The Sound Of Silence

[fdrakely]

The title of this thread is also the title of a book, written by Ajahn Sumedho, an American Buddhist monk. It's also referred to as Nada Yoga, or 'the yoga of inner light and sound'. It's a noise that used to only be noticeable when my surroundings were quiet. It would sound like a high pitched buzzing, humming, electric static. Faint but noticeable. When I tried researching it online, most people said it was tinnitus. Even Ajahn Sumedho in his book says people think it's tinnitus. But this sound isn't bothersome, nor is it always noticeable, until I'm somewhere quiet, then it's clear as day. Although Ajahn Sumedho says he can now hear it even when external noises around him are loud. 

I've been using it as a meditation focus during 'Do Nothing Meditation' - I alternate between focusing on the noise and allowing my mind to wander. It's quite nice, I just focus on the sound, and it begins to get louder, until I'm absorbed in it.  I guess my question is -

1) who else notices this sound
2) does it have a deeper meaning
3) have you heard of anyone talk about this before


Thanks!

[SkyPanther]

@fdrakely I have had the same experience. It started not too long ago, I did not think anything of it because it went away a few minutes after my meditation.

But it has become more pronounced, and I also started to research it. 

It is called "meditation induced tinnitus".

There is more info on it here:

http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/clairaudience.htm

I have also been using it as a focus, and it also gets louder when I do that (for me it seems like it's inside my head).

It sounds like a high pitched hum, like the sound of an old TV set turning on/warming up.

As I get deeper into the Jhanas I can hear/tell that it is a very fast/high frequency wave.

I asked a friend that has been meditating for a while, he did not have any info on it. He has heard of it, but has not experienced it himself.

I did find this video about it though:

Hope this helps some; but I don't have anymore info as its new to me as well. 

I meet with my Sangha Teacher (Theravada Buddhist) this upcoming Monday, will ask him; hopefully he has more info.

[Azrael]

5 hours ago, fdrakely said:

1) who else notices this sound

2) does it have a deeper meaning

3) have you heard of anyone talk about this before

I tend to hear this noise a lot in deep meditation. It comes with extreme hallucinations and in general in phases in which the meditation gets pretty heavy. I also had it with spiritual experiences. I don't think it means anything and it is just a kind of auditory hallucination, like the visuals that can come up through meditation.

You are jut shining your consciousness on itself so much that a lot of strange shit is happening. So, I'd just take it and relax. Appreciate it, maybe use it to get even deeper. For me, I also feel this noise a lot in my ears ringing, not just hear it. It's a very strange experience. In the moment I  thought that my consciousness / brain waves begin to resonate with something so deeply that I can feel it. But that's just a thought. Probably it's just a hallucination.

Cheers

[fdrakely]

@SkyPanther Thanks for those links, they had some good information. I am curious to know what your teacher says. 


@Arik Thanks for the reply - if it's hallucinations, I feel like it should pass eventually. For now I'll use it as a tool for mindfulness. Cheers

[Rodrigo]

@fdrakely Google it and you will find that absolute silence will drive you mad in minutes. You will hear your blood flowing and heart pumping....not a pleasant sensation at all.Outside those chambers there is never absolute silence anywhere. Even inside those chambers there is no silence because you will hear your body.You hear something all the time anywhere you go, as long as you live

[Tim Green]

I've wondered about this noise during meditation. It's like multiple pitches and tones playing at the same time for me.

[charlie2dogs]

On 4/22/2016 at 9:20 PM, fdrakely said:

The title of this thread is also the title of a book, written by Ajahn Sumedho, an American Buddhist monk. It's also referred to as Nada Yoga, or 'the yoga of inner light and sound'. It's a noise that used to only be noticeable when my surroundings were quiet. It would sound like a high pitched buzzing, humming, electric static. Faint but noticeable. When I tried researching it online, most people said it was tinnitus. Even Ajahn Sumedho in his book says people think it's tinnitus. But this sound isn't bothersome, nor is it always noticeable, until I'm somewhere quiet, then it's clear as day. Although Ajahn Sumedho says he can now hear it even when external noises around him are loud. 

I've been using it as a meditation focus during 'Do Nothing Meditation' - I alternate between focusing on the noise and allowing my mind to wander. It's quite nice, I just focus on the sound, and it begins to get louder, until I'm absorbed in it.  I guess my question is -

1) who else notices this sound
2) does it have a deeper meaning
3) have you heard of anyone talk about this before


Thanks!

I have heard of this but odds are it is tinnitus, i have had it for over 40 years, it is best to not focus on it, it only makes it worse. Avoid giving it any thought as much as possible

[Eye]

On 24.04.2016 at 2:04 AM, Tim Green said:

I've wondered about this noise during meditation. It's like multiple pitches and tones playing at the same time for me.

I got a similar feeling. Sometimes it's like a harmony of a lower and higher sound at the same time. Noticeable especially when going sleep. 

I have been "chasing" this sound for quite some time and I don't know whether it's my core cosciousness vibration from the point of spirituality OR just an ear damage cause I have been listening/producing music for many years sometimes listening noises for couple of hours per day with full volume on my headphones.