Fantastic interview on the Waking Up app: The Dark Side of Meditation. I’ve listened twice so far while multitasking, inevitably missing out on portions, but, this topic rarely comes up. Let’s face it, in our day-to-day circles there are already enough detractors, so who wants to fill the space with downsides?

Nonetheless, it may be a good sign we’ve reached this point in the conversation; we can draw from systematic research (ongoing) into the disparate effects of spiritual practice. Which seems particularly important, since many of us are gleaning the larger part of our information and practice instructions online.

Therefore, when we hit disturbance, there may be no one there to directly help evaluate whether it is something that will pass naturally, or something needs to be addressed. There also may be no one immediately there to help hold awareness of ‘the whole’ of a life as we focus on bringing forth changes, making it difficult to integrate new knowledge, new ways of being. Maybe I can call this a wine-skin crossroad.

The thing about this point in the journey is that to discard the old makes sense at the beginning. Just as a person in recovery from addiction may need to separate from old friend groups and hang outs. However, we are (on one level) finite beings sharing one globe – not to mention roads, buses, stores, political systems, etc. We matter to each other.

What comes to mind is the community required when a new baby comes into the world. There is the mother’s and baby’s experience, which rightfully may be most important just then, but also the father’s, the parents’ as a team, siblings’, grandparents’, etc. It is an entire ecosystem.

So I love that the interview begins with the role of emotion, and the way many people come to meditation and spiritual practice because they can’t get a handle on their emotions. Mitigating the negative MAY mitigate the positive as well, and there is a point at which that must open up further, or else the effect may be disconnection… inability to deeply feel, or to feel about.

I love that more of us are standing up for emotional responses.

I’m not saying there is any way around the reality that when one changes, there are reverberations, but it is crucial to look soberly. And anyway I just wanted to chime in a little. 🙂 Now I’m off to pick up sandwiches for a work party, feeling grateful for my own re-entry, if you will.