Trance/altered states

[altered62]

About two years ago I became interested in meditation, trance, altered states of mind. I don't feel I have progressed very fast considering I try to get into a trance several times a week. I started out using the candle method. It worked for me, but not as good as other methods. I bought a machine that uses goggles with a strobe light with binarual beats. It worked a little bit better than candle gazing. The best method I have used makes use of a slide show of photos flashing at a very high rate with a recorded mantra loop. 

I stare at this flashing slide show and use headphones for the audio in a dark room. It does not take long to begin feeling the effects gradually becoming very numb. This includes face, arms and legs and with the feeling of heaviness. They are not asleep in the traditional sense of the word. Sometimes they move slightly on their own. I get to the point where my blinking reflex is practically non existent. My breathing becomes very shallow. So long into a session the visual portion will seem to speed up or slow down. Sometimes it seems to morph in weird ways also. The audio mantra playing normally becomes complete gibberish. I am not a drug user but in this state I feel very blissful. Some sessions are average while some do reach new heights of weird or pleasurable feelings.

Sometimes I can be having a session and be what I consider wide awake, then all of a sudden find myself waking up or snapping out of something like I was asleep but with my eyes never having been shut. Like I mentioned occasionally I get in a zone where I think I am on the verge of going to a deeper level, but it turns out to be short lived.

I am not into the religious aspects meditation. I have had lots of trouble finding forums that deal with trance or altered states that are not focused on Hinduism or Buddhism. I would like to know of other forums if they exist directly related to altered states. I would also like opinions of on if I am working in the right direction or wasting my time using the methods described above.           

[iTommy]

3 hours ago, altered62 said:

I would like to know of other forums if they exist directly related to altered states. I would also like opinions of on if I am working in the right direction or wasting my time using the methods described above.           

I am not sure if I understand your question properly, so correct me if something's misinterpreted. Altered states include trance states. Your methods might be good, if you feel/sense as if you're making progress. But also, sometimes it can feel as if not much progress is being made, here it might be good to keep trying for a while longer. Are you trying to achieve anything specific?

I've been meditating (mainly concentrative meditation) for two years or so, and it has slowly brought me into deeper layers of reality. Now, I find a mix between Kriya, Wim Hof, gratitude & love, reaching out to guides, angelic, "higher beings" works well for me.  

Edited September 24, 2019 by iTommy

[mandyjw]

@altered62 Fascinating post. I'm not sure about modern methods of this, or where to point you to but I know that mesmerism was more popular in the past. 

If you can't find anything more current I would highly recommend researching the history of them.  Through a series of strange circumstances I read a book by a clairvoyant herbal medicines doctor from the 1800's. At the time I wasn't very open minded to the mystical realm at all but this book was a catalyst that changed that.

He describes his evolution in the book, first he had a deep love for nature and plants and played around making plant medicines as a boy. A mesmerist came to town and he went to him and became obsessed with mesmerism ever since. He describes how differently the children reacted, he was almost always the first to fall asleep, one boy had a very difficult time and once under the influence became violent and shortly after the incident, died.

After that visit he was left in a very positive dream like state of consciousness. Circumstances in his life changed and he moved to a city for a while and got a lot more opportunities to see mesmerists. After coming home he started losing consciousness randomly. After several incidents it happened while he was at dinner and a friend grabbed his hand out of concern for him. He described her medical condition at length and prescribed medicines for her. After that he was able to enter clairvoyant sleep at will.

He was never able to be conscious throughout them and always required the help of someone to record what he said. 

Digging through history, this is the first mesmerist that he saw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Parkhurst_Quimby

Edited September 24, 2019 by mandyjw

[Forestluv]

3 hours ago, altered62 said:

I would like to know of other forums if they exist directly related to altered states. I would also like opinions of on if I am working in the right direction or wasting my time using the methods described above.           

Hmmm, good question. I also like experiencing altered states. The focus of the forum is not specifically on altered states, yet we talk a lot about altered states and a lot of people here are into them. Spiritual work often involves many altered states such as: flow states, shamanic breathing, psychedelics, lucid dreaming, sensory deprivation tanks, temporary insanity, the paranormal etc. that we often discuss. 

I like your system to enter trance states. I've entered similar states, usually by consistently staring at something. Yet this can take a while. Like I will spend a couple hours lying under a tree staring at the leaves rustling in the breeze. After a while, I may enter a trance state. It's sort of like a mesmerized state or a dream state. . . Other times, I just happens. For example, I may become mesmerized by a painting of a person. Their facial expression, the feeling. It's like I get immersed into it. I may stand there 10 minutes mesmerized. It can even happen in a supermarket with a box of cereal. . . 

[altered62]

I am not sure what my goals are. I am a healthy 57 year old male with no physical or mental health issues. I don't have to take any prescription medications. I saw a film as a teenager that was about altered states of consciousness. In that movie the plot was pure fiction and kind of goofy, but it still fascinated me. Sleepwalking, hypnosis, self induced trance, etc. are topics I find interesting. I am not seeking enlightenment or anything like that. 

I might add that while in a trance I have memories pop into my consciousness that are completely random. Like why did that memory pop up out of nowhere. I have also seemingly had dreams when I have blacked out in trance occasionally that have people in them I don't even know. Like I am just an observer only. While in trance I am not limp. I feel like what ever position I am in is rigid. Like I am locked up, but numb and heavy. When I am the deepest I have ever been which has only happened a few times I had to really concentrate to be able to start moving body parts again. Like move your finger but it won't move right off the bat.

I was hoping to find people who have experienced the same type stuff and could give advice or guidance.