Try to Avoid Being Frightened While Meditating

Question: When I am meditating or walking while contemplating the Dharma, and suddenly hear a loud noise outside or some other disturbance, why does it feel so uncomfortable—my heart panics and races, and sometimes I get goosebumps all over, as if I were extremely frightened?

Answer: When in meditative concentration, if the mind is very calm and highly focused, with the mind not turning outward toward objects, then when a relatively loud sound suddenly appears and the mind is unprepared, one will be startled. Therefore, when meditating, one should choose a place and time free from disturbance, so as to avoid being frightened, for fright can easily cause problems. This is because the fright directly strikes the manas, and the manas controls the physical body, so the body will exhibit abnormal reactions. If the abnormality is excessive, the body may develop problems, leading to mental disorder as well. If only the mind consciousness is frightened, there is nothing serious, because the mind consciousness cannot control the physical body. Being frightened only at the level of the mind consciousness indicates that the concentration is shallow, or that there is no concentration at all.