Meditation - Having trouble visualizing

Hi everybody,

I've found that I'm having trouble visualizing. I close my eyes and try to picture something, like a technique I read about picturing a infinite white plane, and my mind just doesn't want to do it or I'll just get a partial image. I've been finding that this is happening more and more lately. I'm not sure what's causing it. I used to be able to picture things very vividly.

Any ideas about what could be causing this? I think a condition like Hypervigilance could keep me from putting myself into that inner mental space, but I don't know enough about it. I'm also wondering about vitamin deficiencies and such.

Any ideas about what could be causing this?

Any ideas about how to counteract it?

Thanks,

CH

originally posted by: CryHavoc
Hi everybody,

I've found that I'm having trouble visualizing. I close my eyes and try to picture something, like a technique I read about picturing a infinite white plane, and my mind just doesn't want to do it or I'll just get a partial image.

When you say 'infinite white plane' do you mean just a blank empty screen? Or do you mean an aeroplane?

a reply to: CryHavoc

Nothing to do with deficiencies. Yogi's meditate and don't take vitamins. Some claim to inhale it while meditating.You can turn off the Voices you need only calm your mind. It took me a week to do this because the chatter never ended. Focus and imagine everything around you as not being there, it's fluid. It's not real. When you realize this, it will fade from your mind and the chatter will cease.

originally posted by: Itisnowagain
When you say 'infinite white plane' do you mean just a blank empty screen? Or do you mean an aeroplane?

Something like this, but without the checkerboard and ball:

Plane

originally posted by: Encryptor
You can turn off the Voices you need only calm your mind. It took me a week to do this because the chatter never ended. Focus and imagine everything around you as not being there, it's fluid. It's not real. When you realize this, it will fade from your mind and the chatter will cease.

I'm not getting chatter really, although I do get a humming sound sometimes. I do seem to be picking up on outside noises, so I started keeping a fan running. Just for a white noise generator.

It's like my mind doesn't want to change from the black behind my eyelids to whatever I want to picture or visualize.

Here's an exercise that may help.
First visualise things you know well.
Like a fork. Then visualize the smallest fork you've ever seen, the largest one, different kinds of forks like a pitch fork or a fork lift or a fork in the road.
You can do the same with say a chair then different chairs, a high chair a bench a couch a beanbag etc.
These are practice exercises. See a can of peas, a pen, a lamp, your own cosy living room. Things you know well.
You can also work on smells or taste or touch.
Cinnamon, lemon, silk.
Then practice things you've never seen. Odd animals, polka dot lions, striped cars, flying pigs lol.

But visualising isn't that important. Get the feel of what you want, the mood, the emotion and don't try too hard.
Be easy on yourself when your mind wanders. Let it go with a promise to revisit the thought later.
It's a discipline. You didn't start riding a bike with your hands in the air but eventually you could. You didn't sit behind the wheel of a car and already know how to drive on a snow covered road but you eventually learned.

a reply to: CryHavoc

YouTube has lots of guided meditations. Find a voice you like and you'll be able to visualize again in not time.

a reply to: CryHavoc

I wouldnt focus on the visualizatuon. That is only a focal point to stop your mind. There are many techniques that actually purposely refrain from visualization.

For instance noting the thoughts that come up and letting them go.

The purpose of meditation is to stop allowing thoughts to go from one to another without mindfulness. Its not to create a powerful visulization. That is another aspect of meditation that can come after you figure out the method that stops your thoughts from chaining together unconsciously.

Unless your studying some kind of wicca or something. Which is fine but a different purpose of focused energy.

If you can afford to take ten days off try a Vipassanna meditation practice. Watch what happens from just ten days of silence.

I've found that as I've aged (I'm in my fifties now) visualisation is becoming more difficult too. I just can't get the focus or sharpness anymore and it used to be so easy.

originally posted by: CryHavoc
Something like this, but without the checkerboard and ball:

Plane

If the 'checkerboard and ball' are removed then there is just a blank empty screen.

Whatever appears on that blank screen when the eyes are open (or shut) seems to be important - yet no apparent thing could appear without the screen!!

I've found that I'm having trouble visualizing. I close my eyes and try to picture something, like a technique I read about picturing a infinite white plane, and my mind just doesn't want to do it or I'll just get a partial image. I've been finding that this is happening more and more lately. I'm not sure what's causing it. I used to be able to picture things very vividly.

It does not sound as though you want to visualise a 'thing' - it sounds as if you want to see the space that things appear on.
Stop trying to see some 'thing' and just see what there is to see when the eyes are closed.

Try shifting to your breath. Breathe in the infinite, breathe back out to the infinite. Stay focused on your body rather than your mind. It might help?

Good luck!

originally posted by: CryHavoc
It's like my mind doesn't want to change from the black behind my eyelids to whatever I want to picture or visualize.

What is it that you hope to achieve by visualising some thing or any thing?
And are you sure there is just blackness to be seen when the eyes are shut?

Perhaps look into Hatha Yoga if you haven't already.

"The body and mind are as closely related to each other as two sides of the same coin. Until the natural tamasic tendencies of the body are transformed, control of the mind is impossible. Because the body is the vehicle for the journey to the inner world, the seeker must first purify it through asana, pranayama, fasting, and other similar practices so that it becomes fit to carry the mind to its final destination, the state of no-mind."

a reply to: CryHavoc

Meditation can be ineffectual if its the wrong time of day, youre tired, ill, lack a quiet or peaceful place...be really upset or stressed about something. All CAN keep you from focusing.

After 50+ years meditating...a go-to for me when this happens is picture black velvet like on those corny Elvis paintings.

Focus on the blackness, the velvety sheen...and attempt to go into the blackness...keep focusing on the blackness*.

*This technique can also help one fall asleep at night...Good luck, safe travels...

MS

Thanks everybody! These are all great ideas!

a reply to: CryHavoc

Its interesting that you are having this problem, I have very recently been having the opposite issue with finding it difficult to put what I am thinking into words.

My visualization has been improving if anything because I spend a lot of time making what I call "mental movies" in my head and creating stories to keep me entertained and distracted, but I feel as if I am losing some of my focus with things like poetry or stories in writing.


...of course I am also being distracted by an increasingly painful headache.
Do you have anything distracting you in your life at the moment that is different then what you might have experienced before?


Sometimes the cause is simple and the cure complicated

From my experience meditation is meant to silent the mind, so that the clarity my come

In my case sometimes it's working spontaneously and without any problem but recently I feel really dead inside and during meditation I started seeing purple lights or shapes and everytime when I follow them I end up near something black. Then I am just moving away from it and I see eye of a grey but not feeling anything. I feel like I need to cross that eye. Like an obstacle but at this time can't even control my moving away from it.