I had a very weird experience meditating

[Cuddy5269]

Early this morning I was meditating in the dark in my bedroom. In the middle of my meditation session I became pretty frightened of sitting in a dark room. I feared a monster or clown was going to attack me at any second. I was just sitting there shaking. Usually the dark doesn't really bother me except this morning I felt like a child again. I have also been getting a decent number of bad dreams these past few months. I know this might sound a little childish or crazy but I was wondering if anyone else had this kind of experience? If anything this will encourage me to keep meditating. I'm hoping this is a sign of growth. But I'm still a newbie in this hole process I don't have a great understanding of how this  process works.

[Michael Paul]

In my own experience, I’ve found that while meditating or on psychedelics the unconscious mind can produce hyper-vivid fears which are sometimes accompanied by hallucinations associated with the fear. It’s nothing to really worry about, just your shadow producing the deeper level of your mind’s fears for you to deal with while in the process of growing spiritually. Hope this helped.

[cetus]

@Cuddy5269 This is an opportune time to learn to face those imaginary fears of the mind.

[Meditationdude]

@Cuddy5269 couple years back the same thing happened to me (afraid of dark, home invader coming to get me lol).. it passed within a few months. Try to laugh at it, that helped me. 

[AlldayLoop]

59 minutes ago, Michael Paul said:

In my own experience, I’ve found that while meditating or on psychedelics the unconscious mind can produce hyper-vivid fears which are sometimes accompanied by hallucinations associated with the fear. It’s nothing to really worry about, just your shadow producing the deeper level of your mind’s fears for you to deal with while in the process of growing spiritually. Hope this helped.

I’ve personally dealt with this myself a few months ago to various degrees. It’s literally a feeling of “death” staring right at you. Obviously I’m typing and responding to this, so I’m still here. 

I personally deal with anxiety. In my usual everyday life I tend to avoid stuff that is unpredictable as a coping mechanism. In recent times, though, I’ve pushed myself gradually to go out into the world and do things that I otherwise would have avoided altogether. This is what I’ve found will help, and if you seek therapy they will also help guide you facing those irrational fears and not running away from it.

So there need not to run away from your fears, but instead learn to embrace it. You don’t need to push yourself too hard and too fast, but gradually you’ll discover that the fears you experience are only imagined. 

[SoonHei]

@Cuddy5269 yes

when it happens it happens. like in / during that state, all the fail-safes you know just do not come to you. 

TRY to be aware of it in the process.

 

think of your FEAR as you creating a shadow figure in-front of a lamp and seeing it on the wall and then forgetting YOU are creating the shadow figure and as a result being afraid from it.

 

when you see/know that YOU are YOUR FEARS, then it drops/stops INSTANTLY.

 

a nice scene from a movie comes to mind.

some guy is walking in a graveyard at night. he starts to get scary thoughts in his mind and goes full alert to listen. he starts to hear a jingle sound... like a heavy anklet with bells... he thinks it's a witch or something following him.. as he starts to pace faster, the sound gets louder and louder and more jingly... he eventually runs faster and faster until his fear reaches his peak and he has an heart attack and dies.. 

the camera shows him on the ground taking his last breaths... and his hand hitting his pocket causing it to jingle... he realities that he was the sounds of coins in his pocket which he heard.. but his fear/thought about it being a witch made it a reality for him.. he was the cause/creation of the fear... he thought the fear was OTHER THAN HIM and that ultimately led to his death. 

 

seeing the reality of the illusion of fear bring about a natural end to that fear

one makes no effort to not be afraid after seeing (JUST ONCE) the snake for the rope it always was.

[Michael Paul]

@AlldayLoop Good insight. I’ve learned that the best way to deal with fear is definitely to face it head on. Eventually, even if it takes awhile, the things that once bothered you no longer have the same hold on you.

I’ve also dealt with anxiety and what my doctor calls bipolar disorder, these days I tend to look at it as more of a blessing than a curse.

Edited August 14, 2019 by Michael Paul

[AlldayLoop]

5 minutes ago, Michael Paul said:

 

I’ve also dealt with anxiety and what my doctor calls bipolar disorder, these days I tend to look at it as more of a blessing than a curse.

That’s great! You are taking back your life. You aren’t confining yourself to the stigma around it. It’s so easy for the mind to focus on the negatives because doubt is one of the top things people are afraid of.

[Cuddy5269]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm not going to blow these experiences out of proportion. I will continue meditating in the dark. This is just the process of me facing my fears.

[AlldayLoop]

@Cuddy5269 Keep us updated if you have any other doubts. We would love to hear from you 

[Cuddy5269]

Thanks, I will post any other doubts if they come.

[Michael Paul]

@AlldayLoop I couldn’t agree more, and thanks for your support!

[Maya_0]

Maybe you're going through the dark night? See the stages of insight. Stage 6 is Fear.