Atma-vichara is the study of who a person really is, and not at the moment. Cognition of one's own Self. This is the ability to separate from five unnecessary shells: physical, astral, energy, mental, causal. And also - the ability to accept and recognize the highest Atman, the absolute self. You need to be able to distinguish between the I as all the purest that is in man, and the I-Thought.
Theme concepts
The second is just a thought or vritti that only satisfies the physical needs. The first is pure eternal life. It does not dwell on illusion and ignorance. And if you remain just a thought, then eternal life will be impossible to achieve, as it will disappear.
Atma-vichara helps to gain knowledge of who a person really is and who is not. Meditation helps to determine which dimension to give power over the human soul and where to follow wise advice.
But unfortunately, not everyone can follow the method of self-examination, since even a complete and detailed description does not always reflectcomplete picture, and even more so cannot explain what to do with it next.
The essence of the method
In order to feel the vibration of I or aham vritti, you need to know that this is the very first thought that occurs in a person's head. It is from it that the branches of others come. Such as “I want”, “I do”, “I have.”
Every person has thousands of such vrittis that he receives throughout his existence. It is they who do not allow energy to pass from the upper energy centers. Because of this, it accumulates inside the human consciousness, forming fears, irritations, worries and negative emotions. And when this energy leaves the body, a blissful experience is formed, which accumulates in the body, as in a vessel, and is a conductor of energy.
The advantage of Atma-vichara meditation is that its correct execution gives almost instantaneous release from any negativity. For example, if a thought arises in a person’s head about a bad deed of someone else, he begins to develop it and concentrate on it. But by doing the Atma-vichara exercises, he gets to the bottom of the problem, which helps him to observe himself.
Self-exploration
With continuous observation, a person understands in just a few seconds that his Self is woven out of fear. Gradually, it dissolves it, and the person can no longer even understand what caused the problem. False selves disappear, thus bringing to the surface important events that the mind is hooked on.
And even with incomplete dissolution of all unnecessary "I" needapproach the source located on the right side of the chest. We are talking about true, fear-free sensations. Approaching them, a person moves to an expanded point of perception. It's a little blurry and may lose some brightness at first.
The most difficult and main problem is the ability (or lack thereof) to catch the very first thought without being distracted by others. But then there is a second hurdle. As the vibration "thinners", it becomes difficult to distinguish it and pull it out of the huge mass of energy. But with experience it gets easier. I can be felt in the crown, eyes, neck, or heart. The deepest dive is said to come from the heart.
Features
During practice, you must learn to fully control your sense of self. One of the secrets of Atma-vichara sounds like this: if a person thinks that there is no process of meditation itself, but only successful attempts, then this is already the sphere of contemplation of meditation. After mastering this technique, you can easily get rid of the negative.
Besides the sitting Atma-vichara technique, it can be incorporated into daily life. This can be useful, as the technique trains mindfulness and divided attention. In life, you can use the peripheral awareness of yourself, which does not distract from activity. Sitting meditation forces you to fully immerse yourself in the process.
Techniques
You can tell more about the practice of Atma-vichara. And for starters, about sitting meditation.
To perform it, you need to take a relaxednatural posture. The important thing is that she stays still. A person should cross his legs, straighten his back and put his hands on his knees, the tongue must be pressed to the palate. There is no need to pay special attention to breathing. Eyes slightly open.
The state of consciousness should be relaxed, but it must be controlled - so that consciousness does not follow thoughts. You need to turn all your attention inward and focus completely on Me.
If attempts to concentrate fail, then the question must be asked: "Who am I?". After that, you should try to feel a slight vibration inside the consciousness. It must be grasped and not let go, fully concentrated and not distracted. After a long practice of holding, it will be possible to feel the inner Self and get a connection with the super-subconscious.
If extraneous thoughts arise during meditation, you should try not to get carried away by them, but rather push them away. When images arise, ask the question: “Who observes them?”, And when you receive the answer “I”, you must say: “Who am I?”. Then there will be a return to the original vibration.
Don't think "Who am I?", it must be understood at the subconscious level, as this is the most important task.
On the move
To perform meditation on the move, you need to focus on the Self while walking or any other activity. We must remember ourselves, thereby opening the mind.
At this time, you need to ask questions: “Where do thoughts come from?”, “What shape and color do I have?”. The meditator shouldtry to trace the center or source of thoughts, after that you can find the basis of the I. It is important to focus and hold it, no longer looking for anything.
For people practicing the more advanced stages of self-inquiry and Atma-vichara, it is possible to discern sankalpas or mindsets. For example, "Sleep", "Vision", etc., but for this you need to develop mindfulness at the initial levels of observation of the work of the body and mind.
Reviews
Even a brief description of the Atma-vichara technique allows you to verify its uniqueness and certain complexity.
According to practitioners' feedback, it can be argued that this is an excellent meditative method that helps to awaken one's true self. After the questions "For whom did the thought arise, and who perceives it?" the thought itself instantly disappears and muffles the inflamed ego. In this appeal, the ancient appeal to demons is clearly traced and there is an understanding of its falsity. But over time, the boundary between the Ego and the background dialogue, as well as the true Self, becomes clearer.
After understanding, consciousness is gradually formed without thoughts, and with the noise behind, the question “Who is this?” does not arise.
Gradually, meditation can be transferred to sleep, where the dialogue proceeds according to other laws, and complete lucidity is achieved. In a dream without visions, there is not darkness, but the true Self - the embodiment of pure awareness and its highest form.
And after a person has acquired the primary skills of meditation in a sitting position, you can try to transfer it to ordinary life. It helps not only to openyour Self, but also discard all the negativity and not exchange for trifles.
Conclusion
A feature of Atma-vichara is that it does not require special knowledge and abstract skills. This is a concentration of pure energy, all things lose their originality, and only I, his attitude to something, remains real.
You can learn to meditate on your own, without resorting to teachers or Hindu texts. If you can’t concentrate, you shouldn’t strain, because the person is not ready yet. You need to do a little meditation, which requires less concentration.
