Dark side to Buddhist meditation

A reader sent a link to the following from Science Alert:

Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side We Don’t Talk About

Mindfulness is a type of Buddhist-based meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you’re sensing, thinking, and feeling in the present moment.

The first recorded evidence for this, found in India, is over 1,500 years old. The Dharmatrāta Meditation Scripture, written by a community of Buddhists, describes various practices and includes reports of symptoms of depression and anxiety that can occur after meditation.

It also details cognitive anomalies associated with episodes of psychosis, dissociation, and depersonalisation (when people feel the world is “unreal”).

In the past eight years there has been a surge of scientific research in this area. These studies show that adverse effects are not rare.

A 2022 study, using a sample of 953 people in the US who meditated regularly, showed that over 10 percent of participants experienced adverse effects which had a significant negative impact on their everyday life and lasted for at least one month.

According to a review of over 40 years of research that was published in 2020, the most common adverse effects are anxiety and depression. These are followed by psychotic or delusional symptoms, dissociation or depersonalisation, and fear or terror. …

The most common account I hear from people who have suffered adverse meditation effects is that the teachers don’t believe them. They’re usually told to just keep meditating and it will go away. 10/25/24 https://www.sciencealert.com/meditation-and-mindfulness-have-a-dark-side-we-dont-talk-about

Eastern meditation is not biblical meditation.

Encyclopedia.com has the following in its article on Eastern meditation:

In all the meditation traditions originating in ancient India, emphasis is placed on finding a quiet, solitary place (the wilderness, a monastery, or an ashram or retreat) and assuming a sitting posture that will be conducive to meditation. The most famous of these postures, or asanas, is the “lotus position,” whereby the meditator sits with legs folded and feet resting on the thigh or knees. The hands are kept folded in the lap or in a special gesture called a mudra, and the eyes are kept closed or slightly open in an unfocused, downward-looking gaze. The back is kept straight to enhance alertness and to help the “inner channels” of the mystical body open up and run smoothly.

Various techniques for “fixing” the attention (trataka ) were developed in later esoteric Hindu traditions, all of which were meant to induce the trance state called samadhi. In some cases the practitioner was instructed to fix his or her attention on certain places in the body—the crown of the head, the spot between the eyebrows, the tip of the nose, the navel, and so on—in order to gather one’s mental energy at a single point. In other instances, the practitioner was instructed to focus on a small object such as a speck on the wall or a mustard seed, or to stare at a distant object to the exclusion of all others in one’s purview, or to focus on one or another of the Sanskrit letters or some other image. Meditation on those powerful, sacred sounds known as mantras (the most famous of which is “om “) was especially common. …

Other Mahayana traditions are more devotional in their emphasis. Here, meditation takes the form of fixing the mind on the Buddha or bodhisattva to whom one is devoted and whom one asks for help. In these traditions, prayers or mantras become the centerpiece of meditation practice, or the name of one of the Buddhas or bodhisattvas is invoked repeatedly. (Meditation, Eastern. Encyclopedia.com https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/meditation-eastern viewed 05/23/24)

Although nominal professors of Christ get involved with such things, real faithful Christians do not wish to put themselves in some type of pagan-related trance.

Meditation and things to think about are also discussed in the New Testament.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds^{, 5} casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

He also wrote:

² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)

Jesus said:

³⁴ … For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure rings forth evil things. (Matthew 12:34-35)

So, if you are thinking good things you are more likely to speak good things.

We are also to be concerned about others and not just ourselves:

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

We are to love God and our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39).

Consider that the Apostle James wrote something also that ties into Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:34-35:

₂₆ If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27)

Pure religion starts on the inside but then should be put to action on the outside.

Jesus warned:

²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²² thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a man. (Mark 7:21-23)

Think about good things, not wrong and improper things.

We are to be diligent as God knows our thoughts:

¹¹ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:11-12)

Those diligent in proper meditation are less likely to become disobedient.

Paul told Timothy the prophetic evangelist:

¹³ Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. ¹⁵ Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. ¹⁶ Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:13-16)

You might tell yourself that you are not a prophetic-evangelist so the above does not apply to you.

But, looking at the bigger picture, you should not neglect the spiritual gifts that you have, you should also give attention to reading–the Bible, and also in these days, CCOG literature–plus you should also help and exhort others. Then notice that you should meditate on these things that your progress “may be evident to all.” You are to continue in proper doctrine which will help save you and perhaps also one or more of those who come in contact with you.

As far as what Christians should meditate on, the Apostle Paul made it fairly clear when he wrote:

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

The Bible is true, God’s laws are noble, God is praiseworthy, God is just, His ways are pure, His laws show love, and His ways are of good report and virtue. The Apostle Paul was not restricting meditation to those specifics attributes of God and His ways, but they most certainly are included in what a Christian should meditate about.

Consider what Paul wrote in the light of something Jesus taught:

³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Don’t worry, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Your meditation should lead to that.

Your meditation should lead to that. We do not need to worry or meditate on what we will say when persecuted (Luke 21:14).

You can meditate instead, for example, on why the kingdom of God is the solution for the world.

Proper meditation helps us better have faith in God and the reality of the kingdom of God.

Realize why humanity, without God’s help, cannot usher in utopia. Meditate on the The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which we also have as a free booklet online, translated into over 1,500 languages and dialects at ccog.org. You can think about how much better the world will be in the millennial kingdom than it is now.

In the millennial kingdom there will be an abundance without the crime we see in this age.

That should help give you hope and courage to face the challenges and difficulties you face in this age.

Related to God’s Ten Commandments, the ramification of people observing them are massive. Consider:

If people put God above all, there would be no crime.
If people did not have idols, they would focus on the true religion and not paganism or the wrong focuses on materialism.
If people did not take God’s name in vain, there would be less anger as well as a real appreciation of what God has done.
If people actually kept the Sabbath and meditated during part of it, they would not only rest and there would be less stress in the world, but also they would be more inclined to follow the rest of the commandments.
If people honored their parents, there would be less crime as males who listen to their fathers are statistically much, much, less likely to be involved in crime. There would also be other social benefits to people honoring their parents. Plus, the parents need to be honorable, for children to be able to honor them, and that would also have societal benefits.
If people did not kill, there would be much less fear in the world. Plus, no need to spend vast amounts of societal wealth on armaments, including military ones. There would also be no abortion.
If people did not commit adultery, there would be no rape, no out-of-wedlock children, less abortions, no sexually transmitted diseases, less divorce, less waste of funds on divorce lawyers, and increased happiness.
If people did not steal, our goods would be safe and there would be much less need for locks for other than safety purposes. Costs of goods would drop as stores would not have to pay for security or increase prices because of loss through theft.
If people did not bear false witness, there would be much less crime. The judicial system would be less needed as well as more effective as people would not lie to cover up their crimes. That would also be a deterrent to crime. Furthermore, if politicians always told the truth, governance would be so much better.
If people did not covet, we would have almost no crime, plus advertising would be more accurate.

That said, there are many, many, more benefits to humanity keeping God’s commandments than those few listed above, but perhaps that can give some a start regarding meditating on the greatness of God’s laws. More on the Ten Commandments can be found in our free online book, available online at ccog.org titled: The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast.

And furthermore, consider that in the post-millennial kingdom of God, the Bible teaches:

¹ Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.² Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

⁶ And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (Revelation 21:1-7)

The excellence and beauty of God’s loving plan is something to meditate upon. But let’s continue in the chapter:

⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Do not be cowardly. The word of God gives hope.

Satan told Eve to doubt God (Genesis 3:2-5). Satan wants you to doubt God. The Bible calls Satan:

² … the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, (Ephesians 2:2)

Satan wants to get to your mind.

Don’t think wrongly that you cannot make it into God’s Kingdom or that God will give up on you.

As the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)

And as Jesus said:

²² And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22)

Try not to be discouraged with the tests and trials you face. As a Christian, yes, you can be confident that if you do not give up on God then God will not give up on you!

The Bible endorses meditating on God and His word, but not on pagan ideas.

As Christians, we can let our light shine (Matthew 5:16) to show that we love God and others. Your light can shine better with proper meditation.

The Continuing Church of God put together this sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel on meditation:

1:17:21

Christian Meditation

Is meditation mainly based on repeating a sound from the Vedas? What about Eastern meditation or Transcendental Meditation? What about mantras such as used by Hindus and Buddhists? What does ‘om’ (AUM) mean? Could Psalm 37 or 73 help some who are facing difficulties? What does the Old Testament teach about meditation? What does the New Testament teach about meditation? Are there differences between men and women when it comes to the brain and meditating? Are Christians to live a contemplating life as opposed to being involved with others? What about love, the Ten Commandments, and the reality of the Kingdom of God? What did Jesus say about what goes on in the heart and then actions? What about meditating on the Sabbath or while fasting? What did the old Worldwide Church of God teach about meditation? When should you meditate? What did the Apostle Paul teach Christians were to think about? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more by quoting numerous scriptures.

Here is a link to the sermon: Christian Meditation.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Meditation for Faithful Christians Meditation is a tool that can support Christian growth. This free online book goes into meditation from a biblical perspective. It, also, however, discusses Eastern meditation and why faithful Christians would not practice that. A related sermon video is available: Christian Meditation.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? People talk a lot about prayer. Many pray in public. Does God listen? What does the Bible teach about prayer? How can your prayers be more effective? Does the Bible give particular positions to pray in? What does God want you to pray for? What if what you want is difficult? What if what you want is humanly impossible? Why doesn’t God seem to answer all prayers? This free booklet answers all those questions and more. This contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)? There is also a single sermon available: 28 Tips on Prayer.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation