2nd Gear

Sometimes I can get into 2nd Gear (watching the Witness) but much of the time I can't. Any hints, prompts, techniques, etc., that would help?

Jack

Much of the time meditating I am aware of the Witness watching but this awareness is in the background. My intention during 2nd Gear is to bring this awareness into the foreground.

jack

It can take some time for the witness to stabilize. One thing that's helpful for me is asking "for whom does this arise?" as a kind of noting. Whatever arises, trace it back to that which perceives it. Sensation? "For whom does this arise?" Thought? "for whom does this arise?" etc. You can actually ask yourself the question (like a note) or just do it silently. After a while the witness perspective might stabilize and you can just pay attention to it directly.

If you can't settle into it, then just "downshift" to 1st gear and do some noting or something else!

"Sometimes I can get into 2nd Gear (watching the Witness) but much of the time I can't. Any hints, prompts, techniques, etc., that would help?

Jack"

Hey Jack!

I'd be interested in hearing other fellow yogi's experience of 2nd gear, and hints / technique refinement advice as well. For me I just do the "who am I" thing, and when I do that, it's like I'm turning attention back around looping upon itself, to the witness / watcher. It is as though the "answer" to who am I, is the sense of presence or watcher / witness asserting itself or becoming predominant, becoming the focus.

More recently, I have found that when I do this, I sort of roll my eyes up into the back of my head, and there is a sort of perspective flip, and a white light up near the crown / upper forehead area. Then there's a "reset" or blip or something weird going on.. like the perspectives flip back, as if it's done a full 360. Anyone else experience anything like this?

edit / P.S. thanks nadavspi, that is a useful technique to play around with, it keeps looping back to the witness quite well. [= With this I've noticed there is a sort of tension, a split between the watcher / witness and the object arising with attention bouncing back and forth. If I keep this up, that attention bouncing dissolves, I can relax into looseness, and the tension is released. Is this stabilizing the witness, or shifting into third gear? Thoughts? Comments?

metta~!

Justin

I have viewed 2nd Gear practice as different from "Who am I" practice. The former is turning my attention back on the witness to watch it in action. It seems to assume that there is a Witness at this stage of my practice. The latter has the intention of seeing that the Witness is empty, i.e., nothing is there. As malt asks, isn't this shifting into 3rd Gear?

jack

for me i ask 'who am i' and pay attention to sensations in the head. it seems there is a (sensation of) lifting of energy from a channel that runs up a centerline of my body to a spot in the middle of my brain . It is as if this energy encompasses and exerts a slight pressure inwards at this spot. As I concentrate on these subtle shifts in energy random sensations appear throughout my head and these sensations to me indicate i entered witness state. Then my attention goes from my head to breath sensations in my throat, for some reason in witness state my anchor is in the throat and is accompanied a strong sense of body posture (if I am standing or walking around).