DeNiro

Oh dear, that doesn't sound nice.  You tried any natural approaches? changing luminosity, reading lights, breathing, yoga, pranayama, diet, looking for triggers, making note of patterns etc.?
 
No, I avoid watching indian dramas or movies.  I find the plots tainting and contaminating for my conscious mind.  They come across with crafty nindiya chugleee scenarios. I feel elements of psycho-deceptive schemes in play. i.e. how characters toy with others emotions like nau-sass scenarios or agenda based jealousy traits.    It may just be me, but I feel they plant negative subconscious seeds in me.    I pick and choose very carefully if I were to watch an indian and the only one I've watched in last 2 years was "Dangal" . I'd read some reviews after a black guy at my gym told me - Amir Khan gained 60 lbs for movie and then lost it in a perfectly timed manner with a difficult regimen.   My hero, De Niro had gained the same weight for Raging Bull movie. Dangal was different and not the typical Bollywood churn out that are made within a month or so .  If there were another Bollywood that was well produced, carefully directed and based on real elements of truth, then iId watch it after seeing some reviews. Otherwise, I avoid indian at all costs.
 
 
 

Good man.
You remind me of myself when I was about 23/24 yrs age.  Doing the banis was the ignition that got me climbing. I'd say it  lay the foundations that gave further discipline and dedication.  I maximized the hours and began cutting off from maya with time.   This was preliminary for getting all amped and psyched when I began serious years of bhagti.
 

they are good books but they can easily be misinterpreted and not understood. Especially if one is reading whilst on the bhagti marg path. I found, along with some other abyasees, that there were some serious errors. especially when it came to "anhad".   
In my opinion, the book by "bandiginama "  bhai Ragbir Singh was more helpful. As I was making the efforts on journey, I referrd back to the book a dozen times and always found something new to relate to, whereas i didn't with other books.
 

ha ha
The Truth itself is 'supernatural' and 'mystical'
Truth is not maya.
Behind the veil of maya is the truth. 
 
Do only brahman know what's behind veil of maya?  Maybe only brahman knows the supernatural and mystical.
I don't know anything about brahmans, so not speaking against them. Don't know much about  taksal, nanaksar, akj,  so i'd be a fool to speak against them. I learned a little more about naamdharees on another thread, so I can assume they don't know who my guru is. They're not in my boat and my foot's not in theirs. 
Tell me more on Alif Laila, because I don't know anything about it.  If you do, i'll tell you more about Adam and Eve an also my favorite "gingerbread" man story.
 

A real nice share veerji.   If anyone wants more clarity on some of the older posts referred to above on bhaikri, madhma, pasanti, para and rom rom jap, then this video is helpful. Gyani Thakur ji gives a good summary and forum members on those older posts have also given good details of their experiences.   I encountered the same sort of scenario as it went back to the navel with a little more force. It's almost as if it goes from throat to navel - to body roms. Then, back again to navel.  The navel is like the epicenter and I agree with lucky veer that one can initiate it from there when ever they need to. Walking, sitting, lying down. Personally, I find the lying down the most profound.

That's incorrect today. Tomorrow, you never know!
The high pitched frequencies are what you want to follow. The other sounds you hear are pavan shabads or non-anhad.  The panj anhad shabad in unison are heard in sunn.  Suffice to say, you are not experiencing those from what you mention. Seems like you are jumping ahead of yourself.  Need to be careful because trying to jump ahead is too easy and you can end up wasting months and years.
There s no such thing as yogic anhad or gurmat anhad. Anhad is anhad, period. You need to put attention to saas saas and the primordial sound.  Its no good me jumping ahead and telling you the higher rungs of ladder. You need to climb the lower paurees with confidence and determination.

Hey Jageera, keeping well?
Anger hey?  Yeh, it's all normal and many meditators experience it.  I suffered the same but was able to self-analyze once it subsided. 
 Simran is a process that starts with cleaning dirt and gandh layers ingrained on our mind.  I think people have different types reactions depending on the amount of dirt.   Think of it as cleansing toxins or negative energies accumulated on mind. Most of the time we don't know what they are and we subconsciously suppress them.  Our inner subtle body can deal up to certain capacity depending on inner strength or praan energy, but once threshold is reached, then  the toxins get transformed into other forms to be released and got rid of. 
 They convert to various emotions, like rage, anger, worry, fear  lets say, or they can come outwards into physical body and present as ailments.   Many abyasees suffer with mild breakouts of skin rash, heat rash etc.  or even "garam sareer" leading to fungal type infections. 
I used to get the same kind of anger issues and later learned they were  related to my earlier drinking days and suppression of emotions.   Anger is a fire element and it's no wonder that liquor's called "firewater".  It creates a lot of work and heat on the liver, which ends up causing extra work/heat on the heart.  This results in Anger and Anxiety since they stem from fire.  In those days I was in a vicious cycle because as a drinker, I'd get burning desire to go through same cycle of intoxication the next evening.  I used to feel that liquor would quench this thirst and put this inner fire out.  Furthermore, if I didn't get the drink, then I'd be venting out anger and fighting with those around me.      I later realized that I'd been suppressing a lot of emotions with the drink. These were feelings of anger towards people that had hurt me and because I never displayed these to anyone, they led to my own insecurities. I convinced myself I was all  man and macho, and hadn't been hurt, but the reality was different.  
Sorry to ramble a bit here, but the point is that when I started real serious Simran, these suppressed emotions started releasing  every time and would leave me feeling angry and tense a few hours later. Most time's I'd be quite calm and serene, but the smallest factor would trigger sudden episodes of rage.  I responded by going to gurbani and found many shabads on eradicating the BIK(poison) and putting out the burning fires inside with naam and amrit.  It gave me more determination to persevere and stay on the path of gurmat and Simran. I needed to find this naam and amrit, and my journey got more meaning to it.
The more Simran you do, the more answers you'll find within yourself. Gurbani  tells us to peek inside and stand in front of these inner demons, vikaars we have.
I strongly suggest the tips mentioned above by  Dalsingh101 and Das.  I'm a firm believer in the powers of rock salt for absorbing negativities. On a different note;  I was recently advised  by member Lucky to try a Himalayan salt lamp and leave it in the area I do Simran in.  Pleased to say  I've noticed  benefits and it really does balance out the ions in the air as well as the pavan in the ida pingala nadis. 

A real nice share veerji.   If anyone wants more clarity on some of the older posts referred to above on bhaikri, madhma, pasanti, para and rom rom jap, then this video is helpful. Gyani Thakur ji gives a good summary and forum members on those older posts have also given good details of their experiences.   I encountered the same sort of scenario as it went back to the navel with a little more force. It's almost as if it goes from throat to navel - to body roms. Then, back again to navel.  The navel is like the epicenter and I agree with lucky veer that one can initiate it from there when ever they need to. Walking, sitting, lying down. Personally, I find the lying down the most profound.

Very good advice, This method slows it down but it helps keep the concentration on breath and shabad jap stronger, since you recite one word with each breath with more thiaan. 
I was advised many years ago to keep it consistent and uniform. As long as there are same amount of breaths and pauses in the same spaces. 
Example..  ik oankaar=inhale. satnaam=exhale,  karta purkh=inhale  nirbah nirvair= exhale  and so on.
Some days I'd switch to a little faster with ik onkaar satnaam=inhale, karta purkh nirbhai nirvair= exhale,  akaal moorth ajooni saibhang= inhale , gurprasad jap=exhale  .. This was longer and slower breath but doing jap at the throat in a comfortable rhythm. 
I deduce that mantar can only get pakkah if it's jap with some kind of set pattern, unless you're a blessed vadbhagee with immense kirpa coming your way.   I've heard people jap with erratic tempos, and I always doubt if it's bearing as much phaal as than if it were flowing in steady rhythm?
 

Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh
1. First-
I recommend reading and working with instructions from the this post and reading from about pages 13 to 22. Some praiseworthy contributions from members like Sat1176 and Lucky veer ji's
2. Second-
I have heard similar questions to that you queried on many occasions. You know, about shivers and pressure on forehead. I heard these since someone in family were high kamayee wala gurmukh. (I can't say who they were because sangat may have heard of them). Anyhow, I would say these kind of incidences which students experience at preliminary  stages usually confirm you possibly have naam kamayi from previous lives. Think of it as an indicator of potential inside  A spiritual potential.  Should be a good motivation to try and harness this spiritual force and direct it into an orderly flow.  Getting familiar and steady with techniques explained in those pages of thread will be beneficial. 
 
Fateh
 
 

Very good advice, This method slows it down but it helps keep the concentration on breath and shabad jap stronger, since you recite one word with each breath with more thiaan. 
I was advised many years ago to keep it consistent and uniform. As long as there are same amount of breaths and pauses in the same spaces. 
Example..  ik oankaar=inhale. satnaam=exhale,  karta purkh=inhale  nirbah nirvair= exhale  and so on.
Some days I'd switch to a little faster with ik onkaar satnaam=inhale, karta purkh nirbhai nirvair= exhale,  akaal moorth ajooni saibhang= inhale , gurprasad jap=exhale  .. This was longer and slower breath but doing jap at the throat in a comfortable rhythm. 
I deduce that mantar can only get pakkah if it's jap with some kind of set pattern, unless you're a blessed vadbhagee with immense kirpa coming your way.   I've heard people jap with erratic tempos, and I always doubt if it's bearing as much phaal as than if it were flowing in steady rhythm?
 

A real nice share veerji.   If anyone wants more clarity on some of the older posts referred to above on bhaikri, madhma, pasanti, para and rom rom jap, then this video is helpful. Gyani Thakur ji gives a good summary and forum members on those older posts have also given good details of their experiences.   I encountered the same sort of scenario as it went back to the navel with a little more force. It's almost as if it goes from throat to navel - to body roms. Then, back again to navel.  The navel is like the epicenter and I agree with lucky veer that one can initiate it from there when ever they need to. Walking, sitting, lying down. Personally, I find the lying down the most profound.

Here is interesting new information i found in gyani thakur singh katha about simran in the belly button and kesh rom jaap. Also mentioned how Baba Gurmukh Singh Ji did jaap of 10 Akal Ustat paaths and 10 Sukhmani Sahib paaths.
Listen at 59 mins onwards
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=206588583611284&id=165458433514685&anchor_composer=false

i personally feel that just like there are some degrees which are not achieved just by doing study for hours for eg. say if you study for 8 hours a day it still doesn't guarantee that you would be a doctor. Similarly numbers of Jaap cannot guarantee that you would be a sidh. It is still considered as a abhyas. 
The Kathakaars give those examples since they want to inspire the sangat to be engrossed in Naam. Someone who does Jaap abhyaas would be lost in meditation and would lose the count. Naam Ras gives you peace and tranquil, you stop worrying about things happening around. Who will count for you ? The Jaap is nirantar inside...you will want to lose count. 
Siddhis come and are a blessing of Akaal. However i personally feel that energy will only reside in that body that can hold it. There are peoople who may start seeing things and predicting future but then along with these capabilities comes haume, arrogance. This arrogance kills abhyas with time. 
 
So rather than focussing on magic , i personally want to request you to focus on abhyaas. Let Parmatma be the decision maker, He always is , but as for now we feel we would do so and so and we would become so and so. 
 
My 2 cents bro, Waheguru Ang Sang Sahaai.  

I found a similar source from gyani sant Maskeen ji's blog.

Naam Abhiyaas
Gyani Sant Ji Maskeen's Naam abihyaas translated By: Mr. Prabhjot Singh

The tongue is doing the JAP of Waheguru, but the thought of uttering Waheguru mantra takes place in the mind. The navel is natively referred to as Dhunni because it is this place where sound (dhun) emerges from. The air strikes the Dhuni when a thought of saying something takes place in the mind. Naabhi (Navel) is like a wind instrument – For example, a harmonium, flute, shainai, etc. can only produce sound if it is pumped with some air, otherwise one cannot produce any sound out of them. Naabhi is one such instrument Waheguru has planted in our body that only produces sound if wind is applied to it. It is the wind that is an important element in the whole procedure. That is why, Guru Nanak Dev Ji has called wind a Guru because it is the Guru that creates associations for us. Wind produces speech, and with speech we are able to make associations with others. In the worldly affairs, we first see and then speak about it. In the case of Waheguru, we will HAVE to speak to create the association.

ਕਬੀਰ ਕੇਸੋ ਕੇਸੋ ਕੂਕੀਐ ਨ ਸੋਈਐ ਅਸਾਰ ॥
kabeer kaeso kaeso kookeeai n soeeai asaar ||
Kabeer, chant the Name of the Beautifully-haired Lord; do not sleep unaware.

ਰਾਤਿ ਦਿਵਸ ਕੇ ਕੂਕਨੇ ਕਬਹੂ ਕੇ ਸੁਨੈ ਪੁਕਾਰ ॥੨੨੩॥
raath dhivas kae kookanae kabehoo kae sunai pukaar ||223||
Chanting His Name night and day, the Lord will eventually hear your call. ||223|| (Ang 1376, SGGS Ji)

Kabir Ji says no matter what, I will keep on saying Lord’s name, eventually my call will be heard. On the worldly level, we see and then speak, but here one has to just keep saying His name, one day we will be able to see Him standing right in front of us.
When wind strikes the Naabhi, it produces a sound, that sound is called Parra. When that sound rises up and reaches the heart, it is called Basanti; this is where that sound recieves its words. When the words reach the throat, that state is called Madhmaa, this is where a complete sentence is formed. Eventually, tongue expresses it outside the body; this state is called Bekhari. So these are the stages of speech:
1. Parra
2. Basanti
3. Madhmaa
4. Bekhari
Now, one has to reverse the process and take that sound back to the Dhunni, the place where the sound arose from. Kabir Ji refers to this as:

ਉਲਟੀ ਗੰਗਾ ਜਮੁਨ ਮਿਲਾਵਉ ॥
oulattee gangaa jamun milaavo ||
Turn your breath away from the left channel, and away from the right channel, and unite them in the central channel of the Sushmanaa. (Ang 327, SGGS Ji)

One has to reverse the cycle and merge Ganges back into Yamunaa – The sound that was created at the Naabhi, and came out of the body via the tongue has to reversed and sent back to the Naabhi. Of course, this process is very difficult. One can keep saying Waheguru Waheguru thousands of times, the effort will be fruitless until one is able to reverse the sound and take it back to where it emerged from i.e. the Dhunni. In order to do that, Bekhari must be converted to Madhmaa, Madhmaa to Basanti, and finally Basanti to Parra. The inner revolution will start only when the process of utterence of Waheguru is reversed.
When Waheguru is uttered and reversed this way, it takes away all the clingling pains and sufferings; this sound provides supreme bliss. However, in order to be able to say Waheguru in the above way, one has to utter Waheguru a lot of times and meditate on it until the state is reached where the process of reversal is finally accomplished.
How to achieve the revesal? The sound came out from the inside via the tongue, so it cannot take it back in; one has to use the ears to take the sound back inside. Guru Teg Bahadur Ji says:

ਰੇ ਮਨ ਰਾਮ ਸਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥
rae man raam sio kar preeth ||
O mind, love the Lord.

ਸ੍ਰਵਨ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਗੁਨੁ ਸੁਨਉ ਅਰੁ ਗਾਉ ਰਸਨਾ ਗੀਤਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
sravan gobindh gun suno ar gaao rasanaa geeth ||1|| rehaao ||
With your ears, hear the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe, and with your tongue, sing His song. ||1||Pause|| (Ang 631, SGGS Ji)

Keep on singing Waheguru matra, but do not let it get wasted in the thin air, the purpose is to listen with ears and take the sound back inside the body. Just like food is taken in with mouth and eventually becomes blood, similarly when praises of the Lord are taken back inside, the person will be blessed with salvation; this absorbed sound will give supreme bliss, and result in Samadhi Avastha. However, one has to really LISTEN to the sound of Waheguru matra; when one LISTENS with utmost concentration, millions of pains and sufferings are elimination by just one Waheguru Jap.

ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਵਿਗਾਸੁ ॥
naanak bhagathaa sadhaa vigaas ||
O Nanak, the devotees are forever in bliss.

ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ ॥੧੦॥
suniai dhookh paap kaa naas ||10||
Listening-pain and sin are erased. ||10|| (Ang 3, SGGS Ji)

When one really LISTENS with love and concentration, then ears will absorb the sound inside and take it to the throat i.e. Madhmaa. When one is able to convert Waheguru sound back to Madhmaa, it will give immense joy to such a person – he will be able to actually enjoy the rass of Gurbani. If the concentration and love is maintained, the sound reaches from Madhmaa to the heart (Basanti); one starts hearing the Anhad Naad at this stage. This stages takes that person to the doorsteps of God. Guruji describes it as follows:

ਸੋ ਦਰੁ ਕੇਹਾ ਸੋ ਘਰੁ ਕੇਹਾ ਜਿਤੁ ਬਹਿ ਸਰਬ ਸਮਾਲੇ ॥
so dhar kaehaa so ghar kaehaa jith behi sarab samaalae ||
Where is that Gate, and where is that Dwelling, in which You sit and take care of all?

ਵਾਜੇ ਨਾਦ ਅਨੇਕ ਅਸੰਖਾ ਕੇਤੇ ਵਾਵਣਹਾਰੇ ॥
vaajae naadh anaek asankhaa kaethae vaavanehaarae ||
The Sound-current of the Naad vibrates there, and countless musicians play on all sorts of instruments there.

ਕੇਤੇ ਰਾਗ ਪਰੀ ਸਿਉ ਕਹੀਅਨਿ ਕੇਤੇ ਗਾਵਣਹਾਰੇ ॥
kaethae raag paree sio keheean kaethae gaavanehaarae ||
So many Ragas, so many musicians singing there. (Ang 6, SGGS Ji)

There is immense celebration at the doorsteps of the Lord. Ancient Kings and Maharajahs would order music to be played at the doors of their palace during mornings and evenings. Bhagats would hear the Anhad Naad inside, and created instruments to try to reproduce that sound. This stage is immensly enjoyable, but there is only one more step left to be taken further – the sound that has become Madhmaa has to strike the Naabhi and become Parra again.
If the required concentration is maintained and one keeps keeps the Jap going, the sound will strike the Naabhi; the Naabhi that opened to create the sound in the first stage will fully open up. At this stage, body lives but mind (mann) dies. Such a person starts existing on the same level as Waheguru Himself. Kabir Ji clearly declares:

ਬਿਗਰਿਓ ਕਬੀਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਦੁਹਾਈ ॥
bigariou kabeeraa raam dhuhaaee ||
Just so, Kabeer has changed.

ਸਾਚੁ ਭਇਓ ਅਨ ਕਤਹਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
saach bhaeiou an kathehi n jaaee ||1|| rehaao ||
He has become the Embodiment of Truth, and he does not go anywhere else. ||1||Pause|| (Ang 1158, SGGS Ji)

ਅਬ ਤਉ ਜਾਇ ਚਢੇ ਸਿੰਘਾਸਨਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਹੈ ਸਾਰਿੰਗਪਾਨੀ ॥
ab tho jaae chadtae singhaasan milae hai saaringapaanee ||
Now, I have mounted to the throne of the Lord; I have met the Lord, the Sustainer of the World.

ਰਾਮ ਕਬੀਰਾ ਏਕ ਭਏ ਹੈ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਪਛਾਨੀ ॥੬॥੩॥
raam kabeeraa eaek bheae hai koe n sakai pashhaanee ||6||3||
The Lord and Kabeer have become one. No one can tell them apart. ||6||3|| (Ang 969, SGGS Ji)

A Gurmukh Bhram Gyaani who has reached such an Avastha then does not need to recite Waheguru mantra, the sound constantly vibrates inside him with every breath taken – he/she becomes the roop of Akal Purakh Waheguru.

I'm just going to share some personal info and tips of how to try and counteract our own personal obstacles in simran.

There are times when you just can't settle in, no matter how hard you try. On the other hand there are times when we settle right in without making much effort.

Like everyone else, I have had very early mornings where I get up all psyched and ready to go battle the 5 thieves in the day ahead. Then after doing japji when i try and settle in to the simran...........Nothing !!
The mind will wander.., i will start again........ and....... nothing again.. ...This then becomes an ongoing cycle and I will look at the clock and think ''why have i wasted 15 minutes trying to settle in.''?

Sometimes, I tell myself that it's not going to happen now and I should maybe attempt later on. Whereas other times I will be adamant that I should be doing it, because even if i try going back to sleep.....I won't.!

It almost becomes a corkscrew effect, because if I try and analyze what thoughts are coming in, they can be the thought of 'why can't I settle in, I was fine yesterday, i've slept, i'm fresh...''...etc
So you end up thinking about your reason of not focusing, which itself prevents you focusing further....


I'm sure we have our own suggestions of what may work for us personally, but I thought I might suggest a few that i've tried successfully, that maybe you could try and think of next time !

1) I start with just taking a real deep breath in and filling your chest up.
2) Hold your breath and suspend the chest, and try keep a stillness.
-You should feel a settling in silence from within.
3) Then let the breath out slowly when you feel comfortable.
(But don't hold it too long so that you reach a maximum point of where you have to get a massive sigh of relief when letting it out)
4) Repeat this about 4 times OR until you feel that little space of inner quietness and stillness when suspending/holding.

Usually this should work and give you that 'tuning in' kick to get going.


****If this doesn't help, then I usually think back to what I used to do when I started in the earlier days ?
For me, I tend to just picture a mental image of my favorite Guru Nanak portrait or some other Guruji picture in the house.

NOTE- this is not ''idol worship'' stuff,- but a point of focus.
The worship process starts when you bring the gurmantar in, in my opinion, i have never seen it as manmat !



****Another little tip that could be useful after you have started and then seem to drift away is to-
....Just open your eyes and gaze right in front of you without moving your eyes around or looking around the room.
- Just look at whatever object is in front of you for only a split second, and then close your eyes back.

****-I usually put my focus to a central point in between the eyebrows and slightly higher (agna chakra area).
-Just look for this little dot of light or even a dot that is darker than the background screen you see.
-When you see it keep your eyes on this, as it will help keep the eyes still.
.....I know it gets painful for some people to look at that point, if so you could just look at any central point lower down in stead. This can be the bridge between eyes or the tip of your nose.

****Another method that I sometimes revert to is to put your Dhian on navel whilst listening to the 'Waheguru' gurmantar.
This is useful if you are doing the saas graas /saas graas I explained in ealier post where the navel pull in/out is being used.
I used to find this very useful when i started saas graas because i would get the sequence of -'navel in and wahe'- the wrong way round. The dhian on navel would help keep the correct sequence as well as the simran itself.


NOTE- the above few techniques are about focus whilst paying attention to the sound/dhun of gurmantar.
It's not happening if your dhian is on the navel/3rd eye and you are not paying attention to ''Wahe-Guru''

I will add some more little tips/techniques that i have found useful if you guys find these useful.
Even now, I find that sometimes you forget what to do if you can't focus. So, it's a good idea to 'revise' these like a college student to remember them when needed.
I often read through tips/techniques every now and again as a little refresher course.

My Understanding of saas graas and saas saas simran
It's important to try and understand what Swaas graas and swaas swaas is firstly.
But even more importantly, we should understand a little about what baikhri, madhma, pasant and para mean.
For these explanations, we have some very good info in one post that has been displayed on a number of threads and below is just one thread that you can access this same info for reference.

NOTE- just to simplify.........
Baikhri- is doing jap loudly
Madhma- is quietly, like whisper.
Pasant- is silent jap, where there is no sound out from mouth.
Para- is more further, when YOU are not making the effort to say, but waheguru himself is speaking-This borders/overlaps on further to anhad and rom rom (auto mode)
Before we even attempt rom rom, we have to SET the saas graas and saas saas as primary foundations.
I know there can be a lot of confusion between the two, and I never quite understood the difference for a long time.
But from what I gather and the approach I made, I believe it to be as described below (in brief)
Saas Graas
This is done using gurmantar with BOTH breaths.
1) Breath in is ''Wahe'' along with slight pull of navel in.
2) Breath out is ''Guru'' along with relaxing of navel(comes back outwards)
In between (1) and (2), is an important space of silence or void, that one should try and maintain each breath in and out.
This should be a space of no thoughts in between, but you still have your dhyan there !
So, in effect it will sound like-...
1- inhale ''wahe''
2- HOLD, and then
3- exhale ''Guru''
It should appear as.......Wahe...silence...Guru, ...Wahe...silence...Guru, ...Wahe...silence...Guru, ...etc....
Practice, practice, practice ...until you are doing this until you can bring ALL thoughts just down to One single thought,and then none !
then next you move onto-
Saas Saas-
1st STAGE
Again, the same gurmantar and breathing technique used, BUT only step 1) from above, while inhaling WITHOUT saying 'wahe' with tongue !
so,......
1) Inhale in with SILENT internal 'wahe' with breath and navel inwards
2) Exhale with 'Guru' out and relaxing navel outwards.
Therefore, you are doing the same as saas graas, but the only sound from tongue should be ''Guru' coming out on exhale, but the gaps, pace and lengths would be the same as if you were saying the 'wahe' as well.
In effect, it will sound like...-
1- Breathe in, (no sound except of breath)
2- Hold for a second
3- Breathe out with 'Guru' sound.
repeat.
It should appear as ..Inhale.. silence... 'Guru', .. Inhale..silence...Guru', ..Inhale..silence..'Guru'...etc.
Practice, practice and practice.. Again make the goal of killing the thoughts and using that void of silence to help steady mind.
2nd STAGE
Eventually you want to get to just doing the breathing without any slight tongue movements.
ie. ... breathe in..slight hold...breath out..... and while doing this you are silently japping Wahe-(in) and Guru-(out) by mentally incorporating the gurmanter in every saas.........this is Saas Saas simran.
The 1st stage was a build up the 2nd stage where there should only be the sound of Breath in and Breath out now (only hear the saas) and the gurmantar is actually in your breath and you can hear it yourself but there is no tongue/sound making movement. Therfore, you will hear it, but others will only hear your rhythmic breathing.
Personally, I think it is easier to always start with saas graas and then progress to saas saas, in every simran session.
Whist also going from baikri to pasant/silent jap.
With time, you will find you start going deeper and deeper whilst listening to the gurmantar.
The other key is to listen,listen and listen.
What I have given above is just the way that I was doing it after researching and reading from all other sources. Everyone can vary it slightly to suit their needs in order to help them get rid of the thoughts and HOLD that mind there.
Once you really start listening to the jap and it starts embedding itself within you, then with Waheguru's kirpa, you shall start hearing the anhad/naad/primordial/celestial sounds or Waheguru's voice itself !
Please don't take the above as official simran rules or anything, because they are just my own final conclusions of what I ended up doing in the end after playing about with all sorts of other jugtees and techniques. They may be of some help to some to some of you who are going around in circles trying to settle in that little comfort zone where you feel some decent progress.

That's quite an interesting read Sat veerji.
I am aware that it's from a sant mat radhasoami source or one of their popular references, nevertheless there can be some hidden gems in anything !

Previously, I too had come across some radhasoami info that was slightly misleading. It seemed to state that one must listen to sounds from the right only and not the left. It made it sound that it is forbidden and very bad to listen to the left.
This seemed very peculiar to me because i thought that the one's on the right are the dominant ones and you don't really have much choice !
and I thought ''what are they on about?''
Anyway, as I delved further, I came across some other samparda specific sources, that actually gave me the impression that these guys don't actually know what they are on about and i was doubtng whether they had actually experienced anhad shabad ?

I have been researching and checking out many sources lately to find some more answers and come to some conclusions.
AND...The info you provided above from Anurag Sagar is actually pretty good and near bang on !!

From what I have learned recently-
-We have energy fields as you know and thats what chakras are all about .Now, energy fields only exist if there are Positive and opposing Negative forces.
-Chakras have positive and negative forces, such that, they rotate in opposite directions to the one above and below. So, you can imagine 7 discs arranged with each spinning in opposite rotations to the next one.
-However, it's not just chakras, we also have the nadis, kosha sheaths and layers of aura. There is not much info out there that links all of these but if you look into them, you can workout and conclude how they overlap and intertwine.

-Negative energies can be associated with the left side and sometimes meditating can result in people hearing from the left side. This is when they are meditating out of the gurmat boundaries. There are all sorts of occult type meditation out there, directed at self-gain of riddi siddi only and not solely towards the true higher conscience of akaal purakh. There is this whole world of psychic phenomena, sending negativities, clairvoyancy..etc.. which is NOT spiritually God aligned towards truth, although these people will claim that they are spiritual when in fact, it is all about self gain and maya.
Gurbani warns us about taking this route and we shouldn't pay interest to it.

-If you are doing simran correctly and it is directed towards the Truth of Ek onkaar satguru, then you should hear anhad from the right or above/central.

-A sixth sense can still come with gurmat simran, but you don't follow it and stray away from the path. You should just take these little encounters with a pinch of salt and not get attracted to them.


The above is just my own view from what i have gathered overall and I am in no position to say that what is correct and right for sure. It's just the logical interpretation I make from what I have come across so far.

I've been try focus on the anhad sounds over the past few days. Trying to get my mind to just listen to it. It is becoming easier and I find it quite easy to listen to it during the night. I just put my dhyan on the right and it starts within a short while. Odd thing is that when I'm not at home I find it hard to locate. Maybe all the other external sounds drown it out. It feels very pronounced when it gets about 11pm or later or when I lie down at night.

I’ve been little curious about why it’s always on the right side so far and why texts from great souls always say listen to sound coming from the right. Only explanation I found so far is from a radhasoami book called Anurag Sagar. It stated the following:

The Sound Current - Naam or Word, Shabad - as it is described in the scripture is first basically audible always from the right side. In further state when some spiritual progress has been made, you can listen to it as coming from above.

Out of good fortune some people are allowed to listen to the Sound from the right side. You can experience the Sound at night often more intensely. Unfortunately mostly they do not know what this experience of the Soul means and probably even believe they were ill.

Some people hear something and out of ignorance they go to an otologist. If those people really accepted the Sound coming from the right and listened to it, they would realise after some time that it is getting louder and clearer and has a raising effect.

But there also exist sounds coming from the left. These are always negative. Especially persons who take drugs, are psychiatry or follow criminal addictions often report that they can not only hear from the left side but actively listen to it consciously.

Sounds that come from the left side, when listened to they lead to the result of lower addictions in a man get stronger. The moment when a man ceases to consciously listen to the Sound Current coming from the right or from above, he automatically ends in the mind.

There are many kinds of sounds echoing and re-echoing in the various regions of the creation and may, for convenience be classified into two categories:

1) Sounds proceeding from the left side. These are negative and material sounds and are connected with respective ingrained seeds of inner passions. The devotee is willy-nilly attracted by these sounds if one is fascinated by anyone of these siren-songs on the left, one may find oneself hurled down into the deepest depths of the abysmal chasms of the passion to which the particular sound relates, for such sounds have a pull that the outward and downward.

In such a sad predicament, the labour of years becomes of no avail and odds go against the pilgrim-soul. These are therefore to be avoided scrupulously, for they lead one astray from the Spiritual Path.

2) Next are the Sounds that proceed from the right side. These are Sounds from the Spiritual Planes and such are positive in character and purely spiritual with a characteristic pull that is Inward and upward.

The particular Sounds that have an upward pull are five in number, as stated by various Saints.

Whoever comes near fire, gets warmth, no matter whether he does so of his own accord or not. So the Holy Naam or Divine Song, cannot but influence you when you come in contact with It, whether you will it or not and are in time or out of time. The Power of God cannot but influence you, should you get in touch with It.

The outer music has a marvelous effect on all living beings, It shakes of the grievous burden of the oppressive sorrow and unrest under which one incessantly groans and drives away all thoughts. It washes away the dirt of everyday life by its melodious tunes and captivates the soul. It concentrates the mind, naturally, without having recourse to any fabricated methods.

Thanks Harsharan, I have to keep at it and the biggest battle is the MIND or should I say the way that this mind has been conditioned with maya.

I couldn't help notice the similarities in the ways outlined above with how I would describe it.
From what i remember, I'm sure that I heard or felt the conch at first and I wasn't too sure what it were. I'd probably have described it akin to insect noise at the time.
The Right side of ear-YES !
Then some time later I could say bells but I think I had read and heard about such bell sounds and i automatically expected a single bell sound, but what i encountered was many bells going simultaneously.
Then after quite a number of different visual/trikuti experiences - where i actually felt i was stuck for a while, ...I think I encountered the thundering sounds of drums. The only way i could describe this was many, many, hundreds of drums going in a rhythmic sequence which reminded me of the ''battlesound of nigara drums'' mentioned in gurbani.
I'm sure that Sat veerji may agree or remember here....that you actually hear these sounds but don't even realize that they are happening at the time because you are so absorbed in the jap.
In other words, It is all going on in the background but you are actually in the forefront and captivated in the jap/simran.
So, the sound vibration just continues going but up till some time later until your attention goes there andthen you self-acknowledge it. Here is when, immediately your surti starts to get withdrawn from the inner self, and you come out of the deep state. (and think to yourself..''that sounds like ....'')
In other words, you take a few steps back and out into the background to acknowledge what is happening.
Therefore, in all honesty I can agree that you should NOT go looking for them or be trying to think about your right ear or try to predict such a sound to expect.
I have often thought that these naad come on when you are absorbed in a deeper,calm and steady state, and maybe they are there to distract you !!
Because they have certainly pulled me out at numerous times !!
The ONLY thing that i personally acknowledge them for is as a reassurance that i am doing my walk on the path correctly. Personally, i think i need this as an encouragement to get me walking and going further. I make it serve like a divine message to keep me digging and getting deeper through the veils and layers of ego built around my jeeva.
I had probably read about some of these naad before hand just like some of you may be reading, and you automatically build a preconceived idea of some expected naad vibrations ....BUT, when it actually happens it is nowhere near your predicted assumptions and you don't even realise like i said until you step outwards on to a few layers of self-ego !
Also, just to add.. ... the only central sounds that i can remember starting central were the sounds of something similar to 'shainney' being shaken in rhythm.
All others have seemed to start from the right side at first and either stay there at times or may go central- or maybe I don't really know because my focus goes on the jap/simran. and the brain stops telling me where the sound is coming from ???
Sat veer ji.... with the below-
......- I like to think of it as the Divine Waheguru ''calling me'' or 'talking to me'.
Although, i can't remember being woken up by it, but i have certainly felt it quite loud when i get up at 1.45/2am before i get in the shower.
When this happens, it pleases me and makes me really psyched up for a good blissful simran/jap session. For some reason, it puts that smile on my inner self that in some way reminds of the many references of ''husband lord and soul wife' in gurbani. I always sense that i am getting a little hint of the feelings that Guruji tries to invoke in these specific shabads about the love and desperation to be with husband lord.
I know that this sounds a little bit egoistic, but it does help me relate to these references in gurbani more clearly.
For all the members out there trying to grab these ropes, i strongly suggest that you always keep focus on jap/simran.
Never start doing simran hoping to hear something new or expect some colourful visions.
Always try to not get tricked by your self but instead make the EFFORT to find your true self.
The other advise that i would give is to find your own personal method that helps you stay in the PRESENT. Being in this 'Present moment' helps to prevent you following thoughts about past or future.
You want to try and experience or find your Nirgun(formless) self.(when you start getting a little closer or getting a few little glimpses, then you will know what i mean!)
Waheguru works in wondrous ways.
Please make the effort to jap and find him.
For every one step you take forward, he takes hundreds more towards you.
 
Waheguru

You made me smile bro when you stated it's hard to describe in words which even I found. I guess a musician who can relate to sounds, notes, pitch and tempos would better succeed in describing or even reproducing. I wish I could put in as much effort and dedication as you do. Much respect to you bro.

I feel mental stillness when I jap. Hard to describe that state. When I hear the anhad it's more difficult to focus and listen to it. Maybe eventually I will fall in love with it like it takes time to fall in love with Waheguru Gurmantar at first.

Hey Sat, come on.... you have been more than just an influence for me
If my documenting can help just one person be a better sikh now or in the future, then it's worth the effort of putting this stuff into words.

It's difficult to explain what the naad or shabad sounds like but i have looked around to see if i can find anything similar. I have heard a few binaural beat videos at some weird frequencies that are supposedly helpful in activating chakras. These get pretty close but you won't feel the depth or the decibel octaves.

I read somewhere that it is the 'primordial unstruck sound' - meaning the sound and vibration from our Mool or origin.
I did have my doubts at first for quite a while and i am not sure if i was connecting to it in the same way ? (it's difficult to express in words isn't it)

I know it's just the very basic beginning stage, but amazingly and somehow you feel very familiar and at home with it.
It's as if, your jeev or soul knows that it belongs at home with it. This is what gives that unexplainable feeling of comfort and feel as if you have found a long lost treasure that was always very close by !

Do you get this same kind of feel or you comprehend what I mean ?
I am keen to know if Sant Waryam singh ji mentions something in his books, because i haven't ever read them just a few parts that have been posted on here and other sites.

Controlling the thoughts is probably the hardest part because you have to try and concentrate to not think !
I TRY and just let the thoughts pass or just let them come and go without following them. Then i keep getting these short moments of real deep 'being lost' where i feel so connected with the naad, trikuti and silent jaap at the same time. (what i have been calling the hint of samadhi) It's as if they all blend in together. It invokes feelings of tears/joy/anand/bliss......and then before i know it, i'm out of it and realise that i am sat on my bed in my surroundings. Then I try again trying to make it happen and prolong it.

I have to keep doing reality checks with myself, hoping that i am not getting attached to the wrong thing. I often worry that i may be losing my focus to Guruji because these feelings are pulling me ? It leaves me a little confused, which is why i felt i should share it on here
Some days i look so forward to having just a few hours of sleep before i get up at 2am, the other night i was so keen that i got up at 1.15am and tried going back to sleep at about 4am (still had this unknown source of energy).

I am so happy for you Lucky. You seem to have gone deeper within that I can only hope to experience one day. Thank you for sharing and inspiring me.

What does your anhad shabad sound like?

I'm no expert here but if your having thoughts in this elevated stage then there is still some way to go. But when you first experience anything it is only natural to react. I was once told that thoughts should cease the deeper you go within and if you have even a single thought then you fall back down again. So my advice to you is the next time you experience try not to think of anything, even the thought wow this is amazing brings you back down. Keep the mind locked on listening to the shabad. If your hearing the shabad at the trikuti then this is just too good.

Waheguru

Hoping that Sat and family continue receiving Guru's blessings, I shall continue a little with the wonderful and inspirational thread that Sat has contributed so much to.
Sat has truly been a major core of my personal sadh sangat to inspire me to continue with more devotion.
Waheguru



I have been doing simran very deeply at times for the last few weeks. I have had this same sensation of jap entering the heart along with some other encounters.
When it first happened, I got a little scared thinking that i had consumed too much coffee or some unknown stimulant, but then I suddenly remembered this description in this earlier post.

It all started when one early morning at amrit vela, I went into very deep silent jaap rapidly. This was helped because even before i had started and was composing myself physically, I had already made my mind quite 'steady'. This steadiness quickly induced the Anhad naad at a much clearer and louder tone than usual which prompted me to go into silent jap immediately. I then found myself in this void of bliss and completely immersed into it whilst being fully aware and lost in it, at the same time !
I should also mention that i remember thinking that my breathing and chest movements had slowed down dramatically with me taking longer breaths but with much less lung capacity at use ?

I thought to myself that this must be some level of samadhi where there were absolutely no thoughts that I was letting my mind follow. I kept going into this deep depth for a few minutes at a time and then realised that i had been doing it for nearly an hour. (it was about 3.30am now!)
Anyway, that very early morning, I was so in love with what i had experienced that I couldn't even go back to sleep for the usual couple of hours that I normally do.
It felt so familiar, as if my jeev knew all along exactly what it was and yet it seemed so new at the same time as well !
I ended up doing jaap non stop until around 7am and I thought i may be quite tired, but i was full of energy instead.

After doing this for a few days then, one morning i started to feel the presence of the anhad naad very central in my head, compared to my right side up until now.
Then at the same time when i thought that my breath would get shallow, my heart started pumping from real deep within. It seemed be in rhythm with a vibration where i could feel the naad, and all i had to do was synchronize the jap along with it just as Sat pointed out above.

This immense feeling of jap in the hirda can only be described as another sensation of spiritual ecstasy. It reminded me of that feeling of joy you get as a kid when you receive a present or toy that was the best toy you could ever wish for........(Hope you understand what i mean !)
But as a kid with a toy, this feeling lasts just a very short while, whereas this was being made continuous with the jaap.gave me

In all honesty, it gave me an even more clearer explanation of ''Sachiya sahiba kya nahin ghar tere...........vaajay shabad ganairy'

I'm not sure if Sat noticed, but because I have had these experiences just after 2.30 am or so...I find that again, I am full of energy and adrenaline.
I have gone with just 4 hours sleep most nights but i still don't experience the tiredness in the day !
It's been a good few weeks of progress for me, but i have also encountered some of the obstacles you face along the way.



I know i mentioned in an earlier post that i was finding it difficult to just listen to jaap and naad because i had been so accustomed to focusing on the trikuti.
Now, i have actually stopped worrying abut that and continue to focus on trikuti as well as jaap and naad. I find this is easier because even in my kundalini yoga, I don't think I can experience the transcendent joy of heightened spirituality without the 3rd eye focus.-It's funny because sometimes you see your instructor demonstrating and showing you something and you think it's no big deal until you actually do it as prescribed whilst focusing on your 3rd eye. There are countless times that i do this and think to myself ''wow!..that's what it was about '' !
Therefore, with my current experience, I think that i should continue this way but I am also aware that I am more susceptible to distracting obstacles of visions and what have you along the way.

I know some months back, I had some preconceived and mixed ideas of what anhad naad should be or will be once you hear them. And this was due to some of the confusing and not so straightforward references that i had come across. I hope that we can all help each other learn and develop by doing this with devotion and discussing appropriately.
All the members on here have been the best listeners where i can feel comfortable talking about my personal spiritual progress and encounters. I hope we can all continue to share and learn in this manner. Once again, a big thank you to Sat for giving me this extra inspiration and reassurance.

Waheguru