Thoughts are a continuous string of meaningful words in a particular sequence describing something that is being imagined or the present activity in the mind that the consciousness is engaged with, deliberately or spontaneously, within a period of time, for a definite period of time. THIS IS A TYPE OF MEDITATION one among the many ways to reach the ultimate goal of life experiencing the self. By time tunnels we actually mean, the consciousness is continuously engaged without the action of switching frequently from one or the other thoughts available in relation to this specific topic.

If there is only one thought and all the correlations with each words that gets strung are denied attention by negation (Mind has the habit of co relating with everything that has some relation in one way or the other to that which we are thinking) Then within the specific time period we experience just as if inside a tunnel, having only forward or backward movement possible all exit in the other directions are negated and nullified. This makes most of our acts of thinking or states of existence A MEDITATION, so this makes living, a collective meditative act. Dreams and sleep are definitely meditative acts as long as the dream and sleep are not disturbed or changed, and the state of deep sleep where no thoughts are identified with, is the ultimate goal of meditation, opening us to beyond mind. This is the state of only feelings without differentiation and experienced as love our true nature.

When the thought is not changed and nothing more is left to think about it or continuous switching of thoughts so fast that nothing registers in the consciousness, making it really blank, (the state we want to reach in meditation) At this point the tunnel dissolves into nothingness, during higher stages of development. {Possible only if there is high level of guidance, clarity, and ability in the individual’s will power and determination, these are developed in the process of our spiritual practice, achieved by purification, perfection, and maturity}.

Actually there is no way that the spontaneous rising of thoughts can be stopped as long as we breathe triggering impulses of energy as bioelectricity in the region of involuntary action center or internal silent breath is taking place, that is expelling and absorbing energy.

Change Of Mind States During Meditation, Stages (note it is not necessary that all experience this same way)

We generally start with trying to relax our body & mind by absorbing the surrounding nature, next we come a stage of clarity or rhythm on the subject /object of concentration, now the effort required initially for concentration is gradually reduced, due to relaxing of the body and mind. The mind is now engaged in a specific topic continuously stringing words describing it first in the gross level (sound, color, smell, touch feeling, taste, and shape), as soon as there is no more details to describe here, it moves into the subtle level. Sound patterns that cause the distinct noise or tone trying to strip them to find the single inner tune (NADA), Color patterns and shades that cause the distinct color trying to strip it to find the single pure light that defines the thought (CLEAR PURE LIGHT), The discrimination of the touch feeling minutely actual or imaginary (CARESSING, FEELING OF LOVE), All the different tastes that cause the same sensation in the taste buds (PURE SINGLE TASTE), the distinct shape and contour (DETAILS OF PURE OUTLINE). This is what we say when we are engaged in a specific time tunnel. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE PROCEDURE OF CONCENTRATION

THIS IS COMING TO SINGLE POINT OF THINKING (or progressive thought in only one direction) or in other words concentrating on one point, this usually culminating in no more thoughts and experiencing a joy of oneness with everything. SUPREME JOY IS NEITHER HAPPINESS NOR ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN BE DESCRIBED WITH DUALITY. It is experiencing being alive, a satisfaction of quenching the desire of experiencing oneself. This is similar to all the small joys we experience in parts in all the activities in our life.

Mind can get trapped in the time tunnel due to confusion also as memory cannot help it due to lack of information, as this information was not experienced by it and confirmed by the gross senses of the body and stored in the body.

In the mind level all the five powers that cause it’s functioning will work in harmony with each other at their maximum capability, that means (Kriya Shakti) or “power to act” or make all the other powers function in maximum capability. (Annada Shakti) or “power to experience or enjoying”, will purify as it fulfills its craving for joy, (Cita Shakti) or “power of thought” will continuously string the same thought of bliss as all the other differentiating thoughts are merged into one, (Budhi Shakti) or “intellectual power” will mature into complete knowledge, and (Jana Shakti) or “power of Wisdom will become perfect wisdom true joy and will dissolve the self into the self of the supreme.

During higher levels of meditation reaching the state of one point, If using image or form, we start with thoughts of the image describing it with words and sentences within our mind and imagine the form by visualization the picture either in color or black and white, as we advance after achieving purification and perfection in this, we become well versed in visualization the detail features like face, eyes, ears, hands, and feet if the object of concentration is of human form. The body parts are then transformed from light and color to solid and there is a feeling that we can touch and feel it as if it were real, as we advance further, achieving purification and perfection in this, we graduate to the stage of maturity when we can dissolve and reconstruct the image into light or darkness and back to solid. This is when we reach the clear light stage triggered by the stage when there is no image and the start of the forming of image from the speck. (DOT Or BINDHU). Now the meditative state can be reached relatively faster than before. Becoming comfortable with the darkness and light alternation is similar to absorbing and expelling energy (THE SILENT BREATH). Many describe this as void or emptiness. This pulse or impulse occurring spontaneously is the beginning of the entire activity the birth of time and duality. 

If using sound we reach the stages of differentiating them from the first single sound and finally end up in the mmmmmmmmmm…the best part of this is that there is nothing to visualize, taste, smell, touch, but just experience the hum of satisfaction without any other disturbance, this finally dissolves into nothingness or clear light or darkness. The progress is same as above with slight changes with respect to experiencing details and solidity.

To reach the state of meditation by concentrating on we may use anything, topic in this universe, which finally dissolves into nothingness or darkness or clear light. There are no additional benefits over each other. The out of body experience whether during meditation or actual daily life situation, will open us to experience every possibility in the universe (possible so fast that we do not registered in the awakened state during our life). The mind will come to experience that what is present in the consciousness, brought forward from memory or the senses (these are developed as we advance into the state of bliss after purification, as a means of perfection and maturity).

Most of the things that are taught to the aspirants to avoid being trapped in the time tunnel and contemplation can lead to the state of bliss. If the mind can be taken to the stage of perfect bliss than it can be connected to the universal wisdom and nothing will be differentiated, thus the trap in any time tunnel will not take place.    

What happens in the five sheaths of the body?

The effort performed by the body, mind and soul during thinking is the cause of contracting (If Disturbing thoughts) or relaxing (If Happy or joy thoughts) of many muscles in the body, this is due to need for redirecting the vital energy through specific channels, this in turn imposes specific flows of vital energy in the other channels restricting or supplying excess vital energy. Prolonged sustaining of thought in the same topic, subject/ object or emotion causes certain defects to develop in these parts due to contracting (If Disturbing thoughts).

If the thought is of happiness then in the bliss or experience sheath there will be an experience of joy that will seep through to the other sheaths as the stage of completion of defining the point of concentration is reached there will be complete relaxsation, this will be none other than in-distinguish-ability with everything else, the flow of vital energy will be in such a harmony between memory and mind (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL NATURE) without any confusion (that creates disruption of experiencing the wisdom sheath), making ground for a resonance as the boundaries of confinement and limitation due to I-ness is broken.

In the knowledge sheath a single well-defined path is engraved to connect different paths of energy flow that were blocked due to insufficient of clarity, now the source and destination are connected as in a complete circle.

In the energy sheath all the 72000 paths are opened up to enable the vital energy to reach all the parts of the food sheath rejuvenating all the cells rectifying the body from all disturbances and restoring health. The expansion of the self will extend beyond the body limits, engulfing the entire universe. 

The most important thing to be noted here is that, just attaining the state by using one point concentration on any one topic will rectify the entire five-sheath disturbance. 

How to change thoughts to make our meditation joyful?

            Thoughts are formed by the absorbed breaths in our body called “udhana vayu,” they are transformed due to feelings which in turn is modified by the information brought to the mind from sense organs, the most influential energy to change thoughts comes from the memory as consciousness is always in contact with it.

One of the way thoughts can be changed is by change the flow of breath in the nostrils, say at this moment you are experiencing joy or sorrow and you want to stop it, Check the flow of breath, if it is right nostrils then tilt your head towards right side and intensely think of flow in your left nostril concentrate on the flow of breath. This will establish the flow change and then notice that the thought has changed. The right and left parts of our brain are connected to the respective nostrils and so are thoughts of duality. The thoughts that were fed energy are now cut off and new thoughts are possible.

THIS IS FASTER IF YOU CAN LIE ON THE BED AND CHANGE, THE SLEEPING POSTURE FROM LEFT SIDE TO RIGHT SIDE OR THE OTHER WAY. This will make us not identify with them.

The other way is to change our attention to any other information that is brought to the mind from the senses, say taste, sound, touch smell or sight.

The best way that is in our control is to stop identifying with it THUS THIS LEAVES US WITH ONE ALTERNATIVE. D O  N O T   I D E N T I F Y   W I T H   T H E (THOUGHTS).

It’s our identifying with individual subjects objects, by thinking about them continuously that makes us experience them!!! So the best way is not to identify with them, if this is inevitable then experience them completely (UNTIL Satisfaction or aversion to it or find a solution) alternative to deal with it so that we are done with it and thus it does not get stored in the memory as unsatisfied thing pending fructification at some other time.