Phenomena Arising from the Cultivation of Profound Meditative Concentration

Question: For more than half a month now, whenever I go out, I cannot tolerate hearing any sudden sounds. Whether at home or outside, if I accidentally hear a noise, I get extremely startled. The first couple of days were particularly severe; my body felt as if it were floating, I couldn't maintain balance, and it seemed like I had lost control of my body. It also felt like there was a hole on the top of my head letting wind rush in. Generally, I dare not go out for fear of being frightened. My daughter says I ignore them and that I seem absent-minded and listless, as if my spirit has left. She even took me to the hospital for a check-up, but nothing was found to be wrong. When I sit in meditation at home and contemplate the Dharma teachings, I feel much better, but sometimes I still feel a sense of panic inside. I've never experienced this before. Is there something wrong with me?

Answer: You probably don't understand the workings of the body's energy channels, nor do you know whether the vital energy has passed through the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) in the front of the body, passed through the Governing Vessel (Du Mai) along the back, and finally completed a cycle around the body before entering the Central Channel (Zhong Mai), from which the energy is about to surge out through the crown of the head. When the Baihui point at the crown is about to open, the top of the head feels very soft and sensitive to cold, creating a sensation of wind blowing into the head. The feeling of bodily lightness occurs because meditation has transformed the coarse, heavy Four Elements (earth, water, fire, wind) of the human body, making them more subtle and refined, approaching the physical form of a desire-realm deva. After attaining the first dhyana (meditative absorption), the Four Elements become even more subtle, and the body feels lighter, approaching the physical form of a form-realm deva. When one reaches the fourth dhyana, because the Four Elements of the body become extremely subtle, one feels exceptionally light and can fly, ascending to the heavens or descending to the earth, attaining the supernatural power of locomotion (supernatural foot power). Simultaneously, the mind becomes extremely subtle, leading to the emergence of mind-reading (knowledge of others' thoughts).

Your current state is one of profound inner stillness, where you pay no attention whatsoever to the external world. You cannot focus on phenomena outside the mind or body, dwelling solely within your inner world. Therefore, any sudden movement or sound from the outside startles you. At this time, try to avoid going out and stay away from people to prevent fright. After the crown opens, there are other matters that also require avoiding people. You must be careful to protect yourself from being startled during this period; try to let others handle necessary tasks.

Your meditative absorption (samadhi) is already very deep and will deepen further. As long as you recognize these experiences as states within meditation, keep your mind unattached to appearances, abide in stillness according to conditions, and pay no heed to anything, you will be fine. Because you are unclear about these phenomena and lack understanding, you feel unsettled and panicked.