Direct Mode Experiences

Earlier, I had read a chat that MuMuWu and Owen had about direct mode, panoramic attention, and the size of attention. (See kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/thread/40...e+Journal?offset=681 )

It suddenly occurred to me that all the experiences I'd been having with my morning sit and commute matched up very well with Direct Mode(See kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/thread/45...e+journal?offset=280 , posts #280, #282, #284, #289).

In the conversation between MuMuWu and Owen, MuMuWu talks about how he noticed thoughts as contraction, and that thinking/selfing seemed to place the attention in the head. This is exactly my experience as well. On those mornings when I was driving and experiencing Direct Mode, when I noticed myself lost in thought, I also noticed that thinking was small, contracted, and clearly positioned in my head. When I refocused on my senses, Direct Mode would "bloom" out away from in my head and expand out to be very panoramic, and I'd get the joy, wonder, interest, peacefullness, etc.

Further, in the moment when my attention expanded out from my head, and I'd let go of the thinking, I'd get a small but noticeable A&P-like head rush. Experimenting with Direct Mode the way Kenneth described it in the video seemed to do the same thing. When I'd rest my attention on the tightness/anxiety in my body, when that anxiety released, there would also be a small A&P-like rush, and then wonder and peace took its place. In Kenneth's terms, I'm thinking that's when the "grounding" takes place.

I'm curious how others experience Direct Mode. Can you describe your experience? Do you notice the size of attention changing?

"her, in the moment when my attention expanded out from my head, and I'd let go of the thinking, I'd get a small but noticeable A&P-like head rush. Experimenting with Direct Mode the way Kenneth described it in the video seemed to do the same thing. When I'd rest my attention on the tightness/anxiety in my body, when that anxiety released, there would also be a small A&P-like rush, and then wonder and peace took its place. In Kenneth's terms, I'm thinking that's when the "grounding" takes place.
"

I didn't used to see it, but have been also noticing this head rush energy signature lately when popping into Direct Mode. It feels like a ring of energy around my head moving up and out the top.

I notice this more clearly if I do a quick rapid fire noting and follow the phenomenon until I notice something uncomfortable. My attention then goes searching after the "I" that finds this uncomfortable, usually looking around in the upper spine/base of the skull. The 'I' then disappears with the same energy signature and when I open my eyes that brightness, looseness, and lucidity is there.

Yeah these descriptions are pretty good for what I typically experience when I do direct mode practice. Once the distortions in the body are stilled, then I get a shift that is sort of like an energy rush, then I get the sprinkler head / ring of energy that seems to rise from the crown / top of my head. I'm not sure as I haven't really investigated it that much but it seems that crown / sprinkler head energy seems to come down and connect at the base of the spine like a big continuous field. I also notice the brightness, lucidity, joy, awe, delight, etc. ^__^ I tend to then really relax into it once it's stabilized with "looseness" and the brahmavihāras will predominate. A wonderful practice!