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Hallucinating after meditation :O

ericpeaseericpease
edited February 2010 in Buddhism Basics
It just happened and im feelling a but more back to the real world but things are still kinda wavy likke.

ive been meditating for a while but this has never happened.

It was about a hour and 15 minutes and when i opened my eyes i felt as if someone drugged my and i went to go sit in a more confortable spot and everything around my was in a extemely wave motion and moved up and down and bent in andout of what looked like the distance of a foot.. Defititley not a placebo affect.



anybody ever get this before?

ps. ive been meditating for a long time too

Comments

  • ValtielValtiel Veteran
    edited February 2010
    What do you mean "definitely not placebo"? What exactly do you think it was?
  • jinzangjinzang Veteran
    edited February 2010
    What you experienced is not that unusual. If you meditate with your eyes open, it's less likely to happen. And be more relaxed in your meditation and less forceful. Make sure you are breathing naturally and not altering your respiration.
  • ericpeaseericpease
    edited February 2010
    Placebo as in meaning you just think your seeing things.

    Say a kid tryed to buy hallucigenic drugs, and they were fake. But he still thought he got high just because he thought they were real.

    Kind of an odd explanation but thats what best describes it
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Are you sure it wasn't a migraine aura/halo or vertigo? This can also happen if you're dehydrated.
  • ericpeaseericpease
    edited February 2010
    no im well hydrated...and as for respiratory goes, what i do is breath in for 5 seconds.let out for 4 seconds and wait another for seconds to breath back in.
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Well from the sounds of it, it seems most likely to have been a migraine aura. This can happen with or without an accompanying headache. If it happens again, you might want to see a doctor.
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited February 2010
    ericpease wrote: »
    no im well hydrated...and as for respiratory goes, what i do is breath in for 5 seconds.let out for 4 seconds and wait another for seconds to breath back in.
    Wait a minute... you did this for an hour and fifteen minutes?? These sorts of pranayama techniques (which are more in line with Hindu yoga, not really Buddhist) are only meant to be practiced for short bouts. Extended practice of this sort of breathing can definitely cause problems. In Buddhist breath meditation, we allow the breath to be completely natural -- not controlling anything. I've heard one teacher describe it as "holding hands with the breath as if walking alongside a friend."
  • ericpeaseericpease
    edited February 2010
    Its not like i was forcing myself to not breath in. I start out without waiting but after 10 minutes it feels normal to wait 4 seconds before breathing back in again. And yes the meditation i use is more like what gotama and the yogins did all that time ago.
  • BhanteLuckyBhanteLucky Alternative lifestyle person in the South Island of New Zealand New Zealand Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I had hallucinations during my most recent 10-day retreat. I hallucinated that I could hear a bell ringing, a big, low-toned bell that sounded pretty much like the one that called us to the meditation hall.
    It continued for about three days, and it was darn annoying being woken up at 3am by an imaginary bell!
    The teacher said it was nothing to worry about, and he'd had something similar a while ago. It passed soon enough.
    I've also had visual strangeness after meditation, with things being incredibly clear or detailed, seemingly fractal... or amazingly colourful and vivid... but I think that's not really hallucinations, just a normal effect of meditation.
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    Hi James, your instructor was correct. Also, perceptual vividness often arises with less distraction. It's a good thing!

    :):):)
  • NiosNios Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I agree with others. I also have had strange things happen after meditating, but I'm a bit worried about the "control of breath" thing. Try just following it instead as Glow has suggested.

    Nios :)
  • BrotherBobBrotherBob
    edited February 2010
    Hi Eric,

    It seems like I posted to another thread similar to this one just a few minutes ago ???

    Anyway, as you appear to be in Seattle, I'm aware of some really knowledgeable senior practitioners from the Shambhala Community, in that area, who may give you very good advice about working with this stuff?

    It was actually covered in some Shambhala Warrior training I engaged in led by some folks from your area a few years ago.

    In any case don't be too concerned about this cuz it seems to be a pretty common phenomena. I've had similar experiences. Actually, with eyes open!!

    I imagine it as a conditioned effect, a shift in perceptual function arising from association with the concept of 'emptiness'.

    :):):)
  • DazzleDazzle
    edited February 2010
    Hi Eric,

    Sounds like visual migraine and you don't have to be dehydrated to get them. You should check with a doctor first. I thought I was hallucinating the first time I had a visual migraine. One doesn't necessarily get a headache.


    Kind regards,

    Dazzle

    .
  • ValtielValtiel Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I'm not positive but I get the feeling you're trying to mystify this experience to yourself. As I've heard before "anything that arises as a result of meditation is for letting go of."

    Also what you're doing is not what the Buddha practiced. He practiced anapanasati. Please read the sutta. You are practicing pranayama techniques.
  • potopoto
    edited February 2010
    ericpease wrote: »
    Its not like i was forcing myself to not breath in. I start out without waiting but after 10 minutes it feels normal to wait 4 seconds before breathing back in again. And yes the meditation i use is more like what gotama and the yogins did all that time ago.

    And the Buddha recommended to not engage in the ascetic practices that he did before becoming enlightened.

    I agree with the others in this thread, that what you are doing is a form of breath control similar to Pranayama...
  • samantabhadrasamantabhadra
    edited February 2010
    I have had many halucinatory experiences while meditating. They are often for me quite blissful and often lead to deeper insight into the truth. One of my first was a vision of blue vajrasattva/aksoyobha with my eyes closed another one is expounded upon in my thread of annutara samyak sambodhi. These experiences are not the goal of practice they are a result of it. Sometimes they are called maya or makyo. They are more or less (i feel) an insight into the nature of our finite selves and minds.

    The pleasent ones are of aspects of the self that are strong and can be used and further cultivated. The negative ones are views of the malignant and weaker parts of the finite self. In time and practice the maya dissapear so try not to get too attached. I myself have to some extent and it is a disruption to true practice.

    The essence of practice is to develop and awaken the buddha nature or bodhicitta that we are naturaly endowed with. I feel as a popriotor of simple zazen that the development of mindfulness is essential to virtue. This is because if i develop my awareness I am mor conscious of my actions, speech and thoughts in everyday life. As a fundamentaly good person (as we all are) being self aware alows me to control my actions and act selfelessly more often. And being more aware of others and my surroundings allows me to see feel and know the needs and desires of others allowing me to be more effectively compassionate. And also allows me to see and understand the wisdom that others have to offer.

    The hallucinations are insght into self nature but the end of practice is the realization of sunyata. So the makyo are potenitaly helpfull but ultimately are a manifestation of the empty and impermanant self.

    Thanks
    alex
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Eric, it also sounds like hyperventilation to me. Or hypoglycemia. Could be any number of things. As has already been said, if it happens again, I think a little trip to the doc might be in order.

    Palzang
  • ericpeaseericpease
    edited February 2010
    Yes just to be sure you guys are aware, these were open eye visuals.

    And just this mourning i talked to one of the monks named Sinji at my temple and he said that its totally normal and said if the intense parts happen for more than five minutes then to see a doctor. So I'm not worried about the visual migrane situation.
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