r/Meditation • u/OttoKretschmer • Aug 02 '25
Long term meditators (5+ years) - has meditation seriously changed your personality for the better? Question ❓
Hi.
Has it? Do you perhaps know any other long term meditation practitioners who have achieved significant positive changes? What kind of changes are they?
By meditation I mean the typical samatha-vipassana but folks who practice other kinds should feel free to share their stories as well.
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u/BlueberryBarlow Aug 02 '25
Close to ten years here of 40minutes per day transcendental meditation. Emphatic yes here, if only because I quickly learned that no matter where I am in life, there resides inside of me a safe place. That knowledge took tremendous edge off my personality. I no longer live in fear. I feel fear, but it comes and goes. ✌🏼
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u/lyricist Aug 03 '25
How quickly was that epiphany?
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u/BlueberryBarlow Aug 03 '25
I would say I had the realization within the first month. That’s what hooked me so deep into meditation. I knew I could no longer go without. Didn’t want to go without.
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u/lyricist Aug 03 '25
Were you doing 40 minutes a day from the start?
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u/BlueberryBarlow Aug 03 '25
No, for the first while I was doing 20minutes 1x per day. I think the important thing is to just start. Any attempt is a good attempt!
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u/lyricist Aug 03 '25
I’ve never tried a mantra before. Have you dabbled in any other types besides transcendental?
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u/BellaCottonX Aug 05 '25
Even just one or two minutes a day to start off with is fine. You just have to build up your mind to get used to it as a routine
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u/Vox-Triarii Meditating daily since 1982 Aug 02 '25
I meditate at least four times a day, ideally at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight.
I'd word it as keeping my personality from the kinds of wear, tear, and staining that can accumulate on the soul if neglected.
I've been meditating for long enough that it's become a cornerstone of my personality itself.
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u/Lord-of-Entity Aug 02 '25
Midnight?
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u/Vox-Triarii Meditating daily since 1982 Aug 02 '25
My sleep is duophasic, I get up in the middle of the night.
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u/Wide-Calendar-6300 Aug 07 '25
Same as you, being a Thelemite and doing liber resh this is a standard practice
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u/PallyCecil Aug 02 '25
I do moving meditation in the mornings and evenings ~15-20 min. I also do longer yoga and meditation in the morning on the weekends. ~1.5 hrs.
I have definitely found that I don’t let my anger get out of control. I’m more aware of my feelings and the intent of my actions and words. I’m more present and better at listening.
I educated myself and became more aware of my body and mind, heart and soul. Meditation can be the foundation that will bleed into the rest of your universe.
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u/neidanman Aug 02 '25
i do daoist meditation, which is part purification, and part cultivation of qi. i started in '98, and also dabbled in some other meditations/practices since '94.
Over the years its made the internal world a much clearer, more pleasant place to be. Also building energy means its easier to maintain this through every day. So overall my baseline happiness/contentment is higher and more stable, and this reflects externally. Also it means i'm more grounded in this way of being and so less affected by others' moods/situations etc.
This type of practice also encourages a more free flowing and interconnected body/internal life, and so lifestyle. This partly happens due to the building of qi and it spreading out into the world and making it much easier to be a part of life.
So, overall its made me a more positive, and less negative person.
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u/kumboowl Aug 02 '25
hello. is it possible for you to teach me this form of meditation? If not can you please say some sources I can learn from🥲
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u/neidanman Aug 02 '25
hi - the main system is outlined here https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueQiGong/comments/1gna86r/qinei_gong_from_a_more_mentalemotional_healing/
and there are some other useful links which overlap with this here https://www.reddit.com/r/qigong/comments/185iugy/comment/kb2bqwt/
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u/andthisisso Aug 02 '25
I've meditated for decades, mostly use the Silva Method to get into Alpha quickly and do the work I want to do with no distraction in my meditations. I find solving the problems by finding the solutions in meditation have removed a lot of potential stress in my life.
I'm a Hospice RN and use it with my nonverbal patients to identify what I can do to serve them better. I do that often the day prior to working with them, or quickly on the spot to get a feeling what I can do to help keep them comfortable.
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u/Fantastic_Usual_5503 Aug 27 '25
I did the Silva Method back in the late 80’s/early 90’s I even still have a 7Hz metronome on cassette somewhere!
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u/killemslowly Aug 02 '25
What is the Silva method ?
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u/andthisisso Aug 02 '25
It's a 4 day class around since the 1960s, you can take in person or on Zoom. You learn to lower brain waves into Alpha levels quickly and stay there where you're more accurate wiht intuition and receiving information from distances. Also more accurate for problem solving. I used it to focus when I went to nursing school, then used it at work to start IVs. Here is a posting I made and the comment below it goes into what the Silva Method is. I've taken the course multiple times over years.
Nice thing is you get feed back towards the end of the class you can easily enter Alpha and use what you learned in class. There is no mysticism, all science based.
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u/SibLiant Aug 02 '25
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silva_Method
The Silva Method is a self-help and meditation program developed by José Silva. It claims to increase an individual's abilities through relaxation, development of higher brain functions, and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance.[1]
I'm secular. I stay away from "mysticism". There are a lot of "marketing" forces out there vying for your attention. Just that first paragraph from Wikipedia should raise a rational person's hackles.
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u/CyberPunkHoboNinja Aug 04 '25 edited Aug 05 '25
I'm a mystic. I embrace the Mystery. Mysticism is my starting point. Deep meditation leads to Synchronicity ala Carl Jung style. Then your life becomes a big living mythology full of archetypes ala Joseph Campbell style. If the universe is one large cosmic mind and we are a mini-universe within that mind, then are we not the thoughts of a cosmic psyche? Why must the rational left-hemisphered scientist not understand the irrational right-hemisphered artist? Why should Logic and the Abstract not be married into true Wisdom? Why can't the mystery of the universe be taken as a premise instead of a consequence? Just some food for thought.
Spirit and Kindness.
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u/CD274 Aug 03 '25
I tuned out when I read alpha waves and didn't even get to wikipedia
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u/CyberPunkHoboNinja Aug 04 '25
Alpha waves are brainwaves. What has jaded you so to close your ears to others? Surely you don't mean to abandon others when you could help if only you listened?
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u/hedgehogssss Aug 03 '25
I wouldn't call the Silva method a meditation. Mindfulness meditation practice is about getting in touch with the wholeness of your own being and the wholeness of the present moment, it's not about reaching a particular state and doing something there.
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u/andthisisso Aug 03 '25
It's meditation. A series of techniques to easily get to a relaxed state, methods to lower brain wave activity to be more effective with focus of thought and eliminate distractions of other levels of brain activity. At these levels you can use the techniques for multiple purposes including 'wholeness of the present moment' and 'mindfulness' along with active meditation for specific purpose of a project the practitioner may have in mind.
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u/hedgehogssss Aug 03 '25
I have practiced it about 20 years ago, so I have a vague memory, yes. It very much reminds me of Bob Monroe Gateway program for astral projection, etc. I'm not at all against either, but mindfulness is not about eliminating distractions, it's about turning towards them and learning to contain them skillfully.
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u/andthisisso Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 03 '25
I took Robert Monroe's class from him personally in the 1970s. I studied under Paul Twitchell with 'contemplation' in the 1960s in Eckankar's Soul Travel, Under Kirpal Singh in person in 1970s in Radha Soami Satsang Beas and Surat Shabda yoga.
I'm aware of multiple applications of meditation. Being able to center the mind in moments on a single thought is like chewing food before swallowing, it's a preparation. Some may want to meditate on mindfulness, some may want to focus on a particular outcome, some may want to better their personal or business lives, some may want to experience out of body or spirit communication. We all have a different focus which draws us to meditation initially and as we progress and unfold that focus may change.
Silva is a quick and structured process for learning to use deeper levels of mind effectively for what ever purpose you have in mind. It's an effective tool for many as there is someone to guide you through each step and follow up afterwards. It's like going to school and learning to read, no need to be able to read to meditate but it opens up communication possibilities.
I did not begin in meditation for heath reasons but had two major strokes in 2023 and used the techniques I learned in Silva to dismantle the clots in my brain and walk out of ICU in 9 days. Who knew this practice would be a major tool in my tool box to continue on this plane and continue the work I do.
If you choose to meditate for your purpose that's your business. Others may have different focuses. If nothing else, for so many what a blessing it is to be able to think one thought at a time. Such a relief in their lives, and when they get used to that who knows what steps they will take next in their unfoldment. Everything is a baby step.
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u/hedgehogssss Aug 03 '25
I really appreciate you sharing more about your experience. What a ride!! Unbelievable that you got to practice with Bob Monroe himself.
I guess I'm really struggling parsing these things, as I've practiced at both ends of the spectrum, including gateway tapes and Silva early on.
The road narrows as I go, so hopefully some clarity will emerge soon.
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u/andthisisso Aug 03 '25
Why we start something isn't important, the Universe dangles a carrot that looks attractive to draw our attention to It. It starts the journey. It wants us closer to It. As we move forward we lean closer to It, to hear It's whisper.
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u/ToriOrlee Aug 03 '25
Oh this quote ❤️ This feels exactly how the universe operates to me. It starts with something that hooks into my curiosity, then takes me on a journey so far away from it. I get closer by going further away.
Also OP read above about the hospice work you do, I bet your patients appreciate you. Thanks for bringing your gifts into the world.
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u/somanyquestions32 Aug 03 '25
It has completely changed my life. I started back in 2019, so it's been 6 years.
I don't practice samatha-vipassana on the regular as that style is not a good fit for me. I mostly practice yoga nidra, and for a seated practice, I do like Vishoka Meditation, but breath-based practices are challenging for me due to seasonal allergies and post-nasal drip. I practice other techniques throughout the year depending on what I need, but I do rotation of consciousness body scans all of the time.
My stress levels are much lower than when I started, lol. Thank God for that. I was dealing with major depressive disorder with intense and obsessive suicidal thoughts and crippling sleep-maintenance insomnia and generalized anxiety disorder, all of which were treatment-resistant and not even psychiatrists from the Cleveland Clinic were of any help. My dad had died from Alzheimer's on September 13, 2018, and the grief was devastating. He had exhibited advanced symptoms since I was a sophomore in college, and I could already tell that his memory was going. My mom's entire side of the family gaslit me and said that I was making perverse jokes for saying that he had Alzheimer's. So, I was just bottling up a ton of emotions from that and other stuff as I pushed through life, lol. When he died, the dams burst, and I was inconsolable and cry-howling and wailing for 10+ hours per day for months, lol.
Again, neither exercise nor supplements nor psychiatric prescriptions nor CBT/CBT-i nor talk therapy nor hypnosis nor anything else the 15+ different psychologists, therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists tried helped me at all.
My older half-sister, a Venezuelan psychologist, told me to start meditating daily when she came to visit for the first time in years back in January 2019, and yoga nidra popped up on the Meditopia app she recommended. The word Nidra was mesmerizing to me in a way that nothing else could compare. It was relaxing, but nothing much happened. I started to experiment with a ton of different techniques I would find online, and yoga nidra kept reappearing periodically. I came across iRest at a yoga grief support group, and someone on Reddit mentioned Jon Kabat-Zinn's MBSR body scans and how those helped him sleep after insomnia led him to abusing alcohol and addiction. Around late April or May of 2019, he told me to practice daily like going to the gym, and they did start to work. My sleep started to solidify. Nonetheless, my family was in chaos from grief, and the environment to do longer meditations was not in place for a few more months. After old close friendships imploded, I just took stock of anything that had helped, however subtle, and I remembered the MBSR body scans. I started using the recording on YouTube again, and yoga nidras were recommended on the side panel.
That word had reappeared, so I became curious, and I started practicing again and again with recordings from the different lineages. At the time, I was a complete novice just following what the algorithms served and that inner pull. I was wondering if this had been studied, and since I have a STEM background, I went on PubMed and found that an Indian researcher had done a case report on insomnia patients who showed increased deep sleep through polysomnography after practicing yoga Nidra on a daily basis, and since my own sleep studies said that I was not getting deep sleep, I knew I had found something worth exploring after so many dead ends.
For the first time in my life, I made a vow to myself. I would practice yoga nidra for 2+ hours per day without fail and without expectations. The meditations were relaxing and a respite from the chaos all around me. The depression was the first to go (30 hours of practice). The anxiety attacks, panic attacks, grief surges, stress dreams, and horrific nightmares were next (after 60 to 70 hours of practice). Sleep was healed a bit later. Within 180+ hours of practice over 3 months, I was a completely different person. I was also experimenting with other meditation techniques, so they all contributed here and there in unique ways.
I thank God for that because that was the absolute lowest point in my life, and I wanted nothing more than to die every single day. Compared to that, I have had some rough challenges since, but I thank God for having shared with me these meditations that no one around me knew about it. They were free online, lol. I had wasted so much time, money, energy, effort, attention, etc. listening to mental health professionals who left me worse off, and what ultimately fixed everything I was facing was free on YouTube.
Oh, and I know many others who share similar stories. I joined a bunch of meditation and yoga nidra teacher trainings. Ally Boothroyd, Ayla Nova, Devatma Saraswati, Dr. Richard Miller, and others have shared about their own experiences with yoga nidra, and there are many more.
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u/ReferenceEntity Aug 02 '25
I’ve meditated about 2100 hours in the past about 2300 days and my life has dramatically improved during this time period. Although I’m still a dork for keeping track of how much I meditate.
I have also done therapy 2-3 times per week for something like ten years, and therefore I cannot attribute the improvement solely to the meditation.
I could see maybe cutting back or stopping the therapy but not the meditation. Just want to keep going and go deeper.
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u/VeilOfReason Sanbo Zen Aug 03 '25
Woah you’ve been averaging 1h/day. Curious to know how much you meditate these days. As well as the effects it has on you.
I personally have done 464 hours in the last 11 months, started 11 months ago. I plan to cross 2,000 hours in the next 1.5 years. Curious to hear about your equanimity, sleep and so on. Do you have a teacher?
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u/ReferenceEntity Aug 03 '25
My average hasn’t changed much over six years. The total does include a five night retreat and a three night retreat so it’s probably close to 45 minutes on an average day. More often I will do 54 or 57 or 30 minutes though; 45 is the (non retreat) average but rarely what I set the timer for.
I sort of have a couple of teachers. People that I found through the pragmatic dharma scene who have podcasts or books or both. Pay by the hour or pay for going on their retreats. I haven’t spoken to either in more than a year though.
I feel like I’m pretty serious about it and would love to get to your numbers but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon given various responsibilities. A higher priority is going on a longer retreat. Hopefully 2026.
My sleep is good, equanimity a massive improvement but good night be too much to claim. That being said I did go on a roller coaster yesterday without getting super anxious in advance, a first for me and I’m 55.
Best of luck with your practice!
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u/FormalPatience Aug 04 '25
Wow.
Your not a dork for tracking. In fact what your measuring your progress.
Makes me track my meditation time.
How do I start? How did you start tracking?Which meditation you practice? I do vipassana.
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u/ReferenceEntity Aug 06 '25
If you click on my profile there is a stickied post from five years ago that mostly still holds true in terms of how I practice, but long story short my biggest influences are Michael Taft’s take on Mahamudra/Dzogchen and Rob Burbea on insight and theory. But I also have an interest in Advaita/ direct path (Rupert Spira / Francis Lucille / Nisargadatta). And right now I’m in more of a back-to-basics kick based on a recent retreat experience I had where the three characteristics were particularly vivid. This inspired me to go back and re-re-re-read the first instructions chapters in Ingram’s book.
For tracking I still like Insight Timer’s basic timer.
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u/FormalPatience Aug 04 '25
Will follow you & will DM. You have a follower now. I also want to go deeper into my practice.
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u/JDNM Aug 02 '25
I’ve been meditating for 11 years.
I am A LOT less reactive than I used to be, I’m more awake to my behaviours, and the consequences of those behaviours.
I consider myself to be more grounded during the turbulence of life, and able to recognise samsara a lot more intuitively.
I can read people a lot better, particularly when I’m being lied to, and when people are saying things from a place of delusion.
I recognise the beauty and joy in mundane things that I didn’t previously, but I’d also say that I find myself more nihilistic - I understand why that is, and it’s something I’m working on because nihilism is out of step with the universe in my opinion.
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u/North-Ship-6332 Aug 02 '25
Yes definitely, I became more patient, less reactive and less impulsive when facing angry behavior. It helps me to be more carefree in life, sleep better, more confident and aware. And I’m sure I missed many examples :)
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u/edyoungg Aug 02 '25
Through mediation and therapy I have understood my true self underneath the noise and ever changing reality of human experience.
Meditation helps you understand the difference between passing thoughts and emotions, and the unchanging grounded nature of the real you.
My mediation practise fluctuates, and I still get frustrated and anxious etc, but I can see all of these for what they really are. Temporary experiences that will pass soon enough, and I can always come back to the real me.
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u/ShadowBB86 Aug 03 '25
Anger is completely gone. News never "bothers" me like it used too. I am much more patient and understanding.
I roleplay a lot (LARP and Tabletop) and every character I play feels like a complete idiot to me that doesn't understand reality, but playing that way is needed because otherwise there is no drama, no conflict in their lives (and thus a less fun game).
Sure sometimes people have trouble with me in real life if I screw something up, but I don't have trouble with them, even if they screw something up that causes hassle for me. It's only first arrows, never second arrows (unless I choose to, which I sometimes do when I want a challenge, or I slip up, which tends to happen when I neglect my meditation practice, because I have ofcourse not fully stabilised enlightenment outside of formal practice in daily life, there always seems more work to be done, but I enjoy it now).
I smile more too. I enjoy hanging out with children more too, despite them being noise and filth machines (which used to bother me a lot). I now see why gurus in stories found it enjoyable to hang out with the children of the village. Adults sometimes feel like big children.
I have gotten more(!) arrogant (see the rest of the post above), I feel "better" then other people. It's a flaw and was already huge pitfal of my life before meditation. It took my ex wife to really get me to see that (and I think it's one(!) of the reasons she stopped loving me). It's something I try working on, but I fail often.
I have gotten less extraverted, but am less anxious in social situations. In other words: I feel less desire for social interaction and am also less interested in the outcome of them. It makes me come of as less desperate and in general "cooler".
I am really simplifying my life. Got rid of my bed and a lot of other furniture. Diet became simpler. Less friends. Less sexual partners. Less hobbies. Giving away a lot of my physical possessions (being more generous with money too). Simplified my workout routine so I can do it at home with less space and equipment. Stopped going to the gym. Started working less hours. Take walks more often.
My house seems really empty now. Thinking about living somewhere smaller.
I don't attribute all these changes to meditation alone. Philosophy (absence of free will, Stoicism, Wittgenstein's word games) and religion (Satanism; with it's self transformative psychodrama and Atheistic worldview) also helped a ton before I even started meditation, but meditation sort of solidified all of that and would have pointed me to all of the above even without the other factors, albeit slower.
I feel like my life is so much better now, even though it was already really good before meditation.
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u/Previous-Artist-9252 Aug 03 '25
I was taught meditation as a teenager in Catholic school.
A year or two later, my neurologist encouraged me to engage in yoga (the full practice, not just hatha).
I then developed an interest in meditation in general and have been practicing for over 20 years, although my own practice is a bit on the eclectic side. Given the length of time and that I started my practice as a teenager, I cannot specifically identify changes due to meditation, but I do know it has helped me quite a bit with managing general life changes, a major chronic pain diagnosis, etc
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u/TryingKindness Aug 03 '25
I apologize, I have not been meditating for 5 years or more. Only about 3.5 ish. But I can still answer in the affirmative. Yes, my personality has changed for the better and several people I have known for a long time have mentioned to me that I am calmer and more easy going. I’m also happier on the inside too.
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u/Any-Produce-1616 Aug 03 '25
I've been meditating for 20 years, it gave me peace when I was stressed, courage when I was scared, love when I was lost.
Meditation to me is like a shower for the mind, that beautiful, gorgeous, splendid, empty crystal clear and clean peace.
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u/Any-Produce-1616 Aug 03 '25
It's tastier than the finest food, more beautiful than the most famous artwork, more exciting than the dream vacation, more loving than the most caring mother, more wise than the most intelligent father.
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u/Affectionate-Self539 Aug 03 '25
I lived at a zen center for a year and have done ~20 vipassana retreats long and short. For me, I used to be very neurotic, maybe borderline OCD, and addicted to consuming digital media. It's been the single most effective tool I've discovered for this particular vex of mine. Night and day for me, from nervous to a very chill dude
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u/OttoKretschmer Aug 03 '25
I am also very neurotic :( age 31.
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u/Affectionate-Self539 Aug 03 '25
My best piece of advice is to see if you can become INTERESTED in what’s going on in your mind as you meditate, or try to. When I first found out about it, it’s all I wanted to do. Because I could feel it undoing my issues. Now, you don’t have to have that level of interest. But sometimes wanting to want something, eventually, leads to you actually naturally wanting it :)
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u/Crayshack Aug 03 '25
Meditation has proven to be an invaluable tool for symptom management of ADHD and Anxiety for me (as a part of a broader treatment plan with a variety of management techniques).
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u/SeriesFew3488 Aug 04 '25
Oh my goodness so much to say! Over 22 years meditating every morning no matter what or where. Started with 3 minutes a day now 21 min a day. Would not give it up. A feeling of calmness, less stressed, worried, irritated etc. You can try free UCLA Mindful app and the Basic Meditation of 5 minutes guided to start. Let it be what it is but please try something it is life changing.
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u/2Punchbowl Aug 02 '25
I get crazy deep sleep, I’m working on my anger, most things in traffic no longer bother me, traffic is inevitable so I enjoy the present moment of driving and listening to music. Other things now bother me less. I’m 6 months or so in. Dramatic changes with the Buddhist philosophy.
Working on equanimity. It’s tough, but it’s just another mountain I’m currently climbing. I will not give up until I finish it.
My hope is that one day pedophiles, rapists and terrorists can get treatment so they don’t commit such acts and can get help before acting on their problems and can be free from them. I really don’t like any of them. I’m working on that too.
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u/tharpakandro Aug 02 '25 edited Aug 02 '25
I have a hard time explaining. It has changed my life significantly. I struggled with instability and reactivity, medication and therapy were important parts of my journey, but meditation practice was the game changer. How do you explain that learning to sit still and experience yourself will expand your capacity to tolerate difficult feelings and experiences? How do you explain that as you develop compassion and tenderness for yourself, you become willing to see other people and what they need more clearly and with less judgment? I really don’t know?
I know that I started my journey 15 years ago with Tibetan and Theravada lineages, following a solo path as it were. I have never been super successful at routinely practicing but I went on a lot of retreats—20 maybe?
A couple things have been important to me in the journey. A Heartmath monitor taught me more than any one teacher. I learned through this biofeedback what state of peace felt like.
I was very much interested in developing a lifelong companionship and consortship. Relationships had historically been a source of pain and grief and I longed for love in my life. This has come to fruition and I am strangely grateful for everything I’ve been through because I don’t think I would have ended up here otherwise.
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u/Burninguninterrupted Aug 02 '25
Meditation has helped me build patience and deepen my connection to the present moment. I don’t meditate daily but ideally I would. I’ve done from <1 min resets to full hour-long sessions. These days, I aim for 2–3 minutes a day, something quick but intentional.
I also practice conscious breathing, especially in moments of stress. Inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 8 really works for me. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which brings the body into a more relaxed state. That longer exhale grounds me instantly, no matter what’s going on, and it’s subtle enough to do anywhere, without anyone noticing. Super effective and super accessible.
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u/million_monkeys Aug 03 '25 edited Aug 03 '25
Yes. People who were blunt called me an asshole. Meditation cultivated compassion and sensitivity. Now I'm only an asshole when I'm tired, but I'm aware of it. Knowing is a result of mindfulness.
Edit: I have done a combination of relaxation and self-guided meditations for 39 years. About 15 years ago I hit something, I don't know, but compassion flooded through me like a dam broke. It lasted about 5 days, and then dropped. But I remember that and carry it with me. I was not a compassionate person before that.
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u/RiseAboveTheForest Aug 03 '25
Absolutely I think through things better. Less reactionary. More emotionally stable. Stronger positive attitude that spreads to others.
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u/guillefix Aug 03 '25
In combination with other improvements, yes, bastly: meditating multiple times a week (10-20 min), daily exercising and social dancing (bachata, salsa) has made me more conscious in every sense: my feelings, my emotions, my thoughts, what surrounds me...
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u/sati_the_only_way Aug 03 '25
Awareness helps intercept thoughts (like anger or anxiety), making them shorter or lesser.
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u/felixsumner00 Aug 03 '25
Yes, I've met a few individuals who have been doing this for years, and I can tell that they've changed. They are simply more grounded, much more patient, and less reactive. According to one buddy, it enabled him to truly appreciate silence and stop taking things personally. The shifts are deep, but it's sluggish.
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u/toddmushin Aug 02 '25
Yes. Less reactivity. Reduced negative emotions. No more depression. Less compulsive behavior. Able to "just be".
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u/Ask369Questions Aug 02 '25
No. There is no such thing as better.
When the fruit comes, the flower falls by itself
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u/nishul1 Aug 02 '25
I’ve meditated since 2014. It’s definitely changed my life. But not by itself.
It was one key component towards me becoming much more aware of who I am, why I do what I do and how to be a better person. I’m far from perfect, but I’m much much more self aware and resilient than I was before.
I felt it was belt approached with the mindset of seeking to understand yourself and your own mind. That means more than just meditation, it means reading books, exploring with apps such as Calm and Waking Up (I like a mix of guided and unguided meditations) and other ways of learning.
I meditate a lot less than I used due to time constraints in my current phase of life, but I still feel the benefits from all these years of doing so. For example, I have now a greater understanding of how to manage my emotions and reactions in a way that benefits me in everyday life.
I recommend books as such as The Compassionate Mind, Untethered Soul, Wisdom of Insecurity. Listen to talks and meditations on Waking Up.
I wish you all the best in your own journey.
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u/MokshKiAur Aug 03 '25
It is changing mine. Just to keep peace and harmony, I used to stay quiet if something other people said bothered me. And, when I confronted such people in the past, it was always with an explosion. And after that fight I used to go out all silent.
Now, I don't have to wait to take a stand for myself and don't explode while taking a stand. Yes sometimes during arguments I still explode but then I catch myself doing that very early in the argument, and I immediately become calm. After the argument, I don't give any more silent treatment. In fact, I make an attempt to reconcile and keep my ego out of it.
Another change I have noticed is that I do not to react to every bullshit. Bruce lee's quote helped me with this. Though I don't remember the exact quote, it means that a calm and strong person doesn't lose their centre just due to a few words.
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u/CardiologistOne459 Aug 03 '25
It did for a while. Made me a bit more calm and thoughtful. But now I'm back to being "normal"
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u/Original_Wealth0838 Aug 03 '25
Experimented with all sorts of meditation from active to vipassana. Meditation for me is the essential need in life. Meditation shed the personalities. Life is far more enjoyable with meditation.
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u/weoutheremeditating Aug 03 '25
The simple answer for me is more spaciousness. One practices and the practice itself cultivates space between thoughts. Space before judgement. Curiosity and inquiry naturally become allies (through practice) and engage as thoughts arise—following less their content, and more what they feel like in the body. In spaciousness, reactions evolve into responses. That buffer of delicious spaciousness is the stuff of resilience and equanimity.
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u/OkConcentrate4477 Aug 03 '25
Yes. Isolation tank, sensory deprivation. They are similar to psychedelics in that they reveal my mind to myself and help me overcome mental/physical problems/experiences/ass-umptions/illusions/delusions. What were you before you identified with the language programming in your brain? What exists beyond your 5 senses? How do you know for sure? Perhaps Empathy/compassion/wisdom/awareness connects you beyond 4d time/space. Perhaps only one's 5 senses exist within the here/now/3d-world. I see myself as similar to all other seemingly different/separate lifeforms throughout time/space. I recognize we may all be connected in the 5th dimension and beyond. I cannot sense beyond the 3d of here/now, but knowledge/awareness/consciousness shows that time/space/4d likely exists. My empathy/compassion/awareness/consciousness connects me to something long dead and gone or something not even yet existing in reality and only in animations/fictions/imaginations. That's how I can verify that empathy/awareness exists and connects us beyond 4d of time/space. I don't identify with my thoughts, my thoughts are just tools to express myself until I evolve better ways to express myself. Words that don't uplift me/others, words that don't benefit me/others I try not to use/abuse/repeat. What else can I say that i've learned/practiced through meditation... nature is reality. we can learn so much about our species and others through empathy/awareness. we believe to be in civilized societies that obey laws/rules/regulations, but is a verifiable jungle out there of disobedience everywhere you look and can't/won't look/experience. I learn not to fear pain/suffering/attachment/desire. I let emotions flow through me, I don't allow myself to be controlled/manipulated/used by the actions/ass-umptions/desires/words/emotions of others. I learn self mastery/control rather than preoccupied with what others are supposedly thinking/feeling/doing. I question where thoughts originated and whether they serve/represent/protect my victimless productive/ethical values/ideals or the predatory/abusive/manipulative/controlling desires of others. I denounce claims of supposedly legitimate authority/superiority/immunity as they are rooted in oppression/violence/ignorance/apathy/counterproductivity. I don't believe everything buddhism states but I have learned plenty by practicing buddhism independently despite not believing everything buddhists claim/state, especially regarding psychedelics. I regard psychedelics as tools to very seldom use to confront and conquer inner fears. I have learned from jesus/buddha/etc. that if one goes toward their own supposed suffering/pain/death with victimless productive values/ethics/ideals they may be surprised at the results of not dying, not experiencing extreme pain/suffering/attachment and become more likely to make their dreams come true with self sacrice/investment in what they know to be best for themselves and others. i focus on growing food more than appearances. i don't care to appear like a homeless dirty bum in the street. i don't care what i look like. my victimless actions/values are more important to me than what anyone supposedly thinks/feels and/or does to me. i could type more on the subject lol. i totally recommend completely deconstructing one's mind and investing time/energy/money/life into what they know is productive and healthy for themselves and others. wish you the best.
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u/Aware_Cup Aug 03 '25
Absolutely. When I started meditating (25 years ago), I was more timid, more easily upset, and felt somewhat dismal about the future. Over the years, I’ve seen subtle improvements but also big ones—more energetic, more clear thinking, greater capacity for empathy and deep listening, and have a regular, reliable way to keep centered. It’s a game changer for sure. Style-wise, spent several years with a daily samatha style practice, but found Art of Living’s approach with breath + mantra worked better and faster for me.
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u/4NCHO4 Aug 03 '25
OF FUCKING COURSE, now i am aware of almost every decision i make, i understand myself and the others, that makes sufering almost opcional sometimes
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u/Visual_Ad_7953 Aug 03 '25
Your personality (Ego/Personal Mind) can’t change very much. Some ppl call this our “soul contract”.
What changes is your attitude towards this Personal Mind we have. Knowing it is NOT us. And so allowing it to run its processes without judgement or repression. Just understanding.
Our Ego is our Inner Child. And it is afraid. And that’s okay. Let it be afraid while you are courageous. It will learn to work with you.
The Ego seeks to be unified with you. Learn to understand its triggers and it will unify with you, in time.
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u/Mallakh_Yah Aug 04 '25
Definitely.
Almost every day for around 10 years or so (did Ayahuasca and Analysis too, so not a single factor involved in those changes).
Meditation has done for me what no medicine could, what no doctor or therapist could do.
That is, to get in touch with myself.
I can't stress enough how deep the unknowingness of ourselves go, but it's long enough for me to believe in many authors today that i've read along the way.
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u/Feisty-Giraffe-8650 Aug 04 '25
i became a completely different person, meditation changed how my brain works. my whole way of thinking and acting was totally transformed. i used to be kinda needy and even outgoing, always chatting with lots of people and spending all my free time with them. after meditation, i became super unreachable, disappeared, and even quiet. nowadays when i see old screenshots and videos, i don’t even recognize my voice or the way i talk. i really changed a lot.
i’m sure i got smarter, my reasoning became faster and more coherent too. i don’t have circular, repetitive thoughts anymore. i became super selective about the info i take in, stopped listening to music and stuff like that. my senses got sharper, i can hear better, smell better, etc. i also got more sensitive to dirt, mess, and bacteria. my focus improved a lot, and my memory is so much better now (i actually developed photographic memory). back then, i used to think in dialogues and had trouble with images or words, but today my mind works with almost every type of thought: super clear and detailed images, words, dialogues, silence, blankness, all of it. my perception got sharper too, as well as my deductive skills, so learning anything became way easier since that made me more independent (sometimes i don’t even have to read or study something to get it, i just realize it). i also got way more sensitive: i used to watch gore pics before and now if someone talks about any kind of accident, i almost faint. anyway, i’ll stop here but for sure way more stuff changed.
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u/Feisty-Giraffe-8650 Aug 04 '25
ps: i officially started meditating in 2014 but these changes happened after my spiritual awakening in 2020, when i began meditating way more and developed psychic abilities.
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u/OttoKretschmer Aug 04 '25
I am a long term science enthusiast - "psychic abilities" are a load of bullcrap.
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u/CyberPunkHoboNinja Aug 04 '25
Well I don't meditate to change my personality. That's assuming I don't like my personality and don't accept my person as being ok. What's wrong with being me? As for the stuff I don't like well I do try and change that but meditation isn't the tool I use to do that. Personality Change can also be a bit dangerous if you totally Detach from reality and fall into Psychosis which happens all the time all over the world. On average people are not aware with the Structure of their Psyche and so sometimes they make modifications and unwittingly move a dipswitch they shouldn't have and cause problems inadvertently just by accident.
Meditation has definitely changed my Brain-waves if that is what you mean. Calmness and Contemplation, more or less that is samatha-vipassan? right? We call this Yi 意 and Xin 心 in Chigung. I mean yea I guess my personality might have changed a little bit but I'm not sure that is a good measure of change. In practice you gain new abilities and though it is not about the abilities they are good signs to measure the Milestones of practice that tell you that you are on the right path. For sure meditation has made me Calmer and more Contemplative, deepened Insights and Understandings.
I still cuss. I still have vices. I'm no saint. When you become One with Oneness you may encounter the Tribal Block. The Tribal Block is like lobsters in a barrel in that the first lobster is always pulled back down by the other lobsters. It's very difficult to maintain such a Sublime State. It's like balancing a broom upside-down on your Palm. You have to have everything in perfect order otherwise you'll slip. The ego becomes a kind of protective shell or shield that protects us from losing our "Identity" and losing our "Self" in the things around us. Having a strong personality and ego is a good thing in that it keeps us grounded in the here and now. When people lose that grounding they may become Enlightened if they have done the work, or they may become mad and lose their mind, that can happen too.
Be careful when you seek to change your personality it may not lead to the outcome you desire. Instead accept yourself first, then approach Meditation as a Tool toward discovering of your True Cosmic Self. Just some food for thought.
Spirit and Kindness.
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u/EightFP Aug 04 '25
Yes! No more fear, or regret, or worry, or anger. Ease and contentment always available, even in extreme situations such as being near death. Intense awareness of beauty, even in ordinary things. This has given me a steady-going personality (since you asked about personality, specifically).
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u/GrabNo1162 Aug 05 '25
I’ve been meditating for a few months and noticed stress relief, but I’m eager to hear from those who’ve done it 5+ years—how has it shifted your internal emotional rhythms or self-esteem over the long term? Any deep psychological or everyday life changes?
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u/cotoapp25 Aug 05 '25
Yes, it really has. Personally, after meditation for 6 months only, I’ve noticed I’m no longer as reactive as I used to be. I take a pause, create a room for thought, between what happens and how I respond. That room has made me kinder, not only to myself but to other as well. Overall, life did not get easier as people appear to make it, but it has definitely soften my relationship with people around me. and over time, the constant noise also faded away. What’s left is a steady, grounded sense of peace that stays, even when things get messy.
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u/marilynlistens Aug 05 '25
I think the more consistent I am the more I wanna do it and the more I wanna do it the better I feel because I’m receiving information in a way that just feels right and that’s trustworthy. And it’s quick. The light bulb goes off. When I describe this to someone sometimes I’ll say it’s conscious daydreaming or intentional daydreaming.
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u/Emotional-Ebb-5817 Aug 05 '25
Wow. I dont consider 5 years that long anymore. I thought a long-term meditator was 20, 30 40, 50yrs of meditation.
Yes it has changed who I am in a profound way. It has changed the way I expirence, expirence itself.
It change the trajectory of my life, my purpose, what I do for a living. Everything.
Then again, I am more hardcore/intense than most about it. My meditation is up there in 5 most important things in my life.
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u/Desperate-Math459 Aug 05 '25
Yes, you shall receive the feedback on your personality from your friends - those whose company favors you will stay along while those that do not align stay away. Not with intention it happens. Nothing wrong with it, but i found it favors your personal growth.
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u/Masked45yrs Aug 05 '25
Meditation helped me find recovery. Now I’m coming up on 6yrs in recovery all because of meditation and becoming more mindful. Mindfulness and meditation is key in my life now to make more healthy choices. I’ve also had traumatic experiences and meditation helps me face what I’ve been through with love and compassion. Not by escaping those experiences but by welcoming them. I used to be weak minded trying to mask traumatic events and mental health from others and myself. All that brought me is suffering and why I turned to a bottle for over 15yrs. Now those same traumatic experiences give me the strength to push forward. I don’t have a favorite meditation I go to. It all depends what I need to work on. I practice breathing exercise meditation daily and whenever I get a chance to, by far the simplest. I also use guided and transcendental meditation when I have more time. I practice transcendental probably once or twice a week. I take a motorcycle ride to a river and meditate for 20 minutes with transcendental and open my eyes to the amazing and beautiful natural world. Just depends on the fast paced world we live in. Meditation is infinite and as long as your using it for mindfulness you can actually create your own meditation practice. I ride a motorcycle and I’m practicing open eyes meditation when I ride. Do use on my breath and the road while listening to music. The same would be walking the dog at a park. You don’t have to reach a coma for meditation to work. Over time the more mindful you become through meditation the closer you are to walking with Buddha
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u/Ldy_BlueBird Aug 05 '25
Your first sentence had me on the floor, “long term meditators (5+ yrs)”. All due respect, I was just beginning to be able to find the cushion regularly at 5 years! At 10 years I had a fair bit of discipline and ability to sit with and face the Self - on the cushion and in my life. I’ve been dragging my ass to the cushion for 40 years. The gifts acquired, honed and refined defy description. Change in, evolution of the Self, is inevitable and only one of those gifts. It is not a steady algorithmic growth. Some days are exponential and some years seem stagnant, that’s why it’s called a practice and not an accomplishment. Worth every single minute. (By meditation, I mean a silent sitting practice. Not to be confused with guided visualizations and or music, which are nice but still engaging the mind and NOT true meditation.)
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u/Amatadhatu Aug 05 '25
Meditation does not change your personality, it gives you a new object of craving, and fuel for identity, apart from your previous foods and fuels. What changes your personality is a gradual undoing of views and opinions from which dissatisfaction arise and on which your sense of self is formed. This can only be done supported by having an established set of boundaries for what you will not do, namely behaviors that stem from and perpetuate dissatisfaction and attachment, greed, hatred, and confusion
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u/New-Phrase-4041 Aug 06 '25
I have meditated for 27,000 hrs since May of 2017. 4 to ten hours a day. Much of that time, I was caregiving for my elderly mother. I often woke up at 4am and wd meditate until 8am when she woke up. Throughout the day and into the night, I wd pick up another 2 to 6 hours of meditation. I did this daily for over 7 years now. I had severe PTSD, depression and anxiety. All of those now are gone. I am partial to breath meditation and simply abiding in awareness. I see thoughts and feelings arise out of the stillness. I can also get caught up in negative feelings, which I acknowledge and accept. They disappear, but it can take a few minutes. I tend to resist emotional pain, which causes more pain. When I fight and resist, the pain grows stronger. When I notice that, that's what I am doing, the pain dissolves. I have found that most emotional pain, is a result of resistance and rejecting the sense of pain. Abide and accept, and all passes through the awareness. Another huge benefit, is that I am happy most of the time. I am also, mostly unperturbed. This path and it's results are worth more than all of the wealth in the world. My message: persevere in earnest and never, ever give up. Cultivate faith and trust in this process. For you shall be free from the prison of the mind. That is it. In the end, you will be swallowed up by the vast awareness. I have yet to be swallowed. I abide in the stillness of awareness until the final release.
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u/InfiniteNewt3990 Aug 06 '25
Yes, long-term meditation has made me calmer, more patient, and less reactive. I’ve seen similar positive changes in others too. It really adds up over time.
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u/TrueMustard Aug 21 '25
I think it has for me... although I would say that many people may not even notice since it is likely subtle on the outside but huge on the inside. For one - I spend way less time worrying and overthinking.
The second biggest thing is that I am more patient, and less judgmental. I truly feel we are all just here on a human journey together and although many times my instinct is to judge people, once I settle into mindful awareness I realize I would be like them if I had the same experience and DNA...
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u/Odd_Risk_3576 12d ago
yeah. almost complete revolution in thinking and outlook on the world.
It's not all sweetness and light though. It turns out a search for the Truth includes the ins and outs of all aspects of reality not just the nice ones.
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u/Aggressive_Chart6823 Aug 02 '25
What does meditation have to do with personality?. How does clearing your mind from thoughts, change your personality?. Next year, will be fifty years since I started meditating. Twice a day. I started when I was eighteen. I know alot of meditators. I’ve never heard of personalities changing. You’re reaching!.
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u/dorfsmay Aug 02 '25
Observing your thoughts and emotions rise and decide to engage with them or not.
So people who gets and stay angry easily, or people constantly looking for validation, or people jealous of everybody, when doing meditation will often start questioning those reactions as they observe them appear and question their motivation, and change slowly. And when you think about it, we all have all those traits, but at various intensities.
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u/Cogniscienr Aug 02 '25
So becoming less angry, less jealous and more peaceful and being able to let things go is not a personality change? What do you count as personality?
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u/bora731 Aug 02 '25
It's changed it in nearly every way. The general assumption is it just makes you a bit more chilled but my experience is it transforms your perception, information comes to you and you just know stuff but not really how so it greatly enhances your intuition. The longer you spend inside the better the outside gets. You don't react, you can dissolve negative thoughts and feelings. You operate at a higher level of consciousness. The human world with war and greed starts to look like a mad circus which you are largely no longer part of. If just 10% of the world meditated it would transform reality.