It’s not uncommon to get dream-like and very vivid images in meditation. This is more common with relative beginners who are just beginning to experience the mind settling down. They’re not or any great significance in themselves, so I’d suggest that you don’t pay any special attention to them.

The sense of vibration/tingling in the body is also quite common. The technical term for it is piti (in Pali) or priti (in Sanskrit). This is more significant, although you need to learn to treat it as a normal occurrence and neither be afraid of it nor get excited about it. It’s something simply to be accepted.

It’s a good sign that piti is arising. It’s a sign that the mind’s beginning to calm and that the body is relaxing. You might want to read this article, which discusses piti in the context of deepening a meditation practice.

I have been meditating for a few months now. About a month ago during meditation, I was able to let thoughts pass without paying attention to them and began seeing pictures of different things (a blue bird fluttering, a tan creature that had multiple arms, myself in a career that I am actively working towards). Eventually, I felt tired and laid my head back. Once I gained awareness, my whole body felt as if it was vibrating and I heard a loud buzzing. I also felt paralyzed. There was this picture in my mind of a blue candle that was lit. After my initial panic, I was able to calm down and stayed in the moment for maybe 30 seconds. I was then able to open my eyes and move afterwards and the sensation and noise went away immediately.

I wanted to ask if you have heard of anyone having these experiences. I have not had that experience since due to anxiety but have been focusing on my breathing when I began to have anxiety symptoms. I continue to feel tingling, especially in my hands, and a numbing feeling in my feet.

Thanks for your kind words.

I’m glad you found most of what you were looking for. I’ve never chanted the “Asato Ma Sadgamaya” mantra, and it’s not on this site, so I think you’ve misremembered that part.

All the best,
Bodhipaksa

After writing my last comment, I explored the site more (it’s been awhile since I was here last), and I came upon your wonderful blog with the embedded music files.

Perhaps there is a Buddhist lesson in here somewhere for me? Something like, open my eyes and I’ll see what’s been in front of me the whole time? : )

I found all my old favorites — except for Asato Ma Sadgamaya. I will keep looking and reading. Thank you again, Bodhipaksa!

I would like to thank you for this website. I first came upon it over seven years ago; and I keep getting drawn back.

I was wondering, do you still have those old music files of you demonstrating the chants for Asato Ma Sadgamaya, tutare, etc. (I saw the “Sacred Sounds” CD, but it appears all the chants are done by Sunada?)? They brought me so much peace and really helped me to learn how to meditate more effectively. I would love to be able to download them again!

Thank you so much for your help,

Jazmin

I have a number of thoughts in response. The first is that although mindfulness is often presented in a “deracinated” way, stripped of its Buddhist context, when you look at in in the Buddhist tradition it’s obvious that it’s just one practice amongst many. Mindfulness needs to be balanced with lovingkindness, and with ethical observance, and those two things are inherently focused on others.

The other thought that came to my mind is that you’re correct in thinking that a calm and centered person is better able to be aware of the needs of others. In fact it goes a bit further than that, because our responses to others take place internally. Mindfulness helps us to become more aware of our inner states, and those states are conditioned by others. So when someone else is, for example, experiencing suffering, the mindful person is better able to notice the very existence of that suffering, because they pick up on the internal cues alerting them to the suffering. With less mindfulness we don’t necessarily even notice.

Why are you waiting? I recommend starting with mindfulness of breathing and lovingkindness meditation.

There’s a ton of information on this site, and if that’s not enough there are many CDs and downloads in our online store, or on Amazon. Just do it.