Pain in getting startled - Meditation

[NeiChuan]

Sometimes during meditation when I get deep enough, if theres loud sounds I disregard them.. No big deal. But if I think someones coming to my room or something its a different story.

 

So if I hear a door slam it doesn't have too much of an effect, but say if I hear foot steps. I feel a jolt, on sort of the inner outlines of my body. Meaning elbows/ribs/legs, its an acute/sudden pain.

 

After that I have to start meditating all over again.

 

Someone fill me in on what it is? It seems pretty obvious the reason but feedback might be useful.

 

Thanks

[LBDaoist]

I've read that it is very important to avoid being startled while meditating. You might considering finding a place that you feel safer before trying to reach the deeper states.

[fizix]

Well, you're going to really want to avoid being startled while in meditation...

 

You're basically wasting energy and negatively affecting the adrenal glands when this happens, and who knows what else; the sudden dispersion/transduction of calm meditative chi into alert tense/survivalist mode is not good; avoid it at all costs.

[NeiChuan]

I've read that it is very important to avoid being startled while meditating. You might considering finding a place that you feel safer before trying to reach the deeper states.

 

 

Well, you're going to really want to avoid being startled while in meditation...

 

You're basically wasting energy and negatively affecting the adrenal glands when this happens, and who knows what else; the sudden dispersion/transduction of calm meditative chi into alert tense/survivalist mode is not good; avoid it at all costs.

 

Hm alright thanks guys. Btw fizix I like your interests.

[betwixter]

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Edited September 12, 2010 by betwixter

[z00se]

I had the exact same problem (I live in a 1st floor apartment...sucks) except that it was with loud, sudden sounds. My whole body would literally go into a slight spasm when a it perceived any such noises. My recommendation would be to make yourself some self hypnosis tapes with suggestions to have your 'body' ignore any noise (while in meditation) that does not indicate an emergency; it does work. Or even just give yourself those same instructions while in a deep state of meditation if you are able to occasionally reach that...after a number of times it should take, then just reinforce it every once in a while.

 

Good luck.

 

I think it's perfectly normal. Don't fret, just keep practicing. Eventually you'll be so relaxed that they won't startle you as much, and finally you won't be startled at all. Later still your apartment could be shaking from an earthquake and you still won't feel startled. You will just move out of the building if you want to but you won't get this inner startling sensation.

 

It's completely natural and nothing to worry about. If you can't practice in that environment yet move to a quieter one. But you have to start practicing in difficult environments sooner or later if you want to progress

[goldisheavy]

Sometimes during meditation when I get deep enough, if theres loud sounds I disregard them.. No big deal. But if I think someones coming to my room or something its a different story.

 

So if I hear a door slam it doesn't have too much of an effect, but say if I hear foot steps. I feel a jolt, on sort of the inner outlines of my body. Meaning elbows/ribs/legs, its an acute/sudden pain.

 

After that I have to start meditating all over again.

 

Someone fill me in on what it is? It seems pretty obvious the reason but feedback might be useful.

 

Thanks

 

I am very familiar with this phenomenon. I think what you're experiencing is excellent. It means you've opened yourself up and made yourself vulnerable on the inside. In this state, anything that threatens you has direct access to your inner being, and thus is a lot more painful/sensitive. Normally we walk through the day with like a shield around us. This shield creates a fake sense of security. The best way to describe it is like a wall that surrounds something like a small and tender flower inside. So inside we are very very weak. Should the wall crack, we'll be utterly devastated, and this does happen sometimes. In meditation you can strengthen your inner being such that it's no longer a fragile flower, but it can be a mighty oak, or even wind or fire or space, thus either much stronger or even completely invulnerable.

 

The key is this. When you get disturbed, don't become disturbed by your disturbance. In other words, allow one level of the disturbance to happen. The original disturbance. But then treat this disturbance as something that's normal. In other words, don't allow the original disturbance to echo into further disturbances in your being. Allow it to be. Allow it to melt. Don't reject the disturbance. Be with it instead, but don't cling to it either. Just be with it.

 

So there are two aspects of familiarizing yourself with threats and identity. First, aspect is more mechanical. Just being with the disturbance is it. Second aspect is more important though. When you feel disturbed, from time to time (you don't have to do this always, but it's important to do it sometimes), investigate what is the source of this fear which feels like pain on the inside? What if the worst happens? Is it OK? If not OK, why not? Who are you? Are you different from the noises you hear? Investigate this thoroughly over a long period of time as the opportunities for such reflection come up naturally.

 

In this manner you'll have two sources of strength: you'll have wisdom and understanding. And you'll also have mechanical familiarity with disturbances. It will come to pass that even if you don't exactly understand something, you won't be as afraid of it.

 

But be careful, because this kind of practice makes the person powerful. So you have to compensate by contemplating compassion and patience. Otherwise it may be all too easy to hurt someone due to lack of fear.

Edited August 31, 2010 by goldisheavy

[de_paradise]

What happens is that qi jumps, its so instantaneous that I often wondered whether my qi reacted before the noise was registered in my mind. So if you can imagine a flowing and normal qi jumping up then settling back. I suppose its a good thing because its part of the human self protection mechanism. Another thing that I can sometimes notice happening is somthing like chakra or nadi collapsing back towards the body when theres a sudden disturbance.

[Kaishin Michael]

Meditation is about accepting the Tao as it is.

 

You sound like you're approaching your practice with an aversion to noise. This just sets you up for distress when noise occurs.

 

Try using all the same techniques you're using, but alter just one variable. Go into your sitting with an acceptance that when noise occurs, that's just the universe being itself. I suspect that without the aversion, you'll not be so disturbed when noise occurs.

[Maddie]

My appartment in Alaska was in a total ghetto, so there were loud noises all the time. So what I did in order to not be distracted during meditation was to turn my fan on high but not aimed at me and play some meditation music to drown out the outside noise.

[joeblast]

ear plugs?