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Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Haelan said Aug 1, 2008, 8:39 PM:

Just wondering if any of you Holosyncers practice meditation techniques while listening to Holosync. If there is a post here about this i'm sorry for missing it and i would appreciate the link. Currently awaiting my Awakening Prologue in the mail…

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Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Joey said Aug 4, 2008, 12:26 PM:

Oh, definitely. They say you don't HAVE to try to meditate while you're listening, but I really like to do it any way. What I do depends on the mood I'm in. Sometimes I just sit and follow my breath. Sometimes I do lovingkindness meditations. Sometimes I chant a mantra.

Doing so while listening to Holosync has definitely had an impact on my meditation. It seems almost like my brain has been trained to hit deeper levels of meditative states really fast, even when I'm not listening to Holosync.

Has anyone else experienced that?

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Nomaders said Aug 4, 2008, 2:07 PM:

Hi All,

On occasion I follow my breadth, visualize stillness or solitude, … I also like to do self-hypnosis with HS meditation. Same idea as the meditation but I aim to enter a deep trance and use auto-suggestion for an identified goal.

Kind Regards,

Larry

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Haelan said Aug 4, 2008, 3:08 PM:

Thanks guys. Just received my Awakening Prologue in the mail and took the first Dive, into what exactly I'll just have to wait and see!

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Sumari said Aug 4, 2008, 5:18 PM:

Haelan,

From the way I understand Bill Harris' instructions, the only thing that's required is that you keep your headphones on for the duration, and keep your eyes closed. However, as I am doing the hour-long sessions, I felt I ought to be “doing something” with my mind while I am “just sitting there”, so I am revisiting the Silva Mind Control techniques that I learned many years ago so that I can use them while listening to Holosync.

If you have a meditation technique it's okay to use it, but you don't have to as the sounds will still do their work

Deb

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Haelan said Aug 4, 2008, 6:50 PM:

Thanks Deb,

so what is this silva mind control?

Hae

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Sumari said Aug 5, 2008, 1:43 PM:

Hae,

Silva Mind Control (now called Silva Method) is a no-nonsense method of meditation that became popular in the late sixties. I learned it from my dad as a teenager and tagged along with him to a class of Silva graduates who did further exploration with the techniques. Eventually went and took a class on my own. I had my little certificate for years.

Jose Silva was the first, in my memory, to popularize the concept of slowing your mind to the Alpha level during meditation. It was a new age practice without all the fluff. His courses taught memory tricks, find lost objects,as well as deeper things, like heal other people and develop psychic awareness.

The program is run by his daughter, and they had a download offer I couldn't refuse. I actually caught wind of it through one of Bill Harris' emails, and decided to re-learn the methods again (after 30 years!!). Thought it might go well with the Holosync stuff.

Here is the link to the site: The Silva Life System by The Silva Method - The Silva Method launches the latest Silva Mind Control System

Hope this helps

(any of you old-timers, also familiar with Silva are welcome to correct me on anything I remember wrong.)

Deb

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Elizabeth said Aug 5, 2008, 2:09 PM:

I'm curious about this as well… I know that the program states you don't have to do anything besides sit up and put the stereo headphones on, but I was wondering if any of you Integral Theory buffs here had any input on this. It seems like an entirely Upper Right approach (i.e., alter your brainwaves) to affect an Upper Left change (eventually experience less strife, more harmony, etc.). The brain creates physical changes too, so there are UR results as well… so I'm wondering about the UL process during Holosync to balance out this little equasion. Is there any benefit to the quality of attention during Holosync? Am I more in harmony with the actual process if I try to follow my breath, or recite my mantra, or does it really not matter? I can put the headphones on and let my mind gnaw at the familiar minutiae of my day, or whatever?

I understand what Bill Harris has said about the lady who thought that she did the poorest at meditating because she couldn't get her mind to focus, and she turned out to do the best. My counterpoint is that she was trying.

I can report that trying to meditate during Holosync makes the experience much more “head-trippy”.

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Haelan said Aug 6, 2008, 5:43 AM:

Great post Elizabeth. As I am brand new to the Integral movement I think your post posed alot of interesting questions. Hopefully someone will be able to answer and expand on them.

Hae

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Elizabeth said Aug 6, 2008, 8:23 AM:

Thanks, Haelan! Great to hear you're into Integral! I've been informally studying Integral for about 6-7 years… for me, it's such a windfall of understanding. I think a bunch of the Integral Gaia surfers are at the Biennial Conference in San Francisco right now… I wonder if they'll talk about stuff like this? =)

My main concern is really the reductionistic “orange” aspect of the Holosync program… I don't think it intends this, but it can come across as saying, “Meditation is nothing more than a brainwave pattern”. That's what drives my curiosity about the quality of attention.

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Haelan said Aug 6, 2008, 10:46 AM:

I'm still learning about Altitude. I understand the quadrants but alot of Integral Theory is still new to me. From what I've read though it seems like most people who meditate while listening have positive experiences. Maybe incorporating ILP meditations would fit well with Holosync.

Hae

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Pelle said Aug 7, 2008, 10:01 AM:

Elizabeth:
I think a bunch of the Integral Gaia surfers are at the Biennial Conference in San Francisco right now… I wonder if they'll talk about stuff like this? =)

Ha! We were just talking about this stuff at breakfast! I'm at the Concord HIlton, waiting for the conference to kick off this evening.

Meditating with Holosync is indeed an all quadrant affair. The driver (binaural beats) comes from the UR, but your intention when meditating (UL), your environment (LR) are important as well. This online group (LL) is very helpful too in many ways.

OK, don't have a lot of time right now, but I just wanted to add a quick comment.

Pelle

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Elizabeth said Aug 7, 2008, 10:35 AM:

Hee hee! Thanks, Pelle! Honestly, I love your AQAL framing of the experience, and it really is the first time I've heard it acknowledged fully. Looking forward to diving in deeper (whoops, bad pun) into this issue at a later time.

For now, go have a great time at the conference! I'll be there in Upper and Lower Left Hand spirit =)

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

strem2 said Aug 7, 2008, 11:09 AM:

Hi All,

I'm new to Gaia, so please excuse me for asking about something you all seem familiar with. I have been using Holosync, and have enjoyed the benefits, but what is Integral, or AQAL?

If there is a link you could send, I will follow it. Any information would be much appreciated.

If you are interested in more information on Billl Harris and Centerpointe Research, http://www.mindbridge-loa.com/bill-harris.html

Thanks,

Nancy

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Elizabeth said Aug 7, 2008, 11:42 AM:

Hi Nancy,

Thanks for the link! I'd love to check it out.

I know I've been throwing around some terminology, and if one isn't familiar with the particular discipline being discussed, it can feel exclusionary. If this is the case, please accept my apologies!

The best way I can explain it is this: Integral is a theory that looks at most things in the world, such as philosophies, religions, worldviews, etc… things that seem mutually exclusive at first. It places them in a meaningful order so that they are actually complimentary to each other, or seen as natural levels of development. AQAL is a specific Integral theory designed by Ken Wilber, who has made the biggest contribution to Integral (both in sheer volume and, in my humble opinion, significance). I could try to muddle through AQAL, but I think you'll get much more information out of these links:

Integral Theory and Practice

What Is Altitude?

Waves, Streams, States and Self
Ego Development: 9 Levels of Increasing Embrace (by Suzanne Cook-Greuter)

These came from the Integral Pod, which is another great place to click around and discover more.

Again, thanks for the mindbridge link. It's nice to meet you!

~Elizabeth

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

J~E~S~S said Aug 8, 2008, 11:18 PM:

Haelan:
No, I don't combine other practices with Holosync. When I listen, I just space out and let whatever feeling comes up be okay. I do “drop it”, though. I develop the witness and acknowledge the old memory or random thought and then drop it.

I hope to learn more about integral. Pelle, I'm so happy for you that you attended the workshop. Please share!

Love and light,
Jessica

Re: Meditation Techniques and Holosync

Lynn said Aug 10, 2008, 5:24 PM:

I first ended up on Holosync because of my daughter who was interested in Ken Wilbur. I also found the CD of the retreat with Bill Harris where he speaks about the 9 or 10 principles to be VERY good and relevant - kind of puts together all that old human potential movement in a great way. And, some good friends attending the conference, can't wait to hear all about it. It was full up by the time I heard about it.

Thanks to those of you who put links and all together for us.

In terms of meditating and holosync, I am so all over the place. Sometimes I'm totally lazy and just whatever comes up. But when I find myself thinking about something REALLY random like “So you think you can dance” or something like that while I'm meditating, when I realize it, I go - ok, time to go to the breath, or the mantra.

I manage to hang on slightly to my guilt that it seems to be ok to just let your mind drift - I feel like I should be more disciplined somehow. I enjoyed that question about whether meditation is more than brain waves. It's worth thinking about.