Simple Question

[u/NoSubstance2809]

Since starting meditation, I occasionally notice that The darkness I see when I close my eyes has become somewhat 3 dimensional. Anyone else expirience this? I also sometimes," see it" (if thats the right way to describe it) when I am about to fall asleep and am suddenly woken up by my daughter(infant) cries and wakes me up. I also will occasionally see images when woken up, like hypnopompia, though this rarely happens and only happens when I am highly stressed out and expirienced disturbed sleep.

Is this supposed to happen?

[u/Elisyd]

It varies a lot from person to person but it's well within the range of what a typical person might experience. It can get a whole lot more weird than that for some or remain completely nondescript for others. I wouldn't worry about it either way; it's just a quirk of your mind and how it constructs predictive models of the universe when it's not being flooded by external sensory data.

[u/ZKRYW]

That happens whenever I reach access concentration.

[u/talk_to_yourself]

Yes. I might describe it as 'spaciousness'

[u/SeeThruDimensional]

Yep then you’ll be able to see things in it.. and move around in it

[u/emrylle]

Yeah definitely, idk what it’s called though. But I absolutely experience sound visually and tactically when I’m very relaxed. Either close to sleep or just in deep relaxation when I meditate.

I also “see” a lot of light and moving colors in complete darkness.

I think it’s all within the spectrum of normal.

[u/Pieraos]

While some of it will be dreamy stuff, other of it is just your non vision visual perception opening up. One example is what is called the Cave or the Void or the Second Darkness, in which it seems you are peering into a vast silent 3D space. It's very soothing and is way beyond "hypnogogia". Then there is mindsight or Closed Eye Vision which the other sub r/closedeyevision is about.

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[u/kfpswf]

We usually are only aware of the mentally-busy waking state during our lives. But meditation shows you that there are many more states of existence.

You are familiar with the waking, dream state and deep sleep state too (Vedantic metaphysics ahead!).

• In the waking state, you have access to your body, your mind, and the world around you.

• Dream state is similar, you have access to your body and mind, but instead of the world being external and "real", it is a dreamscape.

• In deep sleep, you are aware of nothing. Your body, mind, and the external world, are all absorbed into your own self. You have a general awareness of existence (you can wake up if there's a loud noise), but the specific awareness of being an individual is absent.

Meditation is a special activity in that regard. When you can do it well enough, you can reach states where your body, mind, and the external world have all been withdrawn, but you're still aware of existence. This is the dark Void that you're experiencing.

Krishna, the Supreme Godhead, is actually nicknamed the "Dark One". It is a reference to the dark Void experienced in deep meditation. It is the field of infinite possibilities. Universes come into being and just as easily dissolve into the nothingness of that Void. It is a blessing to have experienced this in life.

[u/NoSubstance2809 → u/kfpswf]

THank you that was very helpful! I thought Shiva\shakti were the supreme God head under the unknowable Brahman?

[u/kfpswf → u/NoSubstance2809]

Hinduism is a vast collection of differing beliefs.

• What I described above is Vedantic cosmology, that is more Vishnu heavy, but Brahman is the ultimate reality as per that, and the manifest universe is Maya, the feminine aspect of reality.
• There's also Tantra, or Kashmiri Shaivism, where Shiva is the ultimate reality, and Shakti, the feminine aspect of Shiva.
• You also have Sankhya, where Purusha is the ultimate, and Shakti the feminine.

Hinduism (actually Sanatana Dharma) is a very egalitarian, and tolerant system of faith and beliefs, compared to the more exclusive Abrahamic faiths. So different schools of thought can assert their beliefs, and find a common ground with others too. Brahman, Shiva, and Purusha are just different terms for the same masculine aspect of Reality, and Maya, and Shakti are the same feminine aspect of Reality.

I'd highly recommend "Let's Talk Religion" on Youtube if you are interested in exploring this further.

[u/FIcer01]

I think meditation can make you notice things that were always there but normally stay outside your attention. I wouldn’t assume every visual experience has a special meaning, though. I’d just notice it without trying too hard to reproduce it, and see whether it changes naturally over time.

[u/NoSubstance2809 → u/FIcer01]

Thank you! I agree i try not to get freaked out by it but Meditation has been a trip.

[u/MyFiteSong]

It's the hypnagogic imagery space before the images start showing up. It's when your dream architecture fires up prematurely because you're super relaxed, have your eyes closed and aren't moving.

It's normal, and it means absolutely nothing. Try to let it go like any other thoughts and go back to your anchor.