Outer, Inner, Micro, Macro — Zooming In and Out
In meditation, there’s often a natural noticing of where phenomena are perceived—whether they feel internal or external. For instance, we see a form with the physical eyes: the eyes meet an external object, and eye consciousness arises. Yet even with the eyes closed, visual images may still appear.
At that point, there’s the internal sense faculty that receives those images, and the arising of what we might call inner eye consciousness. With experience, many meditators develop a sensitivity to these distinctions—discerning, at least to some extent, what appears to be “inside” versus “outside.”
As practice deepens, however, these lines can become more subtle. This is particularly noticeable when observing the body. At times, the body can seem to lose its clear boundaries, or its sense of permeability increases. It can become difficult to say exactly where the body begins and ends. Yet this usually isn’t destabilizing—it just reflects a different mode of perception. One can always return to an ordinary sense of the body by simply opening the eyes or shifting attention back to the skin.
There’s also a kind of zooming that can occur in meditation: zooming in closely to observe fine details, or zooming out to take in a broader field of awareness. Both modes have their uses, and the ability to shift between them skillfully is valuable.
One final note: when practicing Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing), particularly with attention focused at the area around the nostrils and upper lip, there’s a potential benefit in narrowing the range of attention. This spot provides a relatively neutral and contained area, minimizing distraction. It doesn’t offer a wide range of stimulation that might tempt the mind to wander or become overly fascinated by possibilities. Instead, it limits the field in a way that can strengthen concentration and clarity.
That specific area—at the threshold between inner and outer—serves as a stabilizing anchor. It allows attention to rest without getting caught in the question of whether an experience is internal or external. In that simplicity, deeper steadiness can emerge.
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