meditation

Some of my friends use meditation. For a while I'd been considering a course but the potential expense caused me a slight pause. I'm also suspicious of anything vaguely 'spiritual' or that otherwise smacks of woo.

Last weekend I picked up the Saturday Guardian (which is becoming increasingly infrequent) to find they had a free booklet with a step by step guide to a meditation technique. Since it was there and largely free of outlandish claims or religious/spiritual babble I decided to give it a go.

So far I've followed the steps in the book three times so I have no idea whether or not there'll be any perceived benefits/placebo effect from the meditation as I continue. The reason for this post is the intensity of my first attempt.

I'd followed the steps in the book to the stage where you allow (or try to allow) your mind to be free. I suddenly found myself having a very strong, almost physical sensation. It was like suddenly taking off or having your mind lifted out of your body.

My immediate reaction was a brief moment of panic. My concentration came back to my body and sensations. At the same time I felt this possibly wasn't the best reaction. I then found that I was looking to recreate that sensation, but that it wasn't possible to find it that way.

During the course of the meditation the same sensation occurred in a slightly weaker form twice more.

It has not happened again in subsequent sessions. The closest has been the actually very different sensation you have when you're drifting close to the verge of sleep and spontaneously jerk awake.