If you have ever wanted to connect with your true self, try Neti Neti meditation, an Analytical meditation based on the mantra Neti Neti, which is Sanskrit for “Not this, nor this.”
With this powerful, 8000 year old meditation, we overcome the ego, move beyond our delusional sense of self, and connect with our ultimate reality.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to do Neti Neti meditation, the history and philosophy of the method, and how it can change your life.
How To Do Neti Neti Meditation
- As always, sit comfortably with good posture
- We want to use accupressure to help with this meditation. We will use Jnana mudra, the best mudra for oneness. To do this, hold your hands out with the palms facing downwards. Let your fingers rest outwards. Now curl your index finger and place the tip of this finger on the lowest part of your thumb. (See image below). Do this on both hands.
- Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Practise mindful breathing for a minimum of five minutes before continuing.
- Now we get to the real part of the meditation. We are going to use Analytical Meditation to remove identities from the mind. If that sounds complicated don’t worry. It will make sense in a moment.
- What you want to do is observe the things your mind focuses on and label them. For instance, if you become aware of a thought, label it “Thought”.
- Then, say, “I am not this” (referring to the thought or the thing we are focusing on).
- Now be aware of your consciousness, turning consciousness in on itself. So, you will be aware of the person doing the focusing. Now say, “I am not that” (referring to your conscious awareness itself).
- Continue repeating from step 6 onwards. What you are doing is dissociating from anything you become conscious of, and then dissociating from consciousness itself.
- Continue for twenty minutes.
Use jnana mudra for neti neti meditation
Explanation and Benefits of Neti Neti Meditation
Neti Neti meditation is a practise of removing ourselves from attachment to self and liberating us from our delusional concept of reality.
Most people view the world, and view themselves, as a combination of different “Things”. We have a “self”. We have labels for our jobs. Everything we see is a finite object. And so, our entire perspective on reality is based on the idea of “stuff”- different objects with finite definitions. This is why, right now, you think your reality is that you are a person using a phone / computer to read this article. But in truth, that is just a delusional idea of actual reality.
Do you see how our interpretation of everything is based on ideas in our minds?
We must move past these delusions if we are to connect with our true selves (Atman / Hinduism) and realise the Ultimate Reality (Brahman). This is very similar to Self Inquiry meditation.
To remove our delusions (Samskaras) we must go through a process of negation. We must remove our delusions one by one. We can do this using this meditation, which was mentioned in the Vedas in Upanishads and in the Avadhuta Gita and has been used for over 8000 years.
The technique is simply the process of removing anything that is not Brahman (Ultimate Reality) or Atman (Ultimate Self).
We practise this method to remove delusions from the mind, purifying the mind one step at a time. And here we realise the ultimate benefit of this meditation: the realisation of true self and true reality.
Paul Harrison is a passionate meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in meditation and mindfulness. He studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison
