Float in Consciousness
You can float in pure consciousness. It is kind of like being in a sensory deprivation chamber, but one of your own making.
Turn off all sensory inputs. This is easiest for vision — just close your eyes. Taste and smell are relatively inert. You can adjust to even the most noxious odors. Touch is always present and we usually ignore most of it. Hearing is the most difficult. Just treat any sounds you hear as only that — sounds. Give them no meaning at all, except maybe the smoke alarm. If the building is on fire, you should leave, of course. Other than that, you can choose to give no meaning to any sounds you hear.
The hardest is thought. Recall that the Buddha posits mind as a sixth sense that perceives thoughts. In order to float in pure consciousness, you have to turn off all thoughts, which you can do if you keep up your consistent meditation practice long enough.
This is an interesting experience in its own right, but the larger point is that consciousness is where wisdom and knowledge come from. But you can’t hear the wisdom and knowledge of consciousness over your thoughts and perceptions. You have to turn it all off.
It is a worthy milestone on the path to awakening. So keep meditating and turn off all sensations.
I would like to enlighten everyone. If you would like to help, you may do so by donating here. My undying gratitude to everyone who already has. Let’s enlighten the world.
