When meditators develop deep concentration, many report seeing a luminosity or light. This phenomenon is well-documented in the early Buddhist texts and is a natural part of the meditative journey toward jhāna (meditative absorption).
What is this light?
This luminosity is not mystical or supernatural, but rather a natural product of deep concentration. In the Pali Canon, the Buddha describes how the concentrated mind becomes luminous:
"When one is devoted to the higher mind (adhicitta)... and gives attention to the sign of concentration (samādhi-nimitta)... one's mind (citta) becomes malleable, wieldy, and luminous (pabhassara)." (Aṅguttara Nikāya I.256, Nimitta Sutta)
The progression of the light:
The commentarial tradition, particularly in the Visuddhimagga, describes three stages of this light during meditation:
Preliminary Sign (Parikamma-nimitta): The initial object of concentration.
Acquired Sign (Uggaha-nimitta): When concentration deepens, an unstable luminosity appears.
Counterpart Sign (Paṭibhāga-nimitta): As concentration further develops, the light becomes clear, stable, and transparent.
When the mind becomes fully absorbed in this luminosity, the first jhāna is attained.
Scientific understanding
Modern science offers parallels with what meditators experience:
"Biophotons are weak electromagnetic waves in the optical range of the spectrum... produced by all living systems." (Bischof, Marco (2005), "Biophotons - The Light in Our Cells")
During deep meditation, gamma waves increase, which correlates with heightened neural synchronization and information processing (Wallace, B. Alan (1998), "The Bridge of Quiescence").
Avoiding misinterpretation
While this light is a sign of progress, the Buddha cautioned against developing attachment to meditative states. As stated in the Dhammapada:
"The mind has attained the unconditioned. The elimination of craving has been achieved." (Dhammapada 154)
The light serves as a tool for deepening concentration, which can then be directed toward liberating insight into the three characteristics: impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā).
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