On Single Pointedness and Mantra.

One method of moving throughout deeper through the layers of the subconscious is Single pointedness.    Patanjali points out that this could be single pointed focus on breathe, a mantra, the memory of a spiritual dream, or anything at all.  If you have a mantra given to you by a teacher you could use that, or if you don you could use a personal mantra.  Your mantra could be "Banana".  It is not important what the nature of the mantra is, but rather that single pointedness is employed.

A lot of times this is interpreted as unbroken awareness on a single point.  This is good, but not necessary at first.  Thoughts may periodically distract one us from our single point.  Continuity is established when we become aware that we were distracted and bring awareness back to the single point.  As this practice is maintained for some duration the body, the nervous system and the mind become very relaxed.  Normally as relaxation becomes deeper, we might fall asleep, or become unconscious.  By maintaining the single point of focus, some part of the conscious is able to remain awake even as the body and mind settle.

This is a tremendous tool for seeing beyond the filters of the mind.  It is very difficult to see beyond the minds filters.  When the mind relaxes enough though the filters go down.  Then we might get a glimpse of the sub conscious.  This seems often to be movements of mind which though they may make some sort of intuitive sense, have no context in the logical mind.  If we were to try to examine this subtle world with the the logical mind, filters would go back up.  Releasing preference for or against things "making sense" is definitely a requirement to journey deeper.