The Imperial Destroyer

Post 3 in a series of 5.

The sensory deprivation of leading a very simple life and the continued meditative focus on watching and witnessing sense experiences proved to be utterly mind-blowing. All of the senses became acutely sensitive and were easily over-loaded by any kind of sensory stimulation. There were countless examples of when I was just stopped in my tracks with the thought, “wow, that’s just amazing.”

Sitting on my meditation cushion, I could feel and sense my heart beating deep within. I could sense the blood pumping all around my body. I was acutely aware of any sensation or change. My mind seemed to expand and then just empty, with no difference between the inside and the outside. If somebody sneezed or coughed it sent electric shivers echoing up and down my spine.

Outside the meditation hall, the sites and sounds of nature proved fascinating. Bird song in the morning was captivating. The loud droning of bees seemed to come from a different world and I watched spell-bound as a caterpillar worked it’s way up a chair leg, focussing on the rippling symmetry of the legs and the small sucker pads on the ends of the legs which stuck to the chair. The butterflies danced mesmerizingly and any hint of the perfumed scent from flowers carried on the breeze was intense.

In the dining hall, small amounts of spicy food like mustard or ginger brought me immediately out in a hot flush.

From my tent, the hall air conditioning sounded like Tibetan monks chanting.

Dreams were also particularly vivid, exciting and emotionally engaging. I’m not very good at remembering my dreams but I seem to recollect that some of the experiences may possibly have represented somewhat of a temporary departure from the confined strictures of monastic life …

One night, aroused out of a deep sleep at around 11 p.m., I could feel the tent shaking and there was an enormous roar overhead. At first, I didn’t know what was happening. It took me back to 1977, aged 8 when I watched the opening scene of Star Wars in a cinema and the sound and epic spectacle of the Imperial Destroyer similarly seemed to shake the cinema. In fact, it was just that the local flight paths had been changed but it felt so very different.

My senses have still yet to recover. I feel very open and aware to new experiences. I put on some high-tempo dance music when I got in and literally couldn’t stop myself from jumping and bouncing around the room. Perhaps I should go clubbing tonight. To be continued …