The void

[Nathan]

First time seeing what I could only describe as the void during meditation. As I was disappearing into it I felt a heaviness on my heart and felt fear, kinda felt like I was going to have a heart attack or something. It's kinda put me off meditation if I'm honest. ? Any advice?

[trenton]

I would describe something similar.

It is like you realize all of existence is nothingness and this nothingness expands and expands as you merge with all of it. You become indistinguishable from all of reality when you are nothing. Some describe it as the abyss.

I remember how I kinda freaked out when that happened and I stopped meditating for a bit. I triggered it with the help of the power of now by Eckhart Tolle. When the ego mind does not contextualize itself with past and future you are left with the present. Transcending time is the same as transcending ego and it could create these sorts of experiences.

I would like to see advice on how to not freak out when that happens to do that I can just enjoy what I'm not used to. Maybe I would meditate more. At the very least you can try different forms of meditation like satisfaction or body scans. At least I found they were less intense.

[Nathan]

@trenton  I think I'll try different types of meditation for now. But that abyss is very curiosity invoking. Sucks that I'm afraid of change. ?

[puporing]

2 hours ago, Nathan said:

Sucks that I'm afraid of change.

That's it. Just takes some period of adjustment. You'll find a way to accept it eventually, because the truth is ultimately liberating.

Remember the void is also what is birthing all of what's here. It's our attachment to what's here (and ego's desire to control and maintain things as they are, ie resisting change) and sense of "loss" that makes it seem hard.

Edited August 30, 2022 by puporing

[michaelcycle00]

How exactly did you get there? If you don't mind me asking. What kind of meditation and breathing technique were you doing? It's a goal of mine to get there through meditation alone but I've been unsuccessful till now. 

[Adamq8]

It is normal, many people feel like they are about to die when approaching awakening

[Nathan]

18 minutes ago, michaelcycle00 said:

How exactly did you get there? If you don't mind me asking. What kind of meditation and breathing technique were you doing? It's a goal of mine to get there through meditation alone but I've been unsuccessful till now. 

Zazen meditation

[Nathan]

2 hours ago, puporing said:

That's it. Just takes some period of adjustment. You'll find a way to accept it eventually, because the truth is ultimately liberating.

Maybe one day. 

[gettoefl]

here is what paul brunton says of the void

https://paulbrunton.org/notebooks/23/8