what can go wrong with meditation?

[Snort]

Originally Posted by 303Guy

I took up meditation when I was still alive and it did work for me....

Well, you're on the right forum.

[Lumpino]

There is many different methods of meditation. And is necessary to know what meditation you are doing and why. All informations are freely on the net.

[sheena12]

I don't believe that anything can "go wrong". What are you worried about? Demon possession? An out of body experience?
Those are some lies spread by fundamentalist Christians.

My biggest problem is that I fall asleep. From the posts above, I can see I am not alone.

[Zelpha]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

No. It has been a pillar of Buddhist practice for millennia. In mindfulness meditation, for example, the intent behind it is to reduce mind chatter and to be fully present and aware in the present moment without regard to thoughts about the future or past. There are more guided forms of meditation that help tap into your subconscious but it's more about contemplation and being in touch with your inner self and less subject to the whims of the external world.

For those who are out of touch with their inner selves and for those who are highly subject to the whims of the external world, meditation can awaken them in a very unsettling way, leading to an existential crisis. Once they pass through that phase they can gain enlightenment. Some have reported that it is a painful transition, but very much worth it.

[ReachTheBeach]

Originally Posted by ocpaul20

I think sometimes people get fixed or hooked into the inner world they encounter and use it as a way to escape the horrors of this world. Like a trip, it can lure you inside and keep you there perhaps.

^^ This.

I did a lot of meditation and went through a phase where I really was enjoying guided meditation (listening to audio that basically took you on a trip) to the point where it was the highlight of my day, which spooked me when I thought about it. Most of the serious meditation practices I encountered were more about emptying the mind, concentrating on breathing or other things happening in the now. So escape and insulation are common.

But meditation doesn't "do" these things; it is just gives you a chance to focus and makes it harder to avoid things that you stay busy to avoid, if that makes any sense.

[Miss Hepburn]

Unstable people may get afraid meditating because in such a relaxed state...
"unknown' things may happen...a 'face' may pop up into your vision...oooo, scary...
but, people do get scared of 'unknown' things.

I have one reason and one reason only to meditate ..to be still with my Beloved;
to open and experience God's Love and Divine Gifts of Revelation, to
give myself to Him.
After 4 decades of meditating I have peace of mind, so it goes way beyond that, now...
to commune with the Creator.

[belovenow]

Fascinating thread - some people who are right on and others with massive misconceptions. I started meditating about 25 years ago and use a variety of methods for a few specific purposes. In my experience it can be used to 1) help analyze internal dialog and 2) to help become more receptive to being "in the flow," and 3) I also use to increase awareness of my body for relaxation or as a diagnosis aid. Decades after beginning meditation practice I finally got into Yoga and I've seen tremendous benefits (physical and mental).

Can meditating have negative results? I suppose anything is possible, but I have yet to see or read or hear about anything negative coming from meditation practice (you would think within 25 years or practice and research I would have come across something). If I were to hypothesize I could imagine that if someone was meditating and became deeply concerned about their newly-noticed internal dialog (aka mental chatter), and they had some sort of mental illness or missed the fundamental awareness/meditation lesson that "you are not your internal dialog"... then that could become a problem. Most people who meditate understand that the voices in our heads are most often the result of external programming and habitual patterns and yes it is possible to influence change when you gain awareness of them.

I recommend meditation to anyone who has interest in learning more about themselves. That is pretty much everyone isn't it? *grin*