Contemplative practices and severe mental health side-effects

[ivory]

Has anyone here experienced severe depression, mania, or other side effects while on the spiritual path?

 

There's a whole bunch of research being done on the topic. I personally believe that contemplative practices can lead to various types of side effects that resemble depression and other mental health disorders. Here's one such article on the topic. Common terminology include dark night, dispassion and disenchantment, dukkha-nanas, etc.

 

It is believed that insight into impermanence, no-self, and suffering can lead to such issues, and that these issues are considered a normal and even expected occurrence. Modern psychology professionals aren't trained to recognize the challenges that contemplatives encounter and often diagnose spiritual practitioners with mental health disorders, when in fact, practitioners have merely arrived at a crossroad on the path.

[Arkandeus]

Once the illusion dispels suffering is faced in its final form

A suffering that has no root in reality, a spiritual suffering, a resolving of all karma, a seeming depression, a pressure that seeps through everything, unloading its weight on your reality

This is a heavy process, but only when one can see that suffering does not have its root in this reality, can he face it, and can she realize that bliss and happiness will not have its roots in this reality either, it will not be dependent of everything, meaning that you will be envelopped in bliss and happiness no matter where you go or are, no matter what happens

Suffer no matter what happens, to ascend to being happy no matter what happens

Edited November 30, 2018 by Arkandeus

[cetus]

44 minutes ago, ivory said:

Modern psychology professionals aren't trained to recognize the challenges that contemplatives encounter and often diagnose spiritual practitioners with mental health disorders, when in fact, practitioners have merely arrived at a crossroad on the path.

@ivory Hence the forum. That's why we're here.

[Forestluv]

@ivory Facing oneself with naked vulnerability can be uncomfortable. It seems super common for people to experience various forms of anxiety, struggle, discomfort, frustration, avoidance, a sense of losing one's mind etc. Yet through that, there is an ineffable stillness, peace and love within whatever is happening in the present moment.  

[Talinn]

A large portion of quiet do-nothing meditation has been great so far, but the other week I got a hallucination of wind in the trees (no trees here since it's the Sonoran Desert...), combined with children laughing and some other weird sound that idk.

I never got hallucinations before but I definitely won't be doing psychedelics based on my family history of schizophrenia.

My main problem is consistency but at the same time it's like way too easy for me to get to a nondual state, I feel like I'm playing with fire since I've seen how bad schizophrenia is.

But at the same time, I can't go back to solely drooling over video games or books or any other hobby.

I am in a pickle too :>

10 hours ago, ivory said:

 Modern psychology professionals aren't trained to recognize the challenges that contemplatives encounter and often diagnose spiritual practitioners with mental health disorders, when in fact, practitioners have merely arrived at a crossroad on the path.

This is so true, I was supposed to see my family psychiatrist if I got a hallucination, but for now? Naaah.

Edited December 1, 2018 by Talinn