Hearing bells

[Ryumon]

A few times in the past year, I've heard bells ringing just as I was waking up in the morning. I thought it was bells that were waking me, but it wasn't the case. For example, the last time I was sure that it was my doorbell, but we have a Ring doorbell, and if it had rung there would have been a notification on my phone; plus my partner was already up, and she didn't hear anything.

I forgot about this until today. I'm reading James Austin's Living Zen Remindfully; he's a neurologist, and zen practitioner, and has written a half dozen books about zen and the brain. In it, he mentions that he has had this same sort of auditory hallucination for the past dozen years or so. Sometimes they sound like bells in his zendo, and other times like other bells. These hypopompic hallucinations - hallucinations that occur as one is awakening, unlike hypnogogic hallucinations, which are the ones you get as you are falling asleep - occur, for him, after periods when he has sat more than usual, or taken long walks in nature.

Has anyone else had this experience? At least I have some kind of explanation (even though I don't really grok the different brain activities he describes).

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

[Margherita]

I has a curious episode not long ago: I was sitting zazen and I was so very sleepy. I nodded off many times but I was resolute about finishing the session. I started dreaming and in my dream I heard my voice saying "Margherita" gently at first, and then a second "Margherita, wake up!" Yelled in my ear. I can assure you I woke up!

Zen aside, I had weird experiences with hearing voices: a beautiful female voice singing for a few seconds while I was in a remote place, nobody else was there but my dog heard it too; hundreds of voices while I was in a crowded place... as in, it seemed like someone turned up the volume for a few seconds and then all went back to normal; I heard prayers but nobody was praying, my friend didn't hear anything.
And I do see hypnogogic (less often) and hypnopompic (often) images that just appear to me, they are random.

Bells... it's curious!

Gassho,
Mags
ST

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[Geika]

Unfortunately I only experience auditory hallucinations while enduring sleep paralysis from time to time, if I fall asleep on my back. I wish they were pleasant sounds like bells, but instead they are, well, horrible things. I just sit up for a while, shake it off, and try to sleep on my side after that.

Gassho
Sat today, lah

[Jundo]

This year, with the cicadas now singing in the trees, I noticed that my tinitus may have advanced so that it is blocking out the sound of the cicadas at about the same frequency and volume!

Then I noticed that my tinitus sounds very much like dozens of cicadas chirping ... mirrrr, mirrrr, mirrrr!

How lucky I am now to have cicadas with me all year round, whenever I wish, right in my own ears!

Gassho, J

STLah

(PS - I have experienced sound magnification during Zazen just a few times, when the mind temporarily confuses its ability to judge distance and importance (?) of sound in the surrounding soundscape, and so voices far off, leaves rustling or even what seemed to be an insect walking seemed magnified and right next to my ear ... also at a few other times, some similar visual phenomenon where distance was hard to judge and distant objects felt magnified and super close.)

[Meian]

Odd, for a topic I rarely discuss, this is the second time in one day .....

The only time I experience auditory (and/or visual) hallucinations is during certain types of migraines which tend to become temporal lobe seizures. Then things get really wonky and it is highly unpleasant. (Grateful for my neurologist.)

Otherwise, not usually -- but the bells you experience do sound lovely. [emoji4]

Gassho, meian st lh

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[Naiko]

That sounds very interesting. I don’t think I have experienced anything like that while waking. Many years ago I had an auditory hallucination during meditation. It was as though a loud male shouted the words, “His path is not your path!” twice in my left ear and it came very distinctly from outside me. It was during a time when I was considering a major life decision. It was very unsettling.
Gassho,
Krista
st/lah

[Jundo]

I think that our migraine sufferers must be familiar with this book which, among other things, connects migraines with some of the great religious mystics and others of the past, and their wild visions ...

The many manifestations of migraine can vary dramatically from one patient to another, even within the same patient at different times. Among the most compelling and perplexing of these symptoms are the strange visual hallucinations and distortions of space, time, and body image which migraineurs sometimes experience. Portrayals of these uncanny states have found their way into many works of art, from the heavenly visions of Hildegard von Bingen to Alice in Wonderland. Dr. Oliver Sacks argues that migraine cannot be understood simply as an illness, but must be viewed as a complex condition with a unique role to play in each individual's life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine_(book)

Gassho, J

STLah

[nknibbs]

Interesting experiences. I have had similar experiences as well. Sometimes voices, sometimes distortions of visual stimuli, tingling sensations... I have been wondering recently about how much these phenomena relate to the concept of makyo.

Jundo Sensei, I suffer from migraines thankfully infrequent. Migraineurs who have significant migraines that cause various symptoms are often misdiagnosed or disregarded as problem patients. I am grateful that mine have no led to me being categorized as such but I can appreciate the suffering better of those that fall victim to that categorization.

Gassho,
Nick

[Meian]

Jundo, thank you for the book information. I'm not familiar with the doctor, but what is described is very familiar to me. With me, however, it is often followed by at least one seizure with these hallucinations.

Many years before I came to Treeleaf, I had a teacher from Belgium, in natural medicine and energy medicine. He had helped me with my migraines, and I had started not to be so scared of what was happening to me. Sadly, he died a few years ago -- he was also a beloved friend of mine. With his encouragement I had started painting some of my experiences and he had put some on his website. But stuff like this does tend to make one seem crazy ..... I stopped talking about it and stopped sharing writings and artwork years ago. People really thought i was nuts.

I only write privately now, and sometimes I sketch or paint a little, to process what I experience or how i feel. But it only stays with me, no other eyes ever see my writings or artwork anymore. I've done this for years, in silence. Even my neurologist, I give him atmospheric and general descriptions, but no details. He only needs the data anyway.

I still have my original artwork that my teacher friend put on his site years before he died, it's just tucked away. I have all of my work.

I may look this book up, it may help me understand some things that science cannot adequately explain.

Thank you, Jundo Gassho2

Meian st lh

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[Jundo]

Jundo, thank you for the book information. I'm not familiar with the doctor, but what is described is very familiar to me. ...

Oliver Sachs was a great mind and wit, an expert in neurology and unusual conditions of the brain, most famous perhaps for his book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat

... and for being played by Robin Williams in the movie Awakenings ...

https://youtu.be/Hj52vD7KGxs

Gassho, J

STLah

[Meian]

Oliver Sachs was a great mind and wit, an expert in neurology and unusual conditions of the brain, most famous perhaps for his book "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat

... and for being played by Robin Williams in the movie Awakenings ...

https://youtu.be/Hj52vD7KGxs

Gassho, J

STLah

Thank you again, Jundo. I have learned how to laugh at myself as well, so I definitely appreciate these stories. One learns not to take any sense or ability for granted.

Gassho2, meian st lh

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[Geika]

I absolutely love that movie. Recommended for those who haven't seen it.

Gassho
Sat today, lah

[A.J.]

This year, with the cicadas now singing in the trees, I noticed that my tinitus may have advanced so that it is blocking out the sound of the cicadas at about the same frequency and volume!

Then I noticed that my tinitus sounds very much like dozens of cicadas chirping ... mirrrr, mirrrr, mirrrr!

How lucky I am now to have cicadas with me all year round, whenever I wish, right in my own ears!

Gassho, J

STLah

(PS - I have experienced sound magnification during Zazen just a few times, when the mind temporarily confuses its ability to judge distance and importance (?) of sound in the surrounding soundscape, and so voices far off, leaves rustling or even what seemed to be an insect walking seemed magnified and right next to my ear ... also at a few other times, some similar visual phenomenon where distance was hard to judge and distant objects felt magnified and super close.)

I haven't heard bells or voices but I too have a touch of the tinnitus which at time has been like an aum or the inside of a conch shell. There was one time I was in tango with some mushrooms and it turned into music. That was wonderful.

Gassho,

Andrew,

Satlah

[Ryumon]

I think that our migraine sufferers must be familiar with this book which, among other things, connects migraines with some of the great religious mystics and others of the past, and their wild visions ...

Both migraines and seizures. I'm familiar with a condition that causes seizures, and I've done a lot of reading about them, and they are implicated in a lot of so-called religious events. Of course, back in the olden days, people may have thought that it was "god" saying something to them, or changing what they saw and heard, but we know better now. Right?

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

[Meian]

Is atheism required to be a part of this Zendo? Sincere question.

Gassho, meian st

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