Over the past years I’ve meditated for hundreds of hours an my meditation course has almost one thousand students.
Later in the letter I will tell one of the strangest – sober – experiences I’ve had.
There’s one benefit that stood out to me, and no one talks about it. And no. It’s not levitation or being able to see through clothing.
Still somehow I keep forgetting this.
That is why I am writing this letter.
Yes, meditation is good for:
- Getting rid of mental noise
- making you relaxed
- putting you into the present moment.
- Getting clarity on you goals
- Getting in touch with yourself
- Opening up to the subtle sensations you normaly don’t notice.
But, these are all building blocks for the overarching benefit.
Aligning with the best version of yourself.
If you have ever tried meditation I doubt that you ever walked away from it thinking:
“Man, I want to drink, binge watch and kick my neighbours crying kids.” Okay maybe that last one.
And the strange thing is, even after hundereds of hours, I keep forgetting how good I feel afterwards.
But Why do I keep forgetting this feeling?
It is because Of something I would like to call “Emotional Amnesia”
Which – by the way – is also an official term, but I reframed it.
Here are a few examples where you go “Ah ha! that’s what it felt like!”:
- You step into the spring sunlight after a long winter
- You step out of a plane and get that feeling of adventure.
- You fall in love again
- A psychedelic substance starts to have an effect on your conciousness
- You kick the neighbours crying kids
- You Visit an old friend
- You Re-discover old passions
These are all dormant emotions, waiting to be re-experienced again.
This bring me to the strange experience I’ve had a few years ago. There are only a few people that know I’ve had this experience.
It was a normal day in Japan. I was meditating in my dorm room. When suddenly something in my perception shifted. It was as if everything in my experience gained the same value. There was no difference between my thoughts, the bird in the tree or my desk.
They were – As Alan Watts would say – “All simply a happening”. I remember I’ve been in this state of mind before, Once. Years before when listening to an Eckhart Tolle audiobook.
This state of mind wasn’t scary. I could still think. I was just not identified with my thoughts. While at the same time identified with all of them. The bird, the thoughts, they where all just Being.
I started to write in my journal and wondered how I could have NOT seen this perspective before. It was so obivious. Yet I would not be able to tell you how to get there. It wasn’t blisfull it wasn’t annoying or calm. I just saw the things the way they where.
The experience lasted for maybe 10 minutes.
Now you might be wondering “How did it change you?”
Honestly, not much. Except for leaving me with the certainty that different states of mind are possible. Yes even without psychedelics.
Here are a few thing that Meditation did and didn’t do for me:
It didn’t:
- permanently make me happy, even after hundreds of hours. I need to hold momentum.
- Make me clairvoyant or give any paranormal powers.
- Make me believe that chakras exist. Although I do believe it can be a helpfull model, and I keep the option open that they are real.
- Turn me into a fireball shooting homeless person.
- Always make my mind clear and sharp
It does often:
- Process all the scattered thoughts into a clear picture.
- Get me more in tune with the present moment. I notice more subtle sensations.
- Give me a boost of inspiration. Which can be a pitfall when you immediately create instead of testing your idea.
- Make me enjoy social interactions more, because I become more curious, less self-obsessed and a better listener.
- Make me more productive even though it costs time.
It’s not as Woo-Woo as you might think. Altough it does open your mind to alternative ways of thinking.
And that is exactly what I’m exploring in these letters. The fine line between walking a spiritual and career path at the same time. What I call Hybrid Life.
I’m curious to hear which valuable meditation ideas impacted you life. Let me know in the replies!
If you want to learn how to meditate. I have a free meditation course, which I will make payed once it reaches 1k students. It’s currently just over 900 student with a 4.6 out of 5 stars. You will learn the basics and stop wondering if you are “Doing it right”.
Thank you for reading.
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