# Weird meditation experience!



## Cerberus

I just had a really weird meditation experience. I was completely calm and focused on my breath (probably an hour into meditating), when my body started moving. I was completely aware of it, but it didn't feel like it was me who was moving my body. I was sitting on my pillow on the floor in a meditation position, when my body just started moving forward into a bowing position, where my head touched the floor. My head was also moving around in weird directions on the floor. Also, my body just moved into this really weird and painful position. 

When I moved to adjust, and sit up, I just decided to go back to meditating. I was sitting up when my body started moving backwards into a laying position. My arm was doing this really weird movement and my hand was moving around above my body. Then my friggin tongue started moving around in my mouth, and my mouth just started opening and closing. I didn't feel in control of the movement -- it was really strange, yet interesting!! I could stop it any time, but I was so calm and relaxed that it didn't even phase me. 

When I ended that I got up, and when I started walking, I just kind of went into another meditative state, and I started moving toward the wall, and just leaned against it, and my legs started moving weird. I really didn't feel I was controlling my body. This made me concerned, so I decided to try and snap myself out of it. I think I'm alright right now, but I'm kind of shaking (without being cold), which has happened before. I still feel really calm. 

This is bizarre. I should probably get a teacher. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Have any of you had any similar experiences? I've never experienced anything like it before.


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## alsolis1

wow, that is very intersting! Never heard of such a thing


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## laurel

I've experienced something similar but not as dramatic as that! When I'm completely relaxed sometimes it feels like my arms are being raised or my body moves side to side, and like you, it feels like an outside force and it's very strange.

If you have a spiritualist church nearby you could ask for advice in there or you could join a meditation group, which helped me a lot.

I hope you get some answers anyway


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## Cheeky

I would think it's your chi.
http://www.eclecticenergies.com/energy/whatis.php
http://hubpages.com/hub/Chi-Energy-Meditation-Exercise
I've done some qigong/meditation classes. The energy flow is pretty amazing sometimes. The first time I felt it, it freaked me out because I didn't know what it was but now it's to the point where I can actually play with an "energy ball" between my hands. Pretty cool


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## OregonMommy

Cheeky is on to something. It may be that the meditative state triggered your bodies' energy. It may seem scary, but innocuous and perhaps beneficial. One time in a workshop a lady had us work with chi and people remarked that that their arms were moving.
Or it may be something physiological, such as the nerves firing and responding to being in a relaxed state. You know, such as when you are about to go to sleep and an arm or a leg jerks because of the nerves in your muscles twitch.
At any rate, wouldn't worry about it <shrugs>.
It would be beneficial to consult a teacher anyway.


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## Cerberus

Cheeky said:


> I would think it's your chi.
> http://www.eclecticenergies.com/energy/whatis.php
> http://hubpages.com/hub/Chi-Energy-Meditation-Exercise
> I've done some qigong/meditation classes. The energy flow is pretty amazing sometimes. The first time I felt it, it freaked me out because I didn't know what it was but now it's to the point where I can actually play with an "energy ball" between my hands. Pretty cool


Interesting! I don't know if I've felt any energy though. Thanks for the links.



OregonMommy said:


> Cheeky is on to something. It may be that the meditative state triggered your bodies' energy. It may seem scary, but innocuous and perhaps beneficial. One time in a workshop a lady had us work with chi and people remarked that that their arms were moving.
> *Or it may be something physiological, such as the nerves firing and responding to being in a relaxed state. You know, such as when you are about to go to sleep and an arm or a leg jerks because of the nerves in your muscles twitch.*
> At any rate, wouldn't worry about it <shrugs>.
> It would be beneficial to consult a teacher anyway.


Yeah, this is basically what I thought it was. Of course, a thought flashed across my mind that I might be possessed or something. At one point it felt like my body was trying to talk. I told a family member what happened, and it was recommended to me that I go to prayer. lol

It may have something to do with energy or whatever though. I've been feeling better and better the more I meditate. I've never felt so alert and calm before. I usually have to sacrifice one for the other.


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## Typical Guy

Interesting. I've heard cases of people spontaneously making elaborate mudras with their hands -- people with no previous experience or training with mudras -- or spontaneously chanting something like Nam Myoho Renge Kyo without any previous knowledge. If all is connected, this kind of thing is possible, especially if you believe in rebirth. It could be similar to what you experienced but if I had to guess I would say that your chakras are opening up, perhaps too fast. Do you practice Kundalini meditation by any chance? I think that for now you need to focus on something more grounding, like qi gong meditation.

Strange meditation experiences are possible. I will tell you of one that I had. I was fairly deep in meditation and I began to feel that my personal boundaries were dissolving. I was leaning against a wall while meditating and could no longer tell where I ended and the wall begin. Then I began to feel myself spreading into the wall and becoming larger and larger.

I came out of the meditation but was having strong feelings (I don't know how else to describe it) of phasing in and out of another dimension. I know that sounds extreme; I could only feel this reality for brief amounts of time and the other times I felt connected or stuck in some other dimension of reality. It was hard to walk but I went into our living room and my roommates dog, who normally loved me and was kind of obsessed with me, came up to me but became frightened. She kind of sniffed around and looked at me strangely, then ran away. After about an hour, I felt normal again. I never learned what caused the experience.


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## GnR

I experimented with some meditation around 5 years ago, and I experienced something similar. I had pretty much mastered the "third-eye" technique by that point, but after a few weeks of meditation things started getting a little too intense. Borderline out of body experiences, strange visions, incredible physical sensations etc. I backed off and haven't gone down that road again. It's still something that I think about and consider trying again, but I definately got a little freaked out. I'm guessing I went about it the wrong way and underestimated the power of the experience, as well as the concentration required to harness it.


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## Neptunus

Interesting to see how many people have had such unusual experiences. There's so much we don't know about the human body, psyche... and, well, universe.


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## Cerberus

Typical Guy said:


> Interesting. I've heard cases of people spontaneously making elaborate mudras with their hands -- people with no previous experience or training with mudras -- or spontaneously chanting something like Nam Myoho Renge Kyo without any previous knowledge. If all is connected, this kind of thing is possible, especially if you believe in rebirth. It could be similar to what you experienced but if I had to guess I would say that your chakras are opening up, perhaps too fast. Do you practice Kundalini meditation by any chance? I think that for now you need to focus on something more grounding, like qi gong meditation.
> 
> Strange meditation experiences are possible. I will tell you of one that I had. I was fairly deep in meditation and I began to feel that my personal boundaries were dissolving. I was leaning against a wall while meditating and could no longer tell where I ended and the wall begin. Then I began to feel myself spreading into the wall and becoming larger and larger.
> 
> I came out of the meditation but was having strong feelings (I don't know how else to describe it) of phasing in and out of another dimension. I know that sounds extreme; I could only feel this reality for brief amounts of time and the other times I felt connected or stuck in some other dimension of reality. It was hard to walk but I went into our living room and my roommates dog, who normally loved me and was kind of obsessed with me, came up to me but became frightened. She kind of sniffed around and looked at me strangely, then ran away. After about an hour, I felt normal again. I never learned what caused the experience.


I don't know what mudras are and I'm not entirely sure what chakras are.

I'm practicing vipassana meditation, which I thought was a pretty basic meditation. Yes, this probably is happening too fast. I just started last week for crying out loud.

Your experience is, indeed, interesting. Perhaps in your state, you didn't have the body language the dog is used to seeing. Feeling as though you're in another dimension must have been wild. Thanks for sharing.


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## GnR

Neptunus said:


> Interesting to see how many people have had such unusual experiences. There's so much we don't know about the human body, psyche... and, well, universe.


 True. It's a little scary to experiment with but also pretty eye opening.


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## Cerberus

GnR said:


> I experimented with some meditation around 5 years ago, and I experienced something similar. I had pretty much mastered the "third-eye" technique by that point, but after a few weeks of meditation things started getting a little too intense. Borderline out of body experiences, strange visions, incredible physical sensations etc. I backed off and haven't gone down that road again. It's still something that I think about and consider trying again, but I definately got a little freaked out. I'm guessing I went about it the wrong way and underestimated the power of the experience, as well as the concentration required to harness it.


Yes, I had no idea these things could happen or I didn't believe they'd happen to me. I just figured I'd become more calm and content in my daily life the more I meditated.



Neptunus said:


> Interesting to see how many people have had such unusual experiences. There's so much we don't know about the human body, psyche... and, well, universe.


Indeed.


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## Belshazzar

See the ideomotor effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_effect), unconscious movements made by the body.


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## Scottman200

Cerberus said:


> I just had a really weird meditation experience. I was completely calm and focused on my breath (probably an hour into meditating), when my body started moving. I was completely aware of it, but it didn't feel like it was me who was moving my body. I was sitting on my pillow on the floor in a meditation position, when my body just started moving forward into a bowing position, where my head touched the floor. My head was also moving around in weird directions on the floor. Also, my body just moved into this really weird and painful position.
> 
> When I moved to adjust, and sit up, I just decided to go back to meditating. I was sitting up when my body started moving backwards into a laying position. My arm was doing this really weird movement and my hand was moving around above my body. Then my friggin tongue started moving around in my mouth, and my mouth just started opening and closing. I didn't feel in control of the movement -- it was really strange, yet interesting!! I could stop it any time, but I was so calm and relaxed that it didn't even phase me.
> 
> When I ended that I got up, and when I started walking, I just kind of went into another meditative state, and I started moving toward the wall, and just leaned against it, and my legs started moving weird. I really didn't feel I was controlling my body. This made me concerned, so I decided to try and snap myself out of it. I think I'm alright right now, but I'm kind of shaking (without being cold), which has happened before. I still feel really calm.
> 
> This is bizarre. I should probably get a teacher. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Have any of you had any similar experiences? I've never experienced anything like it before.


I can say I've experienced that same thing from time to time when I meditate, but it's not as much as a strange thing for me anymore.


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## Cerberus

Belshazzar said:


> See the ideomotor effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideomotor_effect), unconscious movements made by the body.


Yes, this provides a decent explanation. Thank you.



Scottman200 said:


> I can say I've experienced that same thing from time to time when I meditate, but it's not as much as a strange thing for me anymore.


It's good to know I'm not alone.


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## Scorpius

Sounds like you were about to have an OBE (if you would go more with it) but you said you snapped yourself out of it..
I'm just curious how long did the weird sensations last before you snap yourself out of it?

Anyways, it's not something to be concerned about..that is actually the real purpose of meditation..you're just advancing too soon and may be not ready for it yet..you should do more search on this stuff so you can understand what you're doing and what to expect..


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## Scottman200

I wouldn't necessarily say he's advancing too fast, but it more of a matter of acceptance. The human body and mind can inherently have a natural resistance to stillness. Just be understanding of your body, but don't become attached to the sensation. It's temporary, and will pass.


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## peachclouds

wow...i want to start meditating...heh.


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## candiedsky

Once I meditated for around 20 minutes, and afterwards I felt really angry. I snapped at people and was just in a weird, strange mood.


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## raj123

Hi,

For meditation it is very important to have a master. And that too not any master will do. The master has to be an enlightened person through meditation. It is said that doing meditation without a master is like wandering in a forest alone. It is considered dangerous in some aspects. So, please try to find a proper master for yourself. Even after searching hard if you do not find a master, please pray to God with pure mind and ask him to show you a good master. Until you find a master, you can meditate by closing your eyes and focusing on God itself and consider God as your master.


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## MrKappa

Yes, I have had similar experiences and let me say they can get much more intense. Um, the scientific answer might be that meditation is causing your brain to shut down and reach mental states which make your bodies behavior reflexive or unpredictable. I am no doctor. I am however agnostic and religious thinking should be taken with caution, but by all means if it feels good and you feel good about it, and it is good spirituality, continue on.

Now you might be wondering how much truth there is in other spiritual/physical phenomenon, maybe, huh?

Sounds to me like you nearly stumbled across what it means to speak in tongues.


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## Ericsentropy

Damn, I haven't experienced this but I would really like to.


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## maxamillions

Cerberus said:


> I just had a really weird meditation experience. I was completely calm and focused on my breath (probably an hour into meditating), when my body started moving. I was completely aware of it, but it didn't feel like it was me who was moving my body. I was sitting on my pillow on the floor in a meditation position, when my body just started moving forward into a bowing position, where my head touched the floor. My head was also moving around in weird directions on the floor. Also, my body just moved into this really weird and painful position.
> 
> When I moved to adjust, and sit up, I just decided to go back to meditating. I was sitting up when my body started moving backwards into a laying position. My arm was doing this really weird movement and my hand was moving around above my body. Then my friggin tongue started moving around in my mouth, and my mouth just started opening and closing. I didn't feel in control of the movement -- it was really strange, yet interesting!! I could stop it any time, but I was so calm and relaxed that it didn't even phase me.
> 
> When I ended that I got up, and when I started walking, I just kind of went into another meditative state, and I started moving toward the wall, and just leaned against it, and my legs started moving weird. I really didn't feel I was controlling my body. This made me concerned, so I decided to try and snap myself out of it. I think I'm alright right now, but I'm kind of shaking (without being cold), which has happened before. I still feel really calm.
> 
> This is bizarre. I should probably get a teacher. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Have any of you had any similar experiences? I've never experienced anything like it before.


Hi Cerberus I've just seen your post about weird meditation from 2010. I just had a very similar experience, and I wonder if you ever found any guidance on this, or a meditation teacher who could advise on it.

I was sitting in normal meditation posture and found my eyes rolling back, my tongue going crazy into contortions, my head moving around, and then bending down so my forehead was resting on the ground ... then I had a strange feeling of being possessed by a ferocious animal or something that was growling and shooting out some sort of energy through my hands, and then calmness and I started to sing. Like you I could have stopped it at any time, but it felt important to stay with it.

Curious to hear if you've discovered more about it, or if anyone else knows more!

Thanks!


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## Stripeyboot

Sounds very interesting, I wonder if you were following any type of breathing technique? Or just letting the breath come and go? On one occasion I have felt like I lost all contact with my body, as if I suddenly became the energy all around and above my body, for I had the sensation that I was suspended above where I sat, not very high, and all sensations were like electric currents... I knew where my body was, but didn't quite feel it in the 'normal way' but never had experience of moving the body without consciously wanting to... fascinating how different everyone's unique experiences are eh?!


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