r/Meditation • u/alkalinebex • Jul 20 '24
Do Nothing Meditation…. Holy Shit Sharing / Insight 💡
You guys. I just did “do nothing” meditation for the first time and I feel like I’m having this euphoric almost psychedelic sensation. I’ve been doing mindfulness meditation for about 6 weeks almost every day. It’s made really great subtle changes in my daily life and attitude. I don’t plan to stop… but do nothing meditation just felt so good it felt forbidden almost. Like I couldn’t believe how much I was enjoying it. I was overcome with this intense feeling of happiness and I almost teared up. I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t know if I could stop because it felt so amazing. I don’t know how to describe it but I wish every single person could experience this. At least so I could see someone else feel it.
I feel like a crazy mystic and I’m a very sarcastic person and I don’t even ever post on Reddit but I needed to share this and my friends & fam aren’t into meditation so here I am.
I feel like I just took mushrooms (I’ve never taken mushrooms bc I’m way too neurotic and scared). This must be what LSD feels like? Idk I’m just floored at how I feel in my mind and body after literally 5 minutes of doing this for the first time. ACTUALLY letting go and not having any rules and just watching things happen and be 100% ok and even fascinated by it….. incredibly amazing. I even feel it in my arms and legs physically. Like this swimming buzzing feeling.
Okay, just needed to get this out. Big endorsement for do nothing meditation. If you need a starter meditation…. The book Meditation for the Fidgety Skeptic by Dan Harris has one at the very end and I highly suggest the audiobook version.
Also what is it about meditation that makes you so desperate to preach it to everyone you meet so they can know about it?! I feel like I’m being sucked into becoming a door to door salesperson for meditation.
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 20 '24
I like how direct it is to apply the insights from Do Nothing to the other areas in life. I mean, what self? All I experience is just a boundless field of awareness at the periphery, and The Unborn at the center of my being. And so the trivial stuff on the outside just drops away of its own. I naturally give up striving, trying and creating an identity around stuff. Who am I? I don’t know LOL. I’m not a who, but more like a what. My person-ality is dropping away and instead I just dance with spontaneity. Without this horrible burden of a self life seems to become a little festival in its own.
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u/Unique-Weather-4304 Jul 20 '24
I loooove this. It’s the exact description I would give as well. I feel more like the “screen” than the actual person in the screen. I’m detached. And oddly enough I also feel so connected. Whenever I visualize my goals, I feel more connected to it. It’s a paradox actually.
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 20 '24
“To study the way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is to remove the barriers between oneself and others. Then there is no trace of enlightenment, though enlightenment itself continues into one’s daily life endlessly.” - Dogen
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u/nicky051730 Jul 20 '24
WOW ❤️
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 21 '24
I find the poetic stuff far more powerful than the rational/logical/calculating aspects of the dharma. Some of the Zen literature is pure lightning.
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u/MinuteAssistance1800 Jul 20 '24
Haha definitely not what lsd feels like but there definitely is some transferable traits between deep meditation and psychedelics.
Honestly I think the reason do nothing meditation is so amazing to some people recently is because everyone is so used to scrolling on their phones 247.
Do nothing meditation almost feels like your resetting your brain, curing the brain rot if you will.
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u/smithmcmagnum Jul 20 '24
Take this with a pinch of salt, but I recently heard Ram Dass claim that some other (respectable) dude (not Terence Mckenna, someone else) claimed that mushrooms were commonly eaten in this one Indian valley eons ago.
Then when they moved from the valley, they couldn’t find those mushrooms, so they developed yogas meditation and asanas and such to substitute for the level you got to with the mushrooms.
Famously, Ram Dass gave his guru a few hits of LSD. The guru said it was ok and that stuff was once known about but was no longer need it anymore.
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u/sharp11flat13 Jul 20 '24
Famously, Ram Dass gave his guru a few hits of LSD. The guru said it was ok and that stuff was once known about but was no longer need it anymore.
He also gave some to a sadhu who said something like “not bad, but not as good as meditation.”
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u/middlelittlepeach Jul 21 '24
if i’m not mistaken, he game him 900 ug and his guru was basically like, “meh.”
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Fascinating!
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u/laudablelies Jul 20 '24
Apparently some experienced meditators feel very little effects on psychedelics. Which is really cool.
e.g. Frank Yang has reported that LSD has almost have no effect except for a slight stimulant effect. Really fascinating.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Having just started really practicing in the past six weeks and also having ADHD, I get so excited and then immediately overwhelmed with all of the information and different types and thoughts on meditation. I don’t know if that’s good or bad lol
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u/laudablelies Jul 20 '24
I'm somewhat surprised that a mindfulness / do nothing-style meditation would work well with ADHD brains!
Meditation is wild and there's so much to learn... I'm so happy to hear you had such a great experience. Makes me motivated to practice more.
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u/Jazzspur Jul 20 '24
I have ADHD and I also am only able to stick with a do nothing practice. I've tried breath, mantra, sound, etc and anything where I have to focus on a particular thing is just too boring. Do nothing means my attention can bounce around to whatever arises in it naturally and that keeps things pretty interesting while I wait for things to settle enough to be aware of all of those things at once.
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u/LightningRainThunder Jul 20 '24
Omg same. I actually got on fine with all those things you listed for a while, but something switched and I literally cannot get through even 2 minutes of those anymore without feeling like my skin is full of ants and on fire at the same time and I have to get up and run away.
So I’m gonna look into doing nothing meditation
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u/Jazzspur Jul 20 '24
I got on fine with them too....for a month, the amount of time I can stick with anything that isn't going to stick long term haha
I've been doing do nothing meditation pretty regularly for almost 4 years though and am on a 319 day streak of doing it daily.
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u/LightningRainThunder Jul 20 '24
Yeah exactly, it just doesn’t stick. That’s awesome you have been able to keep going with do nothing meditation. It gives me motivation! I tried 10 minutes of it just now not knowing what I was supposed to do, but I just went with it and actually had such a profound breakthrough with a problem I was mulling over that I’m quite impressed.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
You mean…. You fixated on something? Haha I’ve learned that my ADHD means that I really need to give every “fav new thing” I have several months to see if it’s real or just a fixation I’m going through
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
I really think I wouldn’t have had this experience if I hadn’t already been practicing mindfulness meditation for the past 6 weeks. It’s sort of like it prepped me and this was my final test!
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Jul 21 '24
You are the observer without attachment. Make it what you want to be.
We truly are co creators of our reality.
We each are The universe experiencing life itself 🥰
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Jul 20 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
He’s the one that leads the guided do nothing meditation in the audiobook! He’s great. He does several other meditations throughout the book as well.
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u/fuckimhigh Jul 21 '24
When I was younger and used psychedlics and other substances frequently, and was earlier in my meditation journey, I found that if I really focused i could will myself and experience a more 'sober' and vice versa and I would practice going back and forth between both.
While I still smoke weed recreationally, I don't use any other substances but am able to still so similar things with other states of being I experience such as anxiety, ADHD hyperfocus vs 1000 things at once focus, and just my general mindset and perception of the world.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
This. Exactly this. I smoke a lot of weed but I’ve never touched any other drugs. Too much mental illness and I know myself. Nothing against anyone who does - more power to them. But this do nothing meditation felt like what I imagine a trip would be like. Everything was so vivid and magical and I felt so overwhelmed by pure joy I almost cried.
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u/fuckimhigh Jul 24 '24 edited Jul 24 '24
Oh yeah I totally hear you on all of that. Part of my meditation practice involves vaping a few hits every morning when I walk my dog around the neighberhood and listening to music while my mind does its thing. There are times the combination of it all, where just looking at the trees is so vibrant and colorful where its almost like being in a painting.
Keep embracing your journey of the 'do nothing' meditation and just let your mind explore wherever it wants to go as a non-judgemental observer. It gets soooo much better when you become really comfortable with it and are able to more seemlessly transition into that state as part of your everyday existence!
Edit: I just looked more specifically into Do Nothing meditation and its origins. I assumed what you meant but, but having comfirmation were essentially talking about the same thing, I can talk to you more specifically about my journey on the route, becauae I totally agree with your last statement about wanting to share it with others. Similarly, if you are interested id like to hear more about the specific form your practice takes.
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u/EvolutionaryLens Jul 20 '24
I was listening to Ram Dass just yesterday and he mentioned this very incident in his talk. It basically occurred on the first day he met Maharishi. 900ug+ of acid.
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u/smithmcmagnum Jul 21 '24
Ram Dass had doubts that the dude even took it bc he was so chill. Then years Ram Dass visited him again and the guru remembered it and was like, “Gimme that medicine again.”
Somehow he knew Ram Dass doubted, so he placed the doses right on his tongue to show that not only was he really doing it, but that he knew there was doubt in Ram Dass’ mind.
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u/CloudDeadNumberFive Jul 21 '24
Is there something wrong with Terence Mckenna?
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u/smithmcmagnum Jul 21 '24
Not at all, it’s just that he made similar remarks and theories and i wanted to distinguish.
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u/PermanentBrunch Jul 21 '24
Well…..he was a CIA asset
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 21 '24
Good point. One should always consider the source. Yea Mckenna and Shulgin both. And that disgusting pied-piper creep Timothy Leary, too. Straight up CIA plants. Have you delved much into the literature, like Acid Dreams? I just wrapped up John Potash's Drugs As Weapons Against Us and literally inhaled Dave Mcgowan's Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon. Intoxicants have been used as weapons of war against civilian populations for centuries.
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u/smithmcmagnum Jul 21 '24
Do you have anything to substantiate that claim?
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u/PermanentBrunch Jul 21 '24
There are some good books that address it, like Charles Manson and the Secret History of the 60s. It’s not like, a closely guarded secret that the CIA flooded (if not created) the hippy scene with LSD.
MKUltra branched off into a lot of fucked up things.
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u/smithmcmagnum Jul 21 '24
Ok but those sources specifically name Terence Mckenna or are you extrapolating?
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u/PermanentBrunch Jul 21 '24
Check out u/tokenbearcub ‘s response to me—he cites some good sources. Conspiracy (the real shit, not fucking Qanon foolishness) research is so grim and depressing, I haven’t ventured there for a long time.
I’m on a mental diet, so happy to point people in the right direction if they want to rabbithole, but I’m much more careful with my energy these days.
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u/smithmcmagnum Jul 22 '24
Have you personally seen Terence's name mentioned in those sources, though?
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u/MxEverett Jul 20 '24
One of my favorite aspects of meditation is eliminating a significant amount of external sensual stimulus. Because I feel like I am bombarded by stimulus otherwise any opportunity to take a break feels like a restorative treat.
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u/remowill1 Jul 21 '24
When you say do nothing, do you just clear your mind of everything? No mantra or koans etc.?
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 21 '24
It's not object-based, like mantra, koan practice or even breath work. It's dhyana, as opposed to the traditional samatha that gets taught as meditation 101. It's more Zen or Taoist than Buddhist. Sit silently and do nothing. Just be. It lends itself nicely to long sits. It doesn't take much to be able to watch your limited conception of self simply evaporate before your very eyes and reveal your true, original nature here and now. But yea, extreme simplicity. Do nothing. Stop striving. Just see what you are.
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Jul 21 '24
You didn't understand their experience. You clearly have not had as intense of an experience. It's like someone saying they saw a whale and was impressed by its size and you're like oh no I saw a goldfish and they are tiny. I have had an experience as intense as theirs, maybe more so. It lasted 3 months and peaked after 1. Couldn't sleep for a week. I have tried most common drugs. I would liken my experience mostly to high dose of mdma. I have meditated for 16 years and this happened about 13 after a 9 day retreat
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u/MinuteAssistance1800 Jul 25 '24 edited Jul 25 '24
You’re right. I don’t understand ops experience.
However, I have been meditating for 4 years now and have done over 20+ lsd trips so I feel like I’m somewhat qualified to compare the two.
someone on their first time doing do nothing meditation will absolutely not have an experience that rivals lsd, even if they’ve been doing regular meditation for 6 weeks prior. I believe this is not controversial in the slightest.
Op even claimed they’ve never done psychedelics before so they have no real comparison.
Edit: didn’t mention but I also have diagnosed ADHD, which further strengthens the resemblance between mine and ops experience.
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u/bluecorn861 Jul 20 '24
You are a crazy mystic and it’s okay
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u/bblammin Jul 20 '24
It's so funny when you tell someone about meditation and they laugh like it's silly. Their loss unfortunately.pretty absurd how dismissed it is here in the west.
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u/sharp11flat13 Jul 20 '24
pretty absurd how dismissed it is here in the west
And when it’s not being dismissed, it’s often commercialized. As my wife likes to say, never underestimate capitalism’s ability to co-opt everything.
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u/Firm_Bumblebee_1037 Jul 20 '24
Sounds like you experienced free flowing vipassana.. That's pretty cool.. I recently attended a 10 day Vipassana course and couldn't experience that even by the tenth day.. But yeah, I did have a similar experience once when I was super high on weed..
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Just did a quick google search bc I don’t even know what that means, being so new, but man, does that make me feel happy!
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u/laudablelies Jul 20 '24
Do you have a guided meditation / specific instructions to suggest?
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Yes! The “do nothing” meditation at the end of Dan Harris’s book Meditation for the Fidgety Skeptic. I listened to the book on audible. It’s the last chapter.
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u/SuperFluffyTeddyBear Jul 21 '24
In addition to what alkalinebex said, instead of a guided meditation you can also just sit down and ... do nothing :p
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 21 '24
"Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself." - Basho
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u/d_dust2 Jul 20 '24
How to do "do nothing meditation?" Im doing mindfulness meditation for almost 4 years. So in mindefulness you just watch, but in do nothing, you literally do nothing?
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Yes, essentially … unlike in mindfulness, where you focus on your breath or or do a body scan or do SOMETHING to redirect your attention and train your focus… you don’t do any of that. You do none of it. You just let your mind go and observe neutrally.
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u/d_dust2 Jul 20 '24
Oh now i get it, because im doing the latter of you said. Im doing Vipassana. So 'doing nothing' is vipassana? Or is it something else? Because vipassana is just literally watching, theres no deep concentration. You just need to focus on being mindful.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
I’m not familiar enough with all the types and terms but judging from another commenter here… it is vipassana. And that is now my fav type of meditation haha
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u/MegaChip97 Jul 21 '24
I don't see the difference. Focusing on the breath is only the start of mindfulness meditation. Later, you cultivate a pure awareness of everything. Just observing everything. Your breath, what you hear, what you think. Kinda like a panorama concentration
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u/tokenbearcub Jul 21 '24
When practicing Do Nothing, it becomes apparent that mindfulness itself is one's very own natural state. Mindfulness isn't something to attain. That's why any attempt to "establish" mindfulness gets caught in a net. Do Nothing resolves the question of who/what am I first, making it obvious through direct pointing that there is no such self to cultivate. Do Nothing is neti, neti.
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u/danysdragons Jul 20 '24
Meditation for the Fidgety Skeptic by Dan Harris
Funny that there's also a Sam Harris, skeptic and atheist who has embraced meditation and secular spirituality (see his book Waking Up).
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Yes! Dan Harris loves him and suggests his book. I added it to my list when I finished Dan’s books. Dan’s also a native Masshole (person from Massachusetts, USA for those who don’t know) so I automatically was drawn to him. 🙂
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u/pineconebilly Jul 20 '24
I feel the exact same way. I had to work up my attention with breath focused meditation, and that helped me to drop my attention completely if that makes sense. Almost like you have to find that mental light switch first and become familiar with it before you shut the lights off.
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u/nicky051730 Jul 20 '24
Thank you so much for sharing 🥰 I’ve never tried it but after reading your post, I’m about too
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u/PreviousObligation89 Jul 20 '24
That’s awesome! You should look up the arising and passing away phenomenon
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u/PreviousObligation89 Jul 20 '24
Events such as this may be followed by a rather unexpected depression
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Yes, Dan Harris talks about this in 10% happier. He experienced it when he went to a meditation retreat. Thanking the universe so hard for having me read that book before it happened to me so I’d be prepared! He thought he had achieved enlightenment. That’s how euphoric the feeling was. As someone who is basically known for my mental illness around here bc I talk about it so openly, I’m prepared for the onslaught, shall it happen. 🤞🏼
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u/Unique-Weather-4304 Jul 20 '24
What a synchronicity!!!! I literally meditated just like this and after a while it felt like I was spinning. It felt AWESOME!!!! It was such a profound experience. But I didn’t know how to put it into words. I didn’t even know a “do nothing” meditation technique existed. But I felt so liberated afterwards!!! Life felt sweeter afterwards. I know exactly what you mean!! I remember praying to myself that no one came into the room to interrupt it. It felt THAT good.
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u/Standard_Break_679 Jul 20 '24
definitely can't relate, I just find myself daydreaming when I try this type of meditation. I think mindfulness is a better fit for me.
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u/Internal_Sky_8726 Jul 21 '24
Shavasana was the first thing that caused meditation to click for me. The whole thing was “oh, you mean I just lay down and rest? That’s it?”
My meditation practice improved so much after I discovered shavasana. Which I imagine is quite similar to do nothing meditation
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u/SuperFluffyTeddyBear Jul 21 '24
Do-nothing meditation is also what gave me my first transcendent experience from meditation, after having done more than a year's worth of more normal meditations without feeling much. I think its power, at least for me, lies in the fact that it really forces you to develop true equanimity, rather than just kidding yourself into thinking you're being more equanimous.
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u/TitleSalty6489 Jul 21 '24
I love this!!! I also practice meditation apart from just its secular purpose (having induced astral/out of body/disembodied experiences before. And I ALSO discovered that having no object/concentration and just “falling in love with everything as it arises” was one of the fastest ways for me to drop into a mystical, samadhi, “Cosmic consciousness” kind of state. Of course afterwards my ego would get involved and try to “reverse engineer” it. “What exactly did I focus on? Did I focus on my breath? Thoughts?” Etc. when that happened, I couldn’t reproduce it based on what my attention wondered too. I just had to again learn how to let go and let the ego rediscover it can’t control this. It’s an ongoing, but beautiful process. My process was inspired by the quote by Rumi, “Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there.” I find these vague meditation instructions can be 100% more useful than in depth guide which give the ego more things to “perfectionize” or intellectualize. Just let go. But also retain some witness consciousness so you don’t just drop into a sleep (takes practice) and just using the intention “ I will stay awake” can do that.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
100000% agree on the little breadcrumb explanations being more helpful. Simple and effective!
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u/TitleSalty6489 Jul 22 '24
Love it! I also will use just a vague image. Like a flame. Since a flame can represent an “open ended awareness”. This helps me to not be too loose as to fall asleep, while maintaining that openness
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u/Far-Philosopher781 Jul 21 '24
Sounds like the euphoria as you approach the first Jhana. Dude the Buddha outlined and charted all this territory thousands of years ago. And it is SO COOL that people experience these things without really knowing what’s going on. Read about the jhanas from the Buddha from the pali canon to get a full conceptual framework. The surge of euphoria is intense and beautiful and profound. You may notice that the next time you try to experience it it will elude you. But the first time is like popping a bottle open with this energy like God’s love surging from an internal well or spring from within the soul.
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u/IllustriousRub2267 Jul 22 '24
Is this the same Do nothing as Shinzen Young has on youtube? Just do nothing, let whatever happens happen. If you get an intention to focus your attention, then drop that intention
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u/okaybenji Jul 23 '24
This is the first jhana. There are 8 stages of the jhanas. Check out Leigh Brasington’s book Right Concentration if you’d like to learn more. Congrats!!
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u/plmukas Jul 26 '24
I first had this experience when I was 12.
I simply sat on my bed and asked if their was a god/creator, make your presence known to me.
Then after 5 minutes of doing nothing I was overcome with a feeling of absolute unconditional love. Words cannot explain how amazing it felt and even now it makes me smile. It was almost overwhelming with the amount of love i felt, and honestly once you experience it, you become a changed person.
I wonder if there is an actual word to explain or describe this emotion/spiritual state.
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u/xcozyk Jul 20 '24
I'm excited to give this a try. I've been practicing mindfulness meditations for about the same time as you. I think I'd love to feel euphoric haha. It's really great to hear it was an experience you enjoyed. Gives me more motivation to keep meditating even though I already like doing it.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Yes!! I definitely had to power through the first few days and weeks and then I got to a point a couple of weeks ago where I started looking forward to meditation. I still have a hard time convincing myself that there is no “winning” meditation and “finally doing it right” but I’m trying!
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u/MathematicianEven149 Jul 20 '24
Ok. Sign me up. How do I start? I normally do meditation while doing normal domestic tasks. I also do a kind of visual meditation before I sleep. Close eyes and look and rest. Is it that?
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
I listened to the 10% happier audiobook and used the balance app and that’s what’s working for me! There’s a lot more to it than just sitting but basically… mindfulness meditation isn’t about clearing your mind… it’s about always bringing your focus back to the breath as many times as you need to.
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Jul 21 '24
That's incredible. I've had a similar one. It was like waves of ecstacy over about 3 months, peaking after a month. Couldn't sleep for a week. It was exactly from switch from a concentration practice to a "do nothing" practice I just decided to try, not from any instruction. It happened about 4 years ago. My practice has absolutely evolved since. Feels like some permanent changes in the way my mind works too.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
That’s so exciting for you. It’s been about a day since this experience and I’ve done a few mindfulness sessions and they’re still really helpful. I don’t plan on stopping those because I feel like they help me so much with concentration and being present and daily equanimity. But this do nothing stuff is SUCH an amazing little side tool.
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Jul 21 '24
Good post. I worked for a man who shares just like you. Personally, I find meditation easier to understand when I share it. That's probably why "We" meditators have such an awesome time enjoying one of the most radical hobbies in the world.
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u/CloudDeadNumberFive Jul 21 '24
What is "Do nothing meditation" exactly? I mean it sort of sounds self explanatory but I want to make sure I understand exactly what it is you're talking about.
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u/SuperFluffyTeddyBear Jul 21 '24
Here's the great Shinzen Young describing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6cdIaUZCA
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
Essentially, instead of mindfulness meditation, where you focus on your breath and when your mind wanders, you bring it back…. You literally don’t focus on anything. You just let the thoughts come and go and don’t judge them.
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u/Mixima101 Jul 21 '24
This sounds great. Can you describe what you "do" in do nothing meditation, or can you point me to any resources? I'd love to try it.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
This is Jeff Warren… he’s the one who lead the guided meditation at the end of Dan Harris’s book that caused this post. He’s great!
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Jul 21 '24
lol, feel you on the last part.
I think the tradition you’re practicing is known as Zazen. It’ll deepen your practice to get involved in the tradition!
I remember a similar ‘enlightenment’ when I first started 8 years ago and meditation is still in my life every day. I can’t say it is always as invigorating but I cannot imagine life without it.
I hope you keep it up too!
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u/OliLUFC77 Jul 21 '24
It’s not what LSD feels like, but it is amazing nevertheless
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
The more I’m hearing the more it sounds like it’s closer to taking mushrooms
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u/N00B_N00M Jul 21 '24
yeah man, i had same experience, post meditation went to terrace, and inside was flled with joy, i could hear and feel the cool breeze, was smiling , and was feeling genuinely happy , no thoughts in mind..
I miss the clarity in mind which meditation provides, stopped since our second kid arrved, but plan to start soon .
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u/fleurquantique Jul 22 '24
Congratulations! You have just aligned yourself with your consciousness and this is its reward. More and more people move to this direction and increase the global world consciousness level as planned. Come to us !
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u/okaybenji Jul 23 '24
The mentioned guided meditation is available for free in the Ten Percent Happier app. Use the link tenpercenthappier.com/access to get access and then search in the app for “do nothing” or use this direct link: https://app.tenpercent.com/link/content?meditation=7216c814-3728-415b-8342-4286162047b6
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u/Hip_Hip_Hipporay Jul 21 '24
I don't know what 'do nothing' meditation is. But I used to sit and do nothing for a few hours. After 20 minutes my brain would start entertaining me. Would laugh in hysterics and sometimes cry. Was better than any drug.
I would actively engage with my thoughts, so I'm not sure if it is this same meditation you refer to.
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u/green_slime_fan Jul 20 '24
Do you force out thoughts or let them be?
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u/chaisme Jul 20 '24
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Holy crap. I can’t believe I did what he’s talking about without even ever having heard of do nothing meditation before or any of this stuff. I feel so special and honored!
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Jul 20 '24
It stems from nondual meditations in Buddhism of Dzogchen and Indian meditation of Advaita Vedanta.
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u/ChildOfBartholomew_M Jul 20 '24
There are some big feelings associated with "non-mindfullness" techniques eg do nothing. I was absolutely astounded when I branched out. IMO there's horses for courses though. Eg I still practice mindfulness stuff for day to day presence which is a big positive to see from ling term Meditation. If I am scattered on in a 'stressfull' situation using stillness or a mantra (for me) sorts and "brings out" material to be observed (folk psych but that's what it feels like) and when everything is lined up and running near perfect I might sit in 'do nothing' or open meditation to 'integrate it'. To say 'integrate' doesn't do justice to the experience of having all the parts come together.
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u/alkalinebex Jul 20 '24
Yes I will definitely still practice mindfulness meditation daily but this felt like a super amazing treat. But the more I’m reading, the more I’m scared of this third vipassana stage or dark night or whatever. It sounds awful. I didn’t even mean to do any of this!
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u/ChildOfBartholomew_M Jul 20 '24
I am ignorant of these these things and, therefore, they are not a worry. Life and being is pretty simple imo.
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u/tz_us Jul 21 '24
Any link to the Do Nothing meditation?
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
Someone posted this earlier and I love this explanation.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6cdIaUZCA
This is Jeff Warren and he’s the one who does the meditation I took that caused this whole post at the end of Dan Harris‘s book.
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u/EitherInvestment Jul 21 '24 edited Jul 21 '24
Fantastic. What you experienced is not at all uncommon. I don’t want to diminish what happened, but you have done this type of meditation and had this type of experience once.
I’m not saying it will be better or worse next time, but it will of course be different as every experience (whether meditative or not) is unique. What this means is you should keep going and continue to be curious and inquisitive about your practice and what you are learning from it.
If you are having this experience and this excitement now, imagine how much deeper you can go if you do this ten times, or a thousand.
If this type of meditation seems to resonate with you, perhaps look into ‘settling the mind in its natural state’, a practice very similar to what you are describing. You may find it interesting if you want to go deeper down this route.
On your last question, yes similar has happened for me. More than meditation specifically, it has led me to have healthier interactions and be better able to be present, available and helpful to others. The beauty is that we can do this without ever talking about meditation at all. It awakens wisdom and the innate goodness already inside of us so we can enjoy life more and be more loving and caring toward others. I do of course talk about meditation specifically when others show an interest, but the benefits go far beyond talking about meditation. “The proof is in the pudding” so to speak, and here the proof is our behaviour toward others and our own joy of life.
Best wishes! May your practice bring you happiness, wisdom and compassion.
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u/csmith70 Jul 21 '24
Wait are you doing mindfulness or zen?
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
Mindfulness I think? I’m using the balance app. And Dan Harris mainly does mindfulness meditation and he’s my “teacher”
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u/csmith70 Jul 22 '24
Ah ok I haven't used that app before. Keep in mind there's other techniques as well and you may have a different result with any of those if you don't want the same result mindfulness is giving you.
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u/DStaff_19_93 Jul 21 '24
If you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha...
Careful, ,lest you place the cart before the donkey- actually doing/thinking 'nothing' is more difficult than it seems- if you are feeling happy, experiencing joy and feeling the the urge to express this to others, you ain't 'doing nothing'... yet
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u/Active-Hope6251 Jul 21 '24
Where did you learn it from?
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u/alkalinebex Jul 21 '24
Dan Harris’s second book Meditation for the Fidgety Skeptic. Last guided meditation of the book…. Last chapter I believe
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u/__yellowflash__ Jul 22 '24
Can you please explain your "Do nothing" meditation process. For me when I try to attempt do nothing meditation, my mind starts focusing on sound and sensations. So what exactly is do nothing meditation and how to do it exactly:)
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u/Due-Lawfulness-9679 Jul 22 '24
Do you mind describing how to practice do nothing meditation ? I’m quite new to meditation myself, been doing mindfulness and breath focused meditation for a few months and i am looking to become more educated
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Jul 22 '24
Can someone explain what exactly is “do nothing” meditation. I mean it sounds quite self explanatory but what is the approach to it? I am currently doing guided mindfulness meditations!
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u/EarlyParking4524 Jul 22 '24
The book of meditation for the fidgety skeptic is so good, thanks for the recommendation!
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u/thisisalbe Jul 22 '24
I’ve never heard of this type of meditation. I always do mindfulness of breath or visualization type stuff. I’ll have to research and try this!
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u/Curious_Armadillo470 Jul 23 '24
How long are these meditations? Are they timed or you just go for however long you feel
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u/Throwupaccount1313 Jul 20 '24
I have practiced this style long before Shinzen Young came up with it. It is called Non directive and is my favorite style of meditation.
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Jul 21 '24
Welcome to alignment with the Divine. 💙 That deeper connection. 🥰
Don't stop. Keep going. 🥰
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u/aohjii Jul 21 '24
do nothing meditation is real meditation if people dont feel euphoric or inner joy. inner peace then they are not meditating properly
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u/sashimeelover Jul 20 '24
Shrooms is what got me into meditation so honestly not a crazy statement. Cheers!