Suppression
Rocking, swaying and swinging
Category: Actions
Type
Involuntary and voluntary
Introduction and description
Rocking, swinging and swaying are all movements that involve a rolling movement backwards and forwards or from side to side. The movement tends to act as a relaxing aid, as such it is a contributory activity helping to put our mind in a state of ‘tick-over’.
Many young children and particularly autistic children body rock because it gives them comfort. It reminds them of when they were in the womb being rocked backwards and forwards in a gentle swaying motion. Thus one of the mechanisms by which this works is comfort – a reminder of a time when there were no Threats and the world was a safe place.
Medical Gazette of February 24, 1838,
….... examples are found in the soothing influence of a body seen slowly vibrating, or of a distant calm scene, or the motions of the waves, or of quivering leaves ; or in impressions on the sense of learning by the sound of a waterfall, the rippling of billows, the humming of insects, the low howling of the winds, the voice of a dull reader ; or on the nerves of common sensation by gentle friction of the temple or eyebrow, or any sensitive part of the body ; the rocking of a cradle ; any slow and regular motion of the limbs or trunk ; all these instances show that the effect of monotonous impressions on the senses is to produce, in most persons, tranquillity, or drowsiness, …...and ultimately sleep.
Background
Prolonged movement of this sort is recognised in the numerous allusions in nursery rhymes, myths, legends and symbolism. For more details see the entries on the crib or cradle and also see Rocking horse. It is worth adding that the symbolism is not straightforward here, as it also combines with that of the boat or ark and the symbolism of suspension.
Further confusion can be caused because one of the sensations that accompanies an out of body experience is that of a rocking or swinging motion, - see separation methods - as if the spirit was trying to separate itself from the physical body. But this same motion can help the process so this technique is working at a lot of levels here [for an example see observation 001559 – Swinging].
Method
This technique requires you to find a way of rocking the head and body backwards and forwards. You can sit and rock or swing the whole body, or sway or move the upper torso backwards and forwards, but each time the method chosen has to ensure the head moves backwards and forwards or up and down or from side to side. Over and over and over again for a long time.
Whilst doing this don’t try to keep your eyes glued to a single focus, let the scene in front of you sweep across your line of vision. THIS IS KEY.
Examples of ways which could be used to achieve this include
- The very gentle rocking of a boat on a pond or lake where there is only a light swell - small regular waves or being on the sea alone
- The regular unhurried [so not frenetic] but continuous movement of a walker crossing terrain with no features – such as the desert, or a paved or tarmac road or running track, or even on a treadmill in a gym
- A baby being rocked in a cradle or in arms
- Swaying backwards and forwards rhythmically, whilst you are seated in the manner used by children when they are taught the Koran, for example [the technique used is no accident, those who teach children to do it are well aware of the effects]
- Hammocks or rocking chairs or rocking seats, preferably rocked by someone else
- Automatic rocking machines
No, not quite what I had in mind…… Something more modern…… |
This is closer to what is needed………….. see the following
Chalmers RM, Howard RS, Wiles CM, et al. Use of the rocking bed in the treatment of neurogenic respiratory insufficiency. QJM1994;87:423–9.
One technique used in certain yoga and meditation classes is called the ‘swaying technique’.
How it works
Physically - This works in part by Reverse REM
This is why it was so important to make sure the eyes did not focus on one spot. You are in effect inducing a mild form of voluntary nystagmus!
Functionally - It may be helpful here to refer to the Model of the Mind and to have read the generic description of How spiritual experience works.
Functionally, the mechanism at work is that produced by Threat reduction. As you are generally lying down or relaxed, [although I have added the yoga technique I do not think it is as effective as the other techniques] the body can be relaxed and the rocking motion reminds us of when we were a baby in the womb, safe and secure. It triggers forgotten memories of safety. As you can see, the more womb like and cosy warm and safe the rocking machine the better.
Rocking and swaying thus still the Emotions, we become calm and the Emotions are suppressed.
The constant movement – as long as it is regular - also has an effect on the 5 senses, as a constant movement back and forth, back and forth, from the point of view of the 5 senses is much the same as no movement, thus there is the equivalent of partial sensory deprivation. Whether we have total sensory deprivation is then dependent on whether we use other sensory deprivation methods.
Furthermore the movement has a suppressing effect on the intellect, there is both nothing to learn and nothing to reason about, so as long as we don’t try to read whilst we attempt this, the mind can relax too.
So rocking and swaying works on a number of levels – it stills the 5 senses, stills the reasoning function, stills the learning system, and stills the emotions.
And once all these have been stilled, the Will has nothing to do, so it relaxes and the Composer can take over and we have our experience.
Advantages
- It is a voluntary method, offering the chance of immediate escape if anything becomes too extreme [although with something this benign I’m not sure it ever would].
- Depending upon the particular equipment used, the option exists to combine it with the techniques for sensory deprivation. For example you could wear head phones and listen to drumming thus completing the back to the womb state.
- It is legal.
Disadvantages
- Sickness - The main disadvantage - depending on the particular method used - is that you can be sick – really sick. You can vomit and vomit and vomit until you stop doing it. Some people seem susceptible to this, some don’t. You will know fairly early on whether you are or not!!
When feeling motion, the inner ear transmits to the brain that it senses motion. The eyes may not give the same signal. As a result of the discordance, the brain will come to the conclusion that one of them is hallucinating and may further conclude that the hallucination is due to poison ingestion. The brain responds by inducing vomiting, to clear the supposed toxin.
One way to avoid this is to ensure that the movements are regular and of the same amplitude in the same direction. Thus constantly up and down or from side to side – not both. Sudden jerky movements tend to be worse for making you sick than slower smooth ones, because they disrupt the fluid balance more [the fluid in the ear] . Side to side motion may be better than up and down movement. “The effect is found to be worst with vertical sinusoidal motion in the frequency range of 0.05–0.8 Hz and is maximal at 0.167 Hz”. - Costs - Some of the equipment can be a bit pricey, although the cost is dependent on the equipment you use, you can use none or you can really spend a fortune to get the ultimate automatic hammock – it is up to you.
Blithe spirit – The Hammock, the Swing and the Sway; Earth, Water, Air
Observations
I have deliberately picked out some examples where there is symbolic and guarded reference to the approach as well as some more straightforward examples. The more abstruse examples also contain considerable symbolism, where the swing and suspension also alludes to the swinging backwards and forwards between the spiritual world and the physical world.
Related observations
Healing observations
- Mircea Eliade - On Achomawi healing 003682 003682
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - A state of grace 016958
- The Balinese ketjak (kecak) 022296
Hallucination
- Abraham Ya’ari – Iggrot Erets Yisrael 014919
- Being on a minesweeper 005008
- Gibier, Dr Paul - Psychism Analysis of Things Existing - Sees his brother’s ghost on board his ship 028011
- Grandma’s rocking chair 002250
- I was laid on my bunk reading Playboy, when my grandfather appeared looking at me 021394
- Ibn El-Arabi - Henry Corbin - Futuhat I 002244
- Moitessier, Bernard - Tamata and the Alliance - Seeing Francois 001257
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - Good Hope 016947
- Nichols, Robert - Birth of a poem 021628
- Single handed transatlantic yacht race 001050
Wisdom, Inspiration, Divine love & Bliss
- Alice in Wonderland - Ch 06 - 2 Duchess and Cook 011117
- Alma Deutscher - How an 11-year-old prodigy composed an opera 023859
- Baal Shem Tov's Niggun Outside His Kever 024492
- Hasidism And Jewish Mysticism In Israel 014303
- Moitessier, Bernard - Tamata and the Alliance - The truck and the abyss 018569
- Moitessier, Bernard - The Long Way - The real log 003250
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - A state of grace 016958
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - Good Hope 016947
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - I am fed up with false gods 016959
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - The Fairy Tern 016960
- Nichols, Robert - Birth of a poem 021628
- Rumi - Divani Shamsi Tabriz - Yestereve I delivered to a star tidings for thee 002243
- Sam Willetts - New Light for the Old Dark - Desert humming and rocking 001389
Out of time
- Dr Robert Crookall - More Astral projections – Mr E. Durman has a number of OBEs 023617
- Rebell, Fred 003803
- Rebell, Fred 003800
- Rebell, Fred 003799
Enlightenment
- Abraham Ya’ari – Iggrot Erets Yisrael 014919
- Elwin, Verrier – The great Karma dance of the Gonds 024518
- Hasidism And Jewish Mysticism In Israel 014303
- Korean mystic shamanism – Methods – Swinging and swaying 027129
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - A state of grace 016958
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - Good Hope 016947
- Rebell, Fred 003803
- The Balinese ketjak (kecak) 022296
In time
- Gibier, Dr Paul - Psychism Analysis of Things Existing - Sees his brother’s ghost on board his ship 028011
- I was laid on my bunk reading Playboy, when my grandfather appeared looking at me 021394
- Moitessier, Bernard - Tamata and the Alliance - Make friends with the gods 001258
- Moitessier, Bernard - Tamata and the Alliance - Mana 003929
- Moitessier, Bernard - Tamata and the Alliance - Seeing Francois 001257
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - The Fairy Tern 016960
- M’Nish promotes sleep 002246
- Nichols, Robert - Birth of a poem 021628
- Ouspensky, P D - Tertium Organum - Entered into the waves 002242
- Rebell, Fred - The voice that told him to 'Trust your instruments' 003798
- Using mind to wake someone 010104
Prophecy
- The Masters and Houston Witch’s cradle or ASCID 024937
- The Masters and Houston Witch’s cradle or ASCID - 01 Vaughan's account of experiment 025060
- The Masters and Houston Witch’s cradle or ASCID - 02 Vaughan's account of experiment 025061
Dying
Environmental Influence
- Cheyenne - Native American Indians - Roman Nose's protective medicine 000530
- Moitessier, Bernard – The Long Way - The Fairy Tern 016960
- Rebell, Fred - And the hurricane lamp 003804
- Rebell, Fred - Calming the storm 003802