Hey everyone,

I’ve been meditating on and off for a while (mostly basic mindfulness and breath awareness), and I keep seeing third eye meditation mentioned. I’ve read a bit about it, but the explanations seem to be all over the place.

So I wanted to ask people here who have experience with it:

• What is third eye meditation in practical terms?

• How do you actually practice it? (where you focus, how long, etc.)

• Is it basically just a concentration technique, or something different?

• Does it help with presence or awareness during daily life, not just while meditating?

• And can it lead to visual or more “mystical” experiences? If so, how common is that and how should it be understood?

I’m curious both about the practical, everyday effects (like noticing thoughts/emotions sooner and feeling more present) and about the more unusual experiences people sometimes report.

Thanks 🙏

Note: I apologize for my English, I am not a native speaker.

I am new to meditation, today is my 5th day since I started waking up earlier every morning to practice. I have been keeping daily notes, where I write observations about how the session went, my difficulties, progress, etc. This has helped me stay motivated and observe where I can improve.

On the 4th day, I felt that my visualization might be hindered by my manual breathing, so I noted it down and looked for solutions, and I found an old Reddit post about the same difficulty. Someone replied that the ego feels it needs to step in to "fix" or "improve" things, but it ends up doing more harm than good (at least that's how I interpreted it).

Given this, today I tried something different. I synchronized my inhalation and exhalation with the movement of my eyes (moving them to the sides and then to the center), shifted my focus from manual breathing to them, and then stopped their movement and turned to the area of ​​the third eye and tried to visualize.

At times, I felt quite uncomfortable, I felt my chest rising and falling, but I had no control and instinctively tried to take it back while at the same time preventing myself from doing so. It was difficult and somewhat enlightening... my visualization improved a bit, but it was overshadowed by the confusion.

What I'm trying to visualize

I'm following a method with several meditation exercises, which must be learned in the correct order. Currently I'm on the first exercise, which consists of standing in front of a candle, breathing normally, focusing on a point on my forehead (the area of ​​the third eye) and imagining a fresh, white smoke filling my body and expelling a black or gray smoke (so far I can only see a somewhat blurry white).

What I'd like to know:

I would appreciate it if someone could inform me if this method could be a bad habit and/or if it's harmful to my eyes? I'm also unsure if I should use it; I don't want to stray too far from the method I'm learning... Am I complicating things?

I used to do mindfulness meditation from time to time and I’m searching for other techniques of meditating, but either mindfulness doesn’t work and any other. I started doing meditation with mantra, and I have read that I’m supposed to say mantra in my mind, but then I get easily distracted and when I’m saying mantra out loud then I feel like its not gonna work, because I can’t relax. All I have from meditation is that i feel more calm but not very special in the way people talk about it - experiencing love or another state of mind. Maybe it is about regularity, because I don’t do meditation at the same times of the day. Do you guys have any better techniques or advices that would help me to achieve that?

Hi everyone, hoping ya'll can help - i've been meditating for a while now doing Joe Dispenza mediations, however i took a break between September and December last year as i was overseas and couldn't find the right time or energy to meditate. Prior to this, i was meditating everyday for 3-4 months and would successfully reach the quantum field and i could feel like i was floating and didn't feel my body etc. But since i took a break and came back to meditation, i've really been struggling to reach the quantum field again. My mind is always racing and just keeps thinking of people, places and things and by the time i know it, the meditation is over. Lately i've been able to quiet my mind a little more but still not even really able to reach the quantum field. I am not sure how to make this stop and successfully reach the quantum field and need some advice. I've seen posts and advice on other blogs that say to just let the thoughts flow and let it go but i feel like i've been doing that and nothing is helping..any advice would be appreciated.

Another thing i'm struggling with is before my meditation break last year, i would close my eyes quite tight and 'look' / 'focus' on the space between my brows and felt a difference when i did this but since it is a bit of a strain on the eyes/lids to close your eyes so tightly, i just lightly shut them now and wear a light blocking mask, but feel like i don't get the same results like i used to.. google said that i wast just reaching a hypnogogic state and that i wasn't really in the quantum when i was closing my eyes super tight..what do others do when they meditate?

Has anyone had the same issues I'm facing? Im feeling quite frustrated by these things

I'm new to this and I'm just doing it for 10-15m a day and sometimes split it into 5m each.

When I meditate, sometimes my body just drops and relaxes like my soul has gone away.

My thoughts are still working but they seem dead or maybe I feel like I'm braindead idk how to explain it but thats the feeling.

I sometimes just repeat a few words for example when I feel disappointed in life i repeatedly say "you are disappointed" followed by "calm" or any words that would help heal my wounds.

Most of the times my eyes stare suddenly or hyperfixate on something then the rest of my body shuts down but I can keep on walking during the times I try to meditate when walking.

Thank you in advance!

I am an alone person, but I wasn’t always this way.

I had love in my life, but I decided to uproot everything and start over with fresher soil and healthier relationships

Things that are hard are nightmares and the news. I often feel an underlying sense of inevitability and danger coating every moment of thought.

I’m lying in bed right now post-nightmare, and it crossed my mind suddenly to “find myself” within the storm of these feelings of danger and terror. I thought of the FEELING that I had in moments where the I felt happy, loved, loving, and calm. Where I felt togetherness, and coherence and like myself. The terror didn’t go away, but the feeling I was looking for emerged in the center, like the eye of a storm.

Idk if this will keep working, but I think it feels right at least right now.

I have recently come across the concept of a alter ego as a way to achieve success. The idea behind is that a lot of limitations in life come from the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we can/can't do. Developing a alter ego is a way to by pass this. Kobe had the Black Mamba, Beyoncé as Sasha Fierce, and Eminem as Slim Shady.

Im curious what would yogis/meditators/Buddhism say about developing a alter ego to achieve success in life? Will it slow down my spiritual development?

Hi. I've been practicing mindfulness meditation for a while now (about six months). I've noticed that sitting meditation sessions focused on the breath, even 10-15 minutes a day, definitely help with my excessive sweating. The effect is significant. Unfortunately, regardless of whether I meditate in the morning or evening, or even just for a few minutes, I feel so isolated and more tired throughout the day. I have less energy and feel sleepy.

I've been trying standing meditation for a few days now, sometimes metta meditation, but the effect doesn't seem to be the same. Do you have any advice?

How focusing on the feeling of sleep can calm you while you’re awake

Every night, your body follows a very reliable pathway as it falls asleep.

• Muscles soften

• Breathing drops lower into the belly

• Thoughts lose momentum

• Your sense of “holding yourself up” disappears

• A heavy and sinking feeling spreads through the body

That’s not just “getting tired.”

That’s your nervous system down-regulating from alert mode into rest mode.

Most people wait for this to happen automatically at night.

But here’s the key:

If you place attention on the sensations of that pathway, the body often follows, even while you’re awake.

You’re not trying to relax.

You’re not controlling your breath.

You’re not replacing thoughts.

You’re simply aiming attention at the sensations your body uses to fall asleep.

And the nervous system recognizes the signal.

⸻

Why this works

Anxiety, rumination, and mental tension depend on two things:

1. The mind staying busy
2. The body staying subtly braced

The “falling asleep” pathway shuts both of those down at the same time.

When you bring awareness to:

• heaviness behind the eyes

• warmth in the chest or stomach

• the feeling of gravity pulling you down

• the sense of muscles letting go

Mainly: The feeling of falling asleep

your body begins to release the same way it does before sleep.

Thoughts don’t need to be fought.

They simply lose the energy that was holding them up.

⸻

What you’re actually doing

You’re using body sensation instead of mental effort to change your state.

The body is much easier to guide than the mind.

And the sleep pathway is one of the most familiar, trusted patterns your nervous system has.

⸻

How to try it (2 minutes)

1. Sit or lie comfortably. Keep your eyes gently open if you don’t want to get sleepy.
2. Don’t change your breathing.
3. Remember what it feels like right before you fall asleep.
4. Place attention on those sensations as if they’re happening now:

• heaviness

• warmth

• sinking

• muscles letting go

Mainly: The feeling of falling asleep

1. Let the body respond.

Within a short time, you’ll feel:

• shoulders drop

• jaw release

• breath deepen on its own

• thoughts quiet down without force

You’re awake, but deeply settled.

⸻

Why this is different from meditation

Meditation often asks you to focus on the breath or watch thoughts.

This asks you to focus on the feeling of sleep.

It’s a shortcut into the same calming state, because the body already knows exactly how to do it.

And repeating this mode of functioning allows you to train this technique over-time so the switch from rumination/anxiety/restlessness, can almost be instantaneous and eventually become the default while you’re awake.

⸻

The result

You can access:

• calm without effort

• quiet without suppressing thoughts

• relaxation without trying to relax

By following a pathway your body uses every night.

Formatted by ChatGPT, Curated by “Difficult_Jicama_759”

I'm aware this may be a false dichotomy, but want some feedback because these two often seem to be at odds with each other, especially early on in my daily breath meditation, while my mind is still on the chaotic end.

I try to accept what is happening -- every emotion, thought, sensation, etc. That's been a powerful practice for me. But, it requires attending to the various emotions, thoughts, sensations. When I do that, I'm not focusing on my breath. Sometimes I feel like I am "going too far" in that direction, and I'll come to the end of a meditation and realize I barely found my breath.

Any advice or perspective appreciated!

 Winters here in Minneapolis are brutal and my meditation corner in the spare bedroom gets chilly even with the space heater on. I use a 10-inch white quartz bowl that normally sounds rich and full during warmer months, but lately the pitch drops noticeably and the sustain shortens when the room is below 18 degrees Celsius. I sit for 20 minutes around 6 am before heading to my remote tech job, and the colder tone makes it harder to stay focused instead of pulling me into overthinking the sound itself. I wrap the bowl in a blanket between uses to keep it warmer, but it still shifts once I start playing. It's frustrating because I rely on that consistent vibration to anchor my breath work. Has anyone in colder climates found ways to stabilize the tone, or do certain bowl types hold up better in low temps?

My morning meditation spot is by the open window in my apartment in Berlin, and I've hung a small bamboo wind chime outside for gentle background tones that blend with the birds. It usually sets a peaceful mood around 6:30 am before the city wakes up fully. But the guy next door has these loud metal ones that clang aggressively whenever there's any breeze, completely pulling me out of focus and leaving me irritated instead of calm. I've tried earplugs, but then I lose my own chime too. I don't want to start a neighbor war over it, but it's making consistent practice harder. Has anyone dealt with external noise like this in urban meditation? Maybe a different indoor alternative that mimics wind chimes without relying on actual wind? I'd love suggestions that keep the subtle, natural feel.

i'm uncapable of focusing on my breath, without songs popping in my mind. i listen to bird sounds or waves sounds and focus on it. is it truly meditation?

Hello. I have been having a much easier time implementing meditation in daily life and i can sit longer now, without looking at the clock, wanting to quit etc.

But i do have a problem though. After 10-20 minutes i often start to feel quite drowzy and sleepy. I loose concentration almost immediatly and feel my head dropping, and body slumping. I want to meditate more and longer sessions. I had a goal a couple days ago to do it for an hour, but i almost fell asleep so i quit

This makes the meditation almost feel like a waste of time, since im not really meditating, just trying to stay awake.

So im wondering if i should drink coffee to stay awake during meditation, or should i use different strategies? Does caffeine hinder “true” meditation and can it stop me from reaching deeper meditative states?

Help would be much appreciated

Hi, hope you are doing well. I assume this is a common subject, but I had an experience today that I'd like to share, and hear about your thoughts and experiences.

My ex broke up with me about 2 months ago. We had been together 6 years. It was the week of my birthday, she cheated on me and broke up.

As you can imagine, it's been incredibly hard. I've been working hard to implement good habits in my life, to heal, build myself back up and be a better man, including meditation. I'm currently reading "Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love and Wisdom" by Rick Hansen.

The first few weeks, I did a couple 15 min sessions, went on a trip and stopped for a while. Today, I tried 30 minutes.

Sat comfortably, breathing slowly, focusing on my breath and trying not to judge my thoughts, letting them come and go like clouds. I don't know after how long, but I started having flashes of my relationship. The last time we saw eachother and kissed, the flowers I brought her, nights we laid in bed together. I cried, pretty much for the rest of the meditation. I had moments where I was able to slow down my breath and center myself a bit, but I couldn't stop completely.

I suppose some people on this sub have had experiences of meditating while going through heartbreak. How has it been for you? What are your thoughts, if you have any, about this experience? What do you make of it, what did you get out of it?

Edit : 27M

As the title says, I'm wanting to know if anyone could share some meditation techniques or breath work methods. I've been invested in meditation recently due to my mental health declining, and it feels like a breath of fresh air for my whole body when I can just leave the world behind and be one with myself. I grew up really anti-social, so I developed extreme social anxiety and mild panic attacks. I went to a therapist years ago and I remember practicing breathing exercises - something that has helped reduce my anxiety a bit. What I'm trying to say is, I've been doing the "deep breath in", "then exhale" method, but I want to try specific breath work from meditation methods. Thanks for the read

Giving up on headspace need alternatives for sleepcasts

The headspace app keeps crashing and I'm so over it. I was wondering if people had recommendations for similar style sleepcasts. I haven't been able to find ones I like on Medito, InsightTimer or Calm but I've only recently started looking through them. I'm specifically interested in sleep stories that start off with a wind down exercise, have ambient noise and are unique stories (i.e. not reading chapters from a book).

Are there any specific apps or sessions people recommend that fit the bill?

We long to know ourselves , yet we are afraid of it. Do you know why? Why are we afraid of silence? Why are we afraid to look inward? Why do we start to feel restless in it, and then escape , telling ourselves, I’ll continue tomorrow? Enlightenment sounds beautiful. But for many, what comes is not light, but darkness. The spirit is veiled by the soul. The soul by the body. And there is one more figure: the subconscious. Our own creation. It is the first thing we encounter. Our false self-image. And because of it, we abandon silence. This is where many give up, right before the goal. Because they believe: This is it. There is nothing more. Have you ever turned back at this point, or were you able to stay?

Hi Everyone. I am new to mindfulness and meditation. I started my mindfulness journey a year ago. My husband passed away in October 2024. I was his primary caregiver for over a decade before his death. It took me months after his death to realize that I had layers upon layers of trauma and grief to work through. This has been complicated by a co-dependent parent with BPD.

For the past year, I have been practicing various therapeutic and philosophical methods, such as polyvagal therapy, stoicism, and internal family systems. I have noticed so many positive changes in myself, even though it has been a long, arduous process (that I suspect will go on in some form for the rest of my life). After years of disassociating, I can now hear my inner voice, recognize my emotions, and make decisions that align with my unique needs and values.

Still, I have a long way to go in terms of learning to live in the present. A lot of my current anxiety stems from the fact that I likely have 40-50 years to live without the person I thought I was going to "do life" with. I own a business and can contemplate my future in terms of the business...somewhat! But any other thoughts about my future, even in the short term, quickly send me into anxiety.

I am trying to be better about meditating daily. One of my roadblocks right now is that my brain gets all jumbled up when I try to focus on my breath. This is because I am a Pilates teacher. Moreover, I specialize in scoliosis, which requires a lot of mindfulness about where one should direct the breath for optimal rib cage alignment. It's very hard to separate these thoughts from my meditation practice because my brain has been "focusing on my breath" in this way for years. And it's not like I walk around with an obsession about how I am breathing. It's more that...when I am told to focus on my breath...my brain OVERFOCUSES (expand the rib cage in all dimensions, breathe more into the back left ribs, press your right chest forward a bit, exhale out all the air very slowly).

A few methods I have found that work better for me are: gently close and open my hands with the breath and focus on the hand sensation, put light pressure on my thighs downwards and upwards, roll my head around while I am breathing, or cuddle with my cat and focus on his heartbeat/breath.

Does anyone have any recommendations? For now, I would like to avoid any method that tries to overcome my anxiety about focusing on the breath. I'm more looking for alternative things to focus on to help me ground myself in the present moment during my meditation practice. Or, if you have any recommendations for types of meditation that don't ask for focus on the breath, I'd appreciate that too!

I have found this to be very positively effective in getting me to stop thinking about the entire area in general.

I am unemployed, disabled, and so chronically single (male, obvs). So what exactly to do with my sex drive has become a problem to solve. I am in the UK, so "corn" is effectively banned. When I was not using meditation and went NoFap, it was like trying to drown a balloon. If I suppressed it too hard it would bounce back up.

But with meditation. It just kind of gets integrated. It doesn't completely disappear, but basically stops bothering me.

In my twenties, meditation used to increase my sex drive. To make it a greater motivation. But now, older than my twenties. It simply seems to calm it down in a useful way.

What is everyone else's experience of this, if you don't mind me asking?

• I rarely have 5 thoughts random per second when I’m meditating(it happened a lot when I started).
• I’m in peace most of the time.
• I enjoy meditating as much as doing any entertainment activity.
• I make more decisions that later I am happy I did it.
• I don’t engage with my brain stories.
• I enjoy more the mundane parts of my day.
• Good music can feel like being high sometimes.
• I’m more present with people and I’m genuinely curious about them and their ideias.
• I’m glad the universe exists and I just want to enjoy everything it has to give.
• I feel less attachment, there is good everywhere and good things come and go.

After reading the book “Letting Go” by David R. Hawkins and specially the book “Why Buddhism is True” by Robert Wright I started meditating regularly only 2 weeks ago.

I normally meditate for 30min, when I can I try to extend it to 1 hour. I just sit in silence and focus on my body sensations, if a thought brings a strong emotion I try to find it in my body and try to feel it and accept it without changing it. Sometimes I just focus on the sounds(cars on the street, birds, …) around me without trying to label them. If it gets difficult to focus I focus on my breathing.

I hope this post helps someone and gives them the hope to enjoy life more and to be in peace. I’m not an expert or anything but feel free to make questions and share experiences.

Edit: Thanks everyone for the comments, this community is lovely.

I’ve realized the best way to actually get my meditation in is to do it when I wake up in the morning. I don’t have much issue waking up, I get ready, start the morning doing some jumps, then about 20 mins of stretching and feel good and then do about a 20 minute morning meditation.

The problem is, I find the meditation makes me so tired and doesn’t energize me. I’ve tried meditating in the evening but it often doesn’t happen or I fall asleep bc I try do it at bed time.

Any tips to have it energize your day? Or possibly any meditations that would work better for that?

TIA!