Feel the whole universe in your head

What the Method Is

The core instruction for this method, as listed in the text, is simply: “Feel the whole universe in your head”. This concise sutra is situated within a chapter dedicated to “Conscious Doing,” highlighting the importance of being fully present and aware in all actions and perceptions.

How It Is Done

While explicit step-by-step instructions for “Feel the whole universe in your head” are not detailed as a standalone method in the provided excerpts, the practice can be inferred through principles discussed for related meditations, particularly those concerning the ‘third eye’ and the expansion of inner space. It would involve:

  • Centering Consciousness in the Head: The practice likely involves directing one’s consciousness to the area between the eyebrows, commonly known as the third eye. Techniques such as “Closing the seven openings of the head with your hands” are aimed at stopping the outward flow of consciousness, causing it to concentrate inward and focus on this inner space.
  • Experiencing Inner Space as All-Inclusive: With the focus shifted inward, the practitioner aims to perceive the inner space (the space within the head, specifically around the third eye) as boundless and all-inclusive. This leads to the profound realisation that “everything is in you, you become the universe”.
  • Utilising Imaginative Feeling: The process involves a deep, imaginative feeling rather than mere intellectual thought. This is consistent with other Tantric techniques, such as “Feel the cosmos as a translucent ever-living presence”, where imagination, when focused at the third eye, becomes potent enough to create phenomena. The goal is to cultivate a felt sense of the universe being contained within one’s head.
  • Transcending External Senses: By consciously disengaging from external sensory inputs, for example by closing the eyes or other head openings, the mind’s attention naturally withdraws inwards, facilitating this expansive inner perception. This internal focus allows for the experience of oneself as a vast space, rather than a limited physical form.
Commentaries and Insights
  • The Third Eye and Boundless Inner Space: The technique directly engages the concept of the ‘third eye’, identified as the pineal gland, a mysterious part of the body located between the eyebrows. When consciousness is focused here, the inner space becomes “all inclusive”, leading to the experience that “the whole world is in you, you become the universe”. This profound shift reveals one’s inherent “deathless” nature.
  • Oneness with the Cosmos: The core aim of this method is to dissolve the perceived boundaries between the individual self and the vast universe. It fosters the understanding that “the whole universe is within you and the whole of you is in this universe”, leading to a feeling of deep affinity and harmony, which is a state of samadhi. This signifies a merging of the individual ‘wave’ with the cosmic ‘ocean’.
  • Mind as a Door to Reality: While the mind can be a barrier, Tantra also views it as a door. By shifting one’s focus from external objects to the mind itself, and then to the space in which the mind operates, “you are no more an ordinary mind. You are ordinary because of the objects. Suddenly you become a buddha yourself”. This transformation reveals that the ‘ordinary mind’ is inherently the ‘buddha-mind’ when it is unclouded and vacant.
  • Transformation of Perception: The technique facilitates a fundamental shift in perception, moving away from identification with individual thoughts and limited forms towards an expansive, underlying consciousness. This involves a “change of focus from the object to the subject, from the outer to the inner, from the cloud to the sky, from the guest to the host”.
  • Beyond Duality and Ego: The experience of feeling the entire universe within one’s head inherently transcends the duality of self and other, dissolving the ‘ego’ that creates separation. When the ego is absent, the individual falls into the “ocean” of existence, and only bliss remains.
  • Metaphysical Basis of Light and Energy: Tantra posits that all existence, including oneself, is fundamentally composed of “light particles” or energy. Therefore, the visualisation of oneself and the cosmos as light is not merely imaginative but a recognition of a deeper reality.
  • Simplicity and Profound Impact: Osho frequently emphasises that Tantric methods, despite their seeming simplicity, are profoundly powerful because they directly tap into fundamental realities of existence. The mind often resists straightforward approaches, favouring arduous tasks that inflate the ego.
  • Attaining No-Mind: By shifting focus to the inner space and away from thoughts, this technique helps the practitioner move towards a state of ‘no-mind’, which is a state of “thoughtless consciousness” where “meditation is born”.
  • Importance of “Conscious Doing”: As the technique is part of the “Conscious Doing” chapter, it aligns with the broader teaching that true transformation comes from being fully present and aware in every moment and action, transforming ordinary activities into meditation.
  • Warnings and Master’s Guidance: While not explicitly detailed for this specific sutra, Osho consistently warns that powerful meditation techniques, particularly those involving energy movement or deep internal shifts (like Kundalini awakening, which is related to visualising light rising in the spine), can be dangerous if not completed or if discomfort arises. He often advises seeking the guidance of a master for such profound practices.