Can You Become Addicted To Meditation?

[Simon Håkansson]

I have been meditating for about an hour a day for two years now (in the last year I have been meditating for one year and the first year it built up to it from 20 minutes a day) and I am starting to think that I have built an identity around my personal development. According to Leo, you are addicted to something if you can´t stop doing something for a whole week, if I think about not meditating for a whole week I get pretty anxious about it. But when I think about quitting I also realize that it really opens up the door for self-deception and self-sabotage.

It feels quite paradoxical to be addicted or identify with something that is supposed to make you less addictive and diminishing your sense of self. I realize that it aint smart at all to stop meditating, but is there something that can be done to get rid of this quite strange addiction/identity?

Or is it really an addiction? Maybe it is just the higher self preventing me from stopping to meditate, I have absolutely no idea.

[Viking]

@Simon Håkansson dont take me for my word because im a noob, but I think it may be caused because you dont live a meditative lifestyle. By that I mean being aware outside of meditation. Masters come to a point when they dont need meditation because theyre already doing it constantly.

If meditation is the only thing youre doing you probably should add self inquiry and awareness during the day.

at the end you will be addicted to life, which is the goal

[Afonso]

Lol that's the addiction you less need to worry about. If you get anxious when you think of not meditating, meditate on that feeling, lol. Meditation is more about your natural state than whatever practices you are doing. But of course those practices are important.

[Shin]

17 minutes ago, Simon Håkansson said:

 but is there something that can be done to get rid of this quite strange addiction/identity?

 

More meditation/constant awareness

[Dodo]

25 minutes ago, Simon Håkansson said:

I have been meditating for about an hour a day for two years now (in the last year I have been meditating for one year and the first year it built up to it from 20 minutes a day) and I am starting to think that I have built an identity around my personal development. According to Leo, you are addicted to something if you can´t stop doing something for a whole week, if I think about not meditating for a whole week I get pretty anxious about it. But when I think about quitting I also realize that it really opens up the door for self-deception and self-sabotage.

It feels quite paradoxical to be addicted or identify with something that is supposed to make you less addictive and diminishing your sense of self. I realize that it aint smart at all to stop meditating, but is there something that can be done to get rid of this quite strange addiction/identity?

Or is it really an addiction? Maybe it is just the higher self preventing me from stopping to meditate, I have absolutely no idea.

To me being addicted to meditation is like being addicted to water. Some things are ok ???✌

[Dodo]

9 minutes ago, Shin said:

More meditation/constant awareness

Yeah and maybe asking yourself who is meditating more often if you haven't yet @Simon Håkansson

[ajasatya]

@Simon Håkansson are you addicted to breathing?

what we really call "addiction" is a destructive habit.

[Richard Alpert]

18 minutes ago, ajasatya said:

@Simon Håkansson are you addicted to breathing?

what we really call "addiction" is a destructive habit.

wrong.

you can escape by excersising or reading book too much etc. addiction can be anything if used as an escape.

meditation is also an addiction if it starts to influence your daily life negatively, which is not many times the case. spirituality is one of the most common escapes.

[Dodo]

6 minutes ago, Richard Alpert said:

wrong.

you can escape by excersising or reading book too much etc. addiction can be anything if used as an escape.

meditation is also an addiction if it starts to influence your daily life negatively, which is not many times the case. spirituality is one of the most common escapes.

If you're in prison, why not escape

[Richard Alpert]

Just now, Dodo said:

If you're in prison, why not escape

you go deeper into prison by trying to escape.

i might want to accept and surrender or something..

[Dodo]

2 minutes ago, Richard Alpert said:

you go deeper into prison by trying to escape.

i might want to accept and surrender or something..

You could also accept and surrender to the escape

[Richard Alpert]

you can do anything

[LaucherJunge]

You can also try some whole different techiques if you did not already. Other than that i would agree that the best way to live would actually be to meditate 24/7 in your daily life, yes even while asleep.

[Joseph Maynor]

@Simon Håkansson No.  that would be like becoming addicted to reality.  Reality can be cool, but to say you could become addicted to it is probably not possible. 

Make sure you are distinguishing meditation from beliefs.  Meditation ain't got nothing to do with beliefs. All beliefs are existentially false.  Meditation is not true or false in that manner.  

Meditation is just nap-time for the mind and re-connecting with the Absolute, which is your True nature. You can't be addicted to being yourself, unless you are some kind of narcissist perhaps.  Although God is you, don't go crazy with that.

Edited August 7, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj]

I don't know if you can get addicted to meditation and if that would be true then you may consider yourself lucky. Give yourself a break!  

On the other hand you can get really addicted to mystical experiences and the byproducts of meditation and awakening.