Meditation making me boring?

I've been meditating for several weeks and have achieved, or so it seems, a calmness of the mind. I am beginning to see thoughts at a distance, instead of being controlled by them. My mind is beginning to become more and more calm and the bombardment of thoughts lessens everyday.

This is great and all but I am finding that it hinders me in social situations. Before, in social situations, I was completely hyperactive: I would speak very quickly and humorously, not thinking about anything I was saying. I would always make people laugh, and they would follow me in whatever I did. I made people happy, and I found great joy in this.

Over time the meditation began to change me, I started to become more and more quiet. I would analyze the situation and feel sorry for them for all the desires that they spoke of. This has, I'm afraid, made me rather boring...People ask what has happened to me, why have I become so introverted?

I feel inclined now to stop meditating. It feels as if it is taking the best part of me away. I am conflicted though, because I do believe that the ego is a bad thing. I believe that it detracts from true art.

I'm sorry for the long post, but what do you guys think? Should I stop meditating?


Oh, and I have been meditating on and off for several years with concentrated meditation. It is only now that I am seeking mindfulness. It seems to be making me dull though...

 

If you want to be a loud douchebag, followed by other douchebags, maybe the meditating isn't working right......

Try doubling your meditation time.

 

That's hardly what I meant. I used to love pure conversation, about anything -politics, science, art. The conversation would go back and forth very quickly, and ideas and thoughts would be thrown around. Now I sit there quietly, seeing my thoughts arise like little bubbles.

It is making me feel as though I will not achieve anything if I continue to meditate. A calmness of mind and satisfaction with life, yes..but I can't help to feel that path, at least for me, is kind of selfish.

I don't know, I could be completely wrong in my thinking. That's why I've come for advice.

 

This statement is contradictory and demonstrates that you are not achieving the effects you claim from meditation. Calmness and satisfaction with life is not the same as, "it is making me feel as though I will not achieve anything if I continue". It is not the same as, I can not help but feel the path is kind of selfish.

I you can't help but feel, you can't meditate. What you are trying to do, is not meditate but solve some kind of issue and getting over that and meditating are not the same thing. Meditation is not the insight you need but commitment to it may lead to it, or not.

As far as whether you should continue with meditation, nobody cares but you.

 

This is good advice, thank you.

I was not looking for someone to care, merely some insight on the change.

It is true that I came into meditation to work something out, but I never go into meditation with that mentality. I always believed to just let the meditation teach what it wants to teach.

To be clear, and kind of wrap up, I really do enjoy meditation; and if I lived alone on an island then I would practice it fervently. This, however, is not the case. So I ask, and have been constantly asking myself:

Does meditation not, in a way, hinder the progress of man? If all the people who have changed the world were satisfied with what was around them, then why would they have any reason to change it? Why would anyone look towards space exploration if they were perfecting content with humans staying on earth?

I do not seek to offend, it is never my intention. I just want to understand meditation as a noble act.

 

I don't know what you're doing or how long you've been doing it...but meditation does not create complacency.

Since you obviously have something that you went into meditation to work out, maybe what is happening is that the meditation has brought you to that point where you are now ready to work it out. That you can't be present in your surroundings outside of meditation, says there is something else going on.

Something else you probably need to find a way to get out...

Also, there are millions of different types of meditation. I wouldn't necessarily say meditation is meant to be noble...it is meant to be pleasing and centering to the practitioner.

Although satisfaction with the world would stop people from attachment to detrimental desires and so those with manipulative agendas would have no sheep to follow them around...so meditation can be useful in that it is change in and of itself. It is going outside of the "need to do, need to consume" frame of mind and centering in a space of stillness...of nothingness.

 

A figure of speech meaning your devotion is your devotion. Devotion is not shared unless it is with or to each other.

What is your measure of progress?

Indeed! What is to change?

Curiosity. The impulse to extend, create, is part of emergent being, constantly in a state of becoming. Perfecting intent is not being satisfied with limits.

I am sorry, did I seem offensive/offended?

 

It does hinder the progress of man, and that's a good thing because progress is an idea - it's not real. It doesn't hinder the continuation of man.
The idea of spirituality is not to settle for shit, it's about accepting things the way they are, but not limiting them to their potential. That's why things change.

What would space exploration actually do for us? Give us lots of new toys and gadgets that'll get old and boring, cool pictures of space to look at, more information that only 1% of the planet might actually understand, and they've probably misunderstood it anyway..

Progress is short lived, temporary, always leaves you feeling empty because there's always something else that you can get try to get to. Don't get rid of it, it's a part of life - but realise that it's a bit of a let down in terms of "happiness".

 

Hmmm. Don't know what these cooks are telling ya, but I have experienced the same thing. There is such a thing as too removed from your ego, or at least a hindering outcome in that it's hard to socialize. I too get this.

Perhaps learn to socialize and speak out not from your ego, but the new more objective and non-bias you? Or just remind yourself that socializing is light ego-fun. After all, expecting yourself to be 'all-knowing' all the time is just too much the opposite of what socializing should be about, ya? Personality is not bad. Dysfunctional personality is what you were trying to avoid... at first at least. Who says ridding the mind of ego is a noble act in the first place?


Or maybe give up meditation for a while man, and only use it under stress when you're alone and you need it. To be honest I think you have just a valid of a point. It's difficult for me to socialize at times simply because I have become too self-conscious & aware about stuff.

Switch modes during 'social-time.' - you definitely don't need to be meditating then. :sunny:

 

You need ego to live...the point is to get rid of the bad parts of your ego while retaining the good parts.

 

Thank you, this is exactly the advice I was looking for.

I think I'll give up meditation for a few years. My greatest pleasure is making other people laugh, and for some reason meditation takes that away from me. I think if I continued, as you and "usedtobehoney" stated, then I would start speaking from somewhere other than the ego. I just don't think it's the right time - I'm 20 years old, in college, and still have many mistakes to make.

As for the other answers (I would multiquote, but I have no idea how):

I define progress as the reduction of suffering and understanding of the universe. It is one of the reasons I went into meditation, to truly see. I don't know the meaning of life, but if there exists one then I believe it should be a goal to find it. All knowledge moves us towards that goal.

I agree with you "thedope" when you say there's no need to change it. I didn't really think about it, but you're right: too many people want to change the world for the sake of change itself.
...and no you didn't seem offended I just didn't want anyone to think I was attacking meditation. I have great respect for it.

Finally, I disagree with you "MeatyMushroom". Space exploration unites the world in wonder. People stop comparing themselves to one another and begin looking towards the skies. When you see earth from space, war seem so petty and ridiculous. It is unrealistic to expect the whole world to meditate, so we must find other ways to reduce suffering for them.


I've already written too much, but you guys have been very helpful - thank you.

 

You think it's selfish for you to NOT be the centre of attention?

 

I was saying more that the path may be selfish in terms of progress; I am in the scientific field. The two comments were unrelated.

You're a little late to the conversation though, I kind of receded from that mentality.

 

I have meditated for 30 years. 20+ years with TM and ten with Buddhist Dzogchen mandalas.

If meditation is making you feel dull or removed after a few weeks then it is one of a few things happening - 1. Bad meditation technique - concentration is not the way, concentration techniques which slow or stop thoughts are not meditation - they are a different thing which in yoga is called samyama or focusing the mind on a point. This is not for beginners or people who live active lives but is for renunciates and followers of Patanjali.

Meditation is allowing the flow of the mind to occur while maintaining good body posture and alertness. Very simple. The simplicity is what is hard for most people now. Simplicity has been discouraged and lost in life.

Or - 2. You are uncovering some tiredness in your mind and body and it is finally coming to the surface and you need a break from distraction. One or both of these things may be occuring.

Do not continue with a homemade or book read meditation. It's very important when working with the mind which is very subtle, to use the time tested methods for development. You may not know what you're doing for years because the effects remain unseen. The best meditation creates no additional influence on ones mind - the mind remains untouched. What develops is additional awareness. Expansion of consciousness is what we want here. Development of greater awareness so as to come to experience a larger range of possibilities in life.

 

Giving up meditation…? For God sakes. Absolutely Not! UNLESS you want to wonder more and more lifetimes of delusion and suffering.

First of all let’s clarify what is meditation all about. Hard to do it on a few words, but Ill try…

In a nutshell meditation is one of the tools you use to find God. That’s it. People use it to calm their mind, bring their mind to focus, remove stress etc.. which is perfectly fine but are just a secondary benefits of the MAIN purpose of meditation.

SO…what is God? Again Ill try…god id Satchitananda which means “Ever existing, ever conscious, ever NEW bliss”

The final purpose of life of all Man is to find God, to merge with this bliss for EVER.

Meditation will helps you do that. Do not be satisfied with a little glimmerings like you said make people Laugh. Why be satisfied with a little joy when you can find the Ever existing never boring Joy of God? Laugh and make people happy are just temporary delusions, people laugh and are happy for moment, but there is always a suffering after that. This is just a delusion. Why seeking the temporary joy when you can find ever lasting peace and happiness.

“God’s joy is like millions of earthly joys crushed into one” – Paramhansa Yoganana

You are saying that making people laugh makes you happy. This is fake happiness it will only last a few days or whatever, but what about after that? When all the youth and happiness is lost what would you do.

Start being calm and inwardly happy is the happiness of your spirit which is trying to emerge. This is a very good sign. Do not give up meditation you are only improving. Seek the goal of all goals which is eternal happiness in the shelter hands of the Divine Mother.

Remember joy is within you! You will find it through meditation. We say we are unhappy because we seek happiness in the wrong place! We search happiness only in beautiful clothes, delicious dinners and other material comforts, and we are not aware that these things only will imprison our happiness in the bars of outwardness.

If you want to wonder more lifetimes in delusion that’s up to you. But finally after many many perhaps millions of incarnations you will again realize what is the goal of all goals and you will start yoga and meditation again.

But…why wait?

Joy to you



Ramacharya

 

Keep meditating. Everything else will break your heart, eventually.

 

Don't stop! I quit after a few weeks and regret it. I'm starting again because the depression is gone and I'm interested in this again. You said you're 20. That is a good time to start. Enlightenment, ego death, understanding life, etc won't come quickly. I'm 15 right now and know that when I'm your age I won't understand as much as I'd like even after 5 years of meditation, lucid dreaming, and anything else I find to help me. You'll need as much time as you have. I don't know what the meaning of life is, but I do know it's not making everyone laugh at mindless jokes about things that really aren't important. Why would you give up something so useful for that?

eace:

 

because you later realize that life is in the details of that suffering? never-ending forever bliss and joy? Sounds like a good self-help book.