Q : Yesterday I go to the step of three things that’ll take you into meditation instantly. When I went through reading what was written each step from loving all, to thanking all, to knowing the temporarily nature of life, for each one I had an experience where my body goes into an insane tension and pressure, all muscles and body is tensed and contracted then a lot of pressure in my head especially the forehead area then i erupt into sudden tears, massive intense crying, then intense laughter, then calmness and then crying and then laughing again may you help me understand what this is?
A : This is what is known as catharsis in meditation. As we meditate our body slowly gets rid of all it’s negative emotions and ill-feeling. There are many unfilled desires, suppressed emotions and deep wounds of sorrow in our body which starts releasing when we meditate. Slowly, as we proceed further, these negative emotions will purge from our body and we’ll get a relatively clean and calm body. This method of initial catharsis of body by means of dancing, jumping, crying , laughing was given prime importance by Meditation master Osho when he instructed his discipline on meditation. I have included the earlier version of his ‘Dynamic meditation‘ in Meditation techniques. However, I am a little amused that you are experiencing this catharsis just by sitting and contemplating on three meditation thoughts of thanking the universe, forgiving others and just by thinking on the ‘ephemeral character of life.’ Perhaps you are already a very advanced soul as far as meditation is concerned.