Alternative body scan meditation

[Ulax]

Hi,

Intro

I've come up with a way of potentially enhancing body scan meditation. I think this alternative body scan technique can be particularly useful for those who struggle with moderate-severe dissociation.

I've put in numerous sections to this post, but the key idea is just in the 'technique' section directly below this intro section. So, yeah no pressure to read it all.

Technique; Body scan with mantra

Essentially, you do the normal body scan but when you get to a certain point you internally voice a mantra, then continue scanning.

Example

For example, every time you reach your feet in the body scan you can internally voice 'Mantra, mantra, mantra' then continue scanning.

Options of how to use mantra

I don't want to overcomplicate things. My key idea is just to use a mantra to help with the body scan. However, I thought of some ways that folks could experiment with making the technique best suit them.

I think it can be useful to experiment with the:

1) Word used in the mantra, (i.e. could say 'zebra' each time, or 'ahum' each time. Maybe you like one syllable mantras like 'om' or two syllabled ones. or you like words because you have a pleasant association with it)

2) Amount of times you say the selected word each time (i.e. saying chosen word once each time or twice each time)

3) Body trigger (aka what body part you select as the point at which you say the mantra, i.e. could be your feet, or whenever you reach the top of your head),

4) Frequency ( maybe you would prefer not to say the mantra every time you reached your body trigger, i.e. foot. And, so you could use the mantra every say second or third time you reach the body trigger, i.e. foot)

5) Pacing (i.e. how fast or slowly you say the chosen word. Also, if you are repeating the word multiple times each mantra, then you play around with using different lengths of pauses between each repetition)

*) Eyes open, eyes closed (Not a different way of using mantra, but can experiment with doing technique with eyes open or eyes closed.

*) Posture (Can experiment with different postures too, i.e. lying down, sitting up, slouching)

Personally observed benefits of technique

I find this helps scanning as it stops me spacing out into other sensory experiences, i.e. thinking.

Plus, I find it prevents me getting frustrated and/ or impatient as quickly. Therefore, helping me keep my awareness in the body and getting significantly more out of the practice.

 I struggle with pretty severe dissociation, which means I'm chronically 'out of awareness' of my body. Hence, I imagine the spacing out i experience is much more common and serious than the norm. So, I'm not sure how much more useful this alternative body scan meditation would be for non moderate-severe dissociating folks. That is, in comparison to traditional/ normal body scan meditation.

[Yimpa]

8 hours ago, Ulax said:

I struggle with pretty severe dissociation, which means I'm chronically 'out of awareness' of my body. Hence, I imagine the spacing out i experience is much more common and serious than the norm.

I feel you on that; I struggle with that as well.

I’ve noticed when taking medical cannabis, it gives me the experience of dissociating even greater; at the same time I’m more in tune with my body. It does’t quite make sense logically, but experientially it does. 

And thank you for the alternative meditation suggestion. I resonate with it and will contemplate on it!

[Schizophonia]

9 minutes ago, Yimpa said:

I feel you on that; I struggle with that as well.

I’ve noticed when taking medical cannabis, it gives me the experience of dissociating even greater; at the same time I’m more in tune with my body. It does’t quite make sense logically, but experientially it does. 

And thank you for the alternative meditation suggestion. I resonate with it and will contemplate on it!

why ?

[Sugarcoat]

@Ulax

what does your thoughts tend to be about when you are spaced out?

 

I relate as I’ve also been dissociated very frequently throughout my life 

[Yimpa]

@Schizophonia Logic tends to prefer one way over another way. Transrational sees none and all the ways as valid.

Ma boy GPT-4 can expand further:

Quote

Yimpa is discussing two different ways of viewing a situation or problem: through the lens of logic and through the lens of transrational thinking.

Logic, as we commonly understand it, is a systematic way of thinking that follows consistent rules and tests for validity. Logical reasoning often implies a preference for one conclusion over others based on evidence, rules, or deductive reasoning.

On the other hand, transrational thinking refers to a type of reasoning that transcends the typical limitations of logic. This type of reasoning can integrate seemingly contradictory perspectives or consider all potential paths as valid. It doesn't discount logical reasoning, but it expands upon it to allow for multiple truths or perspectives. 

In this conversation, Yimpa is suggesting that the situation or concept they're discussing doesn't fit neatly into a logical framework and may be better understood using a transrational approach.

 

[Ulax]

2 hours ago, Sugarcoat said:

@Ulax

what does your thoughts tend to be about when you are spaced out?

@Sugarcoat When spaced out during the meditation I'm in a sort of lala land. I find it hard to even remember. Sometimes its memories from the past that come up, sometimes i suddenly realize horrible things actually happened, and sometimes i'm just creating fantastical daydreams.

[Sugarcoat]

16 hours ago, Ulax said:

@Sugarcoat When spaced out during the meditation I'm in a sort of lala land. I find it hard to even remember. Sometimes its memories from the past that come up, sometimes i suddenly realize horrible things actually happened, and sometimes i'm just creating fantastical daydreams.

What we fantasize about can tell us a lot about what areas of our life are most neurotic for us. So working on them could help minimize this dissociative tendency , not that you’re already doing that tho

the body scan could probably help too

another approach which I’ve been intuitively engaged in the past months has been doing sort of the opposite - fully embracing this dissociative tendency. Relinquishing all resistance to this urge to dissociate and instead going into my fantasies more fully , as I’ve noticed there being a resistance to it. I have experienced profound healing and balancing effects on my body- mind from this so just wanted to put this out here. 

[Yimpa]

4 hours ago, Sugarcoat said:

another approach which I’ve been intuitively engaged in the past months has been doing sort of the opposite - fully embracing this dissociative tendency. Relinquishing all resistance to this urge to dissociate and instead going into my fantasies more fully , as I’ve noticed there being a resistance to it. I have experienced profound healing and balancing effects on my body- mind from this so just wanted to put this out here. 

Great point. We are so accustomed to rules and doing things the right way based on the rules. 

The right thing to do is to follow your intuition, but you must learn how to trust that intuition first. 

[Sugarcoat]

12 minutes ago, Yimpa said:

Great point. We are so accustomed to rules and doing things the right way based on the rules. 

The right thing to do is to follow your intuition, but you must learn how to trust that intuition first. 

Thank you. All those rules can become internalized also so we believe it’s our own ideas too

yes definitely. That intuition just grows stronger and stronger. Doesn’t need much justification, the understanding comes later instead in a way. 

 

for me it was that I noticed how this dissociative/ tendency to fantasize was serving a purpose.
 

How come, I can be tired af late in the evening, but then suddenly I might daydream and I suddenly have a bunch of energy? What is that energy? Maybe it isn’t so bad after all? -

When the urge would hit I noticed this resistance to “go into it” . So I just intuitively let go of resistance slowly but surely and went into it harder and harder and so much has deepened since then. It’s has been like “energetic cleansing” . I feel the positive effects even on physical level, even psychic like phenomena has happened as a result .   I’m still in this process but that’s a little bit of it, but amazed.
I see all the time on Reddit people talking about how daydreaming is ruining their lives and I sympathize but there is a reason you’re dissociating it isn’t just some bad uselesss thing wasting your life ….if people only could see it…it’s so hard to communicate it to people 

Edited July 3, 2023 by Sugarcoat

[Yimpa]

@Sugarcoat I know exactly what you mean 

No need to communicate it to people when you are fully present.

You are the present that lights up the whole world! Your communication is NOW. 

[Sugarcoat]

Just now, Yimpa said:

@Sugarcoat I know exactly what you mean 

No need to communicate it to people when you are fully present.

You are the present that lights up the whole world! Your communication is NOW. 

You’re right. Communication can perhaps come naturally when one notices openness and interest in someone rather than trying to force it in some way…

And as you say…with one’s presence.

[Yimpa]

4 minutes ago, Sugarcoat said:

You’re right. Communication can perhaps come naturally when one notices openness and interest in someone rather than trying to force it in some way…

And as you say…with one’s presence.

When you CAN fully see yourself in someone, there’ll be nothing at all to force.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Yimpa

[Sugarcoat]

Just now, Yimpa said:

When you can fully see yourself in someone, there’ll be nothing at all to force.

???

[Ulax]

21 hours ago, Sugarcoat said:

another approach which I’ve been intuitively engaged in the past months has been doing sort of the opposite - fully embracing this dissociative tendency. Relinquishing all resistance to this urge to dissociate and instead going into my fantasies more fully , as I’ve noticed there being a resistance to it. I have experienced profound healing and balancing effects on my body- mind from this so just wanted to put this out here. 

@Sugarcoat Sounds great mate!