LISTENING and SEEING INSIDE
Listening-out Internally
Though it's a curious wording, listening-out internally is easy to do. I don't mean the intuitive 'listening inside' for 'the spirit's messages'. The essence of these essays is empathy with animals' felt-reality. I mean actually listening to bones, muscles and organs.You can listen-out in a panoramic way inside your whole body, or listen focused on specific areas. You won't often hear anything, but exactly as with listening-out externally, that's not the point, it's the openness and readiness to hear which is the vital part.
Listen-out into your hands and arms, listen to your legs. The first thing i noticed with this, was when i listened in my legs and feet, my stomach started rumbling. I also get this with the fingers. It doesn't always happen, and it doesn't happen when i'm expecting it. But it happens often enough to know it works.
I find it's especially good to listen to the spine, or any stiffness... notice how just listening relaxes the area, very occasionally bones pop into place.
There's a background beating of the heart all over the body, but that's more of a sensation than a sound.
Note also that ear plugs isolate and amplify the sounds inside your own body. You can try listening inside and outside, but i suggest first get a good feeling for both independently.
Seeing inside the body
This seems to be a visualisation of the sense of touch.I can remember using this sort of internal x-ray vision regularly in my childhood meditations. In those times it occurred naturally with no effort.
These days it occurs only after a build up of internal listening and tasting and general awareness. It's far easier to start feeling this sensation in the body rather than the head.
Obviously this visualisation involves a strong element of imagination. But any animals who dream, have an imagination; and it seems logical to me, that any animal with a high visual acuity would have a vivid imaginary picture of how they look inside.
The effect is that the body feels much larger than it actually is, and there is a pleasant sense of space inside.
As adult humans we are sure to be influenced by all sorts of weird abstract influences, which i would like children to clarify.
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