Classic "Dark Night" or Clinical Issues? ~ Shinzen Young

Shinzen shares that he makes his own differential diagnosis if a meditator seems to be perennially in "dark night" or "pit of the void" territory. He shares his two-fold recommendations if it is a classic dark night, or emptiness experience: for the "freak out" realize that too is empty, and use focus on positive to reconstruct a new and better self. If Shinzen suspects that the experience is not due to spiritual practice and that it may be a bio-chemical imbalance or psychological issue, he suggests that person see a qualified mental health practitioner, and then shares that any side effects from potential medication will arise in the sensory system and can be used as an object of meditation to further develop mindfulness. Filmed in Nov. 2009 at Mt. Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Shinzen Young
• enlightenment
• mindfulness
• vipassana
• meditation
• Dark Night of the Soul
• zen
• pit of the void
• emptiness

[Raina430]

Tryptophan is an amino acid the body uses to make serotonin. It's sold in health food stores. No side effects ( there may be varying individual reactions.) I never understood why drugs are used when a combination of minerals,vitamins,amino acids & good diet can produce better chemistry for many. It's more work than taking a pill, and drug companies cant make fortunes from this. But, whatever works, even if it's meds. Thank you Shinzen.

[pdslt]

Best advice given here is the 'throw it out and be empty' advice. The dark night period is all about coming to terms with the emptiness and impermanence of things, so of course there is going to be depression. I know, I have been there.

If it's a result of meditation then the person needs to build equanimity by ceasing to react with aversion to mental objects. Fear is a classic component of the dark night experience. Drugs are as useful here as a band aid is for a bad case of the flu.

[strokedude]

I LMFAO at his shirt.

[rodrigojoseunb]

@dufbil You're welcome! 

[dufbil]

@rodrigojoseunb That makes sense. Thanks!

[rodrigojoseunb]

@omnipleasant I might be wrong but, the reason those people got stuck in the DNOTS for so long is probably related to the fact that they concealed the brute sensorial factuality of it with mental concepts like ''God is purifying me'' or ''I deserve it because i've done something bad in the past'' etc. Concepts like that just delay the real confrontation with the technical simplicity of the suffering, that should be faced with a simple, non-judgemental, equanimity. (see S

[omnipleasant]

Have you experienced DNOTS, Shinzen?

I looked up what it means and was surprised to read the following:

"While this crisis is presumed to be temporary in nature, it may be extended. The "dark night" of Saint Paul of the Cross in the 18th century lasted 45 years, from which he ultimately recovered. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, [...] lasting from 1948 almost up until her death in 1997, with only brief interludes of relief between." Source: wikipedia

[c4chaos]

nice shirt, Shinzen! :)