So I've just started meditating and I'm not really sure what I'm doing.  I've done a bit of research and decided to start with what sounded really simple: putting on a little ambient music, sit in darkened room and visualize my breath going in and out.  Well today I had to pictures flash out of no where into my mind, I was only visualizing my breath and wasn't thinking about anything related to this.  I wondered what they could mean:

Deep red blooming flower (had a few thin lines of white on the petals) the center had three yellow shoots (don't know my flower terms) coming out from the middle. In my head it slowly opened, just one flower, close up view

Some time later I saw what I thought could be the veins of a oak leaf, just the veins, white and then it took on the appearance of a bare tree still white, the two seemed to flash back and forth from one to the other... I still can't tell if it was a tree or the veins of a leaf or both... hard to explain. The white was quite bright

I wondered if anyone knew what these could mean or if it's just my mind tossing out random pictures.  Thanks!!

Meditation can be the quieting of the conscious mind to allow the deeper messages to appear from the spirit (mediumship).  The messages may have some significance to the opening of your own spirit as nature is the symbol most often used.  Check the color as well and apply it all to a spirit message for self and see how it applies.

Instead of the unconscious effort of witnessing your breathing, how about using the symbols from nature as a focus point and keep brinigng the mind back to it when it wanders (and it will).   Then as a connection key use a symbol to connect to your own personal spirit guide.

Hello . I'm Evard .

Meditation and visualization are not the same .

Visualization of the pattern of breathing is a common meditation
though it affects the pattern of relaxed way of clearing the mind
and showing the thoughts are not apparent to promise the mind
will be free from thought and stress ... and you might give some
thought to the beginning meditation you tried when you first thot
to begin meditation as a first exercise maybe years ago ... Then
find out what your conscious mind "stored in thought" about your
first experience with "breathing visualization" and remind with on
promise your first mentalist exercise was perhaps to visualise on
the thoughts of Nature or trees and leafs .,. Clear the Mind aum~     meditation will be peace with promotion tranquility .  Evard

Science tells us that we can not stop the mind.  It is just not possible.  Meditation, therefore, is about retraining the mind to another state of consciousness.  The mind needs to have some thought available at all times.  

Consider that there are electrical impulses that cross our brain constantly for the function of the brain.  While the brain is not the mind, the brain can be the seat of the mind.

The reasonable discussion of meditation as quieting the mind without inducement
will be a way to consider meditation as a healthy practice to begin the role of new
peaceful tidings and not inducement to untrained tranquility .  I'm not one to aum
begin conflict of opinion with others .,. so I will offer the meditation to clear the ~
mind and bring peace to the mind as reasonable consideration of the thoughts to
begin quiet and centered meditation will be technique to then regain the thoughts
and find the mind more centered after quieted meditation and spiritual happiness .

Personal note : I'm not trying to enact nor attract conflict about the reasonable uh
mind to be quieted and tranquil without inducement .  Meditation technique will be
noted as recognising the jumble of thoughts we have as distracted by commotion
offered in the daily chaotic effect uh environmental condition . Be Peace . Amaste

Evard ~ this appears as off topic .  Maybe you had a visual training before and it     set the value at Nature and leafs .