TRANCE AND MEDITATION ADDICTION

Below I offer my suggestions regarding meditation addiction. But in the end, only you can decide whether you or a loved one has experienced this addiction.

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I want to be clear at the outset. Meditation is one of nature's miracles. For most people it is an extraordinary experience that adds much to life. Dr. Herbert Benson, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard University, and other researchers have shown that many forms of meditation offer specific benefits, such as lowered blood pressure and increased relaxation when practiced regularly.

I believe that the majority of people who practice meditation will find that they enjoy it. I do, however, think there is evidence that meditation is either not effective, not enjoyable, or downright dangerous for a certain percentage of the population, on the order of 10% to 20%. This is particularly true for advanced practitioners of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and similar techniques who are asked to meditate 3, 6, or 8 hours a day without careful observation by experienced gurus or meditation instructors. For these people, the relationship with the group and the overindulgence in meditation constitute a cultic relationship.

It's not my purpose to debate satisfied members of these groups. I have no reason to doubt that many, many have experiences and beliefs that are very fulfilling. Who can ask for more?

However, I've been in touch with thousands of current and former advanced meditators over the last 12 years. Many experience serious side effects such as insomnia, depression, psychotic breaks, involuntary tics and bodily movements, physical ailments, hallucinations, and more. So, one question that comes up again and again is whether I recommend that they quit meditating or not.

My response is always that's a very personal decision, one the individual can only make for him or herself. Many elements enter into the decision, including personal belief, comfort level, and emotional resilience.

Based on the experience of many that I've worked with, I believe there are some things you need to consider if you are thinking of stopping meditation.

There are some very positive reasons for ceasing the practice. I don't have hard figures, but many of the people I know who decided to leave their cultic meditation groups, but chose to continue meditating, eventually ended up going back to their old group.

As Joe Kellet's web site develops, trance is a sly seductress. Meditation is one of nature's miracles; it feels wonderful for most who practice it. But there's no doubt that trance states are states of increased suggestibility, states in which critical thought cannot be sustained. It seems likely that simply continuing the experience of trance makes one susceptible to maintaining cultic beliefs and world views despite the decision to leave the group.

Pioneering cultic studies researchers, Louis Jolyon West and Paul Martin, wrote about the development of a "cult personality" within members of high-demand groups in “Pseudo-Identity and the Treatment of Personality Change in Victims of Captivity and Cults.” They spoke of a variation of dissociative identity disorder, known commonly as “multiple personality disorder,” which they hypothesized developed in cult victims.

My hypothesis is that continuing to meditate after “leaving” TM and similar groups keeps the cult personality lively, ready to pounce and reassert control of your life.

A third consideration: I have no research to contribute, but based on the anecdotes of many former meditators, I wonder if trance abuse induces physical addiction, not just emotional dependence.

Ever miss a meditation after practicing faithfully for a long time? Many people report a feeling of anxiety that increases the longer they wait after their accustomed meditation time. And many people who don’t meditate for days after regular practice for years report some or all of these symptoms: mild confusion, fatigue, concentration problems, spaciness, irritability, an overwhelming need for sleep -- or difficulty falling asleep. Some report physical symptoms such as a mild feverishness, flu-like feelings, muscular aches and pains, a hyper-aroused state in which physical touch is irritating, and other vague physical sensations.

Readers who have experienced long meditation courses lasting for weeks or months may have had similar experiences as they “came down” in meditation rounds (meditated less in preparation for going home from the course).

If any former drug addicts or alcoholics have read this far, they may recognize these symptoms. They’re the signs of addictive withdrawal.

Now, TMers are indoctrinated with a different explanation. Meditators who have decided to quit meditation and begin to experience these symptoms frequently jump to the conclusion that they are now “unstressing.” They may see these mild problems as proof that meditation “works” and they are now suffering because they are re-entering a state of ignorance. Very likely, they will re-begin the practice with renewed conviction.

Not all meditators experience these problems. And the good news is that those who do usually only experience them for a week or two.

My guess is that TMers become mildly addicted to increased endorphin levels — or some other naturally occurring hormonal change. Fortunately, it’s an addiction that is relatively easy to overcome. The passage of time works wonders. (Kathleen Taylor writes in Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control, Oxford University Press, 2004 that trance stimulates serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin levels, creating receptive state to suggestions. H/t to Gina Catena.)

Many people have valid reasons for wanting to continue meditation whether they want to maintain good standing in their meditation group or not. They consider meditation a valid expression and experience of their spirituality. They may simply want to continue enjoying the documented health benefits of regular meditation. (I won’t argue here the extent or even reality of these benefits. Suffice it to say there is sound research that indicates the measurable health benefits are much less than the Transcendental Meditation Org would have one believe.)

For these people, I have a few suggestions. Not based on research, but rather on the anecdotal success stories I’ve had the good fortune to have heard in counseling people who leave intensive meditation groups.

First, I recommend that you do consider ceasing to meditate if you decide to leave your meditation group. I believe the danger of being sucked back into a hurtful organization is too great to risk continuing meditation. I don’t suggest that you never meditate again. (This would be decidedly hypocritical of me. I meditate, pray, and do yoga regularly, although I haven’t done TM for many years.) But I recommend that you set a significant time goal for yourself during which you will break your meditation habit. I recommend 6 months, although shorter or longer periods may prove optimum once this is researched. After you’ve experienced life without meditation — and what may be an addiction, you are in a better position to make a rational decision about whether you will re-begin meditating or not.

Second, keep yourself open to the possibility that the mild symptoms of discomfort that you may experience do not prove that meditation works. Consider, in fact, that they are proof that meditation may create an unhealthy physical dependence. Just this simple change in viewpoint may serve to get you through your withdrawal period.

Thirdly, find other activities that meet the physical and emotional needs that meditation met. As an example, vigorous physical activity also raises endorphin levels. Exit counselor Pat Ryan and others have reported that the increased endorphin levels from aerobics or weight training can ease the feelings of physical withdrawal.

Finally, the spiritual hole that leaving your meditation group and ceasing meditation causes must be filled again. But that’s the subject for another article: "How to Kick the Meditation Habit Step-by-Step."

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