OPENING THE THIRD EYE
The Third Eye Chakra, Ajna, is perhaps the most well known energy center, yet the one that is least likely to be open and active.
What is the essence of the Third Eye Chakra?
I watched a disappointing, yet not surprising, number of Youtube videos that were either super click bait-y and/or fear mongering; “warnings” against opening the Third Eye, and claims of magical powers once you do. I don’t quite know this chakra got so trendy, but you can find imagery of it everywhere: logos, artwork, band names, and all over spiritual social media. If I had to speculate: fear & sensationalism sell. But I know for sure that all the chakras are of equal importance; they work in unison. It is true that many teachings emphasize a gradual and linear spiritual development (as I have presented in this series) though New Age conflations exaggerate the consequences of skipping this process.
The Third Eye is the 6th chakra, represented as a violet or indigo color, located just above the space between the eyebrows. While this chakra is associated with the head, eyes and brain, it is also closely associated with the energy body, the non physical aspect of your being. For example: dreaming, imagination, clairvoyance, astral traveling, hallucinations & other altered states of consciousness. The pineal gland is a very small organ in the brain that is often given significance in the discussion of the Third Eye; our scientific understanding of the pineal gland isn’t complete, though we do know it controls melatonin production which is involved in regulating our sleep & wake cycle, the circadian rhythm.
Through this association with the non-physical, the Third Eye chakra has come to symbolize perception, wisdom, the higher-self as well as spiritual development & growth. When Ajna chakra is open and active it allows us to see beyond the illusion of duality, beyond Maya. It allows us to understand universal truths, to see the oneness in us all. It seeks an increasing awareness, questioning and expanding reality to do so. An open Third Eye seeks deeper meaning in everything: synchronicities, numerology, patterns of the universe.
Sometimes when this energy center in particular is becoming more active, its likened to the idea of a “spiritual awakening.” This often brings a burst of energy and excitement about life, perhaps staying up late reading & writing & learning (this was certainly my experience lol) or just a general thirst for new information- all of which feels divinely guided. It might be triggered by emotionally taxing and life-altering events like the death of a loved one, a near death-experience or any kind of traumatic incident, traveling, starting ending a significant relationship (think soul family/mates, twin flames, karmic partnerships), a psychedelic drug experience or anything else that may suddenly evoke a strong connection to the non-physical body.
Ajna is constricted by much of the indoctrination of modern society. Free-thinking & self-expression is discouraged by many institutions as well as societal norms. This (plus Ajna’s location at the top of the chakra scale and the nature of the kundalini serpent to rise in a linear fashion) is why its not very likely to be open today, in respect to the other energy centers. I imagine back in times of the earliest civilizations, where magickal practitioners were much more abundant through the time that biblical miracles were the norm, that the Third Eye was much more open for the average person. As a global society we’ve shifted towards the mundane, the non-dualistic, making it the default for Ajna to be closed & shrunken, and prone to these sort of sudden spiritual awakenings.
How do we connect to the Third Eye Chakra?
open your mindddd. Lol I know it sounds cliche but consuming expansive podcasts, books, and music can be a huge catalyst in expanding and activating the Third Eye. Seek different perspectives about various cultures, periods in history, & scientific, philosophical & political theories.
visit a new city, state, or country. Putting yourself in situations that are unfamiliar is another amazing way to quickly open your mind to new perspectives.
listen to and strengthen your intuition. Start listening closer to the “gut feelings” or the vibe you get about someone/thing/place. Start intuiting what is going to happen, it could be a simple situation like whether your friend is going to text you back and say “yes” or “no” about going out later. Or you could try working with a pendulum. Over time you’ll learn to trust yourself and your inner knowing.
crystal magick! I really like using crystals for this chakra because they work with the subtle energy body, as does Ajna. Try placing them on your Third Eye to meditate as you lie down. See the list below for crystals associated with the Third Eye but deftinley use your intuition to pick one that feels right!
I like reiki and visualization meditations for this chakra for a similar reason to crystals. You could seek a reiki practitioner, or try holding your hands above your Third Eye in mediation, visualizing a white light, or otherwise following along a guided mediation you enjoy, just sending energy through your hands to your third eye.
movement meditation that brings awareness to the body. Some of my favorites are taking a nature walk, yoga, slack lining, skating, & juggling. Not only does this bring awareness to the physical body, but it gets the movement of Prana, vital life force energy, flowing through your chakras. All of the ones I’ve listed are relatively low-impact, so not necessarily going for sprint & doing lots of cardiovascular exercise- but activities that take enough movement and focus that you’ll connect to the body.
get proper sleep and observe your dreams. I suggest keeping a notebook near your bed, and writing down anything you can remember as soon as you wake up. My friend Blanco Rabbit has a cool dream journal that could help you get started! If you’re already really familiar with your dreams, maybe you’re interested in looking into lucid dreaming and other hypnogogic dream states you can learn to control.
eat a healthy plant-based diet. Remember that a healthy energetic body comes from a healthy physical one. I do believe that most people with the ability to read this have the ability to minimize the amount of tortured living beings that comprise their diet; turning a blind eye to this privilege & making excuses for not exercising it demonstrates a lack of awareness, which is the cornerstone of this energy center’s vitality (this isn’t to say that food without animal products is cruelty-free, but it is generally less cruelty as it objectively involves much less living beings overall & is energetically different than consuming dead flesh).
Journal prompts:
what are some significant topics I’ve had a major shift in perspective recently? or over the past few years?
when do eye struggle to be open minded? around certain topics or people? or even something like a food or movie preference
do eye feel clarity in my core values/ethics/morals?
what does it feel like when eye know something to be true? or how something is going to play out? maybe write about a specific situation where you totally sensed what the outcome would be before it happened. or maybe write about the physical or clair-cognizant sensation you experience when you have this inner-knowing?
am eye always trusting & act on my intuition?
when have responded to a situation out of fear? what may have caused me to act in fear in this way?
At a glance:
Color: purple, indigo or violet (many sources also use these two for the Crown chakra)
Physical vessel: the forehead
Bija mantra: OM or SHAM
Element: air
Ayurvedic dosha: vata
Crystals: amethyst, lepidolite, blue tiger’s eye, labradorite, fluorite, charoite, grape agate, purple tourmaline
Planet: Saturn
