Meditation is a practice that involves focusing your attention and calming your mind however you may notice that your eyes start to move involuntarily. Your eyes can move during meditation due to physical factors like eye fatigue or due to the release of suppressed emotions.
This article will explore the top reasons why your eyes move during meditation.
Why your eyes move during meditation
Eye movements are not dangerous for you physically, but they can interfere with your concentration when you’re trying to meditate and make your session much less productive.
Eye movement experienced during meditation is often due to rapid eye movement, or REM. This is a deep sleep experienced roughly 90 minutes after we fall asleep and which lasts around ten minutes. When it happens during meditation, it works differently.
Studies have shown that less-experienced meditation practitioners tend to have more eye movement as they meditate, which means that the more experience you have, the less likely you’ll experience any type of eye movement.
If you’re a beginner, the first thing you need to do is learn why your eyes are moving in the first place. This is the best way to determine what you can do about the problem. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons for eye twitching during meditation.
1. Awakening Your Inner Energy
Your inner energy is good because it gives you feelings of lightness and joy, but too much eye-twitching can mean you’re wasting that energy. When you meditate, you want to make the most out of the energy you have without wasting it.
This is why a lot of people recommend that when your eyes start moving a lot as you meditate, you should try to calm them and slow down the movement. You want to save the energy and joy, not waste it and let it go out of your system too quickly.
2. Too Much Tension in Your Eye Area
This is a simple reason for eye twitching, but if you find your eyes are moving when you try to meditate, you might be trying a little bit too hard to relax. This is especially true when you’re keeping your eyes closed and you’re new to meditation.
You may be forcing your eyes shut and shutting them too tight, which can produce movement of the eyes. To correct it, all you have to do is learn to relax naturally, maybe even trying some relaxation exercises before starting your meditation.
3. Close to Going Into a Trance
A trance is a type of unconsciousness, and you want focus when you meditate. While going into a trance might not sound bad overall, it’s not recommended when you’re meditating because you want to be aware of what you’re doing to make it successful.
You can essentially be too relaxed when you meditate, and this will make your eyes twitch and move. Again, it’s best to stay focused and concentrate without becoming too relaxed as you work.
4. Your Mind Is Starting to Wander
Productive meditation requires focus and concentration, and if your mind starts wandering, you won’t be able to get that. Brain activity and rapid eye movements (REMs) have a direct relationship, so eye movement is almost always due to more activity in the brain.
When you meditate, brain activity is not a bad thing, but you can’t have so much on your mind that it can eventually become a bad thing. If your mind is wandering, you simply may not be able to concentrate on your meditation for too long.
Should You Stop Your Eyes From Moving?
If your eyes are moving as you try to meditate, it could be either voluntary or involuntary, and if you’re trying to decide what to do about it, just know there is no clear-cut answer to that.
If you find yourself unable to concentrate on what you’re doing and you can’t seem to focus, try to practice some relaxation exercises before continuing with the meditation. If the eye movements aren’t a big deal and they don’t stop you from meditating successfully, there’s no need to worry about them.
Each practitioner is different, and frequent eye movements can happen for both experienced and inexperienced meditation enthusiasts. The best thing you can do is decide for yourself how much the eye movement is affecting your own sessions and act accordingly, making the best decision for you in the end.
Summary
Eye movement is not that uncommon for people who practice meditation. It can be caused from releasing your inner energy, a medical condition, a mind that is starting to wander, or a sign that you’re about to go into a trance. Bottom line? Relax more if it’s affecting you.