[Buddha-l] Meditation and mental illness

[Dan Lusthaus]

Luke,

The question is possibly too broad to answer, since "meditation" and "severe 
mental illness" are terms that each cover wide ranges of things, some of 
those things under each's umbrella not related to each other aside from 
sharing that term as a category holder.

The traditional Buddhist attitude as laid down in the vinaya rules is that 
mental illness (of some sorts) disqualifies a person from becoming a 
monastic, and, should it erupt in someone already a monastic, could result 
in expulsion. Depends. So they were not inviting the mentally (or 
physically, for that matter) infirm to join in the practice. Meditation was 
NOT viewed traditionally as a cure for severe mental problems. In part that 
is because some meditative regimes deconstruct basic psychological patterns, 
sometimes causing temporary but serious mental problems (apathy, depression, 
anxiety, paranoia, megalomania, etc.) as part of the process (requiring an 
astute teacher/guide to help the student come through). Most meditative 
practices adopted by Westerners are milder, gentler forms, but they are not 
problem free either (e.g., Zen sickness has struck as American Zendos too).

Common sense would suggest that private meditation on one's own would not be 
suitable for some types of mental disorders -- e.g., those with a tendency 
to dissociate, or paranoia, etc., who might find it more therapeutic to 
engage in more active, interactive pursuits. Common sense would also suggest 
to engage in activities that can potentially rearrange one's personality, 
one's views of and sense of reality, and that sometimes does its work by 
undermining entrenched defense mechanisms (which can be a good thing with 
neurotics, but dangerous for those with more serious problems) under the 
careful watchful guidance of a reliable, trustworthy, knowledgeable person 
(I'm afraid not all self-proclaimed or sanctioned meditation teachers are 
qualified to handle unusual situations). Basic calming exercises (counting 
breaths, etc.) should be relatively safe, for most people.

Western practitioners tend to be more liberal and lenient. Perhaps others 
know of actual research or illuminative cases.

Many years ago at a special multi-day Korean Zen training session, two of 
the roughly 50+ participants were a friend, majoring in Religious Studies, 
who had served in Vietnam in special ops, and had done horrible things there 
that were now haunting him, about which he could barely speak most of the 
time. His training, he said, had brainwashed him into thinking that doing 
things like throwing an interrogee out of a helicopter to motivate the 
remaining interrogees watching to be more forthcoming was a righteous act 
for God and country, etc. Only after returning home did his moral compass 
attempt to return to normal, and he was haunted by horrors the rest of us 
can only imagine. The other one I mention was also a Religious Studies 
major, a sweet young woman who was a Rosicrucian Virgin (the rituals and 
significance of which I only dimly know -- she was not allowed to talk about 
them; both her parents were Rosicrucians). She, in fact, hand-sowed for me 
the zafu I used during that retreat (and for many more years).

The training was basic: Sit, breathe, and eventually a koan. Nothing 
strenuous or demanding. All the master asked us to do is sit, about as 
nonthreatening and nondemanding a request as one person can make of another 
who is willing. Before the first night was over both the ex-soldier and the 
Rosicrucian Virgin were freaking out, going beyond what today one would call 
a panic attack. In his case, that non-threatening situation "felt" to him 
like the sort of brainwashing he had undergone in the military, and he 
couldn't take it (he was having physical, not just psychological reactions, 
tears, palpably distraught). In her case, she just let us know of the 
extreme mental discomfort without explaining its nature more precisely, and 
she was crying uncontrollably. I have no idea what in her past she connected 
with while sitting on a zafu. Both had to be taken home that night (we were 
in a somewhat remote location).

Some things are not as innocent as they look or some presume.

Dan


----- Original Message ----- 
> Is there any research on the dangers of meditation for those with or who 
> have had a severe mental illness? Or on attitudes toward practicing with 
> that sort of history?
> Luke