Q : Why is it difficult to visualize something with closed eyes? When I sit to do visualization of a flame with closed eyes, no matter how earnestly I try. It doesn’t happen and thus I get frustrated.

A : One element is needed to visualize with your closed eyes which is the most important one and there should be no fluttering of mind. If your mind is fluttering then you will not be successful to visualize image of anything with closed eyes.

You see the flame with open eyes while doing Tratak. At that time your seeing should be hundred percent. There should be no obstruction of any thought, emotions or feelings about the flames or about the process which you are practicing; not even about the teacher who had taught you this method.

When you are totally blended with the flame or whatever focus object with stable mind, with no clouds of thoughts, only then, you would be able to visualize flame or the picture of Shiva or your Guru or ABCD what ever it is with closed eyes. When we aren’t able to see the thing completely with open eyes, how can we even wonder that we would be able to see things with closed eyes?

The power of visualization comes easily to some people and is difficult for others. Some people are more sensitive. Their eyes are more active than their other senses. For other people it can be ears, it can be tongue. You know we have tea tasters who are specialized in assessing the goodness and right flavor of tea. Also, there are wine tasters whose job is to taste various wines through out the day. I think people who love drinking liquor love to be in this job as they get to drink so of it much it and they don’t have to pay. Rather, they are paid for all the wine drinking sessions. Company’s whole profits depend on the analysis of these wine tasters.

You need to wake up your eyes. What is difference between your eyes and the eyes of an artist or a painter or a photographer? They all have different eyes. It may seem that they have similar eyes with the cornea, retina, eye lashes, and eye lid. But actually there is a significant difference which is from within.

The sensitivity of seeing and absorbing the site is needs to be enhanced by some individuals. They are not born with this faculty and don’t have this gift of going into the depth and understanding the hues of the colors. This is something which requires very aesthetic sense of your mind.

So, don’t get frustrated and see how clumsy or how clouded your mind is. The more you clear it up, the easier it will become to see with your open eyes and then to visualize. I have seen many individuals who found it very difficult to visualize in Yoga Nidra. They are unable to visualize clouds, sky, temple, path, and forest. They are just blank; they just see that darkness and can’t create those images in their head. They are not handicapped but it is definitely a sign that they don’t see this beautiful world with right approach.

So, enjoy this beauty which we see with open eyes. Have you ever seen the beauty of the flame; the color which it has when you light up the candle or clarified butter lamp. Just see and write it down how many colors would be there in a flame. There isn’t one color, there are more then five. If you can see even three, I would say you are doing Ok. But if you can see five, then you are quite Ok.

The day you are able to see all those colors in the flame you are ready to move slowly on to the visualization. But please don’t get frustrated. If you get frustrated by practicing these methods then God knows how frustrated person you might be in your ordinary life.

Don’t be frustrated, these things are meant to be played with. Whatever method I teach, just play with it. Do not hope for great things coming up. Life itself is great what else do we need.