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How to Meditate
Meditation is something everyone can do. Practicing can help improve your health and wellbeing.
Explore MeditationThird Eye Meditation
Third-Eye Meditation focuses attention on the area between the eyebrows (Third Eye chakra). It is similar to Chakra meditation and Jangama Dhyana. It is often combined with the mantra 'OM' or specific visualizations unique to that chakra. It is a popular technique used in Yoga, Tantra and Tibetan Buddhism.
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What is third eye meditation?
This article was written by Carrie Suwal.
Third eye meditation is a varied set of practices directed at opening the third eye chakra, or the Ajna chakra. Practicing third eye meditation can bring about spiritual awakening and deeper wisdom in our life.
The third eye is thought to be the gateway to our higher consciousness and the seat of the soul. Originally found in Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism, the Ajna is one of seven main chakras (energy centers). The other six are:
- root chakra
- sacral chakra
- solar plexus chakra
- heart chakra
- throat chakra
- crown chakra
Just as our brain sends and receives signals to our physical body through our nervous system, the third eye connects us to our intuition through our extra-sensory perceptions. We can feel our intuition through the emotions in our heart space — the butterflies in our stomach, or simply a sense of inner knowing whether something is right or wrong. These are all extensions of the third eye and how it shares intuitive messages with us.
You can access this gateway of intuition by directing your meditative practice at opening the third eye chakra. Once you know how to open your third eye and how to listen to your heart, you can ask questions and receive answers directly from your intuition.
Ready to awaken your third eye? Get started with this helpful meditation for opening and energizing the intuitive third eye by Carrie Suwal.
Best third eye activation meditations
Third eye meditations align you with your all-knowing higher self and silence the voices of your fear-based survivor brain. Insight Timer features 200,000 free tracks, with many focused on the third eye. Discover meditation methods that open and awaken your third eye in this article.
Mindfulness meditation
Accessing the third eye (known as third eye chakra activation) may seem difficult, as blockages like overthinking can be quite common. However, we can make it easier to connect with our Ajna chakra. One powerful trick is to always begin with mindfulness meditation. This will help us slow down the constant stream of thoughts that come from the mind, gain a greater sense of presence, and arrive in the moment where we meet our intuition and the messages of our third eye.
Breath awareness meditation
Using our breath brings us to a greater sense of presence and inner stillness. Breath awareness is a simple, yet effective and reliable meditation practice. Focusing on the breath is one meditation technique you can always come back to.
Transcendental meditation
To move out of the head and into your body or voice, transcendental meditation uses mantras, sounds, or affirmations. This is a great precursor to third eye practices, ensuring that your busy mind won’t get in the way of your beautiful intuitive wisdom.
Visualization meditation
Third eye visualization is a powerful tool to build your third eye’s extrasensory perception of inner sight (clairvoyance). Visualization meditation is similar to using your imagination, but with third eye visualization, you let go of the reins and allow your intuition to guide the images being born.
Guided imagery meditation
To strengthen those third eye muscles, you can listen to guided imagery practices. Each image we picture in our mind creates a stronger pathway to our inner sight.
Ajna chakra meditation
As we mentioned, the third eye is called the Ajna chakra. Ajna and chakra are both Sanskrit words. Ajna means “to perceive,” hence we call it an eye. Chakra means spinning wheel or vortex of energy. With Ajna chakra meditation, we practice opening, unblocking, or calming the energy of the third eye chakra.
Trataka (Candle gazing) meditation
Candle gazing helps concentration and relaxation. Trataka can be used to calm your mind. It is a yogic purification and tantric method where you focus on a single spot, in this case, the flame.
Third eye meditation techniques
Many people think they're just not intuitive, but that's simply not true! Anyone can connect with and access their intuition: It's just a matter of practice.
You can try these techniques on your own to start connecting with your third eye right now.
Breathing exercises
To begin, try a breathing exercise to help calm the mind and nervous system, like box breathing. Just as a box has four sides, there are four steps in box breathing:
- Breathe in for four seconds.
- Hold your breath at the top of your inhale for four seconds.
- Exhale for four seconds.
- Hold your breath at the bottom of your exhale for four seconds.
Do this cycle anywhere from four to ten times, depending on what feels best.
Visualization
Visualization is similar to your imagination, in that it occupies the same sensory organs of your mind. If you feel like you are using your imagination and not your intuition, don't worry. You are on the right track! Here is our favorite visualization technique to help connect with your third eye:
- Be in a dark room, or use an eye pillow over your eyes to help you bring your awareness inward.
- Visualize (or imagine) a light inside the center of your head.
- See this light grow and expand. Let it become brighter.
Mudras
Using the position of your hands and fingers (mudras), you can access different states of awareness and focused intentions through the energy of your body and its positioning. Touch the tip of your middle finger to the top of your thumb to activate your intuition.
Guided meditation
Listening to a meditation teacher can offer much-needed support in staying focused during a third eye meditation. Having expert guidance ensures that the busy brain doesn't take over when you're trying to connect with your third eye.
Opening the third eye
To receive your intuitive wisdom your third eye needs to be open and awakened. Just like knocking on a door and turning the handle, you can open your third eye chakra. Begin by having a strong intention to turn the handle, and then trust your energy to push open the doorway.
Learn how to open your third eye and what to expect with our beginner’s guide.
Activating intuition
Intuition is, as Bowers K.S. perfectly puts it, “knowing without knowing why.” To activate the third eye center you can gently tap on the center of your forehead, and bring your awareness inward.
Connecting with the higher self
The greatest communication partner we can tap into through our intuition is our higher self. Your higher self is your enlightened self, and it has access to wisdom that will support you on your life and soul journey.
Feel more connected to yourself in minutes with this free higher-self meditation.
Balancing the third eye chakra
The third eye is an energy center that can be affected positively through chakra healing. Sometimes, you need to balance an overactive (disconnected from reality) or underactive (overthinking and always in your thoughts) third eye chakra. Once balanced, you can access your intuition with greater ease!
Benefits of third eye meditation
Third eye meditation can bring about many unexpected benefits. Not all of them are foreseeable because they come from universal wisdom and are unique to your experience. You may discover new truths that shift your perspective and beliefs or meet unexpected spirit guides. Be open to embracing the unknown! Some common and expected benefits that the majority of people receive are:
Improved concentration
An overactive mind focuses on the unknown negatives and fear-based possibilities. Connecting with your third eye gives you the wisdom to trust the process and sense the outcome. Instead of calculating, you connect to an inner knowing. This takes away the pressure of over-thinking and improves concentration.
Enhanced intuition
As you develop your connection to your third eye, your intuition grows stronger. You begin to have greater confidence in the messages being shared with you, as you discover that they are true time and time again. Your enhanced intuition opens the doorways for you to channel and access any information you seek from universal knowledge.
Heightened self-awareness
Your intuition shares the deepest truths with you. You will learn who you really are and gain a greater understanding of how life and existence function. Over time, you can ask any question to your third eye and receive with clarity the wisdom you seek. Aha moments are telltale signs of intuition working!
Stress reduction
Your third eye is purposeful! If you are stressed out, anxious, or worried, you can turn inward to your intuition and find the true answer to accessing inner peace and calm. Stress meditations are especially helpful for managing stress and becoming more in tune with your intuition and third eye.
Increased creativity
Creativity is allowing your spirit and heart consciousness to dance through you. These are activated through the doorway to your third eye, not your logical brain. You will find creativity and artistry flowing through all of your creations in life as you work more closely with your third eye.
Resources and tools for third eye meditation
Insight Timer’s free meditation app
Third eye meditations align you with your all-knowing higher self and silence the voices of your fear-based survivor brain. Insight Timer features 200,000 free tracks, with many focused on the third eye. They feature intuitive teachers ranging from channelers, tarot readers, and psychics. Learn how to awaken your own intuition through esoteric meditations and bust through common blocks that hinder the third eye from opening.
Online resources and communities
You don’t have to do this alone! There is an awesome community of people exploring their intuition where you can chat, ask questions, and meditate together — like this intuitive sharing circle. If you’re interested in more or different groups, check out the ones below.
Premium meditation courses
It is difficult to access the third eye when we can't calm our minds. Try a course on anxiety reduction to relax your mind before taking on third eye openers. If you're looking for something else, there are many other premium courses on Insight Timer.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about third eye meditation
References
Bowden EM, Jung-Beeman M, Fleck J, Kounios J. New approaches to demystifying insight. Trends Cogn Sci. 2005 Jul;9(7):322-8. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2005.05.012. PMID: 15953756 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15953756/
Gheban BA, Rosca IA, Crisan M. The morphological and functional characteristics of the pineal gland. Med Pharm Rep. 2019 Jul;92(3):226-234. doi: 10.15386/mpr-1235. Epub 2019 Jul 31. PMID: 31460502; PMCID: PMC6709953 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6709953/
Zander T, Öllinger M, Volz KG. Intuition and Insight: Two Processes That Build on Each Other or Fundamentally Differ? Front Psychol. 2016 Sep 13;7:1395. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01395. PMID: 27679592; PMCID: PMC5020639 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5020639/#B8
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