scared of meditating

[levani]

Please don't laugh as this is the level of development/stage i'm at now. I don't want to get traumatised or get PTSD from meditating ∴ do you have any advise for me to overcome the fear of meditating. I heard horror stories where people lose themselves for 10 years after meditating or they get sunk into "eternity of pain" or the dark night o the soul or whatever.

same with psychedelics and real yoga

Edited October 29, 2020 by levani

[Claymoree]

You don't have to worry about mediation, it does not really have any consequences if you don't go into it hardcore. 

Stories are from people who tried to bite more then they can handle. 

 

[blankisomeone]

The “do nothing” technique is making me lose the ability to concentrate.. I’ve been doing it for a month. I think I’ll stop it. I’ll give it two more months, I’ll try to perfect my practice. If I don’t see that it’s being helpful for me, I’ll drop it.

I’d recommend you do those techniques of focusing on your breath, or the one of being aware of your surroundings if you’re just starting. I’ve felt these were way better for me! But to each his own favorite technique

Do it, but take breaks as needed. Experiment with different techniques

Edited October 29, 2020 by blankisomeone

[The0Self]

1 hour ago, levani said:

Please don't laugh as this is the level of development/stage i'm at now. I don't want to get traumatised or get PTSD from meditating ∴ do you have any advise for me to overcome the fear and to start meditating. I heard horror stories where people lose themselves for 10 years after meditating or they get sunk into "eternity of pain" or the dark night o the soul or whatever.

I'm still scared of sleeping with the lights on so i'm at that level unfortunately,

same with psychedelics and real yoga

The fact that you’re worried might actually mean “you’re going places.” Maybe use that as motivation ?

[Consilience]

Start with Shamatha meditation. Specifically, the Anapanasati technique which literally translates to mindfulness of breathing. This will cultivate not only concentration, but long term very pleasurable, tranquil states of mind that are ideal for insight and contemplation, whether for existential truths or more relative “down to earth” self help insights.

A great book that explores this technique in depth is The Mind Illuminated. 

10 minutes per day of Anapanasati with a focus of the breath sensations at the nostrils, slowly working up the time at your own pace, is a great place to start.  

[levani]

7 minutes ago, Consilience said:

Start with Shamatha meditation. Specifically, the Anapanasati technique which literally translates to mindfulness of breathing. This will cultivate not only concentration, but long term very pleasurable, tranquil states of mind that are ideal for insight and contemplation, whether for existential truths or more relative “down to earth” self help insights.

A great book that explores this technique in depth is The Mind Illuminated. 

10 minutes per day of Anapanasati with a focus of the breath sensations at the nostrils, slowly working up the time at your own pace, is a great place to start.  

wow thank you so much bro, i appreciate this, i just ordered the book from amazon, appreciate this.

[levani]

11 minutes ago, The0Self said:

The fact that you’re worried might actually mean “you’re going places.” Maybe use that as motivation ?

that's what freaks me out, like i've seen the "dark side of meditation video" from the guy who runs this forum and my guy went deep, he was saying some people see massive insects or get lost in eternity and never come back and have demons around you and nothing scares me more than this whole demon stuff, so i might sound like a little girl but that's where I am right now unfortunately but I want to work my way up.

[levani]

1 hour ago, Claymoree said:

You don't have to worry about mediation, it does not really have any consequences if you don't go into it hardcore. 

Stories are from people who tried to bite more then they can handle. 

 

Can never be too careful. Thank you!

[The0Self]

8 minutes ago, levani said:

that's what freaks me out, like i've seen the "dark side of meditation video" from the guy who runs this forum and my guy went deep, he was saying some people see massive insects or get lost in eternity and never come back and have demons around you and nothing scares me more than this whole demon stuff, so i might sound like a little girl but that's where I am right now unfortunately but I want to work my way up.

It can very occasionally be bad but at the level you’d ever have to be worried about it is the level at which bad means nothing...So you’ve got nothing to worry about. This can be taken in infinite different ways and none of them would be true. Let that sink in.

In all helpfulness though, I can recommend none other than Rob Burbea’s Seeing That Frees if what you want to do is be as happy as you can possibly be. Also Culadasa’s The Mind Illuminated for a different but useful perspective (which can easily be conceived of as a necessary addition or even introduction to Seeing That Frees).

Edited October 29, 2020 by The0Self

[Consilience]

1 hour ago, levani said:

wow thank you so much bro, i appreciate this, i just ordered the book from amazon, appreciate this.

Awesome! Really happy the post was helpful  

Feel free to DM if you have any questions on the book, meditation, etc. 

[Heart of Space]

Aw man, don't be afraid. 

Just start small, 15 minutes won't get you into anything hairy.  

Honestly man, I doubt you could force yourself to meditate enough to see real rapids even if you wanted to.  

Oh and psychedelics are probably not for you. 

[Carl-Richard]

3 hours ago, Claymoree said:

You don't have to worry about mediation, it does not really have any consequences if you don't go into it hardcore.

I had an awakening on my 3rd ever meditation and I thought I was going to disappear forever.

[Claymoree]

Just now, Carl-Richard said:

I had an awakening on my 3rd ever meditation and I thought I was going to disappear forever.

Alright, have never heard people get such insane  results so fast , did you use anything? 

[Carl-Richard]

3 minutes ago, Claymoree said:

Alright, have never heard people get such insane  results so fast , did you use anything? 

I stopped smoking weed for a week. I was smoking more cannabis in a day than you should probably ever smoke. Apparently, cannabis withdrawal has an interesting effect on attention. It also probably helped that I spent that week prior being totally obsessed about "staying aware".

[The0Self]

10 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

I had an awakening on my 3rd ever meditation and I thought I was going to disappear forever.

For real, it can really vary a lot person to person. People who are depressed and never tried it before especially get extremely powerful results from meditation, to the point where it kills them. And when you die fully, you‘re life, fully.

[Claymoree]

4 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

I stopped smoking weed for a week. I was smoking more cannabis in a day than you should probably ever smoke. Apparently, cannabis withdrawal has an interesting effect on attention. It also probably helped that I spent that week prior being totally obsessed about "staying aware".

Ohh it makes sense if you were practicing awareness, I mean its the same as meditation in a way. 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Claymoree

[Carl-Richard]

21 minutes ago, Claymoree said:

Ohh it makes sense if you were practicing awareness, I mean its the same as meditation in a way. 

I call it neurosis, but yeah, once you are able to let go, the momentum you've built up can catapult you into an awakening.

By the way, just to clarify: when I say I stopped smoking cannabis for a week, I meant that I was sober (or in withdrawal rather) during my awakening, not that I was resetting my tolerance in order to get really high. Infact, I stopped smoking for a month after that. Now it's been 2-3 years since I've smoked.

Edited October 29, 2020 by Carl-Richard

[Claymoree]

22 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

I call it neurosis, but yeah, once you are able to let go, the momentum you've built up can catapult you into an awakening.

By the way, just to clarify: when I say I stopped smoking cannabis for a week, I meant that I was sober (or in withdrawal rather) during my awakening, not that I was resetting my tolerance in order to get really high. Infact, I stopped smoking for a month after that. Now it's been 2-3 years since I've smoked.

 why neurosis?  

[levani]

1 hour ago, Heart of Space said:

Aw man, don't be afraid. 

Just start small, 15 minutes won't get you into anything hairy.  

Honestly man, I doubt you could force yourself to meditate enough to see real rapids even if you wanted to.  

Oh and psychedelics are probably not for you. 

just out of curiosity how could you be so sure that psychedelics aren't for me though ?

[levani]

so what now am I supposed to not meditate or take psychedelics ever and live in this materialistic life forever with all this mind masterbation ?

 

I will read the books above but i'm just so lost with this