Can Spacing Out Be Meditation?

[Swagala]

I've just recently started wondering whether or not Spacing Out can be considered meditation. Whenever it occurs, I just look at a particular thing and just... stare at it. Nothing really comes to my mind (like thoughts), I just get completely invested with staring at the thing. I spaced out at a mall like a month ago (while waiting for my sister to get her nails polished lol) and i probably did that for like half an hour. Just staring at a plant and ignoring all the people walking by and whenever a thought popped up, I would catch myself and then get back to just completely staring at the plant.

Spacing Out is pretty often for me and it's honestly very relaxing.

Anyways, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on this. Personally (and honestly), I'd love to get some validation about this because I could space out for such a long time and if this can be a way to "meditate" that'd make my life easier.

Edited November 30, 2017 by Swagala

[LaucherJunge]

Yes, simple observation can be very profound, atleast if you are present doing it.
 

 

[Hsinav]

If you´re spacing out with great alertness, you might benefit from it, when I hear the words "spacing out" or "veg out", a sleepy state of conciousness comes to my mind.

Eckart Tolle often points out the importance of not falling below thoughts while relaxing. Even though it feels as a reliefe for the moment it won´t support you´re awakening process.

[Nahm]

Meditation is the way. 

[AleksM]

@Swagala Of course. This is a great meditation practice. 

[Nahm]

@Swagala I spaced out one time and saw the universe from outside the universe.

 

 

 

The shrooms may or may not have had something to do with it. 

[Epiphany_Inspired]

For me spacing out is the opposite...I come back with little or no recollection of what my monkey mind was up to....for me, it seems a bit like leaving a toddler unattended...who know what chaos has been brewing...and I probably just missed my turn off while driving or something...lol...

[AxelK]

Depends how you define spacing out. My definition of spacing out is the opposite of meditation. What you're doing sounds like meditation.

[Joseph Maynor]

It can use useful as a preliminary to Meditation.  But it's not Meditation.  Meditation is more conscious than daydreaming.  Although, there are a lot of daydreams that I'm sure fall into the realm of Meditation, but they're not all strictly Meditation.  Meditation is more intentional, more disciplined than daydreaming.  Although, let's not downgrade daydreaming either.  Daydreaming is awesome -- I did it a lot in my Teens and 20's.  You wanna nurture that part of yourself that is authentic, that is coming up with original and authentic ideas, visualizations, and plans.  That part of you was there since you were a kid.  You wanna find that again.  There's an intuition there that you can tap into.  Intuition is important in personal development.  

Video to Watch:

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Joseph Maynor