Present moment awareness is boring

[adrian52]

Hello

I basically came here for reassurance that what I am doing is correct. There seem to be hundreds of websites online talking about the wondrous benefits of being aware of the present moment and meditating, silencing the chattering mind etc. But no one has ever talked about the process - I haven't seen any blog posts or personal accounts on what one personally experiences as one chooses to be more aware of the present moment.

I'm a little worried because it feels like I'm doing it wrong; I don't really feel 'happy' when I'm present, more like I feel like I'm forcing myself and so eventually I get tired and a bit depressed.

Is present moment awareness basically something where you force yourself out of your mind and focus on one of your five senses? And then, lets say the mind suddenly intrudes with a song that is stuck in your head. Then what I would do is force it out and try to push myself back into feeling the body or something like that. Is this everyone's experience with present moment awareness? Does it feel like NOTHING is happening and all you're doing is forcing yourself into a state you don't really enjoy??

Thanks for any help..
Adrian

[runningbird]

I agree it can definitely be confusing exactly how to be "present" and I think we definitely need more discussion on the types of problems or doubts you describe. However, I can tell you it shouldn't feel forced. I wouldn't try to sustain attention in one bodily sensation if it feels unpleasant, but on your body's "energy field". I bet when you feel that you are forcing it that there is actually some muscular tension in your body or in your face that creeps in when you try too hard to focus on something else. Eckharte Tolle said there is one metric by which to judge your degree of success in being present - and that is the peacefulness of your mind.

[drama07]

From what I know, it more of knowing that you are presence rather than trying to be present. You are always present even when you think you are not. You are always present with your thoughts of past and future, and the bodily sensations. There is no effort needed, nor any thoughts whether you are being present or not because like it or not you are always present. It is just the mind that blocks that sense which you need to dis-identify from to finally realize who you really are.

Tolle's concept on presence is just an introduction. Read from deeper teachers and youll understand what I just said.
All from the top of my head
HTH

[David Cain]

Originally Posted by adrian52

I'm a little worried because it feels like I'm doing it wrong; I don't really feel 'happy' when I'm present, more like I feel like I'm forcing myself and so eventually I get tired and a bit depressed.

Is present moment awareness basically something where you force yourself out of your mind and focus on one of your five senses? And then, lets say the mind suddenly intrudes with a song that is stuck in your head. Then what I would do is force it out and try to push myself back into feeling the body or something like that. Is this everyone's experience with present moment awareness? Does it feel like NOTHING is happening and all you're doing is forcing yourself into a state you don't really enjoy??

Thanks for any help..
Adrian

Hi Adrian,

Force really isn't a part of it for me. It's just the habit of gently returning your attention to the present whenever you notice it's been captured by thoughts about the past and future.

Boredom is really just a desire for the present moment to be different than it is; for it to provide more stimulation. The present moment can't be boring because if you are present, you are not bored.

Tolle does a great job of explaining what it means to be present, but his terminology doesn't work for everyone.

[spacedout]

Welcome Adrian52,

There is no forcing anything. Practice relaxing and simply enjoy the silence that is within yourself. Once you can calm your thoughts (not get rid of them) you can then learn to observe your reactions to your thoughts. When you can observe your self, you are the witness. After that it's all down hill.
Pureawareness.com.

[yoopersmith]

Hello Adrian52,

Anyone that has ever tried to meditate or be "present" experiences what you describe...bored, depressed, tired...

...You are not doing it wrong...but your are thinking about it without knowing why you might like to be more present...

Try to list out some benefits of being more present or aware...not while you are meditating, maybe in a spare moment...type them up in note pad and save them on your computer some where...

These are your goals for becoming more aware...

My list might be something like,

fewer overall thoughts...
less stress
better sleep
more attuned to my body and health issues
becoming a better listenering
etc..

Then, the tiredness, boredom, and depression are a few (there are many more!!!) rocks in the path...

I have been meditating for several years now and there are still rocks in my path everyday, but I still do it because I see the benefits in my day-to-day life.

Instead of forcing yourself (that doesn't work), just when you notice a rock in the road...note it with one word...for example: 1) bored, 2) tired, 3) depressed, 4) thinking...then gently bring your attention back your breath and posture and continue to the process of being aware.

I am reading "The seekers guide" it's a great book...there are many more and plenty of other online free resource about mediation and inducing present moment consciousness...

Enjoy the ride...have fun with it...

[rawxstasy]

If you find yourself thinking about past or future, just gently bring yourself back to the present. Don't be upset with yourself for these thoughts. Eventually it will get easier.

For myself, I first felt alot of depression and boredom. I think it was because I used to distract myself with food, TV watching, daydreaming etc. Anything to not think about something "unpleasant". Now I just allow the feelings to be. I have experienced that after a while the sad or bored feelings go away and I experience a deep inner peace. Just a feeling of total contentment.

[yoopersmith]

Originally Posted by adrian52

...But no one has ever talked about the process - I haven't seen any blog posts or personal accounts on what one personally experiences as one chooses to be more aware of the present moment....

Hello again Adrian,

I was looking over your post again, and you mentioned that you have not found any blog posts speaking about personal experiences...I have a few for you (quite a few really)

Lemme see...

Here's one that I wrote about Echart Tolle and Dr. Who...just for fun

Dr Who meets Eckhart Tolle

Here's my page on Meditation:

Inducing consciousness through Meditation

I have a page on inducing consciousness...

Inducing Consciousness

More personal "law of attraction" type stories here:

Law of Attraction

Lemme see if I can find something really OLD from my blog...

This is my old belief system page...I probably need to re-do this...

The Meaning of Life: YooperSmith Belief System | YooperSmith.com

Please give me feedback...you have the "beginner's mind" which is fresh and clean...very valuable to old crusty dudes like me...

THANKS! and CHEERS!

[mercuryrising]

I just wrote up a post about the practice of listening. It's in my signature. Just another door into the present moment.

[Eric Roosevelt]

Originally Posted by adrian52

Does it feel like NOTHING is happening and all you're doing is forcing yourself into a state you don't really enjoy??

Sometimes in meditation it's not supposed to feel like much is happening. In some cases, that's sort of the point. Detach from your thoughts, feelings and temporary perceptions. If you enjoy it, try to detach yourself from your enjoyment and observe the enjoyment. And if it feels bad, try to detach from the thoughts associated with that bad feeling and simply observe the negative feelings.

[Chad Prigmore]

Hi Adrian,

There is some great advice here. All I would add is to start with breathing meditation. Just breathe in a very deep yet relaxed manner and put all your focus onto the breath going in and out. This helps me alot when struggling with focus.

Good luck

[MacFly]

Tolle said : "To meditate successfully, the idea that you're doing a meditation can be quite an obstacle."

[nightdiamond]

In addition to the other advices offered, this might be something that interests you, since the topic of this book seems similar to what you described and posted.

There is a book by a Stephen Wolinsky called "Quantum Consciousness", it's about obtaining the state some people call "Samadhi".

I read the book a few years ago, though I never fully practiced the exercises, I remember what the book contains...

It has somewhat of a self-help approach to it, dealing with psychological issues, but goes on to give a number of exercises designed to help a person experience mental states beyond emotions and ego supposedly...

It has a more scientific, step by step approach, with each step leading to the next larger step, like experiencing being everything in one, or at the end, a bliss-like samadhi state.

At least that is the claim, there are some disagreements from other scientists on the subject, so it's more of try it and see for yourself situation...

Take care

[Cigaro]

Thank you all for all the fantastics posts here. I have a similar feeling as the OP. What bugs me the most is that I feel that we're trying too hard for things not to be 'boring'.

For example, being in the now while in the tube going to work. Mine is a 1h journey. Whenever I try to be present, it feels like 10h. And it reminds me how unhappy I am making that journey, having to make that journey, and the reasons behind having to make that journey.

I find this to be the #1 obstacle in trying to be 'more aware'. And I feel that trying to convince myself that it doesn't have to be boring is acceptance of my actualy boring existence. Which goes against the grain of my effort to be more 'in the now', which was to improve my existence.

[wolfgang]

One can have some fantastic mind states by controlling the mind - it's like some form of entertainment.

Or one can meditate without wanting anything to happen - other that letting the mind be natural.

The mind always wants to do something and make noise and chatter and that's what it's good at. The mind does kind of get bored, in my experience of meditation, without manipulating whatever states show up. It isn't being given anything to "do" which is what it does - it "does" things.

The mind wants to do what it's always been doing and doesn't like being bored. It actually can judge itself, when being quiet, as boring. That is the mind doing something again. Let go of that judgment too - not forcing it to go away, but just let it be and take note of it and continue on.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by adrian52

Does it feel like NOTHING is happening and all you're doing is forcing yourself into a state you don't really enjoy??

It's very hard to describe how to access the present moment because all we can do is use words (pointers) to hint at it. There is something always present in your life, it's always there as the background for all there is.

It is life, what you in essence are.

The mind (ego) wants to claim it as it's own and say I am this, I am that, now I feel aware, but that's just the mind wanting to be enlightened, which isn't the same as to know oneself as life itself.

See how tricky it is to describe because words can't describe it, only point to it.

As life you are the centre of the universe, everything revolves around you or we can say everything is inside you. Being the space for all there is, is another pointer. To access the present moment, you would have to accept you are life itself, not the man or women you think yourself to be.

So there is no need to try and shut stuff out, because you can't and that is not the point. Even in dreamless sleep, you are aware. Being the watcher of all that you are aware of is a good way to access the now.

Non reactive present moment attention to what is, in whatever form it comes in is a good way to gain presence.......words are helpful, but can only point to it

Judge

[adrian52]

So..just wanted to say thanks for the advice. There are a lot of resources you guys/girls listed, so I'll have to check them out bit by bit. I tried awareness today again and it felt a little nicer.

I do meditate everyday for 15 minutes, and try to watch my breath go in and out (part of a book called "The Presence Process" by Michael Brown). I think the main problem is my mind is really powerful, because even in my breathing exercise it constantly takes my attention away from my breathing and I start imagining various things.

But anyways this is nothing new or particularly important; it just requires practise and patience. Its good to hear that it isn't about forcing yourself; maybe I am just trying TOO hard and I should relax a bit more. So maybe I'll try that out, see how it goes. The only thing I worry about is if I don't try hard enough my mind will take over and make me go unconscious, because I have to force myself to stop falling in the trap of thinking about what I notice.

Well I think it will simply require practise, patience and some experimentation. I'm sure it'll work out eventually, in the mean time I'll do some reading.

-Adrian

[TiffyLove]

Originally Posted by drama07

Tolle's concept on presence is just an introduction. Read from deeper teachers and youll understand what I just said.
All from the top of my head
HTH

I would love to know what teachers you have in mind that are deeper?

[mercuryrising]

Originally Posted by adrian52

Well I think it will simply require practise, patience and some experimentation. I'm sure it'll work out eventually, in the mean time I'll do some reading.

-Adrian

I once came up with a statement to describe Zen:

Zen is embracing everything without holding onto anything.

That is the basic practice of Now. In present moment awareness, you want to quit trying. You are always here and now. You always have been and you always will be. There is nothing to grasp, no experience to be defined as "enlightenment". Every experience is the now. The practice is a process of letting go. When you let go, you become more receptive. Receptive just means the ability to receive or gratitude.

If you are getting bored or otherwise stuck, you are holding onto something. Receptivity is always fresh, always new. There has never been a single moment of your life that is exactly like any other moment. When it looks the same, you are holding onto something.

That's all you have to do: let in and let go.

[nerakami]

Each one of us will have a unique experience. My sensations and interpretations will be different form yours and I think that is the first thing. No one out there can truly tell you how it should or shouldn't be. The first requirement is a sense of trust that you will be lead by your Higher Mind.
Awareness is the simple process of watching yourself... that's it. There ought to be no judgment of whether you're doing it right or wrong. Feeling bored or frustrated is exactly what you are feeling in that moment, so you witness that and continue witnessing whatever other thoughts or feelings are coming to your attention.

Our society is at the point where it needs to be constantly occupied.. whether it's the tv, internet or video but the mind needs to be entertained 24/7. Trying to break the habit of being distracted all the time will take some time and consistent effort in practicing the art of mindfulness. But again, it doesn't have to be a formal sit down practice. If you walk get in the habit of becoming conscious of your stride, what's your swagger like, do you take long strides or short ones... there is so much to be aware of in just walking!
When you take a shower how does the water feel on your body, what is the sensation of the rag against your skin? Paying attention to all these sensations and impressions is the practice of being aware ! Try to bring this kind of awareness to each activity you engage in... it will take some time but with effort you will get the hang of it...

Practicing Awareness is a critical technique in understanding what you are holding on to as your truths which are ultimately deciding what experiences you are calling into your life. Without this awareness, you have no say-so in what thoughts become your reaction in any given situation. Awareness offers you the power to change your mind and the presence of mind to guide your thoughts into incorporating new perspectives. It is the gateway to freedom from the conditioned mind.

[zack637]

Originally Posted by drama07

From what I know, it more of knowing that you are presence rather than trying to be present. You are always present even when you think you are not. You are always present with your thoughts of past and future, and the bodily sensations. There is no effort needed, nor any thoughts whether you are being present or not because like it or not you are always present. It is just the mind that blocks that sense which you need to dis-identify from to finally realize who you really are.

Tolle's concept on presence is just an introduction. Read from deeper teachers and youll understand what I just said.
All from the top of my head
HTH

Can you recommend some of the deeper teachers?. I've read a lot of Eckhart Tolle but not much else.

Thank you.

[Antarananda]

Originally Posted by zack637

Can you recommend some of the deeper teachers?. I've read a lot of Eckhart Tolle but not much else.

Thank you.

These Masters are mostly aligned with Advaita Vedanta.


Eastern (Indian):

Ramana Maharshi:

Self Enquiry

Online books


Nisargadatta Maharaj:

I am That


Sri Atmananda:

Notes (PDF)

Discourses


Mathru Saradamma


Western:


Adyashanti

Anadi

[zack637]

Originally Posted by Antarananda

These Masters are mostly aligned with Advaita Vedanta.


Eastern (Indian):

Ramana Maharshi:

Self Enquiry

Online books


Nisargadatta Maharaj:

I am That


Sri Atmananda:

Notes (PDF)

Discourses


Mathru Saradamma


Western:


Adyashanti

Anadi

Thank you very much Antarananda

[strawbear]

hi adrian52!! i just posted a thread about the same exact topic because I thought no one has felt bored with the present, good to know i'm not the only one! can't wait to read the replies on here.