"The Dark Side of Meditation" Video Question

[VictorB02]

I am currently re-watching Leo's video called "The Dark Side of Meditation" and I have a question that I'm hoping the forum could help give insight upon.

I noticed lots of people in the comments of the video are stating that all of these side effects (hyper-horniness, hyper-aggression, etc.) are side effects that happen to people that don't meditate as well, which I can understand. That led me to this question:

How are these side effects different to the meditator compared to the non-meditator?

Is the difference simply that you are aware of these side effects if you meditate contrasted to unawareness of these side effects letting them control you? Or is there an actual difference in the sense that these side effects are being purged and rooted out, not merely happening your whole life?

And insight is appreciated, cheers

[Cepzeu]

The effects can happen transiently in a regular person, maybe after a hard day at work, or a lack of sleep or stresses on the mind/body. 

In a meditator the process is similar but may happen more frequently or with stronger force because with meditation lots of subconscious emotional knots untie which can lead to stress for the body. 

In both instances, the body reacts under the principle of homeostasis

 

Just see how you feel after an emotionally/physically taxing day. Meditation is not pleasant initially. Once the habit is set though, the new homeostatic set point is made and it becomes easier.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Cepzeu

[Leo Gura]

@VictorB02 Well, you gotta appreciate that people have mystical experiences and even enlightenments just out of the blue, sometimes with little to no practice.

Meditation is everywhere all of the time! Meditation is reality. You don't have to be sitting on the cushion to be aware of stuff. Some people are naturally meditating all the time without even giving it a label or using any formal techniques. So yeah, side-effects are to be expected out of the blue in some people. Some people even have spontaneous kundalini awakenings.

The harder you meditate the more side-effects you are likely to have.

It's sort of like if I told you that by doing weightlifting you can get sore muscles, and some people respond in the comments: "But Leo! I don't do any weightlifitng and I still get sore muscles."

Yeah, of course! Because weightlifting is not the only way to get sore muscles.

[VictorB02]

@Cepzeu thank you

@Leo Gura Ahh, Gotcha with the lifting metaphor. So meditating really is the equivalent to lifting in the sense that you are intentionally putting yourself through that pain to grow, instead of it just letting it happening randomly

Thank you.

Edited January 9, 2019 by VictorB02
spelling

[VioletFlame]

Yes! As long as you are breathing you can meditate just about anywhere!

Sometimes I find even just taking a really long walk and focusing on the road ahead, being completely lost in the present moment, is sort of like breath & body meditation where yes you’re moving, but you’re mind is still and there’s also this intense feeling of opening your heart to the world and ready to receive. Perhaps it's the endorphins from walking.

Any experience in which one is actively present in and completely focused in that moment is pretty much meditation and it's almost like every moment is an opportunity to experience even more meditation! Radness...

 

[VictorB02]

@VioletFlame gotcha, thank you