A Deeper Exploration On Shambhavi
Shambhavi is the gateway to the deeper and higher-vibratory potential of the nervous system. It is essential (in my mind) for anyone interested in deep spirituality and awakening.
In the Zen meditation tradition — there is no explicit talk of shambhavi — as far as I am aware. But, on day 1, the monks may suggest you focus your eyes on a point — either on the floor or the wall. That is all you need to know for practicing shambhavi. From there, your natural intuition will grow, and your spiritual ability for seeing can organically blossom. The most important aspect of having shambhavi work for you — is to practice it a lot. It can thus be better to not overcomplicate shambhavi — and simply focus on a point.
This post will explore a bit deeper, though. The human body is largely symmetric — and this includes our nervous system. Bringing our eyes to focus on a point, centers some of the neurology in our brain. Our brain as a whole is split into hemispheres, but joining these hemispheres are the more primordial components of our brain — such as the pons, the brain stem, glands of various kinds, and the spinal cord too. Shambhavi helps balance our consciousness on a knife edge, and as a result drop into the deeper functioning of our brain as well. Resting in these deeper states can activate these areas of the brain into literally vibrating faster — giving feelings of a heightened state of awareness — and perceiving different dimensions of life. Dimension that are clearly spiritual.
If you search for an anatomical drawing of the nerves that connect the eyes to the brain, you see that they are wired in a way that may be surprising or unexpected. Performing shambhavi literally tugs on these nerves. You also have nerves in your eyebrows, and furrowing the eyebrows thusly tugs on these small and subtle nerves — in a very slight — yet still impactful way. The same goes for the muscles connected to your ears, and even the hard-to-isolate muscles of the neck and spine.
When these nerves are gently tugged, symmetrically, they can focus the circuits of our brain in various ways — in a way — shambhavi can be used like a lens — to focus on certain areas of one's consciousness. One's eyes may look at a point on the wall, but reflecting inwards a different point of focus is within your head. If you can start to detect this focusing point of energy — you can shift it around. If you can bring it to a certain point, it can connect to the Sushumna, and activate both the third eye and the crown. Even more, if you can align this point with your axis mundi, and align it with your practice of Moolabhanda, now your are opening a seriously Enlightening channel. The physiological result of this alignment, is that your body's glands release a lot of happy chemicals — which glands exactly and which chemicals exactly I do not know. You will doubtlessly feel exuberated for life, trembling in ecstasy, jumping for joy, and almost animated by a giddy love for God. All of this may seem abstract. But if you do practice shambhavi for some dozens of hours, and you then explore it on a responsible dose of magic mushrooms, in a responsible setting — I would expect you to have some very tangible insights. Not that you need a psychedelic for the activation to happen — but there is the option. The first signs of success with Shambhavi — is likely to be a fluttering of lights in your visual space — and a blue circle appearing in the center of your visual field.
How to get started? Focus on a point in front of you! Remember, stay symmetrical. And good luck to you ⚕
Interesting read. If you are open to editing this article, I would include a mention of the concept of a nirodha. When I think of shambhavi, it is directly related to opening the nirodha at the ajna. I know nirodha is commonly translated as cessation, but also there a portal/tunnel aspect to it. A pinched wormhole opening once the mind is in a focused state of cessation.