Author: JamesAlexander
Forum: Dharma Overground Discussion Forum

It seems to be quite common that children spontaneously experience many phenomena that's also typical for mediators. In my practice I sometimes come across experiences and sensations that I also had while lying in bed before going to sleep as a kid. I would like to comment that I'm not interested in elevating childhood experiences as being the same as different types of meditative realizations (ref: Ken Wilber and the pre/trans fallacy). However, the young and malleable mind seems prone to stumbling across some of the same territory that we cross in shamata/vipasana practice. I thought we could share our "childhood stories" in this thread:

Author: JamesAlexander

Very often, while lying in bed, or especially while standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom, I would have these intense "Who the FUCK am I" experiences. I emphazise the FUCK, because the sudden arising of the question and the feeling that followed was very unpleasant. It would last maybe for 10 to 60 second, then subside. Today I see a parallel to insight practice. When investigating the "no -self" characteristics of my own subjectivity I come across the same experience: Who the FUCK am I?

While lying in bed I would often have strange perceptual experiences, like the room closing in on me, walls bulging and a sense of everything in my immediate experience being crushed together (a bit like tunnel visioning). I've come across lot of the same stuff when my shamata and insight practice intensifies.