Disappearance of the Mantra

06. Discussions on AYP Deep Meditation and Samyama
1

Hi,
I just started Deep meditation. The mantra starts off clear and then gradually disappears. It this normal or should I try harder to bring it back?

2

Hi Willyeast,
If you are in doubt about correct practice always go back to the lessons. This is from lesson 13:
“When you realize you are not repeating the mantra, gently go back to it. This is all you have to do. Easily repeat the mantra silently inside. When you realize you are not thinking it, then easily come back to it. The goal is not to stay on it. The goal is to follow the simple procedure of thinking the mantra, losing it, and coming back to it when you find you have lost it. Do not resist if the mantra tends to become less distinct. Thinking the mantra does not have to be with clear pronunciation. I AM can be experienced at many levels in your mind and nervous system. When you come back to it, come back to a level that is comfortable, not straining for either a clear or fuzzy pronunciation.” [Yogani]
So, the simple answer is that when you realise the mantra has disappeared, you start repeating it again. And you can start it up again either with a clear pronunciation, or at the subtle, fuzzy level that it was at before it disappeared. There is no need to try to stop the mantra from disappearing. In Deep Meditation, the key word is “easily”. There is almost no trying at all.
Christi

3

Thank-you Christi. I do try to return to repeating it but it no longer repeats as a sound. Should the repetition be as an internal sound or just a vague thought?

4

Hi Willyeast,
The mantra can be as an internal sound, or it can be refined to the level of a vague impulse.
See this post by Yogani:
https://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13671
“Yes, it is repetition of the mantra. But the kind of repetition we use in deep meditation is a faint idea, an impulse, and in its finer states is not repetition at all in the conventional sense. It is just a very subtle vibration deep in the mind, and then … transcendence…” [Yogani]
Christi

5

That is very helpful and answers my question. Thank-you Christi.

6

:pray: