Meditation & Altered States

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding box breathing. I created an audio file using the 6-6-6-6 method, where I guide myself to inhale, hold, exhale, and hold, each for 6 seconds. The original file was about 46 minutes long, and I tried it twice for around 20-30 minutes each time. However, I didn’t feel like I reached an altered state of consciousness.

As a side note, I also bought an AVS (audio-visual system) that uses light and sound to influence brainwaves. I didn’t experience much at first, but after creating a session lasting about three hours (progressing from beta to alpha to theta waves and remaining in theta), I began to feel my body go numb. I even sensed that my limbs were in different positions than they actually were. I also experienced what I call "no-man’s-land" – a state where I wasn’t fully conscious or asleep, just somewhere…

I have been meditating for some time, however, only recently I have been able to let my legs and hands detach from feeling, while not actually having them fall asleep, if that makes sense. I normally sit in half lotus; full lotus is orders of magnitude harder, it is one tough nut to crack. I digress.

How can a person better detach the same way from their torso, or head? I feel good benefit to my limbs, but my back and chest feel tired a bit occasionally.

Is there perhaps a different tradition of meditation that uses different breathing or something? I'm very casual I don't tend to direct the breath much beyond being comfortable. I just sit still and normally stare at a candle or a spot on the floor.

Any thoughts for someone just beginning really, though I have been at it for sometime, I feel perhaps I'm…

How do you know once you've reach an altered state? Altered states are imperative for AP.

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