The Dark Side of Enlightenment…
This was the heading of an article in the “The Guardian” newspaper on 26 August 2014, where it is stated that psychiatrists suggest mindfulness meditation can have troubling side effects of ‘depersonalisation’ and can, on rare occasions, throw up extremely distressing experiences.
It seems the ‘establishment’ wants us to be fixed in a neurotic identity, so that they can ‘fix’ us 😉
Meditation is about relaxation; stopping the mind wandering into fantasies, and seeing our neurotic tendencies clearly for ourselves. We are all natural scientists and psychologists, with skills to survive and evolve in life. The outcome of this training is compassion for all.
Meditation can become a lifestyle activity, employed to feel better about ourselves; having said that, it’s a good start on the road to enlightenment, from where we can move on to awareness meditation and an experience of the true nature of mind.
Enlightenment has no dark side.
Enlightenment is coming out of the darkness.
PS I believe there should be no charge for mediation as it is a natural activity rather than a business. That is the object of this blog. Or perhaps paying may make the method more valued…who knows? Do psychiatrists have the same values?
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. We are all Buddhas in the mud of concepts. 
Tony – I read that article in the Guardian too http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/25/mental-health-meditation
– it seems to be the latest in a series they’ve had about mindfulness (the others have all been fairly positive presentations I feel, putting forward the scientific research that shows the benefits).
There’s even a parliamentary enquiry as part of “Wellbeing Economics” (you can’t make these phrases up, can you??!!)
The Guardian had an article recently entitled “Mindfulness: has it been hijacked by business or can it change lives?” where the way in which the corporate world is beginning to employ mindfulness to enhance performance at work (and raises the issue of the US Marines using such techniques…)
The question has to be: who is doing the teaching – and why? What is the aim? In terms of Buddhism, I double it would come under the terms of “right livelihood”..
With regard to this latest article, it was written from a mental health perspective: we all know how many people die as a direct result of taking SSRIs to combat depression. How many people have died from practising mindfulness?
Daisy
Daisy,
This is the one thing I fear, that knowledge being neutral can be used for good or evil. Using meditation for selfish reasons will work to still the mind, but because of self-servingness it will have a detrimental effect in the future. Collecting more MUD!
This is why some esoteric teachings are keep secret.
Tony