Bodhimind's Blog

[jay.validus]

Also, I have been consistently trying to do lying-down meditation instead of "giving up to unconsciousness" in sleep. I find that part of when I slept in the past, I tend to allow myself to become 'unconscious' and knock myself out, so that I can go into the deep sleep process. When this happens, I am never lucid. When I did lying-down meditation, I did not manage to rise out of my body. However, it gave rise to intense dreams. It gives me the impression as if I was treading water, and my face was rising out of the water (lucidity) and then falling back down as I drown (in unconsciousness).

I was wondering, how the sleep cycles reconcile with our trips into the dream spaces. According to observations in studies, we get visions/dream experiences when we hit the REM phase, noted by rapid eye movement. Sleep paralysis holds the body down so that we don't thrash around in dreams. Then after a while, we go back into the non-REM phase. The funny thing is that sleep revolves in between REM and non-REM phases. I was wondering if this also means that we leave and re-enter the dream space multiple times during the span of a night's rest. One thing that was curious was that my eyes were obviously not flickering around when I had those spectral-like kaleidoscopes. Perhaps I returned back to my body at that point. I looked upwards and it seemed as if the place where the 'third eye' is said to be feels like a mental screen.

I have noticed that same thing, there is a part of my conscious mind which is scared to go deep into the sleep process.  When you hit the transition when you lose track of your body it can get very scary.  You try to move your arm and it is not possible.  Sensations feel like they vibrate higher, and you feel those sharp electrical pulses.  Sounds are the same way.  If I don't stay aware deep in the sleep cycle, and just stay aware in the higher sleep cycles, then my thoughts and dreams can be very random, and my time usually goes to centring myself to increase my clarity of consciousness.  Lately, I have spent more time actually contemplating what arises in my sleep, however, I find I do not go as deep with my awareness.  I am not sure if this is lack of experience OR is a trade-off one makes.  Could share your thoughts on this Jeffery?  Is it possible to use your mind deep in your sleep cycle with more experience?

[Jhanananda]

It depends, Jay, on how you use the term 'mind.'  If you use the term 'mind' in the sense of awareness, then as long as one meditates deeply, then awareness will follow one into the depths of sleep, and into altered realities.

If, on the other hand, you you use the term 'mind' in the sense of the cognitive processes, of thinking, reasoning, interpreting the senses, etc., then, no, one does not use the cognitive processes, of thinking, reasoning, sensor interpretation, when one is in deep meditation states, especially not in the immaterial states.  So, one has to learn to shed the cognitive processes, while deepening one's conscious-awareness.

[bodhimind]

It depends, Jay, on how you use the term 'mind.'  If you use the term 'mind' in the sense of awareness, then as long as one meditates deeply, then awareness will follow one into the depths of sleep, and into altered realities.

If, on the other hand, you you use the term 'mind' in the sense of the cognitive processes, of thinking, reasoning, interpreting the senses, etc., then, no, one does not use the cognitive processes, of thinking, reasoning, sensor interpretation, when one is in deep meditation states, especially not in the immaterial states.  So, one has to learn to shed the cognitive processes, while deepening one's conscious-awareness.

Thank you for clarifying. I was also confused with the usage of 'mind'.

I know that in some schools of yogacara, they call it the Eight consciousnesses. 1-6 are the six sense spheres, 7 is the self-grasping consciousness (or manas) and 8 is the memory/storehouse consciousness. I have no experience whatsoever with this classification so please don't take my word for it...

---

A friend asked me a curious question. He was talking with a shaman who claimed to remember his past life as what he calls a higher-dimensional being (I believe we call them devas?). His practice includes a contemplative lifestyle and frequent OOBEs into the immaterial realms without the need for psychoactive drugs, but I did not hear of any other fruits because I do not know the shaman personally. The shaman also said that he chose his life-theme and rebirthed in order to experience a worldly life, which is to "learn a particular lesson". He claims that trying to 'get out' may be opposing the will of what animates the individual. He also claims that the beings prophets talk to are simply 'enormous energies' looking like deities. Is it because even as a deva/higher dimensional entity, you still have a craving to complete a certain worldly desire, resulting in rebirth? I also remember in the suttas that devas are not seeking liberation as they rarely suffer in these planes.

This is the part where I am confused. Interdependent origination described by the Buddha in DN 15 said that ignorance/craving was the root of suffering (leading to birth, etc). I have no experience whatsoever with the immaterial realms, so I was wondering if you could correct my understanding here.

---

I do not want to speculate but simply base my own views on what I experience.

Today I felt myself go into a very depressive mood. I felt like there was a hole, an emptiness within me. I was quite dissatisfied. Perhaps my mindfulness lapsed. What I did was simply go back to the cushion and seek solace in the jhana-nimittas. I find the auditory ringing soothing at times. Also, I find that my vision becomes very bright, such that I can hardly make out the forms of things in the room. Then the blissfulness returned. Perhaps the way to go through such periods is to constantly seek solace in this energy.

Last night again, I tried to keep my awareness up as I moved into sleep. I found, just as jay talked about above, that a part of me seemed to switch off when I went deeper. I would be knocked unconscious and then wake up. I would still remember the dreams I have. Will continue to work at this.

[Jhanananda]

I know that in some schools of yogacara, they call it the Eight consciousnesses. 1-6 are the six sense spheres, 7 is the self-grasping consciousness (or manas) and 8 is the memory/storehouse consciousness. I have no experience whatsoever with this classification so please don't take my word for it...

Every school of mystics has its own language of gnosis; howver, just because a school of clergy has an elaborate language of gnosis does not mean they are mystics, or know what they are talking about.  Theravadan Buddhism is an example of that.  So buyer beware.

A friend asked me a curious question. He was talking with a shaman who claimed to remember his past life as what he calls a higher-dimensional being (I believe we call them devas?). His practice includes a contemplative lifestyle and frequent OOBEs into the immaterial realms without the need for psychoactive drugs, but I did not hear of any other fruits because I do not know the shaman personally. The shaman also said that he chose his life-theme and rebirthed in order to experience a worldly life, which is to "learn a particular lesson". He claims that trying to 'get out' may be opposing the will of what animates the individual. He also claims that the beings prophets talk to are simply 'enormous energies' looking like deities. Is it because even as a deva/higher dimensional entity, you still have a craving to complete a certain worldly desire, resulting in rebirth? I also remember in the suttas that devas are not seeking liberation as they rarely suffer in these planes.

This is the part where I am confused. Interdependent origination described by the Buddha in DN 15 said that ignorance/craving was the root of suffering (leading to birth, etc). I have no experience whatsoever with the immaterial realms, so I was wondering if you could correct my understanding here.

It sounds like this shaman might have some genuine attainment; however, he is correct, if one has not become fully liberated, then one will eventually come back to complete the awakening process.  Some mystics are fully liberated, but keep coming back to help others get fully liberated.

Today I felt myself go into a very depressive mood. I felt like there was a hole, an emptiness within me. I was quite dissatisfied. Perhaps my mindfulness lapsed. What I did was simply go back to the cushion and seek solace in the jhana-nimittas. I find the auditory ringing soothing at times. Also, I find that my vision becomes very bright, such that I can hardly make out the forms of things in the room. Then the blissfulness returned. Perhaps the way to go through such periods is to constantly seek solace in this energy.

Yes, this is how a fruitful contemplative life works.

Last night again, I tried to keep my awareness up as I moved into sleep. I found, just as jay talked about above, that a part of me seemed to switch off when I went deeper. I would be knocked unconscious and then wake up. I would still remember the dreams I have. Will continue to work at this.

Yes, this is how it works as we progress to deeper states.  Eventually we our awareness will be unbroken.

[bodhimind]

My current routine is...
- Definitely a meditation session of about 1+ hours, maybe to 2.
- Qigong (chunyi lin - I use his instructions since he has fruits [all the siddhis])
- Constant mindfulness of my body/sensations/mental states/thoughts

I do not know if this is a side-effect, but I realized that after the Qigong exercises, my eyesight seemed to become much sharper. I wear glasses, but for a short while I was able to look with very sharp vision without them. This has happened quite a few times. A few things I realized while doing the Qigong was that the slow-mode kundalini was moving faster or more noticeably. Somehow the exercises helped to make the bliss more intense and the orgasms came back. I no longer feel the depressive mood I had 2 days ago.

Also... do the jhana-nimittas come from the chakras? I seem to have this feeling that I'm hearing the shimmering sound about an inch behind the center of my eyebrows. It also sometimes separates into a slightly lower "hum" and rarely a whooping sound.

Another thing I realized was that I felt very refreshed and seemed to move into this flow with life. Nothing seemed to perturb me, I was passing through, as if everything and everyone around me were seaweed, and I was a nonchalant little fish being happy by myself (lol). This state also seemed very useful for my college work, since I was going through many assignments with tight deadlines and I did not feel the slightest stress. Everytime I felt my mental acuity drop and torpor settle in, I would do a bit of standing meditation and the bliss starts to move again, making me feel very wakeful. I'm very grateful of having known how to tap into such a resource.

Also, I'm still working on building lucidity in my dreams. The lucidity comes on and off. At times I appear half-lucid, but as compared to 1-2 years ago, I am remembering a lot more of my dreams now. I also realized that I was somehow subconsciously rejecting myself from inner or outer vision. This might explain why my first OOBE was "blind". I tried to recall how I saw the kaleidoscopic visions and realized that it was on this "mental screen" within my mind. It seems that if I look there mentally, then I can see light forms. I will need to investigate more.

[Jhanananda]

My current routine is...
- Definitely a meditation session of about 1+ hours, maybe to 2.
- Qigong (chunyi lin - I use his instructions since he has fruits [all the siddhis])
- Constant mindfulness of my body/sensations/mental states/thoughts

I do not know if this is a side-effect, but I realized that after the Qigong exercises, my eyesight seemed to become much sharper. I wear glasses, but for a short while I was able to look with very sharp vision without them. This has happened quite a few times. A few things I realized while doing the Qigong was that the slow-mode kundalini was moving faster or more noticeably. Somehow the exercises helped to make the bliss more intense and the orgasms came back. I no longer feel the depressive mood I had 2 days ago.

I find the various forms of slow movement Chinese martial arts do for me similar energy activation to what the standing and walking Buddhist meditation methods do.  However, I also find the need to memorize and execute a particular martial arts form from memory impedes my access to the charisms.

Also, I once had a friend who was an ophthalmologist, and he used meditation, and eye exercises to improve the vision of his patience.  He once said to me that he found an individual's vision can improve significantly just from learning to relax deeply.  He did not know this, but deep relaxation is a key aspect of deep meditation, so it is reasonable to consider that your eyesight improves from relaxing deeply during deep meditation; however, that improvement may not be lasting until you can sustain that depth of relaxation in every moment.

Also... do the jhana-nimittas come from the chakras? I seem to have this feeling that I'm hearing the shimmering sound about an inch behind the center of my eyebrows. It also sometimes separates into a slightly lower "hum" and rarely a whooping sound.

I find the charkas are not the source of the charismatic phenomena that I experience, but part of the multi-sensory experience of the charisms.

Another thing I realized was that I felt very refreshed and seemed to move into this flow with life. Nothing seemed to perturb me, I was passing through, as if everything and everyone around me were seaweed, and I was a nonchalant little fish being happy by myself (lol). This state also seemed very useful for my college work, since I was going through many assignments with tight deadlines and I did not feel the slightest stress. Everytime I felt my mental acuity drop and torpor settle in, I would do a bit of standing meditation and the bliss starts to move again, making me feel very wakeful. I'm very grateful of having known how to tap into such a resource.

Yes, I found this too when I was a student at the university; however, I also found greater depth in meditation when I left the stressful world and went into retreat in the wilderness.

Also, I'm still working on building lucidity in my dreams. The lucidity comes on and off. At times I appear half-lucid, but as compared to 1-2 years ago, I am remembering a lot more of my dreams now. I also realized that I was somehow subconsciously rejecting myself from inner or outer vision. This might explain why my first OOBE was "blind". I tried to recall how I saw the kaleidoscopic visions and realized that it was on this "mental screen" within my mind. It seems that if I look there mentally, then I can see light forms. I will need to investigate more.

Our lucidity in the sleep state improves as we develop the deep meditation experience. 

Yes, I agree on your findings of learning to see while in an OOBE.

[bodhimind]

I find the various forms of slow movement Chinese martial arts do for me similar energy activation to what the standing and walking Buddhist meditation methods do.  However, I also find the need to memorize and execute a particular martial arts form from memory impedes my access to the charisms.

Also, I once had a friend who was an ophthalmologist, and he used meditation, and eye exercises to improve the vision of his patience.  He once said to me that he found an individual's vision can improve significantly just from learning to relax deeply.  He did not know this, but deep relaxation is a key aspect of deep meditation, so it is reasonable to consider that your eyesight improves from relaxing deeply during deep meditation; however, that improvement may not be lasting until you can sustain that depth of relaxation in every moment.

True! Perhaps relaxation causes the various muscles pulling on the eye to relax and hence make it less oblique (for myopia) and it helps the eye refocus. One problem is that when I get out of deep meditation, objects often becomes defocused because of a bright tint I have illuminating my field of vision...

I find the charkas are not the source of the charismatic phenomena that I experience, but part of the multi-sensory experience of the charisms.

Oh, I think I might have misinterpreted that. Would it be that the chakras are the swirling sensations in the tactile charism?

Yes, I found this too when I was a student at the university; however, I also found greater depth in meditation when I left the stressful world and went into retreat in the wilderness.

I will definitely set aside a time for me to meditate in nature, away from the stress and drama of society.

---

Today, I tried healing on a friend who had a shoulder ache. I went into jhana and I felt the tactile charisms as tingling. I then directed lovingness towards the area that was painful, imagining that there was a blockage that broke up and then was pulled out of the body. I then replenished the area with more lovingness. My friend then commented that her pain seemed to subside nearly completely. So I am completely convinced in the healing power innate within us. I hope I can develop this skill to a higher extent so that I can be an effective doctor.

I remember somewhere that it was mentioned that it was possible to do long-distance healing... I am curious to how that works? Would I need to be able to OOB to deliver a long-distance healing?

My routine has extended so far:

1. 1-2 hours of moving meditation

2. 1-2 hours of sitting meditation

3. Lying down meditation while going to sleep (~30 minutes)

I always lose my consciousness when I fall to sleep, however. I suddenly realized that it was very similar to "torpor" as a factor of meditation hindrance. Since torpor involves losing awareness, energy and dullness, it seemed like everytime we go to sleep in the "normal way", it is in fact letting torpor grow so much that it knocks our awareness away.

Then while I am in a dream, I momentarily gain some awareness while in the dream space, and it ebbs and flows. Is that what is happening? That we shift in and out of awareness, just like in normal meditation? If that is the case, it seems to me that there is really no difference in waking times and sleeping times - It should be possible to meditate continuously.

[Jhanananda]

Today, I tried healing on a friend who had a shoulder ache. I went into jhana and I felt the tactile charisms as tingling. I then directed lovingness towards the area that was painful, imagining that there was a blockage that broke up and then was pulled out of the body. I then replenished the area with more lovingness. My friend then commented that her pain seemed to subside nearly completely. So I am completely convinced in the healing power innate within us. I hope I can develop this skill to a higher extent so that I can be an effective doctor.

This is roughly my method of healing.  I would enter jhana as deep as I could go, then I used my hands as a medium for conducting the charisms that I felt in my body into the body of my patient.  I found it works better if the patient enters jhana as well.  This does not necessarily require training for the patient, just the ability to relax deeply during the session.  This requires no talking during the session.

A few days ago a homeless woman here, who is quite new-age offered to give me a Reiki treatment.  She talked constantly through the session, so there was little depth in her treatment.

I spoke to her on other occasions about meditation practice, and the experience of depth in meditation.  From our conversation it was clear that she had never experienced depth in meditation, so there would be no depth in her energy work.

I remember somewhere that it was mentioned that it was possible to do long-distance healing... I am curious to how that works? Would I need to be able to OOB to deliver a long-distance healing?

Not necessarily.  You can do healing via remote viewing.  What does bring depth to remote healing is the ability to acquire, and maintain, depth (jhana) during the session.

My routine has extended so far:

1. 1-2 hours of moving meditation

2. 1-2 hours of sitting meditation

3. Lying down meditation while going to sleep (~30 minutes)

Sounds like a lifestyle that will bear much fruit.

I always lose my consciousness when I fall to sleep, however. I suddenly realized that it was very similar to "torpor" as a factor of meditation hindrance. Since torpor involves losing awareness, energy and dullness, it seemed like everytime we go to sleep in the "normal way", it is in fact letting torpor grow so much that it knocks our awareness away.

Then while I am in a dream, I momentarily gain some awareness while in the dream space, and it ebbs and flows. Is that what is happening? That we shift in and out of awareness, just like in normal meditation? If that is the case, it seems to me that there is really no difference in waking times and sleeping times - It should be possible to meditate continuously.

Yes, in the beginning we oscillate in awareness.  As we progress our awareness become stable, then we go deeper.  Yes, I agree, losing awareness, energy and dullness, is torpor.

[jay.validus]

Today, I tried healing on a friend who had a shoulder ache. I went into jhana and I felt the tactile charisms as tingling. I then directed lovingness towards the area that was painful, imagining that there was a blockage that broke up and then was pulled out of the body. I then replenished the area with more lovingness. My friend then commented that her pain seemed to subside nearly completely. So I am completely convinced in the healing power innate within us. I hope I can develop this skill to a higher extent so that I can be an effective doctor.

I never knew you were into energy healing!  How cool.  How long have you been doing this?  What brought your interest into this?

[bodhimind]

This is roughly my method of healing.  I would enter jhana as deep as I could go, then I used my hands as a medium for conducting the charisms that I felt in my body into the body of my patient.  I found it works better if the patient enters jhana as well.  This does not necessarily require training for the patient, just the ability to relax deeply during the session.  This requires no talking during the session.

A few days ago a homeless woman here, who is quite new-age offered to give me a Reiki treatment.  She talked constantly through the session, so there was little depth in her treatment.

I spoke to her on other occasions about meditation practice, and the experience of depth in meditation.  From our conversation it was clear that she had never experienced depth in meditation, so there would be no depth in her energy work.

Yes, i found that talking also seemed to diminish the effects. Also, when I did it on a female, she was more sensitive to feeling it rather than a male. I do not know why, but only the female that I've tried it on could actually feel the places where my hand was hovering over (at least a few inches away since I do not want the body temperature to affect it). The males seemed quite 'body-numb'.

Not necessarily.  You can do healing via remote viewing.  What does bring depth to remote healing is the ability to acquire, and maintain, depth (jhana) during the session.

That makes sense, I will try it.

Yes, in the beginning we oscillate in awareness.  As we progress our awareness become stable, then we go deeper.  Yes, I agree, losing awareness, energy and dullness, is torpor.

That makes a lot of sense. It seems that torpor is also linked to the fatigue of the body. Or perhaps the willingness of the mind to go along with that loss of awareness.

I never knew you were into energy healing!  How cool.  How long have you been doing this?  What brought your interest into this?

I first started when I got into jhana, going into a jhanic state and doing a massage on my father who was sore and tired after a day's walking. I found that when I tried to do some healing, he remarked that his blood started flowing and his pain seemed to diminish more quickly. That was when I first realized that it might be possible.

Well, I was very interested in healing other people, since my own career is becoming a physician. I never saw the various "fields" of medicine as separate from each other. I always felt that separating herbal and modern treatment was unneeded, since they were all taken into the body, so the principles that govern them are always the same. So I tried to learn other fields like healing, traditional eastern medicine, Aryuveda and alternative medicine. I guess you could say that I got interested in it because I felt drawn towards it and that it would be relevant in making me a better physician.

I however, see how inconsiderate humans can be, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. For example, this article shows how truly wicked people can become because of money-mindedness. News like this makes me lose faith in people regaining their sense of humanity.

[Jhanananda]

I first started when I got into jhana, going into a jhanic state and doing a massage on my father who was sore and tired after a day's walking. I found that when I tried to do some healing, he remarked that his blood started flowing and his pain seemed to diminish more quickly. That was when I first realized that it might be possible.

Well, I was very interested in healing other people, since my own career is becoming a physician. I never saw the various "fields" of medicine as separate from each other. I always felt that separating herbal and modern treatment was unneeded, since they were all taken into the body, so the principles that govern them are always the same. So I tried to learn other fields like healing, traditional eastern medicine, Aryuveda and alternative medicine. I guess you could say that I got interested in it because I felt drawn towards it and that it would be relevant in making me a better physician.

I found it natural to combine deep meditation with healing work.  Funny, yesterday the Reike practitioner who worked on me asked me for a treatment, so I gave it to her.  She told me today that she had significant improvement, and asked for another treatment tomorrow.  Another person overheard the Reike practitioner say that she had had significant improvement, so this second person requested a treatment, so I worked on her today.

I however, see how inconsiderate humans can be, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. For example, this article shows how truly wicked people can become because of money-mindedness. News like this makes me lose faith in people regaining their sense of humanity.

This is why greed is a sin.

[bodhimind]

I had a stomachache after meditation yesterday, my stomach was cold and I felt quite uncomfortable. It felt as if something was off-balanced within. So I tried to make my body below the navel hot and body above the navel cooler, and it helped to alleviate the pain quite a bit.

I got a really intense dream last night. I met a group of people who I did not know, except for this female. So because I wanted to test a theory (I explain below), I reached out and hugged her. When that happened, it felt as if my heart erupted with a massive energy that gave me a non-sexual orgasm upwards. The energy went upwards. It felt as if the energy itself was love, because it felt like it was so generous and giving, it was a little like joy in first jhana, just multiplied many times over.

While it seemed like an orgasm, I noticed that if one has an orgasm from the sexual organs, the feeling seems to travel from the bottom of the perineum upwards. But in this case, it came directly from the heart and surged upwards, and I went into a state of non-duality within the dream where I couldn't perceive anything. Even after waking up, I can feel the heart being so wide open, so expansive, as if there was this radiating love streaming out. I don't know how to describe it, it feels like something cool down my throat.

My theory was that two people hug physically because they want to bring their hearts as close as possible to each other. Perhaps it is in that way where two people are able to share their love in a physical way. I just never thought that it would be that volatile and explosive in the way I tried. Perhaps this is why a simple physical action such as a hug can induce oxytocin hormonal action and why kids who receive a lot of hugging tend to grow up with fewer health problems in adulthood.

---

I've continued trying to heal a friend. He had a stiff neck and could not turn to his right. I then went into jhana (trying not to talk and also asking my friend to not talk as well), and tried to radiate love into the area. After about 15 to 20 minutes, I managed to get him to turn more than 60 degrees. Although there was still a movement limitation, there strangely was no pain left.

I am still trying to do remote-viewing healing. However, I am not able to at will, remote-view, since they are rather spontaneous in my experience. Or do you mean that I can just imagine the person in my mind's eye and perform the healing? If so, I tend to do that a lot when I do a bit of metta meditation to get myself into a loving state before meditation (I imagine beings throughout the planet temporarily ceasing action & thought and going into a wholesome, meditative state for a moment).

My current routine continues, I find that the 11-1pm or 11-1am period seems to be one of the most productive for me, since it is normally the time where my stomach does not have much food. Perhaps a slight hunger is ideal. I do know from past meditations that having too much of a hunger promotes a bad mental state however.

[Jhanananda]

I had a stomachache after meditation yesterday, my stomach was cold and I felt quite uncomfortable. It felt as if something was off-balanced within. So I tried to make my body below the navel hot and body above the navel cooler, and it helped to alleviate the pain quite a bit.

I got a really intense dream last night. I met a group of people who I did not know, except for this female. So because I wanted to test a theory (I explain below), I reached out and hugged her. When that happened, it felt as if my heart erupted with a massive energy that gave me a non-sexual orgasm upwards. The energy went upwards. It felt as if the energy itself was love, because it felt like it was so generous and giving, it was a little like joy in first jhana, just multiplied many times over.

While it seemed like an orgasm, I noticed that if one has an orgasm from the sexual organs, the feeling seems to travel from the bottom of the perineum upwards. But in this case, it came directly from the heart and surged upwards, and I went into a state of non-duality within the dream where I couldn't perceive anything. Even after waking up, I can feel the heart being so wide open, so expansive, as if there was this radiating love streaming out. I don't know how to describe it, it feels like something cool down my throat.

My theory was that two people hug physically because they want to bring their hearts as close as possible to each other. Perhaps it is in that way where two people are able to share their love in a physical way. I just never thought that it would be that volatile and explosive in the way I tried. Perhaps this is why a simple physical action such as a hug can induce oxytocin hormonal action and why kids who receive a lot of hugging tend to grow up with fewer health problems in adulthood.

Some of the OOBE books describe this phenomena.  I have experienced it many times.  One can "embrace" and transmit love on many of the levels of the immaterial dimensions.  I have done this on the individual level as well as on the galactic level.  Of course on the galactic level it is far more powerful, and blissful, an experience than on the individual level.

I've continued trying to heal a friend. He had a stiff neck and could not turn to his right. I then went into jhana (trying not to talk and also asking my friend to not talk as well), and tried to radiate love into the area. After about 15 to 20 minutes, I managed to get him to turn more than 60 degrees. Although there was still a movement limitation, there strangely was no pain left.

I am still trying to do remote-viewing healing. However, I am not able to at will, remote-view, since they are rather spontaneous in my experience. Or do you mean that I can just imagine the person in my mind's eye and perform the healing? If so, I tend to do that a lot when I do a bit of metta meditation to get myself into a loving state before meditation (I imagine beings throughout the planet temporarily ceasing action & thought and going into a wholesome, meditative state for a moment).

My current routine continues, I find that the 11-1pm or 11-1am period seems to be one of the most productive for me, since it is normally the time where my stomach does not have much food. Perhaps a slight hunger is ideal. I do know from past meditations that having too much of a hunger promotes a bad mental state however.

When one has arrived at the depth of the 3rd to the 4th level of depth in meditation one can simply project one's vision to another space/time location, and observe, or even heal remotely.  it sounds like you can do this, if you so choose.

[jay.validus]

When one has arrived at the depth of the 3rd to the 4th level of depth in meditation one can simply project one's vision to another space/time location, and observe, or even heal remotely.  it sounds like you can do this, if you so choose.

You mean do this at will?  I never seem able to do this at will, more of I let go of control and it is as if another part of me does the work.  If I observe that part, then I suppose I get a part of control through simple awareness and feeling, but it flows different than the mind.  Maybe in the future as my practice deepens, and as I do more retreats, this will open up more.

[Jhanananda]

I never seem able to do this at will, more of I let go of control and it is as if another part of me does the work.  If I observe that part, then I suppose I get a part of control through simple awareness and feeling, but it flows different than the mind.  Maybe in the future as my practice deepens, and as I do more retreats, this will open up more.

This is correct.