Categories: Eradicate the Fear of Meditation
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
This teaching is for those of you who are practically exploring your own minds through spiritual practice, engaging in what we call Samatha-Vipassana,the cultivation of both tranquility and insight. We have often reminded you that as you walk the spiritual path, you will inevitably encounter unique spiritual experiences.
These can take many forms, and some people misinterpret them as frightening events. Today, we want to explore a simple but profound principle: Whatever happens to the mind, do not panic. Let us delve into this with a simple, primary example to help you understand, especially for those new to these ideas.
The Floating Sensation: A Common Milestone, Not a Threat
When you meditate and the mind begins to settle into a state of concentration, or Samadhi, a common phenomenon can occur. This can happen in any form of meditation, whether it’s a tranquility practice focused on concepts like the ‘third eye’ or any other method. After some time, as the mind deepens in its focus, you might feel a distinct sensation. It could feel as though your body is rising higher than the ground you’re sitting on, as if being pulled upward by a magnet or ascending in an elevator.
The moment this happens, many people panic. They tell us, ‘This strange thing started happening, so I stopped meditating.’ This reaction, this agitation, is precisely what we must learn to overcome. By panicking, you are harming your own spiritual progress. The correct response is to allow the experience to unfold.
We need to face it. Many people, especially the young, have shared that they encountered such spiritual experiences even before engaging with our teachings, got scared, and abandoned their practice. Are you going to repeat the same mistake? Understand the great harm you do to yourself through this panic. In your spiritual life, no matter what event you face, you must not get agitated.
An Analogy for Panic: How Haste Clouds Our Vision
Let me offer an analogy to illustrate the problem with panic. Imagine you are at home and you see someone approaching from a distance. Their shape and walk are identical to a person you love and admire dearly. Overjoyed and excited, you jump to a conclusion.
You rush inside, shouting to your family, ‘So-and-so is here! They’re coming!’ You announce it to everyone. Then, you go back to the door to watch them approach, only to see them walk right past your gate. It’s a complete stranger who just happens to resemble your loved one.
What can we learn from this? Because of your excitement and haste,your ‘panic’,you failed to understand the situation correctly. If you had waited patiently, observing with mindfulness, you would have been able to see clearly whether it was truly the person you expected. Instead, you might feel a little embarrassed or foolish.
Your family might even tease you, ‘Are you crazy? Can’t you see properly?’ This small, self-inflicted harm from a lack of patience is exactly what happens on a much grander scale with our spiritual experiences.
The High Cost of Fear: Missing the Gates to Jhana
Just like in the analogy, when you feel your body floating, you immediately get agitated without mindfully observing what is happening. Some people get scared, thinking they might die or get lost if they float away. These fears are often fueled by hearing the opinions of people with no meditation experience or those who disparage the practice. Those negative ideas surface at this critical moment, causing you to panic, open your eyes, and destroy the entire experience.
Later, when you ask a teacher about it, they might say, ‘Oh, what a shame. What have you done? If you had remained calm and patient, allowing the event to unfold while watching your mind, you might have entered the first Jhana.’ A Jhana is a profound state of meditative absorption.
That feeling was your mind preparing to enter the first, or perhaps even the sixth, seventh, or eighth Jhana. Now, because of your reaction, it becomes much harder to guide the mind back to that same level of concentration. You have inflicted a wound on your own progress.
Beyond Floating: Energy, Visions, and the Power of Observation
These spiritual experiences manifest in the physical body and the mind. This is especially true in tranquility practices or those involving energies that some traditions call Kundalini or universal energy. Many people are made to fear these things, being told, ‘Don’t awaken this, it has negative consequences!’ People without direct experience spread fear about the ‘third eye’ and other spiritual phenomena. But the goal should not be to create fear; that prevents someone from engaging with their spiritual life, which is a tragedy. The proper way is to provide understanding.
Let’s say, in this very moment, your seven Chakras,or energy centers,begin to awaken. You feel a great energy, a powerful pressure building in your body. In such a moment, what should you do?
First, do not panic. Second, do not be afraid. Simply watch your mind and allow the experience to happen to your body and mind. Observe it until it completes its course.
If you can do this, you will develop a supreme quality of patience in your meditation. This applies to everything: if your legs hurt, watch the pain until it changes. It’s a normal part of practice. Whether you see lights, feel bliss, encounter images of non-human beings or deities, there is no need to panic. Your only job is to face it with patience and without agitation.
The Trap of Craving: Why You Can’t Force Spiritual Experiences
When you allow that floating sensation to continue, your mind becomes light, sensual thoughts are blocked, and you may drift into the first formless Jhana, known as the sphere of infinite space (Akasanancayatana). But if you panic, you instantly shut the door to this profound level. You stop meditating out of ignorance and a lack of understanding.
But here is the next trap. After learning what you missed, you might think, ‘Oh, what a shame I messed up my chance to enter a Jhana.’ Then, you start meditating again with the expectation and desire to get that experience back. This is a form of spiritual craving (ādhyātmika tr̥ṣṇāva), and it doesn’t work. We have discussed this in a previous teaching titled ‘Do Not Expect What Happened in Meditation to Happen Again.’ You cannot force these spiritual experiences; they arise when the conditions are right, not when you crave them.
The Golden Rule: Observe, Allow, and Trust the Process
Therefore, the most important thing to remember is this: no matter how much pressure you feel in your body or mind during meditation,and I am speaking of the pressures that arise from spiritual development, not worldly problems,do not panic. When your chakras awaken, when you receive universal energy, when psychic abilities develop, when you are on the verge of entering a Jhana, or even when defilements are being eliminated, various things are felt. Do not react.
There is an urge to immediately tell someone. You might want to call your teacher, your best friend, or your meditation group right in that moment. This desire arises, and people open their eyes, stopping the process. Do not do this. You will not die from this experience.
Your spiritual energy is developing. Your mind is being elevated to a higher level, whether in tranquility or insight. Every new feeling, vision, or understanding that you haven’t had before is a sign that you are being taken to the next step. If you panic and prevent it from happening, you are only harming yourself. Remember this well.
A Final Blessing for Your Journey
Remember these points. Reflect on our other teachings about fear. Understand this teaching and act accordingly. May the power and blessings of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha,the Triple Gem,give you the strength to practically understand these matters. When you face such spiritual experiences, may this teaching come to mind, enabling you to act with wisdom and mindfulness.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments section below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
