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Long Unfocused Presence / Thinking Pause

Messages
600
Somehow i made myself do this technique and i have now named it. Its like mindfulness meditation but a bit different. I have done regular mindfulness every day for some time but it doesnt have any noticeable effect, but this exercise has given me clear effects over night and have continued to do so. Thats a bit weird since there is some similarities between these exercises so im wondering if there is something extra going on with my exericise. Also i will say that the first time i tried this exercise i was not even able to do regular mindfulness because the constant focus on the breath was too demanding at the time. My exercise is far less demanding and thats why it can be done for such a long time period.

The technique
In regular mindfulness meditation you sit and focus on your breath typically for 15-60 minutes. My exercise deviates from this by being alot longer and there is no particular thing you have to focus on, its long and unfocused. The exercise is 5 hrs long and you do it every 3rd or 4th day. Just like in regular mindfulness meditation every time a thought comes into your head you simply disconnect from it. You can use whatever sense you want at any time, like feeling your body or some item, looking at random stuff, listening to random noises. Most of the time you will just sit somewhere but you are allowed to go for a walk outside if the surroundings are silent and relaxing, and you can eat some food and shower etc as long as you stay in your senses. Screens are turned off, including your phone, no music, people or anything else that is stimulating. And of course the attitude is non judgemental.

So im curious if other ppl can benefit from this exercise and wonder if anyone would like to try it. If you do try it then please report back both if you benefit but also if you dont benefit so we can gather some statistics. Also if there are some educated psychologists or medical experts that object to this exercise then please intervene. From what i have read even regular mindfulness can sometimes give unfortunate effects. Perhaps ppl can start with a shorter timeframe just to see if everything goes ok and then increase the duration later on.

So thought i would throw this out there because it has clearly benefitted me (in terms of e.g energy and sound- and screen sensitivities) and im hoping very much that it will continue to do so but that might be a long shot.

Also let me be clear that this is not medical advice, im not educated in the field, this is simply me telling about my experience.

So what do ppl think about this (crazy) exercise, feel free to sling out your thoughts. I had a solid 5hrs Thinking Pause just today actually, four days since my last round!

tldr;
Keep disconnect from your thoughts for 5 hrs
Dont do anything stimulating
Use all senses (remember to sense your body, both pain, feelings, limbs etc)
You are allowed to move around, eat, even go for a walk, just remember to sense
And remember to relax, i like to sit next to my oven in a big comfy chair looking out the window, often close to falling asleep, and i have a walk in the woods midway.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,249
feel free to sling out your thoughts.

I think your getting at something important. Its very difficult to fully give up the thinking doing mental activity. Its a bit like giving up on one's last hurrah.

So I commend you for your experiment.

Personally I prefer what you are describing as its the least energetically demanding. Listening to breathes is demanding. Repeating some words or chant. similar.

The solid five hours is truely impressive.
 
Messages
600
I think your getting at something important. Its very difficult to fully give up the thinking doing mental activity. Its a bit like giving up on one's last hurrah.

So I commend you for your experiment.

Personally I prefer what you are describing as its the least energetically demanding. Listening to breathes is demanding. Repeating some words or chant. similar.

The solid five hours is truely impressive.

Yes its far less demanding than regular mindfulness, the focus on the breath is taxing. And far less boring if you ask me, i might even keep doing this even after someone finds a cure for the disease.
 

pamojja

Senior Member
Messages
2,384
Location
Austria
Mindfulness meditation was originally practiced almost exclusively by monks and nuns. There were no 10-retreats for laypeople those days, to get an introduction to the meditation technique. Such mediation of monasitics were embeded within other preparations and life-style choices, As for example the noble 8-fold path, encompassing very simplified: understanding, ethical behaviour and onepointedness.

Most of that might be considered traditional decorum by mindfulness-practitioners these days. But without, mindfullness meditation can be really difficult. As mentioned.

One such prerequisite training was in sense restraint, as discribed in the OP. More texts about here: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/sea...mhfokk-u&ie=UTF-8&q=sense+restraint&sa=Search

In fact I would argue 20-60 minutes of mindfullnesspractice each day, without trying to maintain sense-restraint during some other part of the day (the more the better), could turn out not very fruitful.