How Meditation May Change the Brain

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Kusala
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How Meditation May Change the Brain

Post by Kusala »

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/2 ... the-brain/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"He, the Blessed One, is indeed the Noble Lord, the Perfectly Enlightened One;
He is impeccable in conduct and understanding, the Serene One, the Knower of the Worlds;
He trains perfectly those who wish to be trained; he is Teacher of gods and men; he is Awake and Holy. "

--------------------------------------------
"The Dhamma is well-expounded by the Blessed One,
Apparent here and now, timeless, encouraging investigation,
Leading to liberation, to be experienced individually by the wise. "
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GraemeR
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How Meditation May Change the Brain

Post by GraemeR »

Dear Dhamma friends

I have done meditation for over 25 years and had no ill effects. However I know people who have done a lot of sitting meditation and suffered hallucinations which quite seriously destabilised them.

http://minet.org/www.trancenet.net/rese ... eniz.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally I think if you break sitting meditation with walking or another technique it's no problem, but lengthy sitting meditation can appear to lead to quite bizarre hallucinations. It's quite frightening when you see the results.

with Metta

Graham
Last edited by GraemeR on Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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tiltbillings
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Re: How Meditation May Change the Brain

Post by tiltbillings »

GraemeR wrote: http://minet.org/www.trancenet.net/rese ... eniz.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Interesting article.
Other adverse effects described (Craven, 1989) are uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations, mild dissociation, feelings of guilt and, via anxiety-provoking phenomena, psychosis-like symptoms, grandiosity, elation, destructive behaviour and suicidal feelings. Kutz et al. (1985a,b) described feelings of defencelessness, which in turn produce unpleasant affective experiences, such as fear, anger, apprehension and despair. Sobbing and hidden memories and themes from the past, such as incest, rejection, and abandonment appeared in intense, vivid forms and challenged the subject's previously constructed image of their past and themselves. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to encounter a meditator who claims that has found 'the answers' when in fact he has been actively engaged in a subtle manoeuvre of avoiding his basic questions.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
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GraemeR
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How Meditation May Change the Brain

Post by GraemeR »

tiltbillings wrote:
Interesting article.
Other adverse effects described (Craven, 1989) are uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations, mild dissociation, feelings of guilt and, via anxiety-provoking phenomena, psychosis-like symptoms, grandiosity, elation, destructive behaviour and suicidal feelings. Kutz et al. (1985a,b) described feelings of defencelessness, which in turn produce unpleasant affective experiences, such as fear, anger, apprehension and despair. Sobbing and hidden memories and themes from the past, such as incest, rejection, and abandonment appeared in intense, vivid forms and challenged the subject's previously constructed image of their past and themselves. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to encounter a meditator who claims that has found 'the answers' when in fact he has been actively engaged in a subtle manoeuvre of avoiding his basic questions.
What I have seen is bizarre hallucinations related to communications from Hindu gods. Total neglect of a child. Belief of imminent death ...... and of course rejection of mainstream teaching.

With metta

Graham
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