On one hand, at every individual step, these things made sense and (I have to admit) they worked, in that they pushed us over some difficult hurdles and actually got us to accomplish what seems to me like it was some useful stuff. But on the other hand, ingredients like these are what the Stockholm Syndrome is made of, and I saw that taking hold in myself and those around me.
In some Buddhist lineages, like Zen, the relationship between student and teacher is meant to be like that between child and parent. However, this is a relationship that normally develops over months and years, and at first you’re treated more like a lost child who’s a guest that might end up staying and getting adopted or might wander on. Many teachers won’t let new students attend sesshins (retreats) both because their practice might not be strong enough to handle it and because the relationship between teacher and student is not yet firmly established.
Personally, I think Zen’s cautious approach is better than throwing people into the deep end. Best I can tell, the risk of psychosis is much higher with Goenka style retreats, although I don’t have hard numbers, only anecdotal evidence and theory that suggests it should be more common.
Best I can tell, the risk of psychosis is much higher with Goenka style retreats, although I don’t have hard numbers, only anecdotal evidence and theory that suggests it should be more common.
My experience has been that anything except long intensive retreats don’t move my mind out of its default attractor state, and that I probably waited too long to attend do long retreats, and all the advice goes in the opposite direction.
I mention this because all the talk of the downside of meditation have me thinking of a tweet that goes roughly like “why do both republicans and democrats pretend HRT does anything”. Goenka retreats have medium-strength effects on me, an intensive one-month retreat at home had a decent effect. I may be doing something wrong.
I constantly find myself needing to give opposing advice because I’ll read something and feel like it leaves out the other side. So, someone says meditation is great, I’m like, woah, there are risks. Someone says meditation sucks or not worth doing, and I extoll its virtues.
Apparently I’m forever cursed to push people back towards the middle way. 😜
In some Buddhist lineages, like Zen, the relationship between student and teacher is meant to be like that between child and parent. However, this is a relationship that normally develops over months and years, and at first you’re treated more like a lost child who’s a guest that might end up staying and getting adopted or might wander on. Many teachers won’t let new students attend sesshins (retreats) both because their practice might not be strong enough to handle it and because the relationship between teacher and student is not yet firmly established.
Personally, I think Zen’s cautious approach is better than throwing people into the deep end. Best I can tell, the risk of psychosis is much higher with Goenka style retreats, although I don’t have hard numbers, only anecdotal evidence and theory that suggests it should be more common.
My experience has been that anything except long intensive retreats don’t move my mind out of its default attractor state, and that I probably waited too long to attend do long retreats, and all the advice goes in the opposite direction.
I mention this because all the talk of the downside of meditation have me thinking of a tweet that goes roughly like “why do both republicans and democrats pretend HRT does anything”. Goenka retreats have medium-strength effects on me, an intensive one-month retreat at home had a decent effect. I may be doing something wrong.
I constantly find myself needing to give opposing advice because I’ll read something and feel like it leaves out the other side. So, someone says meditation is great, I’m like, woah, there are risks. Someone says meditation sucks or not worth doing, and I extoll its virtues.
Apparently I’m forever cursed to push people back towards the middle way. 😜