Meditation by Scarlett Kat

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Meditation

To be an effective magician, it's very useful to make a concentrated effort to learn at least one technique of meditation. For our purposes, this is defined as a system of self-control by which one can stimulate alpha-wave activity in the brain, which is the hallmark of a effective meditation system. We will discuss one technique here that naturally lends itself to being used for magical purposes such as scrying and out-of-body experiences. It is simple and effective, but one may choose another if so desired.

Find a quiet, comfortable place in which to practice, and arrange to be undisturbed for at least an hour or so. Wear loose fitting clothing or better still, no clothing at all.

This style uses what the Yogis call the "dead pose" -- in other words, flat on your back. The surface should be comfortable, but not so much so that it tends to induce sleepiness. A Japanese futon bed is ideal, but a foam pad (like the kind sold in camping supply stores) or a rolled-out sleeping bag are quite acceptable.

Spend several minutes getting "adjusted" so all of the little discomforts are minimized and you can lie undisturbed. You should end up with your arms slightly away from your body and legs slightly spread apart, so no part of your body is in contact with any other part. Then you must lie totally motionless for the duration of the exercise.

The first step is to begin taking deep, regular breaths; either only through the nose, or breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Try to take an equal length of time breathing in as breathing out. Spend several minutes concentrating only on regular breathing before moving on.

The next step is to focus on individual parts of the body and "relax" each on in turn. Begin with the feet; say to yourself (silently) "my toes are relaxed and light as a cloud". Repeat this phrase until you begin to feel in your toes a sensation of "warmth", "lightness", "tingling" -- the subjective descriptions vary but you'll know it when you get it.

Once you've achieved this, change the phrase to "my feet are relaxed and light as a cloud", and feel the sensation begin to move upward. Proceed in this manner relaxing each body part in turn. Once you have relaxed you legs, proceed to your fingers and up your arms, then the hips, abdomen and chest, converge the sensation at the shoulders and work up to the neck, face back of the head and finally the scalp. Make sure you are thorough - don't forget such parts as the genitals, buttocks, small of the back, shoulder blades, etc.

When the entire body is relaxed, begin to imagine yourself as if you really are as light as a cloud and you are gently floating up into the air above the cushion. By this point you should feel profoundly relaxed and slightly euphoric. This is a light gnosis-state or "magical trance" that will be exploited later for magical purposes, but for the moment just concentrate on the feeling itself and the way you attained it.

Bring yourself "back" by imagining yourself getting heavier and heavier, in a reversal of the previous procedure. Eventually, slowly begin slight movements of your muscles; flex the toes and fingers, shrug the shoulders, roll the head gently from side to side. Take a few moments to gently "stretch out" before rising from your cushion.

It may take an hour or more to get results at first, or you may only succeed in getting your feet and fingertips to relax and feel "tingly". Regular practice is the key, as it will get easier the more you do it.

This technique of progressive relaxation can also be performed in a comfortable sitting position -- both feet on the floor, arms on armrests, head supported by a pad or pillow. Some people may find this position easier when advancing to the next step of visualization. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to rise and move about while still remaining in the trance state.

If you've never had any meditational training before this, I would strongly urge you to persevere in the practice for at least 4 weeks, spending at least one hour a day. You should strive to be able to enter the "light trance" state at will within a few minutes time. At that point, you're ready for the next step.

 

 

 

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The Juggler's Meditation by Scarlett Kat

Here we're going to deviate from the traditional approach. Almost all of the old magical traditions use some form or another of the mental skills described above. However, the general direction of their discipline in almost all cases is to encourage complete stilling of the mind as the goal. Such quieting of the thought processes is a valuable tool, as it can quickly connect one to the Void and the attainment of the gnostic mind-state. However, stopping one's mental processes completely by sheer concentration alone is a damnably hard trick, where even a few seconds of "no-thought" can only be attained by extreme effort. Expect to spend months or even years mastering such a technique.

As an alternative, here's a technique that seems to me to be able to launch one into a gnosis state functionally equal to the scant seconds of mental quiescence obtained by the inhibitory methods mentioned above. It takes an exactly opposite approach to the goal -- call it "meditative overload". It also makes use of the skills of meditation and visualization that you've been practicing (you have been practicing, haven't you?)

Everyone is aware that the mind can be active with several unrelated thought processes at once. If you're walking down a familiar street, one can easily avoid the obstacles of other pedestrians, curbs, traffic, etc. without having to devote conscious awareness to the process. While walking, one can also have a song running through one's head, while at the same time be thinking about a meeting one has later, and what one is going to say at the meeting, AND be buttoning one's jacket or rolling up sleeves all at the same time. This is not unusual at all. So we're going to expand on this mental trick that we all already know how to do.

Start by visualizing a simple form with your eyes closed -- say a bright blue square. Now, instead of trying to quiet your mind, start a song going in your head. Don't stop visualizing the square! Next, pay attention to whatever it is you're standing/sitting/laying on. Feel the texture and the weight of your body on it. Don't stop visualizing the square! Keep the song going! Then, try to recall the smell and taste of a delicious food. Of course, keep the blue square, song and texture active mentally! If you can, keep adding things to concentrate on using a variety of sensory types.

What you'll soon notice is your mind "time-sharing" between the various mental activities -- almost like a juggler catching and tossing the progression of different objects in the air. But this is NOT a contest. The whole idea of this technique is to FAIL. Eventually, you will add one too many mental activities, whatever your own particular capacity might be. Your mind will seem to move faster and faster switching from one conscious awareness to another until ...CLICK! You will drop all of the balls, so to speak. Suddenly, your overloaded mind will shut down, if only for the briefest of seconds. Congratulations - you have hit the gnostic state. This really works -- try it and see.