Path: typhoon.sonic.net!news-out.cwix.com!newsfeed.cwix.com!torn!sodalite.nbnet.nb.ca!newsfeed.unb.ca!news.thezone.net!not-for-mail From: Marvin Keating Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.consciousness.mysticism,alt.magick,alt.magick.tantra Subject: Re: Using Candles as a Meditation tool Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 16:29:26 -0700 Organization: Cable Atlantic News Server Lines: 63 Message-ID: <398CA355.AB9F2D28@roadrunner.nf.net> References: <20000717192130.27120.00000131@ng-md1.aol.com> <8m2p4v$fpp@bolt.sonic.net> <8m2rqg$76t$1@slb2.atl.mindspring.net> <8m7qsk$gbn@bolt.sonic.net> <8m9ivb$1g3$1@nnrp1.deja.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: wiley-1-77685.roadrunner.nf.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: nova.thezone.net 965502196 15104 205.251.253.126 (5 Aug 2000 19:03:16 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@thezone.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 5 Aug 2000 19:03:16 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.73 [en] (Win98; U) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: typhoon.sonic.net alt.magick.tyagi:24839 alt.consciousness.mysticism:42413 alt.magick:206974 alt.magick.tantra:16484 Joe Cosby wrote: > In article <8m7qsk$gbn@bolt.sonic.net>, > spam@luckymojo.com wrote: > > 50000801 Vom > > > > nagasiva: > > >> I found that a candle flame is a very good focus of attention for > the > > >> building of personal will. > > > > > did someone tell you it was dangerous or something? "you better watch > > it, if you keep doing that it will *stay* that way!" :> > > > > I think Nova's right; a lot of books on self-hypnosis recommend it, if > it were dangerous someone would have said something by now. > Candle-meditation as has been described in this post is a very effective technique, imo, and not at all dangerous..unless of course you count the danger of setting fire to something. When you stare at a candle falma..or, more precisely, look *beyond* the flame, you are focussing your mind on a singular object (the flame), and by doing this, it increases concentration ability as well as eventually freeing you from disctracting thoughts. As your concentsrtion ability goes up, your other thoughts will seem to disappear and your mind will be filled with only the flame. This form of meditation is a form of self-hypnosis through concentration...it does not truly clear the mind of thought, only provides a singular focus, and as a side-effect of this focus it *quiets* the thoughts. The best form of meditation, IMNSHO, is to relax, close your eyes, and suppress all thought which arises. This form of meditation is also the most difficult. As a side note, and at the risk of going off topic, I find that aural concentration exercises aid in developing a clear mind: Relax and close you eyes as usual, then observe your hearing, don't try to concentrate on the sounds you hear, just listen. Listen for softer and softer sounds Listen for the softest sound you can find At this point, if you are doing it correctly, you will notice a distinct change in consciousness. Sensing will feel more like "sensing" rather than "observing". Anyway, I hope someone finds this little post a useful tool in their repertoire. MK