Mindfulness

[vegaskukichyo]

Also, there is a big problem with mindfulness meditation that isn't discussed nearly often enough. It is an extremely powerful form of meditation, but has been made so accessible now that practically everyone can do it and gain skill in it much faster than has been possible before, and there have been many reports of this going terribly wrong . It can actually trigger and intensify the very feelings that it's supposed to reduce, and has left a growing number of people permanently feeling depersonalized and alienated, possibly permanently.

Having had my first spiritual opening on shrooms and then moving to sobriety and having a complete spiritual vitalization, revival, awakening, etc. I will absolutely hop on board and say BE CAREFUL. Do what feels right but meditation with a forced goal/experiential aspect in mind can very easily go wrong. The mind, body, and spirit are not meant to be distanced, manipulated, or derived in asynchronous fashion for extended periods. Meditation of all kinds can awaken deep wonder, beauty, and light, but these things can be and often are accompanied by darkness, danger, vehement chaos, etc. After a week of complete early stage opening - communing with spirits, making myself vulnerable to external and internal energies, and acting as a 'mumble' medium (my term for indirect transplanic communication) in many confined ways, I was completely and utterly exhausted. I did not learn the balance and self protection that I now know must accompany intense spiritual discovery. My first day recovering from that week was awful - I understood the sensation of being birthed into the world when I awoke from 36 hours of near-comatose sleep.

Certainly very rewarding but also risky and frightening. It's amazing what exists without presence.

Blesséd Be,

vk

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

I know you're looking for self-help sort of thing.. but a therapist could really do wonders for you! It's usually covered by insurance so $5-15 co-pay for a (usually) 50 minute session. A therapist specializing in CBT or cognitive behavior therapy could teach you some nice relaxation techniques and can practice mindfulness with you. I find it more helpful when someone actually guided me through meditation and mindfulness. They teach you the basics and give you a nice foundation so you're able to do it at home and get better at it!