Sungazing for Enlightenment

Since the time I was young, I was told that if you look at the midday sun, you can seriously damage your eyes. And I learned the hard way that if you stay out in the sun for too long with pale skin, you can get burned. However, abstinence from sunlight is arguably just as harmful as getting too much. Afterall, the sun provides the basis for all life on Earth. It provides the planet with energy, and we are all energetic beings, so when we have no direct contact with the energy source of our planet, it seems reasonable to say that our energy centers suffer, that our health and happiness are compromised. There is a good reason that cloudy days feel gloomy, and sunny days feel happy and energetic - the sun nourishes and energizes us.

From the time I was a young man, I have always kept in mind a quote of Henry David Thoreau: “Only that day dawns to which we are awake.” Thoreau's daily habit of making sure he was present to witness the rising and setting of the sun has left a lifetime impression upon me. While not as disciplined as this Thoreau, I still find that if at all possible I like to be somewhere in nature facing due east at the moment when Old Sol first shines light upon the world. It is always reaffirming to be present at sunrise to celebrate the beginning of another glorious day in this place.

By taking up the practice of sungazing, deliberately taking time to stare at the sun, we can each tap into the sun's energy to help reach our highest potential as humans - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Perhaps by sungazing, we can even tap into higher spiritual realms, higher levels of consciousness, and improved states of physical health. Some believe we can absorb energy directly from the sun, thereby completely bypassing the need for food. Maybe they are crazy, or maybe there is substance to their claim? I am always at the ready to suspend disbelief and imagine!

Sungazing is the ancient practice of gazing directly at the sun as a form of meditation. It is recommended to do so only within an hour of sunrise or sunset during which period the UV index is at or near zero, thereby reducing the potential for eye damage. If you do sungazing at the recommended times when the sun is near the horizon, although it may seem very bright at first, you should not experience pain or discomfort. It may be an alarming experience at first, but there should be no pain. The brightness wears off after a few seconds and you’re left looking at a beautiful, pulsating orb of light. No matter how many sunrises I stop to appreciate, it always seems like the first time. And it always has a certain magical calming effect.

I share the following method for sungazing, which was devised by a man by the name of Hira Ratan Manek (HRM): Do not wear glasses or contact lenses. Start by gazing at the sun for 10 seconds the first time. That’s it for the first day. It will be bright and perhaps a bit uncomfortable. It’s recommended that for the first few sessions you wait until just a few minutes before sunset or after sunrise since the sun is less intense at those times.

When you sungaze you should be barefoot and standing on the bare earth. That is, on sand, dirt, or mud - not concrete, not grass, not rock, but the bare earth. In this way you connect your body directly to Earth while you absorb the energy of the sun through your eyes.

Relax your entire body and try to have no thoughts. Simply look at the sun and allow it to enter your brain through your eyes. Blink as needed, but try to relax your face and not squint.

Each day you increase your sungazing time by 10 seconds, no more. It’s not a race. The benefits can’t be hastened. After nine or so months of increasing your time in 10 second increments, you will reach 44 minutes of continuous sungazing if you are consistent with your practice. The rays of the sun are not visible about half of the time for the start and finish of the day where I live, so it may take awhile longer to reach 44 minutes. Once you reach that milestone, you’re done. Your body and mind are fully “charged” and there’s no reason to continue the practice. You only need to walk on the bare earth for 45 minutes per day to stay fully charged.

Although the HRM method is a good way for beginners, the numbers (10 second increases, 44 minutes final, etc.) are completely arbitrary, really. HRM invented them. There is no scientific or even empirical basis for these numbers, and as such, there is no reason to follow his method strictly. Nor is there any scientific evidence of the benefits HRM claims to result from his sungazing protocol. But it does form the basis for measuring progress toward a reasonable target.

That said, sungazing is far from a scientific practice, so you take from the experience whatever you want for that matter, just like with any meditative practice. The benefits can be whatever you want them to be. While sungazing you can pray for or meditate on any benefits you want to receive, whether they’re emotional, physical, or otherwise.

If you’re not able to stand barefoot on the bare earth while doing so, your results may be delayed or different, and that’s also ok. Whatever you end up making of your sungazing practice is absolutely perfect however it happens. It’s a very individual practice and the end results vary with each individual. As with all things in life, no one else will experience exactly what you experience, and you won’t experience exactly what anyone else experiences.

According to the HRM method, when you reach 15 minutes of sungazing, you will achieve improved mental health. What sungazers do find is that if they are experiencing depression, it will tend to leave, and mental confusion will be diminished or eliminated; you may find yourself becoming more of a compassionate, happy person also, much more in control of your emotions. You may also find, on a spiritual level, answers to many questions you have been wondering about for a long time.

When you reach 30 minutes of sungazing, you should expect to find improvement in physical ailments, especially if that is your goal. At 35 minutes your hunger for food may be greatly diminished. As a breatharian HRM says the body really does not need food, only energy. And as your body opens up to receive the energy of the sun directly, your need for indirect energy from food decreases. After all, the energy we consume from food originated from the sun.

When you reach 44 minutes of constant sungazing, your body will be fully charged and you only need to walk upon the bare earth with bare feet for 45 minutes per day, 6 days per week. After one year of doing this, you only need to expose yourself to a few minutes of sunlight every few days to maintain a charged, enlightened state. When you complete the HRM method, you may achieve a pure mental state and a pure physical state devoid of any impurities or ailments. You become enlightened. You don’t need to eat food as you are now able to absorb your energy directly from the sun.

While I certainly seek a more enlightened state in this life, I am not planning to move into a cave and sit in a lotus position facing east, posed in a mudra for eternal bliss. I still plan to have a beer and eat some guac and chips whenever I choose to pause from loftier pursuits. The sacred rite of sungazing holds much appeal, however, and is likely something I will seek to do more of just because it sends me to a place I like to be. Nothing more, nothing less. And that's Nirvana to me.