Meditation Retreat High

[mpcahn]

I just did a daylong meditation retreat and I feel almost inebriated with mental brightness. I had trouble driving home because I was distracted by the feelings of mental brightness and forgot my meditation cushion and had to go back. When I finally got home I had trouble getting anything done.

Has anyone had similar experiences?

Does meditation act like weightlifting in that directly after a period of intense meditation it is harder to control your impulses because the control has been exhausted?

This is my hypothesis for what is happening.

[Ben]

It depends on a lot of things.
What meditation you have done, how long you have done it for and maturity of practice.
Following my first ten-day course I was euphoric.
However, these days I feel close to normal following a retreat - just a lot less agitated.
kind regards

Ben

[mpcahn]

I have been meditating on and off for about 5 years and this is my first retreat in a long time. It was just 8 hours of meditation though I'm starting to "come down" now. Your post helped a lot, it seems to make sense that more intense practice takes getting used to.

[Goofaholix]

I think it's quite common the first few times, everything is fresh and new and quite a contrast with how your life has been (it's much like your first kiss)... wait till you do a monthlong.

[mpcahn]

I think it's quite common the first few times, everything is fresh and new and quite a contrast with how your life has been (it's much like your first kiss)... wait till you do a monthlong.

I think I'd black out and wake up in a strange place with no idea of how I got there with that much meditation.

[JustThis]

Keep an eye on your expectations, in the beginning especially there can be a lot of variation in how your retreats go. Early on I had retreats where I was calm and peaceful with an underlying quality of bliss followed by ones filled with restlessness and frustration. After many years my retreats have leveled out quite a bit.