Apech

Etiolated.

That's exactly what I would predict from my 'decent theory'

The mind has what you might call an elastic quality - it absorbs and stores the imprints of experience as energy and form and then discharges them when the right triggers arise. If you do deep relaxation then it can kind of unwind temporarily and then snap back later. I think that is what you experienced.

There is no you and there is no thread.

Because the final realisation of the Buddha is ineffable, unknowable - which is what he said at the beginning of his 'career'.

I would say this article is helpful. Many people get caught up in the no-self thing - just as they do with the emptiness thing and it sends people into more confusion than they started with. I'd say the same of the supposed atheism of Buddhism - just another rabbit hole really.

I think that anatman is a bit confusing or misleading by the way - there are several wrong turnings in buddha-dharma that people seem to like to take.

In the mahayana they are seen as bundles or heaps - which is probably the same as Theravada.

When you have mastered the having sex while flying over a flood plain stage then you can move on to counting the breaths.

Whereas you should have got something like this:

Those beach girls get you every time

The thing is ... meditation is powerful - it's a powerful tool. It's not therapy - though you can use some of its techniques as therapy of course. If you want to be healthy, relaxed, at ease and socially well adjusted - there's lots of nice calming stuff to do. like drinking tea and listening to Bach. There's a quote in Buddhism (not sure where from exactly but my Lama quotes it) 'Strong practice, strong Maras' - if you practice strongly (is that a word?) then some crazy and sometimes disturbing shit will happen. You will often feel worse before you feel better. At least 90% of meditation is about learning how to negotiate this - and there is no easy way round this. Being 'invaded' by loud hurtful thoughts is common (and no I'm not schitzophrenic ... yet!) - at one time I was quite often seeing vivid images and scenes which felt like strong memories of places I'd been and people I'd met - only to 'come round' and realise I'd never been to those places and so on - so yes like other people's memories. To get past the shit you really need to understand the basis of basic sitting and basic inquiry. The same is the case for the symptoms you mention of being fogged up, or being anxious and all that. If you are not interested - then I agree, give up and do something else. Seriously, not in a bad way, making your own judgements and calls is essential. Crazy is as crazy does.

Yes even to the extent of what seem like other people's memories - if that makes sense. (I know you didn't ask me )

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."

Works for me

Have you considered that this may be a sign of meditation working rather than meditation not working?

Charming!

Different time zones might be a problem.

I'm up for Zoombums if someone sets it up

This suggests an empirical experiment where you send me all your money and we can see if good things happen to you or not as a result. Follow the science!!!!

@dmattwads I know you like mantras so try: https://www.insightstate.com/video/yellow-dzambhala-mantra-buddha-of-wealth/ best to get an empowerment first tho' if you can.

Poetic my ars.

Dear Yueye, I can't explain why Trunk removed me as he didn't bother, or couldn't explain it clearly to me. He just said I wasn't on the 'same page' - whatever that means. It did, kind of, hurt at the time because I had for the umpteenth time given up my time for the benefit of the board - but I got over it and moved on. I could say what I think I suppose - but suffice to say I could not in all honesty serve as a mod while Trunk himself is involved. So I'd ask for this not to be raised again. Thanks A.