Ego Backlash

[Joel3102]

So every time I reach a new level in my meditation and my general awareness level, I get a backlash and start having low consciousness cravings (food, porn, internet) that I had no issue with before. Anyone else get these ego backlashes? How do I deal with them? Should I completely resist the cravings or go with it as long as its not in excess, if the long term trend is good?

[Dodo]

35 minutes ago, Joel3102 said:

So every time I reach a new level in my meditation and my general awareness level, I get a backlash and start having low consciousness cravings (food, porn, internet) that I had no issue with before. Anyone else get these ego backlashes? How do I deal with them? Should I completely resist the cravings or go with it as long as its not in excess, if the long term trend is good?

Me all the time. Deal with them through self enquiry 

[Joel3102]

How does self enquiry in particular help, more than meditation? 

[Dodo]

20 minutes ago, Joel3102 said:

How does self enquiry in particular help, more than meditation? 

Self enquiry cuts you off from the stream of mind and stills the mind leaving only you. This is the very process which if used properly can make you forget even a cigarette addiction like it is nothing. It's one of the ultimate self help devices. (My view)

Can you see how it works? Whenever you perceive anything, you don't go towards the object, you try to turn towards the one who is perceiving it (you are that), leaving the pattern cut off, it is no longer fed. 

PS: Mooji calls it marinating in the Self

Edited April 26, 2017 by Dodoster

[Dodo]

54 minutes ago, Joel3102 said:

How does self enquiry in particular help, more than meditation? 

For me meditation is self enquiry, the two are not different things. Have you heard of the following: Who is meditating? Meditation is not a doing. You ARE meditation. You are already enlightened.

What do these point to?

I once watched a video with Osho in which he say that meditation on objects is not meditation at all (He talked about mantras /transcendental meditation). Meditation, he said, is when you are alone with yourself. Not lonely, but alone with yourself. Objects removed.

[Joel3102]

Sounds good, I haven't done much of it but I've found when I do my awareness skyrockets 

[Hsinav]

2 hours ago, Joel3102 said:

So every time I reach a new level in my meditation and my general awareness level, I get a backlash and start having low consciousness cravings (food, porn, internet) that I had no issue with before. Anyone else get these ego backlashes? How do I deal with them? Should I completely resist the cravings or go with it as long as its not in excess, if the long term trend is good?

I recognise this, after a while the answer will come to you, find the balance.

[nima103]

I wouldn’t call this a backlash guys, I thinks this is part of ego being threatened. I had this when I wrote a plan to put meditation into my morning practice.

I guess the best way to deal is to accept and notice it.

[Charlotte]

9 minutes ago, nima103 said:

I wouldn’t call this a backlash guys, I thinks this is part of ego being threatened

I'd personally say that is the definition of a backlash

[Joseph Maynor]

Here's the paradox.  On the one hand you see that you're not living up to some Thought that you have about what you should be doing.  But on the other hand, doesn't everything you do in the moment feel totally right for you too?  It's those moments that you can be totally honest with yourself in the moment that make you feel the best, even if it goes against your self-interest.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Shin]

On 26/04/2017 at 10:22 AM, Joel3102 said:

Should I completely resist the cravings or go with it as long as its not in excess, if the long term trend is good?

No, yes.