compared to meditation with closed eyes since upto 80% of sensory information are getting in our brain through our eyes ?

Thank you 

[Salvijus]

Meditating on presence with eyes open is a valid practice and can take you a long way. But I believe to get to the final goal one has to close the eyes eventually in order to cultivate a sharper discernment between psychological reality and existencial reality (presence). 

If you want to make closed eyes meditation easier, you can anchor your presence to the breath. It used to help me as an intermediate step between open eyes and closed eyes meditation. 

"Primordial Meditation with Breath

This method is most ancient and is found in many esoteric schools. Essentially, you allow your body to find its own natural rhythm of breath and rest your attention gently on the breath, using breathing as the vehicle of the Presence of Awareness.

When you meditate using this method, breathe naturally, with even inhalations and exhalations, just as you ordinarily do. Focus your awareness very gently on the out-breath, and when you exhale just flow out with the breath. Every time you breathe in, let go and let be, and imagine that at the end of the out-breath your breath dissolves into the infinite spaciousness of Truth. At the end of every exhalation, before the next inhalation, you will find there is a gap – let go and enter into the gap.

In the gap is the “place” of Pure and Primordial Being. This is called Perfect Repose. Whatever thoughts or emotions might arise, neither grasp at them nor push them away. Just let them be, and let them naturally arise and pass away, without doing anything with them or entertaining any judgment. If you find that you have become distracted or identified with thoughts and emotions arising, or find yourself daydreaming, merely restore your focus to your breath and continue. If mind enters into the gap and the Natural State dawns, let go of the practice and just calmly abide. If the mind or heart moves, return to the practice. It is that simple. Do not focus too tightly upon breath, but focus upon it lightly. Basically, you want to place about ¼ of your awareness on breath and leave the other ¾ free, abiding in a quiet and spacious state of relaxed awareness.

In this state one is essentially aware of oneself and what is happening in one’s consciousness, and aware of what is happening in one’s environment. Instead of watching the breath, as though separate from breath, progressively allow yourself to identify with your breath, as though you are becoming your breath. Breathe and let the breath and the one who is breathing gradually merge in a natural way without unnecessary force. In this practice you will find that as the Presence of Awareness grows you will experience the mind becoming more and more silent and the vital-emotional being becoming more and more quiet. It is as though one is shedding the Serpent’s skin and putting on a Body of Clear or Transparent Light. In this way one is set free!"

Edited November 18 by Salvijus

[Salvijus]

One of the best meditation practices I've ever done is probably Silent Witness. I couldn't live without this practice. It's great because it does not require for you to stop your mind to do this practice and it's great for deepening self-awareness. 

"Silent Witness Practice

The Practice of the Silent Witness is a practice of merely observing mental-emotional states, and all of the thoughts and feelings-emotions that arise, without any judgment or attachment and aversion. One simply wishes to watch what is happening, inwardly and outwardly, without identifying oneself with anything that is transpiring.

So long as we remain identified with what is arising in consciousness we are powerless to make any real change, but if we can remove our self-identification with thoughts and emotions, and even events in life, we become empowered to make changes.

Likewise we discover that often by merely letting go of self-identification with mental-emotional phenomena and events of life, and bringing what is happening into the Light of Awareness, most problems are naturally and spontaneously dissolved. Basically, the Silent Witness is an exercise in self-knowledge and the cultivation of self-awareness - what we call the Presence of Awareness.

At any time, anywhere, just let go and let be, and become the Silent Witness of all that is transpiring within and all around you. Become aware of your body and with your awareness scan your body. Notice its posture and all of the sensations in the body, including any tensions or stresses. Then shift your focus to the feeling-emotions underlying the bodily sensations, allowing yourself to become conscious of your feelings and emotions. Then shift your focus to the thoughts associated with these feelings and emotions. Without any judgment at all, without attachment or aversion, just Witness in Silence what is happening.

This practice can be done in the midst of any activity of daily life. It is one of the key methods through which Gnostics integrate their spiritual practice into daily living. One can engage in this practice for prolonged periods of time, but even just five or ten minutes here and there throughout one's day is very powerful and beneficial. While we aim to abide in this Presence of Awareness the majority of the time, this evolves through consistent practice. Witnessing is not something you do, it is the realization that awareness is present. Awareness is always present, even when you are totally absorbed in an activity or thought. "You" might be trying to do the witnessing, yet while this "you" seems to have awareness, in reality the "you" that tries to witness is being witnessed."

Edited November 18 by Salvijus

[ChrisZoZo]

@Aphrodite I used open eyes with tremendous success. I think closed is deeper once’s you are able to actually concentrate but that takes years lol. 

[Yimpa]

I meditate while lying down. Screw meditating in discomfort.

[ChrisZoZo]

2 hours ago, Yimpa said:

I meditate while lying down. Screw meditating in discomfort.

Would disagree on this. Lying down is a form which the mind is use to so you will have to retrain the mind for good meditation. 
 

Don’t be uncomfortable. If you don’t with knowing you’re not comfortable I would say that is not even meditation. 
 

Seated on a chair is good and straight back is also good. This is not my advice this is countless mediation/ spiritual masters. I heard it from ekart tolle, Buddhist masters and even advadanta teachers. 

[Aphrodite]

Thank you @Salvijus @ChrisZoZo