Two eyes look outward — the third looks inward. That is how the yogic tradition describes the third eye chakra, the sixth of the seven chakras, Sanskrit Ajna, better known as the "third eye". It is the chakra of intuition, inner imagery and clarity — and of all seven, the one the tradition links most closely to the night: to dreams, stillness and the vision that remains once the eyes are closed. In this article you'll learn what it means, why its colour is indigo, what sets the third eye apart from the crown chakra — and how a dream journal becomes the simplest of all Ajna practices.

What does the third eye chakra mean? — The 6th chakra

The third eye chakra is the sixth of the seven main chakras — the second-to-last stop on the path from the earth at the pelvis to the crown at the top of the head. The tradition symbolically places it in the centre of the forehead, just above the point between the eyebrows — the spot where the bindi is worn in India, and where we instinctively rest our fingers when we're thinking hard.

The Sanskrit name Ajna carries two meanings at once: "to perceive" and "to command". The two belong together — whoever sees clearly can decide clearly. Where the heart chakra asks "What do I feel?", the third eye chakra asks: "What do I actually see?" Its themes:

• Intuition — the knowing that arrives before thought
• Imagination — inner images, ideas, visions in the literal sense
• Clarity — telling the essential apart from the noise
• Perspective — looking beyond the moment and the obvious
• Dream awareness — noticing and taking seriously the images of the night

Why "third eye"? — The outer gaze and the inner gaze

The name is no accident, and it doesn't refer to an organ. The tradition sets the two outer eyes, which capture the world, against one inner eye that perceives meaning. The difference is easiest to see side by side:

That's why the tradition considers the third eye chakra the chakra of the night: it is the sense that remains once the others come to rest. And it's the reason the classic Ajna practices almost all take place in the evening or early morning.

🔵 What colour is the third eye chakra?

The third eye chakra's colour is indigo — that deep night-blue between blue and violet the sky takes on roughly an hour after sunset, just before it turns black. Indigo is the colour of the old dye-plant blue, of denim, of ink — and in chakra symbolism, the colour of depth, introspection and nocturnal clarity. It sits sixth in the colour sequence that begins with the red of the root chakra; you'll find the full sequence in our chakra colours guide.

Which chakra is blue? — Light blue or indigo

This is one of the most common questions around chakra colours — and it has two answers, because two chakras are blue:

• Light blue — the throat chakra (Vishuddha), the fifth chakra: the colour of a clear daytime sky, its theme expression and voice.
• Indigo — the third eye chakra (Ajna), the sixth chakra: the colour of the night sky, its theme intuition and inner vision.

When people say "the blue chakra", they usually mean the throat chakra. The darker, nocturnal blue belongs to the third eye chakra. And one step further up, it turns violet: the colour of the crown chakra. As a memory aid for the evening sky: light blue in the afternoon, violet just after sunset, indigo around midnight.

Symbol, element and mantra: two petals, light and OM

The traditional symbol of the third eye chakra is a lotus with just two petals — the simplest blossom in the whole sequence, given that the crown chakra above it carries a thousand. The two petals are often read as the two sides this chakra brings together: sun and moon, thinking and sensing, the obvious and the hidden. Its element is light — not the harsh light of midday, but the inner light in which images arise behind closed eyes. Its mantra is OM, the primal syllable it shares with the crown chakra; some traditions also name KSHAM for Ajna.

The dream journal — the simplest Ajna practice

If the third eye chakra is the chakra of inner imagery, then dreams are its most natural material — images that arise every night without any effort on our part, and are usually gone by the first cup of coffee. The classic Ajna practice is simply to capture them. Not to interpret them, but to pay attention. Everything you need is right there on the nightstand:

Looking back after two or three weeks, most people notice something no single entry shows on its own: recurring images, colours, moods. That's the real inner vision the tradition speaks of — not a flash of insight, but a pattern that slowly emerges.

Three evening rituals for the inner gaze

The dream journal belongs to the morning. For the evening, the tradition offers three equally simple approaches:

• The point between the eyebrows. Lying down, eyes closed: gently guide your attention to the centre of your forehead — no pressing, no straining, just "looking there". The classic focal point of Ajna meditation. Two minutes are enough.
• The screen cut-off. The last half hour of the day without a display. In the tradition, the third eye chakra grows quieter the more comes in from outside — an evening free of stimuli is its space. A gentle way in is our 5-minute sleep meditation.
• The image to fall asleep to. Deliberately choose a single calm image — a lake, a starry sky, a familiar path — and hold it in your mind's eye until sleep comes. Visualisation in its simplest form.

The third eye chakra in the AURIPURA® sleep system

In the AURIPURA® chakra mattress, the third eye chakra is represented by the indigo-blue energy rod — Ajna Vision, the second from the top, positioned at forehead height when you lie down. Together with the violet Sahasrara rod at the head end, it forms the upper pair of the seven energy rods — the two chakras the tradition links to night, dream and stillness, right where your head rests in sleep. If you'd like to start with a single symbol: the Ajna energy rod is also available on its own.

→ Discover the AURIPURA® sleep system

Frequently asked questions about the third eye chakra

What does the third eye chakra mean?

The third eye chakra (Sanskrit: Ajna, "to perceive" or "to command") is the sixth of the seven main chakras. It is symbolically located between the eyebrows and represents intuition, imagination, clarity and the ability to see beyond the obvious — which is why it is also known as the "third eye".

What colour is the third eye chakra?

Indigo — a deep night-blue between blue and violet. In chakra symbolism, indigo represents depth, introspection and the clarity of the night. It should not be confused with the light blue of the throat chakra or the violet of the crown chakra.

Which chakra is blue?

Two are: the throat chakra (Vishuddha) is light blue like the daytime sky, and the third eye chakra (Ajna) is indigo — a deep night-blue. When people talk about "the blue chakra", they usually mean the throat chakra; the darker, nocturnal blue belongs to the third eye chakra.

What is the third eye?

The symbolic name for the third eye chakra. The tradition does not mean a physical organ, but an image: the capacity to look inward and perceive more than what the two outer eyes can see — intuition, imagination, inner images.

What does the tradition mean by "opening the third eye"?

A turning inward: attention instead of distraction, stillness instead of a flood of stimuli. Classic approaches include meditation with attention placed between the eyebrows, visualisation, and keeping a dream journal. It is a spiritual concept, not a measurable process and not a medical practice.

More reading

• Crown Chakra — Meaning, the Colour Violet & Inner Stillness — The seventh chakra: one step above the third eye.
• The 7 Chakras at a Glance — Meaning, colours, symbols and mantras of all seven chakras.
• Chakra Colours & Their Meaning — From red to violet: all seven colours explained.
• Heart Chakra — Meaning, Colour & Symbolism — The fourth chakra: feeling before the mind sees.
• Throat Chakra — Meaning, the Colour Light Blue & Expression — The other blue chakra: the voice beneath the gaze.