Clear Luminous Light We can See for Ourselves!

Ösel, often translated as “Clear Light,” holds a central place in the Six Yogas of Naropa, a cornerstone of Vajrayana Buddhism. This luminous concept represents the radiant essence of consciousness, the ultimate nature of mind beyond all duality and conceptual elaboration. For centuries, Ösel has guided practitioners toward the realization of their intrinsic luminous nature, providing a bridge between individual awareness and universal truth. I want to point out it is Easy, Simple and within your Reach! Please give yourself the gift of recognizing your own luminous nature via your own phosphenes! Understand you are it and live from that source. It is our birthright!

Ösel in the Context of the Six Yogas of Naropa

The Six Yogas of Naropa, attributed to the 11th-century Indian master Naropa, are a set of advanced meditative practices designed to guide practitioners toward enlightenment. These teachings were transmitted to Tibet and became integral to Tibetan Buddhism, particularly within the Kagyu tradition. The Six Yogas include:

1. Tummo (Inner Heat): Cultivating the subtle body’s energy to stabilize awareness.
2. Dream Yoga: Training consciousness during dreams to recognize the illusory nature of reality.
3. Ösel (Clear Light): Recognizing the innate luminosity of consciousness.
4. Bardo (Intermediate State): Navigating the transitions of death and rebirth.
5. Phowa (Transference of Consciousness): Guiding the mind at the moment of death.
6. Illusory Body: Understanding the ephemeral nature of existence.

Ösel is the luminous essence underlying these practices, particularly in Tummo, Dream Yoga, and Bardo. While the other practices prepare the body and mind, Ösel reveals the ultimate reality of the mind as pure, self-cognizant awareness.

The Phases of Ösel: A Path to Radiance

The practice of Ösel involves recognizing and abiding in the luminous essence of the mind. It can unfold in these phases:

1. Daytime Clear Light: Achieved through deep meditation during waking hours, where the ordinary mind dissolves into the radiant, all-pervasive awareness.
2. Dream Clear Light: Recognized during lucid dreaming, as the dream state becomes a platform for perceiving the luminous nature of consciousness.
3. Death Clear Light: At the moment of death, the practitioner has a unique opportunity to recognize Ösel as the mind dissolves into its primordial nature.

The Bardo Thödöl (Tibetan Book of the Dead) describes this final phase vividly. At death, the Clear Light appears as a luminous brilliance, offering the ultimate opportunity for liberation. Those prepared through Ösel practice can recognize this light as their own nature and merge with it, attaining enlightenment. And our channel gives meditations on your own inner light for free, you are able to reach this illumination, it is not difficult to see the utmost truth of our being!

Ösel and the Phosphene Path of Inner Light

Modern explorations of phosphenes—the spontaneous lights seen with closed eyes during meditation—offer a striking parallel to Ösel. In both cases, light serves as a direct experience of the mind’s luminous essence.

Phosphenes often manifest as swirling patterns, geometric forms, or dynamic grids, resembling the symbolic complexity described in the visionary phases of Ösel. The practice of focusing on these lights mirrors the traditional meditative techniques for perceiving the Clear Light. Just as practitioners of Ösel stabilize their awareness of luminosity, modern meditators can use the phosphene path to deepen their connection to the inner light and transcend ordinary perception.

The Neuroscience of Ösel and Inner Light

Recent findings in neuroscience provide intriguing insights into the experience of inner light. The retina’s photoreceptor cells and the visual cortex can generate luminous phenomena, such as phosphenes, through non-specific stimuli like meditation, pressure, or subtle energy shifts. This scientific understanding parallels Ösel’s description as the radiant foundation of consciousness, emphasizing that light—whether experienced as a phosphene or the Clear Light—is deeply connected to the brain and the mind’s inner workings.

However, while neuroscience explains the physiological basis, Ösel transcends these mechanics. It invites practitioners to move beyond the physical experience of light to recognize its metaphysical and spiritual significance. The light becomes a symbol of the indivisible unity between self and the universe.

The Sacred Phenomena of Ösel

The experience of Ösel is often accompanied by visionary phenomena. Ancient texts and oral traditions describe luminous manifestations, including:

• Apparitional phenomena: Smoke-like forms, fireflies, and bright suns.
• Mandala-like geometries: Concentric circles, spirals, and grids.
• The “Blue Nucleus” or “Blue Bindu”: A point of concentrated radiance, symbolizing the convergence of awareness and energy.
• The End of the Tunnel in the Bright Light encompassing all which you are yourselve

These visions are not merely hallucinatory but are considered reflections of the primordial wisdom inherent in the mind. While the oikld sources state they arise when the subtle winds (prana) dissolve into the central channel during deep meditation, revealing the luminous nature of awareness, you can forget about those metaphors. They lead you away as this context does not resonante with us. Just do the simple thing, meditate on your phosphenes!!

Integrating Ösel into Daily Life

The ultimate goal of Ösel practice is not limited to extraordinary meditative states but extends into daily life. The light of Ösel becomes the gaze of embodied awareness, where the practitioner sees all phenomena as expressions of the same radiant essence. This integration brings mastery over awareness and dissolves the boundaries between self and other, subject and object.

By cultivating the ability to remain in the field of luminous awareness, practitioners transform every experience—no matter how mundane—into a step toward liberation. The light of Ösel, then, is not confined to meditation cushions or sacred caves but radiates through the entirety of life.

Ösel as the Universal Light

Ösel, as the Clear Light, serves as a timeless reminder of the radiant essence within all beings. Its descriptions in the Six Yogas of Naropa resonate deeply with the modern exploration of phosphenes, connecting ancient wisdom with contemporary experiences of inner light. Whether through the lens of neuroscience, meditative traditions, or personal practice, Ösel reveals a profound truth: the light we seek is already within us, waiting to be recognized and embodied.

This luminous path bridges the physical and spiritual, offering a direct experience of unity and liberation. It is through this light—whether seen as phosphenes or Ösel—that we glimpse the infinite and return to the source of all awareness. And thus we understand what we are! Lunminous awareness in the Divine. I wish all of you an intense phosphene meditation where you will see fractals and Mandala’s and see your own nature as well as the divine in one big Light Bang!