100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days • Hacker News Board

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#11

Post by patrickdavey » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:08 AM UTC

I did a vipassana retreat. It triggered a manic-psychotic (bipolar) experience. More at: http://livingvipassana.blogspot.com

Now, admittedly I had done very little meditation before hand, but _please_ don't just jump into this course like I did. And no, there was no history of manic depressive behaviour in my family so this came as quite the shock.

10 days of total silence (no reading, no writing, no eye contact, no nothing) is a really serious stress on your brain. Do not take it lightly.

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#12

Post by rohunati » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:12 AM UTC

I've done the course a few times now, and I would say the hardest part is integrating meditation into daily life. Goenka recommends meditating twice a day, one hour each sitting. Sometimes this isn't possible, so I just try to meditate however much I can.

I have heard from others that serving a ten day course (as opposed to sitting a course, as the author here did) is more beneficial as you are able to talk with fellow servers, help prepare food, and can even read a newspaper. Although you can't go deeper into your mind, you learn to integrate meditation into daily life better. I have yet to serve a course.

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#13

Post by swatow » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:17 AM UTC

I'm not one to throw around the c-b word, but I really thought this article would be about a prison in a Buddhist country that used meditation as a form of rehabilitation. I was disappointed with the actual article.

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#14

Post by 0xCMP » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:17 AM UTC

I bought "Mindfulness in Plain English" and I've read it a few times. In the couple times I've meditated for at most 20 minutes I got some amazing experiences and insights that, I don't would be an exaggeration to say, changed my life and how I viewed other people, things, and events in my life.

That said, even though I've always wanted to give my self a time and place where I could really "break the barrier" to meditating more often, I'm not so sure I'd do some thing like that after this...

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#15

Post by webwanderings » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:17 AM UTC

As much as I liked reading this account, but still, am I the only one who thinks that he made the visit, wrote this...only to advertise his website?

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#16

Post by thinkling » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:21 AM UTC

vilhelm_s wrote: post #4

Another account of the same kind of retreat, from someone with a less positive experience: http://adamcadre.ac/calendar/14/14292.html

My experience, and that of the people I've talked to afterwards, is that the course is profoundly difficult for many people. It amazes me that in the two courses I've completed, only a handful of people (~5-6 out of ~150-160 total) quit early.

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#17

Post by visarga » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:24 AM UTC

curo wrote: post #10

fchollet wrote: post #8

I'm noticing that whenever something similar comes up, it turns out invariably that it revolves around a lionized "founder" figure whose teachings are the one path to follow. I would also assume (pure speculation here) that this retreat is a for-profit operation. This is not cynicism on my part, it is the mere observation of a pattern.

No. In fact, it's 100% free. They never ask you for a donation. And you're not even allowed to donate unless you stay the full ten days. It's run completely by volunteers and old students, who walk away from their jobs for a week and half in order to cook you free meals. I'm also weary of personality cults. Goenka did everything (he passed a year ago) to make sure you don't worship him. He claims throughout his lectu…

> But I do agree with the author that there all elements of "faith," whereas he claims you don't need faith.

Maybe not as much faith as in resurrection, angels and miracles. Reincarnation is not necessary as a concept to do awareness practice.

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#18

Post by 0xCMP » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:25 AM UTC

logfromblammo wrote: post #3

A selection of meditation resources for hackers: OpenEEG ( http://openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/ ) OpenSensors ( http://sourceforge.net/p/opensensors/home/Home/ ) Brain Refactoring ( http://www.amazon.com/Code-Complete-Practical-Handbook-Const... )

I see what you did there... "refactor your brain" to a bunch of programmers... (I. am. so. sorry. hn. I couldn't help my self)

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#19

Post by stolio » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:27 AM UTC

swatow wrote: post #13

I'm not one to throw around the c-b word, but I really thought this article would be about a prison in a Buddhist country that used meditation as a form of rehabilitation. I was disappointed with the actual article.

I was like c-b...c-b....oh, c-b!

Here's a documentary maybe closer to what you were hoping for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1_DVac9kkI

Re: 100 Hours of Meditation in 10 Days

#20

Post by visarga » Tue, Jan 13, 2015, 4:30 AM UTC

thinkling wrote: post #16

vilhelm_s wrote: post #4

Another account of the same kind of retreat, from someone with a less positive experience: http://adamcadre.ac/calendar/14/14292.html

My experience, and that of the people I've talked to afterwards, is that the course is profoundly difficult for many people. It amazes me that in the two courses I've completed, only a handful of people (~5-6 out of ~150-160 total) quit early.

I've done it 10 times already and I find it easy as long as I am motivated to surrender to the process and trust it. The more opposition I carry in me, the more difficult it is. If this kind of motivation/absorption appears, it is possible to meditate for all these hours without feeling tired or having much pain.