Third Eye Meditation: How to Open for Stronger Intuition

There are a few techniques and considerations involved with third eye meditation that are very similar to other forms of meditation. It is recommended that you find a quiet or peaceful place where you are unlikely to be disturbed for the duration of the practice. Because the brain is good at contextualizing, many find success by sticking to the same place and time for every session. You are encouraged not to eat immediately before third eye meditation.

Because many people will sit in meditation for up to 20-60 minutes, it can be a good idea to prepare the body with a bit of stretching or hatha yoga first, to relieve tension that may be distracting. It is especially important to do some hip opening stretches if you plan to sit in a lotus or half-lotus position.

Your sitting position is not as important as in some other styles of meditation, though most will sit in one of the cross-legged positions on the floor. The most important thing is to have your spine properly aligned so you can breathe clearly and sit without undue tension. This can improve your ability to focus, which is essential for third eye meditation.

Once you are in a comfortable seated position, begin to take regular deep breaths through the nose. Don’t just breathe, but focus on the breath. Observe the sensations of the air flowing in and out of the body. Many people try to turn off the “chatter” of thoughts by counting the breaths. Others suggest counting backward from 100.

What sets Third Eye meditation apart from the other styles is its focus on “opening the third eye”. To do this, while you are breathing, close your eyes and draw your concentration to the middle of your forehead (or between the brow). Many people mention that this makes the body feel as if it’s filled with energy. In addition, paying attention to such small details as the use of mudras (specific hand gestures) and the position of the eyes can contribute to a more powerful meditation practice.

Even better, the addition of a mantra to your meditation practice can enhance the depth of your meditation experience. Repeating a simple mantra such as “let go” or “peace” helps to clear the mind of external ideas and distractions, allowing for a more focused state of mind. The vibration and sound of the mantra have a calming and soothing effect on the mind, which can help to improve concentration and productivity. Moreover, synchronizing the rhythm of the mantra with the breathing pattern can facilitate deeper relaxation and focus.

When finished, it can be jarring just to open your eyes and stop. Give yourself a short transition time while the eyes are closed. Take your focus away from the third eye and back to the breath. After a few minutes, open your eyes again.

To get maximum benefit, it is encouraged to adopt a regular practice, typically daily. It is important to remember that it takes time and patience to open the third eye, so don’t get discouraged. Some have found success meditating with crystals, such as amethyst or purple sapphire, in their pockets to increase the effects of third eye meditation.

Because the concept of the third eye is so deeply ingrained into new age philosophy, it is given a lot of weight within that world. Many of people’s ailments are believed to be rooted in imbalances or blockages of our energy systems. Some symptoms claimed to be the result of problems with the third eye include sinus issues, migraine headaches, depression, anxiety, and paranoia. Therefore, adopting a practice of third eye meditation may relieve these problems. It is also thought that opening the third eye could help people be more intuitive and trusting of others.

Like many mystical practices, third eye meditation comes with a long list of improbable benefits. Some claim that with an opened third eye, we gain a much deeper sense of intuition. This can help us make better decisions. It is also said that it can help people connect to the spiritual realm. Some have said that it may allow people to see images of their own future. There seems to be little scientific backing to these claims, however, there is some suggestion that meditation may give people access to subliminal thoughts.

It is said that third eye meditation has the ability to change the nature of our thoughts and help us process things a bit more positively, which can in itself help attract positive energy to our lives. This is known as the law of attraction. This is considered pseudoscience, though. There does seem to be some connection between meditation and positive moods.

Although the studies did not test third eye meditation specifically, there is some indication that regular meditation can reduce some of the symptoms of mental illness, especially anxiety and depression. Due to self-fulfilling prophecy—the idea that our world-view and predictions about the world changes the way we interact with it—there is a possibility that a reduction in anxiety can create a more positive world. Still, it would be a stretch to claim that this proves the law of attraction.

Despite the lofty claims made by followers of esoteric philosophies, recent studies have begun to show that meditation may have an effect on the pineal gland. There is also evidence that meditation can have beneficial effects on the quality of sleep, with regular meditators showing deeper sleep patterns and a minimized effect of ageing on sleep cycles. Due to the influence of meditation on melatonin levels, it is assumed that it is, in fact, meditation that is influencing the functioning of the pineal gland.

Again, given that the pineal gland is merely speculated to be a biologically analogous structure to the third eye, this finding does not prove the existence of the mystical third eye or that it is meditating on the third eye, not meditation in general, that is causing these effects. It merely shows that the pineal gland may be influenced by a meditation practice.

This type of meditation can cause migraine headaches in some. There have been claims that opening the third eye could be uncomfortable and even spiritually dangerous for those not ready. When not properly prepared, some people experience vivid nightmares and may even become frightened by the accuracy of their visions. Some recommend that one finds balance in all of their chakras before doing work on their third eye.

Even without a belief in some of the mystical aspects surrounding third eye meditation, there is some indication that a regular medication practice can cause an increase in anxiety for some. If one has a world-view that is informed by the existence of chakras, there is a possibility that they could be describing the same effects.

Either way, for a lot of the esoteric benefits and risks, more proper scientific research is needed before any real conclusions can be made. It is also important to consider the power of placebos, and wrapping a complex mystical world view into the meditation process may improve the power of the placebo effect.

Updated: August 1, 2024. – This article was originally published on February 5, 2021.