Some comments leading to a question

["forestofsymbols" <forestofsymbols@...>]

 All,

The other day something quite unusual happened and I am not sure 
what to make of it. I am hoping some one here might have a better 
idea than I do. I apologize if my words are unclear, it can be hard 
to describe subjective states as I'm sure we all know.

A little while ago, I decided to experiment with the TMO lessons 
designed by Rawn to see what, if any effect that it might have. I 
must admit that initially I was quite skeptical about them until I 
whimsically downloaded an audio file one day and actually heard the 
canting. It sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go. 

The other day I was applying the principles of Lesson 2, involving 
the different levels of "speaking." Oddly enough, I have not yet 
heard about these different levels even though they seem to be 
essential in bringing about a complete focus on a cant, a mantra, or 
other "vibrating" form of speech. I was working on the IHVH cant as 
well as some other "vibrating" forms of speech and then settled in to 
my regular meditation. 

When I got to the point where I would practice vacancy of mind, my 
mind began to wander to my body and it noticed that there was a 
tingling in my hands and feet that I usually associate with the 
feeling of "prana" or "qi". For a time, I kept going back to the 
exercise, viewing it all as a distraction. However, a thought 
occured to me that I could "relax" into the tingling mentally much 
like one relaxes the muscles of the body or face. 

What happened was that I felt a sudden rush into my body of this 
tingling, completely and utterly, to the point where I was no longer 
aware of anything in the outside world. All outer sounds were gone, 
replaced by the ringing sound in my ears (which, incidentally, seems 
to always be there at some level, more or less quiet-- I have no 
reason to believe this is unusual or a medical problem). Visually, I 
could no longer see the darks of my eyelids or the sparkling 
afterimages of light I usually see when my eyes are closed. Instead, 
I saw the sparkling in a uniform blue that were actually moving with 
a set rythmn. Finally, I could not feel my body at all. It was all 
very peaceful and hard to form any thoughts, although my little ego 
tried as much as it could to react to what was happening. Then it was 
as though it passed, and I could feel my body and the outside world, 
and then it was all gone again, as though the "feeling" was an onrush 
of water from the outside, sweeping through me. 

I'm not sure how much time passed, but soon my little ego filled 
my mind with thoughts and I was back in my body, in my room, at a 
particular place and time. 

My question is: does anyone know where this fits in the Hermetic 
worldview? I usually give little credence to unusual happenings in 
the course of meditation, but this one seemed somehow significant. I 
am still developing Step One of IIH and thus have very little "real" 
knowledge of Hermetics. 

Thank you.

-mj