Stop!

What the Method Is

The core instruction for this meditation method is: “Just as you have the impulse to do something, stop”. This sutra describes a sudden cessation of activity in response to an arising impulse or external command, designed to create an internal gap and reveal one’s true center.

How It Is Done

To practice this method, you should:

  • Identify an Impulse: Become aware just as the impulse to do something arises. This can be any impulse, such as sneezing, walking, speaking, making a gesture, or a more complex emotional impulse like anger or sexual desire.
  • Stop Instantly and Totally: The moment the impulse is perceived, stop immediately and completely. There should be no preparation, adjustment, or conscious cooperation with the body’s momentum or posture. If a foot is in the air, it stays there; if eyes are open, they remain open.
  • Cease All Movement: In this instant of stopping, let everything stop – no breathing, no body movement.
  • Wait and Observe: After stopping, simply wait and see what happens. Do not attempt to think about the inner center or any spiritual goal; let the energy move by itself.
  • Ensure Authenticity: The impulse or situation must be real and authentic for the technique to be effective, as the method works by harnessing existing energy. Stopping a simulated impulse will not yield results because no energy is genuinely moving.
  • Begin with Simpler Acts: For beginners, it is advisable to start with easier, more mechanical, and less complex things. Examples include:
    • Suddenly stopping mid-walk.
    • Consciously choosing which foot to step out of bed with, or changing an habitual movement.
    • Stopping a repetitive gesture or a familiar phrase in conversation.
    • Being aware at the beginning of a sneeze or hunger. This builds the capacity for awareness and the “feel of stopping with awareness” before attempting it with strong emotions.
Commentaries and Insights
  • Source and Lineage: The “Stop!” technique originates from the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, an ancient text containing 112 meditation methods. These techniques constitute a complete science for transforming the mind. George Gurdjieff introduced these “stop exercises” to the West, having learned them from Tibetan Buddhist lamas who drew from Vigyan Bhairav, and similar practices are found in Sufism.
  • Mechanism of Separation and Centering: The fundamental mechanism is to separate your consciousness (the stopper/center) from the activity of the body and mind (the circumference). When you abruptly stop, you are forced out of the activity, which typically absorbs your attention. This sudden disengagement allows you to feel your inner center for the first time. This “standing out” is the literal meaning of “ecstasy”.
  • Mind Stops with Body: A profound insight is that when the body stops totally, the mind also ceases its activity. This creates a momentary state of “no-mind” or “thoughtless consciousness,” which is essential for experiencing deep awareness or samadhi.
  • Energy Transformation (Not Suppression): This method is explicitly not a form of suppression. Suppression merely postpones emotions, creating repressed complexes and perverted energies. Instead, “Stop!” uses the existing energy of the impulse or mood as a path to turn inward. When the outward flow of energy is halted, it is released and redirected to its original source, leading to increased alertness and inner mastery.
  • Connection to Samadhi and Sushupti: The sudden cessation of activity creates a state akin to sushupti (dreamless sleep) or samadhi (ultimate ecstasy). While in sushupti one is at the center but unaware, this technique aims to bring full consciousness to that central point, transforming the experience into samadhi. Even a brief glimpse of this conscious centering is described as miraculous and revolutionary.
  • Facing Emotional Facts: The technique encourages you to “consider” desires and emotions like anger without judgment or interpretation, by remaining a dispassionate observer. When a desire is fully observed and then suddenly “quit,” it leads to a separation between the observer and the desire, allowing the energy to jump inward without conflict.
  • Initial Disturbance as a Positive Sign: When starting this practice, you might experience initial disturbance or uneasiness, as repressed inner “chaos” comes to the surface. Osho emphasizes that this is a sign the technique is working towards true transformation, rather than merely adjusting you to an unhealthy state. It is a confrontation with your authentic self.
  • Beyond Thinking: The technique is non-intellectual. It is about doing and feeling, not analyzing or thinking, as thinking often creates more problems and confusion.
  • Role of the Master: A master can be highly beneficial in practicing this method, especially in a group setting. The master can create sudden, unprepared moments for the “stop!” command, preventing self-deception and ensuring authentic engagement. The master’s role is to help break inner barriers and alleviate fears.
  • Effort Toward Effortlessness: While an initial effort is required to consciously apply the “Stop!” command, the ultimate goal is to move towards a state of effortlessness where awareness becomes spontaneous. This initial “doing” is a starter to break old, unconscious habits.
  • Self-Discovery and Authenticity: This method aids in discovering the authentic self by removing the “false faces” or personas created by thought processes. It allows one to become “faceless” or discover their real face. By remaining factual and dropping cultivated conventions, one moves toward reality.
  • Death and Life Analogy: The complete exhalation (“ah” sound) in some related techniques is described as temporary “death,” leading to a state of calm and silence, as all problems belong to life, not death. Embracing this temporary death allows one to live life more fully and without fear.
  • Progressive Difficulty: The mind often tempts individuals to jump directly to complex techniques, leading to failure and discouragement. A gradual approach, starting with simpler actions and building awareness, is recommended for success.