Navigating the Gap: The Still Point Between Thoughts in Advanced Meditation

If you’ve been meditating for a while, you’ll know that it’s not just about feeling calm or focusing on the breath. At a certain stage, something more subtle begins to unfold. You might notice small moments of stillness—not just physical stillness, but a pause in the mind itself.

This is what advanced meditation points us toward: the gap between thoughts. It’s a brief, quiet still point—so subtle you might miss it. But when you begin to recognise this gap and rest within it, meditation becomes less about managing the mind and more about touching the mystery of consciousness itself.

Let’s explore what this still point is, why it matters, and how you can begin to navigate it more consciously.

 

What Is the Still Point Between Thoughts?

We’re used to identifying with the stream of thoughts running through our heads. One thought leads to another, and our attention is swept along without pause. But advanced meditators begin to notice that between those thoughts—no matter how constant they seem—there are tiny pauses.

These pauses aren’t blank or empty in a dull way. They’re vibrantly still. Like the calm at the centre of a storm. They aren’t thoughts, yet they aren’t unconscious either. They’re a kind of awareness without content.

This is sometimes called the “gap,” the “still point,” or “pure awareness.” It’s where the thinking mind subsides, and the deeper self comes forward. In some traditions, this space is considered the doorway to enlightenment or awakening.

 

Why Is This Gap So Important?

You might wonder why such a fleeting moment matters. Here’s why:

• It’s free of mental chatter. In that moment, you’re not projecting into the future or reliving the past.

• It reconnects you with the present. The gap isn’t about “doing” or even “trying.” It’s about being.

• It reveals who you are beneath the surface. This space isn’t something outside you—it’s the core of your being, beyond identity, roles, or thought structures.

• It resets the nervous system. Even brief contact with this stillness can restore clarity and reduce stress.

• It opens the door to insight. Real clarity doesn’t always come from thinking harder. It often arises from stillness.

In advanced meditation, this is the space we’re learning to recognise, trust, and rest in.

 

How to Recognise the Gap

The still point between thoughts is incredibly subtle, but not inaccessible. You’ve likely experienced it already—perhaps in moments when time seemed to stand still, or when you were fully absorbed in nature or music. But in meditation, we learn to meet it intentionally.

Here are a few clues that you’re entering the gap:

• Time feels like it pauses or stretches.

• There’s no internal commentary—just pure presence.

• You’re aware, but there’s no active thinking.

• A sense of spaciousness opens up, without edges or boundaries.

• You feel deeply calm, but alert.

Often, the gap appears just after a thought ends and before the next one begins. It can also be sensed after an exhalation or in the wake of a strong emotion subsiding.

 

Practical Techniques for Entering the Still Point

You can’t force your way into the gap—but you can cultivate the conditions that make it easier to notice. Here are a few practices to help:

 

1. Slow the Mind with Breath

Use the breath as a bridge. Try this:

• Inhale slowly and fully.

• As you exhale, let go completely—not just of the breath, but of effort.

• At the bottom of the exhale, rest in the pause. Don’t rush to inhale again.

• Notice what arises in that still moment.

This gentle attention can begin to illuminate the gap.

 

2. Label and Let Go of Thoughts

During meditation, try silently noting: “thinking”… “thinking” every time a thought arises. Then gently return to the breath or body. Over time, this habit reduces the stickiness of thoughts and makes the spaces between them more visible.

 

3. Use a Soft Gaze or Closed Eyes

Some meditators find it helpful to keep a soft, unfocused gaze or to close the eyes completely. This can reduce visual stimulation and help draw awareness inward. The still point is easier to sense when the mind isn’t constantly interpreting the outer world.

 

4. Drop into Awareness Itself

Ask yourself: What is aware of this thought?
Then rest in that awareness.
This turns your attention inward—not toward the content of thoughts, but toward the field of awareness itself. That’s where the gap resides.

 

5. Don’t Chase the Gap

Ironically, the harder you chase it, the more elusive it becomes. The gap isn’t something to “achieve.” It’s something you relax into. The key attitude is curiosity and openness, not striving.

 

Common Misconceptions

 

“It has to be dramatic.”

Nope. The still point isn’t usually a big, mind-blowing experience. It’s quiet. Ordinary. But profound in its simplicity.

 

“If I’m still thinking, I’m failing.”

Not true. Thoughts will come and go. The skill is in not following them, and beginning to notice the space around them.

 

“I can’t find it—I must be doing it wrong.”

The gap isn’t a place you go to—it’s what’s always here, underneath all the noise. Trust that just by sitting with awareness, you’re already in contact with it.

 

Integrating the Gap into Daily Life

Advanced meditation isn’t just about the cushion. The real power of this practice is in everyday life. Try this:

• Pause for 3 seconds between tasks. Breathe. Sense the silence.

• Before speaking, take a moment to feel the space behind your words.

• While walking, pay attention to the pause between steps.

These micro-moments help stabilise the still point so it becomes more familiar, more accessible—even in the middle of a busy day.

 

Final Thoughts: The Gateway Within

The still point between thoughts is more than just a meditative curiosity. It’s a gateway to the deepest part of who you are—a place untouched by fear, labels, or noise.

You don’t need to strive to reach it. You just need to notice what’s already here—in the spaces between. With gentle attention and regular practice, what was once fleeting becomes a homecoming.

And in that homecoming, meditation becomes not something you do, but something you are.

 

Extra Resources

Price reduction on my online Meditation Course.

Why not treat yourself to a Meditation Retreat in the beautiful Devon Countryside?

This post may also interest you: 7 Long-Term Benefits of Meditation: What Happens After Years of Practice?

Best Wishes,

David.

© D. R. Durham, All rights reserved, 2025.