The Great Western Vehicle is conducting research into the phenomena of
meditative absorption. If you believe that you may be experiencing any kind
of phenomena that is associated with the practice of meditation, such as
meditative absorption, then we would like to receive your case history.

After some time of gathering case histories we hope to select a group of
subjects who fit certain criteria who will allow us to test them while they
are in meditation. However, wiliness to be tested is not a criteria for
filling out our case history questionnaire.

From an exhaustive cross-cultural study of the literature of gnosis we have
found that meditative absorption has certain common characteristics that
nearly every subject manifests, regardless of their culture or religion. If
you manifest any one of the following characteristics while in meditation,
then it is very possible that you are indeed experiencing meditative
absorption, and we would therefore like to receive your case history.

Some of the characteristics of meditative absorption are as follows:

1) Tactile sensations that are associated with the chakras, such as a
tingling or a pressure at the chest, throat, forehead or crown of head.

2) Tactile sensations in the hands or feet that could be perceived as heat,
or tingling or a pressure in the hands and/or feet.

3) Sounds that may emerge only during meditation, or at first only during
meditation. Those sounds could be a rushing sound like the wind, a water
fall, or the rain; a chirping sound like cicadas or crickets; a ringing
sound, like a bell, or a high pitched electronic sound; or, the sudden onset
of tinnitus after the practice of meditation, and exacerbated by the
practice of meditation.

4) Sweat smells or tastes, such as incense or honey, that only arise in
association with meditation.

5) Luminance or an increase of light or visual images in association with
the practice of meditation.

6) Any sense of vertigo or the feeling of flight from the practice of
meditation.

Jhanasamyutta, SN 34
"Therein, bhikkhus, a contemplative who is skilled both in meditation that
leads to meditative absorption (jhana) and in the attainment of meditative
absorption (jhana) is the chief, the best, the foremost, the highest, the
most excellent of these four kinds of meditators."
(Bodhi, Bhikkhu trans., Samyutta Nikaya Wisdom, 2000)

Jeffrey S, Brooks
(sámañña Jhananda)
the Great Western Vehicle
PO Box 41795
Tucson, AZ 85717
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/
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