Fractal Visuals in Meditation (Mandela)

[Jhanon]

I have been told by some that they often experience a Mandela in samadhi. I can't recall ever experiencing a vivid one in meditation, and I don't see much mention of it in the archives. Here is an idea of what a Mandela appears like. It's just the fastest one I could find, and really pales in comparison to the real thing. Such things are also called "sacred geometry" or even "kaleidoscopes."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVD67pMdv9k

1) So, has anyone here experienced a vivid Mandela in samadhi? I've experienced it during entheogen use before I learned to access those states without help. But never with the clarity of pure samadhi.

2) If you have experienced one, perhaps you'll be able to answer this observation for me. It seems the Mandela is like the luminous pearl, orb, star, witnessed most clearly between 4th and 5th samadhi. Is this accurate in your experience?

3) as I have experienced varying sizes, clarity and orientations of the orb, now coming within moments of closing my eyes--it leads me to wonder if a Mandela is merely a fuller expression of the orb?

4) Lastly, what conditions of mind, what set and setting, do these most often appear?

[Cal]

I have been told by some that they often experience a Mandela in samadhi. I can't recall ever experiencing a vivid one in meditation, and I don't see much mention of it in the archives. Here is an idea of what a Mandela appears like.



1) So, has anyone here experienced a vivid Mandela in samadhi? I've experienced it during entheogen use before I learned to access those states without help. But never with the clarity of pure samadhi.

2) If you have experienced one, perhaps you'll be able to answer this observation for me. It seems the Mandela is like the luminous pearl, orb, star, witnessed most clearly between 4th and 5th samadhi. Is this accurate in your experience?

I wasnt able to view the image you posted with this, probably a computer brainfart on my end. So, I did a google search, as i did not know what a Mandela was. After searching through a number of them, I also thought it prudent to share a Dream catcher as well.

Yes, I have experienced something similar, to both images I posted. It wasnt only when moving from the 4 Jhana to the 5th Samadhi, but also while remote viewing of the immaterial domains, drifting between the 3rd and 4th Jhana. I described them in earlier posts as "tunnels". While attention was kept upwards, the luminous sphere would brighten, and I would travel through a tunnel. The "netting" in the dream catcher represents the movement through these "tunnels".

Yet I like the Mandelas' depiction as well. The lines of the triangle, if viewed as if one was moving extremely fast, and the triangles were in motion, a spherical rotation, it could depict my experience as well. Although, ill admit that anything beyond the "outer circle", is beyond anything I know or have experienced, especially in the Mandela.

3) as I have experienced varying sizes, clarity and orientations of the orb, now coming within moments of closing my eyes--it leads me to wonder if a Mandela is merely a fuller expression of the orb?

I think the Mandela is the expression of the one who experiences. A perception of the event.

4) Lastly, what conditions of mind, what set and setting, do these most often appear?

The conditions, in my own experience, have only come of a still mind. To be honest, they were when I was most "explorative", when I would actually, genuinely let go into the charisms. My mindset; "Let's see what happens."

The set and setting was progressive meditative absorption, and they appear when one lets go. "A peaceful abiding" is something that comes to mind, yet one should relinquish the "abiding". "A peaceful...oh look, what is this?"

[Cal]

The mandela

[Cal]

Dream catcher- This isnt the one I intended to use, yet the file size was too large, this one is close to what actually gave me that "feeling".

[Jhanon]

I posted that video in my original post. It's fixed now. But, never in meditation do I see anything as immersive as what I recall and would now like to experience. Many "students" have told me about theirs, and they remind me of my psychedelic days. But I've only seen vague representations of the same things in absorption.

Sometimes it happens merely on a wall or ceiling when I look at it in ordinary daily life. But nothing as immersive as what I'm looking for. Past 4th jhana has always been actual experiences of interacting in the upper realms. Like one moment I'm in 4th jhana, and the next "poof!" I'm with some devas.

I am beginning to surmise that it can be more or less induced, as I have many past memories of doing so. Really, it's the main purpose of this thread.

[Jhanananda]

I have been told by some that they often experience a Mandela in samadhi.

In Pali Buddhism the mandala seen in meditation is known as a kasina.

[Jhanon]

Yes, that coincides with the rest of the post. Good to see you back, Jhananda.

An update that my preliminary tests have proven fruitful. It is possible to induce or strongly encourage fractals in meditation. It actually appears to have been something missing from my meditations. But that's a different story.

I've found that as early as 1st jhana, one can direct their non-physical visual field to show what they generally wish to see. It's almost like pressing "favorite" or "channel up" on a remote control for a television. It's still too subtle for me to put into words well.

Suffice it to say that everything is potentiated to grow and change when awareness is placed on it. For me, this a fact at this point of my observations and experiments. So, if I want to see fractal geometry displays, I simply direct awareness to it. Somehow this brings it forth rapidly. It may be a form of remote viewing, as it's the same way I remote view .

This is good news. I am fascinated by fractals these days, and it is helping me meditate more often by finding something new to explore.

[Jhanananda]

The visual fractals during meditation are the visual charism.  Once we experience the charisms, then we learn, as you are doing, to bring them up right away during our meditation sessions; then as we progress further we learn to keep those charisms with us throughout the day, while keeping the mind still, and in the present moment.  This way we become saturated in bliss, joy and ecstasy 24-7.

[Cal]

I've noticed walking around in dark rooms after meditation/waking from sleep, to be just as interesting as the static and shapes under my eyelids. Yet, not as interesting as how I manage to stub my toe on the same object, fully aware that it is there, and hasn't moved. My toes a good corner finder.

I might add, that as I progress in my meditation state, I'll see other things. One of the things I had to stop doing, was saying to myself; "Whats hiding in the darkness, there." Because, when one closes their eyes, its a dark background. I started saying; "Wheres the light hiding?" The best moments of viewing in this fashion have been when I kept my dummy thoughts out of it, though .

[Jhanon]

Word up, on both comments.

Once I began looking for fractals, I stopped seeing entities so often. Entities were kind of scaring me away a bit, because they come as soon as I close my eyes, and even when they are open. But now that I can direct toward beautiful fractal displays, it's no longer an issue. Instead of thinking "Okay, what is that?" I think "Ohhhhhh, coool."

[bodhimind]

Oh my gosh. I didn't realize this was actually something you'd experience through meditation. I thought it was just a product of my dreams.

One night before sleeping, I went into very deep meditation. The big problem after that was I couldn't get a good sleep... I woke up half-awake and before I actually woke up when my eyes were closed I saw fractals like a kaleidoscope - I could see intricate words, almost like Sanskrit words that I couldn't read.

They were spreading outwards again and again. They kept changing, yet I couldn't really "read" any of them. They just went faster and faster and faster... Then I was so confused I just shook myself out and realized that I was dreaming.

They were going so fast and I could tell it was going to change though, I should have stuck with it and went on...

[Jhanon]

A few notes:

In my experience, everything considered myth or hallucination can be experienced through meditative absorption.

Extra-Sensory Phenomena is Far More Apparent after 2am local time.

One can induce any extra-sensory faculty at will once the mechanism of mind is known. I've discussed this in the thread "Supernatural Powers." You can be in a store and start seeing colors, aura, entities and fractals.

Once you discover how to induce ONE of these extra sensory faculties, like non-physical touch, or non-physical vision, the rest follow easily. The degree of depth and ability is then determined by your ability to absorb into it, which is dictated by your level of subtle detection, and also courage (not letting fear impact you), and practicing absorption constantly.

In other words, you can practice at all times--even as you read this. As I type this, I'm being blasted by kundalini energy down the spine because I'm absorbed/aware of both music in my ears and the insight and the typing. (Just an example.)

Absorbing into jhana before falling asleep will produce one of two effects:
1) Semi-lucid dreaming (which most people call lucid dreaming), where there is only a small amount of conscious awareness
2) Out of Body Experiences where there is a large amount of conscious awareness

Additionally, there are two coinciding means of exiting such meditative "sleep"
1) Becoming aware of the surroundings your physical body is in, seemingly in the physical body but actually you're in the non-physical body while still experiencing extra sensory phenomena
2) Re-entering the physical body rapidly, usually followed by a loud bang, and startling the body up from the laying position.

You can sense the things you're describing, at will. Keep observing and practicing with the subtleties you're sensing. Meditative absorption is the most effective training ground to learn to access these faculties in normal ordinary daily life.

I appreciate your willingness to talk about these experiences, and you show good promise. If you remain open to what wisdom we have to offer here, you'll discover one hell of a magical cosmos like I have. And I still experience fear, which means I've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Whereas Jhananda and a few others have experienced and developed far more.

The greatest mistake possible in my experience is arrogance or a lack of humility. I've seen many people come and go because they couldn't admit that despite their years of practice and study they didn't know much of anything true. They insisted on dogma and what the rest of society said, which is ultimately their undoing.

I enjoyed your post

[bodhimind]

I've actually had a non-lucid astral projection once before, I cannot remember everything completely though. As Robert Bruce said in his book Astral Dynamics, sometimes the memory doesn't transfer over properly to the physical brain.

One thing was I keep feeling really scared of going back to Jhana these days because I tend to have really poor sleep and bad energy throughout the day. I'm not sure if this is right? Should I just stick to meditation in the day?

[Jhanananda]

I've actually had a non-lucid astral projection once before, I cannot remember everything completely though. As Robert Bruce said in his book Astral Dynamics, sometimes the memory doesn't transfer over properly to the physical brain.

It has been true in my experience as well, that I might have a really powerful OOBE that goes on for a very long time, in which I sometimes acquire vast knowledge; however, I return to the body, often I might only be able to journal a tiny part of the experience.

One thing was I keep feeling really scared of going back to Jhana these days because I tend to have really poor sleep and bad energy throughout the day. I'm not sure if this is right? Should I just stick to meditation in the day?

In my experience of negotiating the 8 stages of samadhi requires a complete lifestyle that is oriented strictly to the purpose.  When one is fully occupied with negotiating the 8 stages of samadhi, then whether one gets a good night's rest no longer becomes relevant, because one is meditating several times a day, and one can take a nap when needed, so if one is awake all night saturated in the charisms, then one gets plenty of rest other times.

[Jhanon]

One thing was I keep feeling really scared of going back to Jhana these days because I tend to have really poor sleep and bad energy throughout the day. I'm not sure if this is right? Should I just stick to meditation in the day?

In my experience of negotiating the 8 stages of samadhi requires a complete lifestyle that is oriented strictly to the purpose.  When one is fully occupied with negotiating the 8 stages of samadhi, then whether one gets a good night's rest no longer becomes relevant, because one is meditating several times a day, and one can take a nap when needed, so if one is awake all night saturated in the charisms, then one gets plenty of rest other times.

I also experienced this in the first big bang of progress when I came across Michael, and then Jhananda and the GWV. It is the purpose for writing the thread "Down The Rabbithole" or maybe it was "Frightening Dreams and Sudden Hesitancy." What was happening is that the experiences were becoming so profound, the white wall of annihilation was so frequent, and the fear of annihilation was becoming so constant, and I was so unprepared at the time to surrender--that I would be exhausted by the time morning came. Does that sound about right?

PS. I once again agree with Jhananda. I have other thoughts on this, but I trust he is far wiser than myself. So, I defer to him.