Someone asked: while meditating, visions of various places keep appearing — is that a form of distraction, and how can it be fixed?

Yes — this happens when the unwholesome or the neutral force seizes the opportunity to slip in images of forms, tastes, smells, sounds, and mental impressions, pleasant or unpleasant, layering them over the mind. This is one form of distraction.

When images like this appear, hold your own image steady first — picture the Buddha image, or a crystal sphere, or another image you're familiar with, such as a fruit you know well; that works too. But it's best to use the crystal sphere or Buddha image, since it can also stand in for the dhamma sphere. Once you hold that image steady, no other image can intrude, because the mind can only register one thing at a time — once one image is established, no other can take its place.

But if the problem instead is distracting sounds, chatter, or inner voices, use the recitation "sammā-arahaṃ" to hold the mind steady instead. Use an image to counter an image problem, a sound to counter a sound problem, and for a problem of feeling or emotion, hold onto a good feeling instead — one that is relaxed, clear, and at ease.

The mind only ever has three kinds of problems: images, sounds, and feelings. So train with all three together — recite "sammā-arahaṃ" while picturing the Buddha image or the crystal sphere, whether it appears vividly or stays still and quiet, all while keeping the feeling relaxed, clear, and at ease throughout.