This morning, I sit down cross-legged to meditate. After my first breath, I decide to focus on opening my third eye, something I’ve meditated on only a few times before. First, I make sure the five lower chakras are open before venturing onto the sixth, also known as the third eye chakra, which is often associated with higher levels of consciousness, out-of-body experiences and clairvoyance. When I reach the sixth chakra, I begin having visions of the future, or of a potential future. I see myself as a paraplegic relegated to a wheelchair. Though the situation isn’t ideal, I’m committed to making a recovery. Displeased by the vision, I work to understand how I arrived here. I’m shown a car accident during which a lack of focus on my part plays a role. I try to manipulate the vision so that the car accident never takes place. I then see a future in which my ninety year-old self plays basketball and snowboards—happy, healthy and successful.
The distinct vision subsides and I enter a space of colours floating amongst a void, a lot of indigos, purples and blues. I feel the sense of a hole, an eye socket, opening above my nose and eyebrows. The opening is somewhat uncomfortable for a while. Rather than disengage, I observe the sensation of my cranium spreading open. The discomfort dissipates and I enter a relaxed place, my breath flowing seemingly independently of me. I remain here until my alarm sounds. When I open my eyes, I have the strong sense that I need to be vigilant with my driving today.
On my way to a meeting and less than a kilometer from my house, I hit a patch of ice. Despite my best efforts braking, my car slides through a stop sign and into a busy street. I steer right as a vehicle from my left swerves to avoid me.
On my way back from the meeting, the car driver in front of me slams on the brakes and I do too. In the rearview mirror, I see a black minivan hurtling towards me—its driver on his cell phone. “Shit,” I say aloud as I punch down the accelerator, the car in front having moved forward enough for me to escape collision and give the minivan’s driver time to step on his brakes. The minivan comes within inches of my rear bumper, terror on its driver’s face, and I continue on unharmed.
This evening, I open up Facebook to see a message from my friend Aaron, whom I haven’t exchanged anymore than a “happy birthday” with for the past six years. He writes, “I thought you would like to read this,” and links me to an article titled Awakening the Third Eye—Be Careful What You Wish For. The article discusses how to open the third eye and also some of the potential dangers associated with doing so. I’m excited to explore further.