[Hnrobert42]

I am like you. I’m guessing that the author needed to use the stuff seen by his eyes while closed as a springboard to seeing something with his mind’s eye.

My dad told me about monk’s who meditate on imagining that their thoughts exist behind their belly button. As you noted, your mind’s eye is not located in the same physical space as your actual eyes. Similarly, there is no reason the thoughts you hear couldn’t be happening in your belly button.

But I’ve found it remarkably difficult to convince my mind that it exist anywhere other than my head. I don’t think this difficulty is based on biology. I think it’s just conditioning. But damn, it’s hard.

[hutzlibu]

"But I’ve found it remarkably difficult to convince my mind that it exist anywhere other than my head. I don’t think this difficulty is based on biology. I think it’s just conditioning. But damn, it’s hard."

It really is hard. I just know the conscious effort of meditating and centering my consciousness in the center of my body (above the belly button) as opposed to my head, really helps my focus and mental abilities and general wellbeing. And everytime I use my mobile .. it helps me if I do it afterwards, to not get lost again. I wonder if the jogis would have advanced much, if they would have had a mobile close to them ..

[toombowoombo]

Try pinching yourself randomly so that you can attract your mind to different spots in your body. I used to do that when I had headpain to distract me from it (I was a minor back when I learned that. In my country everyone is very careful with any substance given to minors)

[oh_sigh]

Do blind people have this same issue?

[totetsu]

I find that a lot of my awareness of space also comes from sounds around me, which are also centered at the head by ears. So maybe blind people could still be head centered.