Plateau in meditation

[nistake]

I feel like I reached a plateau in my meditation practise.

My thoughts subside rather quickly and then nothing (with lower case n). My awareness is clear and vivid and I'm observing the nothingness. When a thought appears, I quickly spot it and I can let it go. Then, the nothingness continues. It's not blissful and it's not the peaceful stillness either that you can read about in books. It's just pure blank. If I ask myself the typical self-inquiry questions (who am I?, who's aware? etc), nothing changes, I can't seem to go deeper.

I do know that meditation is not about expecting something to happen and there's nothing to achieve and yet, it seems there's a part of me deep inside that's still waiting for something to happen. I'm honestly not sure what's going on. Is this just a phase? Have you experienced anything similar during your practise? Any ideas?

[Toby]

What does your teacher say about it?

[nistake]

@Toby I don't have a teacher. Not fond of the idea of having one either.

[Nahm]

1 hour ago, nistake said:

I feel like I reached a plateau in my meditation practise.

My thoughts subside rather quickly and then nothing (with lower case n). My awareness is clear and vivid and I'm observing the nothingness. When a thought appears, I quickly spot it and I can let it go. Then, the nothingness continues. It's not blissful and it's not the peaceful stillness either that you can read about in books. It's just pure blank. If I ask myself the typical self-inquiry questions (who am I?, who's aware? etc), nothing changes, I can't seem to go deeper.

I do know that meditation is not about expecting something to happen and there's nothing to achieve and yet, it seems there's a part of me deep inside that's still waiting for something to happen. I'm honestly not sure what's going on. Is this just a phase? Have you experienced anything similar during your practise? Any ideas?

My thought. My awareness. I’m observing. I spot. I let. The nothingness. It’s not. It’s not. It’s just. I ask myself. I can’t. I do know. A part of me waiting for something. 

The devil’s in the detail. 

Maybe meditation just isn’t for you. 

[nistake]

@Nahm I've been meditating for 4 years. It has worked out pretty great so far. I obviously used possessive adjectives because that's just how language works. 

[Nahm]

@nistake

For sure. But looking through it as an expression of how you’re thinking about meditation reveals what you’re yet willing to scrutinize. Saying there is no you, nor meditation, and that you are not meditating isn’t linguistically helpful either. But it’s the answer none the less. Who reached a plateau? 

How many ‘inner bodies’ have been released so far? 

[Farnaby]

Could it be that your ego gets scared of disappearing when you hit that state of pure awareness and starts judging it? 

Just an idea. I haven't meditated as long as you do so maybe I'm wrong lol

[Vitamine Water]

5 hours ago, nistake said:

I do know that meditation is not about expecting something to happen and there's nothing to achieve and yet, it seems there's a part of me deep inside that's still waiting for something to happen.

Your mind is the ultimate trickster. I hope you can see this. Let go. 

[Artsu]

I meditated heavily for a brief while. Now i can relate to what you say about entering the meditative state very quickly.

I now meditate for shorter times. Mindfulness is more used to combat negative emotions like anxiety, and these are less than they used to be.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Artsu

[Mohammad]

@nistake  I've experienced something similar. Then it changed. Then another plateau, then a backlash, and then another stage.

As you said, you are not meditating in order to achieve something. This is meditation, it's observing, and in time, you might start to see the stuff behind the curtain.

My suggestion is just keep going, keep meditating. And try to increase your knowledge about mediation, different forms of it, and then experiment with them and find your own unique path  

[SriSriJustinBieber]

Try this: 

 

[allislove]

@nistake how about psychedelics? At some point, I was mind blown how 5-MeO deepen meditation. Then, there was a realization that it's really the other way around, meditation deepens by itself. Anyway, fun experience.

[mandyjw]

7 hours ago, Nahm said:

 

The devil’s in the detail. 

Maybe meditation just isn’t for you. 

Oh no you didn't. 

[nistake]

Thanks for your input. I came to the conclusion that I may need to go back to a more basic form of meditation (like focusing on the breath). Maybe "my" awareness wasn't as clear and vivid as I thought.

[Dodo]

@nistake I had a post relating to this recently - didn't get replies so i will use it as reply to you ? 

In short: For mastery we need to love the plateau and keep going. The plateau is a sure signs we are on the way to mastery. Keep going. 

 

[nistake]

@Dodo Neat post!

One of the forum members said this and for some reason it stuck with me: "Don't make spirituality a goal. Instead, make it a way of living."