Does anyone turn off the lights in a room and stare at say, an alarm clock to meditate? I haven't joined any MA yet, but I wanted to try meditating and I was wondering when you stared at this object did everything else go black? I turned off all the lights in my room and stared at a vcr timer and everything except that timer went black including the lava lamp right next to it. I was just wondering if this is what normally happened.

that has happened to me sometimes but I usually meditate with my eyes shut why it happens I dont know. It might have something to do with you visual field narrowing or a result of you staring may cause a form of retinal fatigue.

Try a naked candle flame, one in a still room so that it does not flicker much. Dim the lights maybe but don't turn them off. I suggest this because it is nearly formless in its luminosity. You can't pick details out of it with which to distract yourself.

Look at the flame but don't expect to see anything there. Pay attention to the breath. When thoughts arise just let them go. Allow the gaps between concious thought to gradually widen.

After a while do without the flame. Let the eyelids fall naturally half closed, enough to let in a little light but not enough to see the surroundings. Look straight ahead with the lids partly closed. Imagine the flame. then let go of imagining. Just be as you are.

When you can do this sitting in a quiet room, try it also in public spaces where many conversations all blend into noise. Don't shut out but don't listen either. When you can summon that state at will under stressful situations it will be a great benefit to you.

Respectfully,

Gan Uesli Starling
Kalamazoo MI USA

Hello, not that I'm saying aplonis is wrong, because I've seen this writen in many books: You stare at this candle's fire, relax and absorb nothing. Meditating is thinking of one thing, or nothing at all. so, looking at a candle does a great job of that (and after a while you'll begin to notice the fire's glow starts to grow). However, Meditating on one single thing (like the candle fire) is best achieved by doing meditating on something that doesn't change. Where as fire changes, constantly. In fact, it seems that a candle's fire(or any fire for that matter) will never do the same thing twice. Example: its always flowing, moving, burning, its 'alive' in a sense. If you're going to meditate one a single thing, i was always taught that it should be something still, that doesn't change. Lots of martial arts mastered have meditated on the 'third eye' visualizing an eye between the eye brows. The eye doesn't change =) I'm not saying anyone is wrong or trying to offend anyone. This post is to inform you on different looks at meditating on a single thing =)