Listening inwardly in this tradition feels a bit like tuning an old radio dial—only here the frequencies are hidden within. Attention rests on spontaneous noises bubbling up just behind the eyeballs or in the chambers of the heart. Sometimes it’s a faint hum, at other moments a tinkling bell or rumble of distant thunder, each whisper guiding awareness deeper than thought alone can venture.

The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra lays out a simple invitation: without seeking or manipulating, allow these inner tones to surface. No efforting, no chasing—just a gentle, unbroken attention. Over days of practice, the usual mental chatter fades out, as if the mind’s volume knob has been turned down. A shift takes place: the listener discovers that these sounds aren’t external at all but reflections of consciousness aware of itself.

Modern research into auditory cortex activity during deep meditation supports what mystics have known for centuries. Recent neuroimaging studies—echoing findings from leading mindfulness labs at Harvard and Oxford—show that sustained focus on inner sound quiets the “default mode” network, reducing self-referential thinking and heightening present-moment aliveness. This aligns beautifully with today’s surge of interest in sound-based apps and breathwork circles, where people crave authentic, no-nonsense ways to unplug.

No special posture is required—though a steady spine helps—just the willingness to listen. When mind and vibration merge, time seems to collapse, revealing a spacious stillness that underlies all phenomena. In that open field, true transcendence isn’t a distant mountaintop but the simple act of hearing what has always been there.