Hello,

It’s been a week since my first noble silence ended and it’s been tipsy turvy but I’m feeling good! Finding the time to meditate daily and starting to integrate Vipassana into my life is getting easier. Putting less pressure on my self if I can’t get the two hours down.

I am curious if anyone would advise me on practicing pranayam before going into anapana and then into vipassana?

I have been practicing Wim Hof for 5 years and usually do 3 rounds of breathing in the morning. After this I tend to feel really relaxed and my mind is clear…

I know Vipassana requires us to observe reality as it is and doing pranayama is potentially altering my state in consciousness but I am missing my practice and cold exposure.

Has anyone had any experience of this & can advise me whether it is viable?

Thanks, Sending metta in advance to your responses 🥰

AS BOTH SAYS TO ONLY THINK OF THINGS IN OUR CONTROL

Hi! Does anyone have the recipes from this retreat? I went and the food was amazing

I’ve just completed my second 10-day Vipassana retreat, and this time around, it felt much more intense—both emotionally and physically. Leading up to it, I had been meditating, but my focus had been more on integration and making relative life changes. I was curious to see how this would impact my experience, and I definitely noticed a difference.

During the retreat, I started experiencing what my teacher called “deep sankharas.” At times, I felt like I was almost fainting, lingering on the edge of panic attacks, and my dreams became incredibly vivid and active.

For context, I’m in perfect physical health—I truly believe what I experienced aligns with what Goenka describes as intense gross sensations. My focus has been to maintain equanimity as best I can.

Since coming home (about a week ago), I’ve had three extremely reactive dreams: • Two were lucid, where I was aware of my sensations and how I was responding in the dream. They directly related to the sankharas I spoke to my teacher about and mirrored challenges I’ve faced since returning. In these dreams, I acted out anger towards situations that could realistically arise in my waking life, almost like a vicarious release. But the observer in me remained equanimous and recognised them as old habit patterns. • The third dream was vivid but non-lucid, it felt like a deep ripping away of a bandage covering underlying shame. Near the end, I started sobbing and felt a panic attack coming on. I woke up just as it was hitting, hyperventilating and crying, but I managed to calm myself quickly. I felt profoundly sad and a bit shaken.

After that last dream, I sat for an hour-long meditation. In the final 10 minutes, I managed to cultivate equanimity and have been consciously practising self-compassion about the whole experience.

My questions: 1. Has anyone else experienced this kind of post-retreat emotional and dream activity? 2. Are these emotional releases a sign of losing balance, or is it natural as a new student to allow emotions to arise and process in their own time? 3. I often find myself questioning if I’m “doing Vipassana right” or not—is this a common struggle among newer students?

Would love to hear from anyone who has been through something similar or has insights to share.

When I attended a Vipassana meditation retreat, I had to answer on paper whether I had a girlfriend and if I had a good relationship with my parents.

I wondered why that was necessary. It felt a bit strange to me.

The title says it all. What's your max attended retreats per year?

So I’ve been practicing Vipassana on and off for a few years (more off than on if I’m honest). I’ve noticed that the practice of observing without reaction has somehow translated to my life and “dulled” my reaction to real life events. A few examples:

• Once a friend’s child bit me hard, and I mean hard. It was painful, but I didn’t have the urge to react. Instead I reasoned with him (to no avail, as anyone who has ever reasoned with a 3 years old would surely have found out). He didn’t let go of his bite. My friend said I was the first person that let him bite so hard; most people would just holler in pain which would make him stop. In the end I had to yank him off. It left a deep bite mark on my arm.

• I applied some traditional medicine to my skin to treat an issue, and while it was effective, it was also very painful. I observed without reaction. When I removed it, the skin has turned red and I ended up having second degree burn. Any normal person would have just stopped it much earlier because they couldn’t bear the pain.

I know, you would say, ‘Use your common sense’. Which I agree. I feel that in the above two examples, I’ve let my common sense overtaken by the mantra ‘observe without reaction’. But sometimes our knee-jerk reactions are what keep us safe from life’s dangers. I find it hard to find the sweet-spot sometimes. Aren’t we supposed to gain more wisdom through the practice? Why does it feel like I’m malfunctioning in life.

Hi everyone 👋 I'm planning to do vipasana without any prior experience of any meditation or anything else. Has anyone done this and what are few things I need to keep in mind? I've read other posts where people say it's best if you don't know so that you can grasp better as opposed to unlearn and relearn the mediation techniques..

Also, I feel somewhere I might be going to do this Vipasana looking to find myself better may be find answers etc.. is vipassana good with an expectation like this or good to go without any expectations...

Also I'm worried about all the sitting and pain that comes with prolonged sitting, how did you all deal with this ?.

I'm working person planning to take 10days off work and go back post this is done.. how did you guys re-enter back to normal life after all the vipassana and anything to be aware of during the coming back to normal life phase?

Pretty broad questions but hoping someone would chime in and help out, thanks in advance

I’ve just finished my first full 10 day vipassana course, hooray! I feel grateful beyond measure to Mr Goenka and all the volunteers who made it possible. So much good. So much love. I have a question I would like to ask. I respectfully find Mr Goenka’s singing difficult to, especially the really long excerpts towards end of the course. Why are these bits necessary to learn the technique? I think the singing might be why a lot of people drop out.

Aloha prospective and old students, I hope this post finds you well. On the heels of a truly wild and tumultuous start to this 2025 year - especially in The US as a citizen - I found myself wishing I could teleport to a peaceful place because my mind feels like MUSH.

Ironically many moments of my past Vipassana sits could be considered the antithesis of “peaceful” you know, (because it’s like choosing to force oneself to simultaneously be cast into a group of complete strangers, “forced” to adhere to a very intense schedule and be absolutely disciplined, may not sound terribly peaceful for many- amirite?)

For my old students; you also know that delightful tug-of-war between when the “monkey-mind” starts remembering past or endlessly reeling into the future - and when you think you finally started again and get into a “groove” but suddenly a gong rings… how fun those moments can be… lol

I liken it to getting a tattoo; while you’re doing it, you experience these sporadic pangs of pain that seem unbearable, until suddenly a moment of “relief” happens when you get a break (or demand or beg for one) and then ultimately you “start again”… I don’t think I realized what an accurate metaphor getting a tattoo was for what Vipassana is until this moment. We think we got what we came for; swear we’ll never do it again, until one day you find yourself back again.

I decided to post because I was taken aback by a comment someone made where they accuse Vipassana of creating “stagnation” and S.N. Goenka of leading a cult. That pissed me off. Now in this day and age since the explosion of social media and the trolls that lurk and drop hate bombs in comment boxes, faceless bullying and soulless indifference that has plagued many a topic, I find it more harmful than ever when people allow themselves or even worse- CHOOSE to be careless with their words and opinions. Sure, it’s important to have HEALTHY debates, uncomfortable conversations and lord knows - crack a “joke” on occasion, however I also think it’s a serious responsibility of anyone who remotely considers themselves an adult to choose their words and the way in which they share those opinions (especially total strangers) very mindfully.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am JUST AS HUMAN as they come, I am a huge self-proclaimed dweeb, an absolute silly goose who is perhaps just as sarcastic and cynical as I am selfless and observant, but when it comes to opportunities to have REAL one-on-one conversations about serious subjects, I don’t allow myself to open up to or even debate just anyone at the drop of a hat. As unhinged as society has proven itself to be (devolving in many arenas), I thank God I have enough self control and self awareness to in fact bite my tongue or speak up if I feel compelled to do so.
I know more than ever the importance of what it means to find my tribe, build community and seek like minds.

As I age and grow in wisdom I feel it’s important to share it with young people and even with those older than I.

I in no way feel I have all the answers in life, but I do believe in my heart of hearts that I was meant to find myself on the path to true awareness and actually learned what equanimity is, and have enjoyed intense moments and believe I have fully integrated the core of what Vipassana teaches into every cell of my being.
I have become more patient, more aware of my surroundings, more sensitive to the energy of others around me. I feel better equipped to handle physical and emotional pain.

I have never really shared my “testimony” until recently and I never even bring up the subject of spirituality, religion or even meditation with others unless the conversation leads that way naturally.
I think it’s also more important than ever to do whatever it takes to create and strengthen a shield for oneself and to reach a level of discernment where one can protect themselves from the incessant phoniness continues to try and smother society more and more each day.

I think fake news, some ai applications and ignorant commentary not to mention false prophets are the biggest battles we will face as humans in the foreseeable future… But I do hope and believe that NATURE will always find a way.

So I hope for whatever it’s worth this vent of mind helps you if you find yourself upon it, and serves as a reminder that the most important influencer in your life should be YOU, and that you learn through actual experience because I believe it is only through direct experience that we gain wisdom… and what do ya know? that’s exactly something Goenka mentions in a course - and something I learned before I ever knew what Vipassana was!

Much Love, Much Metta. ☸️Be well. 🌸☸️

I just came from a 10-day course. Being very pragmatic and logic-oriented, I couldn’t help raising questions here and there and ended up talking with GPT, who never.

These were the questions answered:

1. ⁠What Parts of Vipassana Theory Have a Scientific Basis, and What Parts Do Not?
2. ⁠Do Subtle Sensations Arise on Their Own, or Does Attention Create Them?
3. ⁠Can the Intellectual Understanding Alone Improve Emotional Regulation?

I found it interesting enough to share here and maybe raise a debate with your own views. Here you go, quoting:

1. ⁠What Parts of Vipassana Theory Have a Scientific Basis, and What Parts Do Not?

Vipassana meditation is based on the idea that by observing bodily sensations without reacting, we can break deep-seated mental habit patterns. Some aspects of this theory align with modern neuroscience, while others remain speculative.

1.1. What Is Supported by Science?

⁠Neuroplasticity and Habit Rewiring

• ⁠Vipassana claims that by observing sensations equanimously, we can change our habitual reactions. • ⁠Neuroscience supports this: studies on neuroplasticity show that mindfulness can reshape neural pathways, improving emotional regulation. • ⁠Regular meditation strengthens the prefrontal cortex (self-regulation) and reduces amygdala activity (emotional reactivity).

⁠Mindfulness and Stress Reduction

• ⁠Research on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)—which shares similarities with Vipassana—shows benefits for anxiety, depression, and overall well-being. • ⁠fMRI and EEG studies confirm that meditation enhances attention control and reduces stress responses.

Body Awareness and Interoception

• ⁠Vipassana emphasizes heightened awareness of bodily sensations, which aligns with research on interoception (the brain’s ability to sense internal body states). • ⁠Studies show that experienced meditators have increased insula activity, a brain region linked to interoceptive awareness and emotional regulation.

1.2. What Is Not Fully Proven?

The Sequence: Cognition → Recognition → Emotion → Reaction

Vipassana theory suggests that:

1. ⁠A stimulus first appears in the mind as bare cognition (raw perception).
2. ⁠It is then recognized based on past experience.
3. ⁠This recognition triggers an emotional response.
4. ⁠Finally, we react based on the emotion.

🔹 Scientific Status: Partially Supported, but Incomplete

• ⁠Neuroscience confirms that perception, memory, and emotion interact in a sequence—but not always in this fixed order. • ⁠In some cases, the amygdala (emotional center) reacts before full cognitive recognition (e.g., fear responses). • ⁠However, for less urgent stimuli, cognition and recognition may precede emotion.

⚠️ Conclusion: The Vipassana model may be a useful framework, but it is not a universal rule for how emotions arise.

2. Do Subtle Sensations Arise on Their Own, or Does Attention Create Them?

Vipassana claims that subtle sensations (tingling, vibrations, energy flow) exist naturally, and we merely observe them without generating them. The alternative hypothesis is that focused attention itself triggers these sensations.

🔹 Scientific Status: Uncertain, Evidence for Both Sides

✅ Evidence That Sensations Exist by Themselves:

• ⁠The body is constantly undergoing microscopic changes (blood flow, nerve activity, cellular responses). • ⁠Meditation enhances somatosensory discrimination, meaning practitioners become better at detecting subtle sensations that were always present.

✅ Evidence That Attention Creates Sensations:

• ⁠Studies on placebo effects and expectation show that belief and focus can generate physical sensations. • ⁠The rubber hand illusion demonstrates that simply directing attention can make people feel sensations in artificial limbs.

⚠️ Most Likely Explanation:

• ⁠Both processes occur: Some sensations pre-exist, while others are amplified or created by attention. • ⁠Experienced meditators may detect real physiological changes, but some experiences could be influenced by expectation and attentional modulation.

3. Can the Intellectual Understanding Alone Improve Emotional Regulation?

Vipassana emphasizes that true change happens only through meditation (direct experience of sensations). However, psychological mechanisms suggest that simply understanding the theory—without deep meditation—can still improve emotional regulation.

🔹 Why?

Cognitive Reframing (Similar to CBT)

• ⁠Vipassana teaches that emotions and sensations are impermanent and should be observed rather than reacted to. • ⁠This is similar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), where recognizing and reframing thoughts helps reduce emotional reactivity. • ⁠Just intellectually adopting this mindset can change how people respond to emotions.

Exposure and Desensitization

• ⁠The 10-day retreat is an intense experience with minimal distractions, forcing people to observe their own mental patterns. • ⁠This is similar to exposure therapy, where repeated observation of emotional states can reduce their impact.

Psychological Priming

• ⁠Being immersed in a setting where everyone practices equanimity can unconsciously influence behavior. • ⁠Studies show that social and environmental cues shape emotional responses, even without direct practice.

Intellectual Priming

• ⁠If someone repeatedly hears about impermanence and equanimity, they may automatically start applying these principles in daily life. • ⁠This works similarly to how learning about growth mindset can improve persistence—even without formal training.

⚠️ Conclusion:

• ⁠While Vipassana claims that only direct experience (meditation) brings deep change, science suggests that intellectual understanding alone can also help. • ⁠The most effective approach is likely a combination of theory + practice.

Final Thoughts

Vipassana has strong scientific backing in areas like emotional regulation, stress reduction, and body awareness. However, claims about the fixed sequence of cognition-emotion-reaction and the origin of subtle sensations remain partially unproven or oversimplified.

Even without deep meditation, simply understanding impermanence and non-reactivity can lead to real psychological benefits, due to cognitive reframing, priming, and exposure effects.

Hi all,

The 10 day retreat at a center helped me be able to feel the sensational tiny movements on my lips, which is cool.

But after that, at home while keeping the same practice i developped the hearing of high frequency sounds (2 sounds at different frequencies). First i thought i have achieved a higher level of Vipassana.

It has been 2 years since the retreat, and recently I found out it matches with what people describe as Tinitus.

The doctor in the Netherlands isn't able to ease this sound irritation, and of coursse is unable to link it with mediation.

Now I am dealing with these 2 sounds 24-7-365. I dont know if my constant stress 24-7 is (one of) the causes or (one of) the result of this Tinitus ?

Anyone experiencing the same ?

Hello everybody. I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else or what advice anyone here might have.

I sat 2x and served once when embarking on my last 10 day course around a year ago. I'd maintained an (almost) daily 1 hour practice since my last course and was quite optimistic that by now, I knew what I was getting into (haha, I know…).

On day one, my lower back started locking up. Think of it as sudden pain that all the muscles just tense up around and refuse to relax again. By day two, I was hardly able to walk and could not sit for the life of me and the teacher told me to meditate in bed for a while. My muscles slooooowly softened and by day 5, I was able to maintain the 3 main sittings in the hall – albeit with very strong sensations (pain, lol). Sometimes, my legs started shaking from the tension I had in my body (I think). I did ok remaining equanimous, moved through my day slowly and just observed as we are taught. Then on day 9 I got a really bad cold which was almost comical. The whole course wasn't bad per se, just more intense than previous experiences.

When I returned home from that course, I stopped meditating. I just could not bring myself to sit and found one excuse after the other. I'd procrastinate until I didn't have enough time anymore, be on my phone instead, do anything but sit… I don't know how to describe it but I had such resistance and wasn't strong enough to "just observe". I went to some group sittings which helped but they brought up so much negativity in me every time that I stopped going to those, too. I am aware that this can happen and it's no reason to stop practicing Vipassana in theory. It's just sankharas coming up. All I can say is that I was unable to persevere.

I'm currently finding my way back with around 3 sittings per week and it's going ok. I feel the benefits, I still believe in the technique but I've lost some trust in myself and am worried to sign up for another course. Last time, I talked to the teacher almost daily, the course helpers were made so busy because of me. And I don't want to be "that student" again. Plus, I don't know if I can deal with another experience of the same magnitude.

Mr Goenka says in the Day 11 discourse that 1 hour is easy to make time for and the second hour can come from your sleep. (paraphrasing)

I have been maintaining 1 hour daily practice for over a year but bumping it to 2 hours feels like a big stretch. I have multiple responsibilities in a day and work demanding jobs with no habits such as watching TV or such. The 2nd hour would have to come from my sleep.
How has your experience been?
With Metta

Anapana — International Meditation Centre

When adhicitta (samadhi) becomes strong and the mind stays one-pointed for a long period, then you will realize that in a split second matter arises and dissolves billions and billions of times. If mind (nama) knows matter (rupa), it knows that matter becomes and disintegrates billions and billions of times in the wink of an eye. This knowledge of arising and disintegration is called adhipañña.

[...]

We needn’t ask others. While we know in-breath and out-breath, there is no “I” or atta.

When we know this, our view is pure; it is right view. We know in that moment that there is nothing but nama and rupa, mind and matter. We also know that mind and matter are two different entities. If we in this way know to distinguish between nama and rupa, we have attained to the ability to distinguish between mind and matter (nama-rupa-pariccheda-ñana).

Hello All,

I have landed myself in a complicated problem for myself in spiritual/ energy matters and it can be quite threatening as you. Last week, I joined a 10 day Vipassana course and progressed quite fast in initial days. Honestly I did not know what I was getting myself into. And there I learned anapanna to concentrate and calm myself and later progressd into Vipassana. But on day 5-6 of program, I had a strange experience while doing meditation and somehow quite of energy got stuck near my navel and it is not able to get out. Area palpates energetically and not letting me sleep.I had to quit the course yesterday. I thought it might resolve but it getting more serious and I have no help and I am looking to get rid of energy there, just to go back to sleep peacefully as i have not gotten any decent sleep . I tried anapanna a lot and it does not help and i just go into concentration but energy stays there and just vibrates. I am not able to do Vipassana also. Getting really tired now due to lack of sleep. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated as some of you may know more about energy/ chakras mattes.

I am planning to undertake a full 10-day meditation course at home in mid-February. I have attended four 10-day courses in recent years and practice regularly. I need guidance regarding instructions and resources.

I will be alone at home during this period. Here is my plan:

• I will isolate myself at home. The broadband/WiFi will be disconnected. My phone will be kept under lock and key.
• I will stock the refrigerator with simple home-cooked food, similar to what is typically served during courses. I will only need to heat it before mealtimes.
• I will follow the exact timetable from the courses.
• I will use a tablet (with no internet connection or installed apps) and set preset daily alarms for all meditation sessions, wake-up time, bedtime, etc.
• I need to load all meditation instructions and evening discourses on the tablet (which will be offline).

I understand this will require greater discipline than attending a course at a center, but I believe I can manage it.

My main concern is regarding point 5 above. The Dhamma App on Android is quite limited. I would prefer to have MP3 or WAV files of all the instructions for each meditation session. I would also like to have all the evening discourse videos (audio files would suffice as well).

Could anyone help me locate these resources?

I would also appreciate any additional advice from those who have conducted 10-day courses at home themselves.

I recently returned from my sixth 10 Day Vipassana course. While, as usual, it was a profound and ultimately very beneficial experience, I experienced certain pervasive sexual visualisations and thought processes that mirrored those in prior courses I've sat. These can be broadly categorised in two buckets:

• Sexual thoughts and fantasies. These occurred both on the mat and also while resting and in bed at night (as well as in my dreams). Every Vipassana course I've ever done has been absolutely full of these. They cover real scenarios with women from my past as well as imaginery ones, and at the risk of TMI are really extremely explicit and vivid. Probably no need to elaborate further. To be honest they were so real they were really quite enjoyable, which I know is hardly the point of a Vipassana course(!). I ultimately felt they were quite distracting and were the hardest thing (no pun intended) to return to objective observation from.
• Deeper and extended reflections on my sexual history, my sexual relationship with my wife, my sense of masculinity and self confidence with women etc. These would go on for hours or even days at a time without respite and where often profoundly sad painful in nature. This is an area of my life which is far from perfect and so perhaps it is natural that it arises consistently during the depths of a Vipassana course, but I did find it surprising how ever present these contemplations were (literally a key component of all 6 courses) and how painful.

I suppose my questions are as follows:

• Is it normal for sexual fantasy to be so pervasive during meditation courses? I wonder whether this is different for men and women? I have heard it is common, yet none of the many people I was speaking to on day 10 seemed to experience it to the same degree as me (though maybe they just didn't admit it).
• If it is normal, why do you think this is the case?
• In your ten day sits did sexuality and your sexual past cause you emotional turmoil? Was it a big part of the course for you, and did old students have recurring themes between sits? If yes to any of these questions, did you make changes or get any resolution in your real life after the course ended?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts dharma brothers ands sisters!

Old student (last sat 2019) accepted to a retreat in two weeks but an MRI revealed that the foot that I had injured two months ago is actually broken and put me in the attached boot. It doesnt hurt on its own if i'm not jumping around but the boot isn't the most comfortable and prevents me from lotus pose. Doc said I could do chair or on cushion wigth broken leg out straight.

Is this doable or am i setting myself up for a huge challenge? Has anyone done anything similar?

https://preview.redd.it/j8pbdlj96wfe1.png?width=684&format=png&auto=webp&s=58ee4be1d242c48fa8c2be2c64e7d73dfea5e7e8

A movie quote - Mind fast is crazy, mind slow is saint, mind stop is god. I very experienced this a lot during my practices.

Hello,

I am about to embark on my first ever 10-day retreat. I am wondering (for the end) is there a standard (unwritten) donation amount? I know a donation is a donation but I am curious as to what amounts people have given so I can get a feel for an appropriate range.

ie talking about the things unsaid yet expected.

TIA

I'm wondering if there are other people out there that work a 12 hour day and are maintaining their 2 hour/day practice. I've been doing it now for a while, but sometimes I feel a lot of resistance to my practice. I have been maintaining my 2 hours a day to stay eligible for long courses, but it sure feels like 30 minutes would be plenty on these very long work days and I'm frustrated that I would no longer be able to sit long courses.

I have spoken to a teacher about this and she shared my frustration and wished that there was an exemption for cases like this, but acknowledged that as an organization, 2 hours is still the expectation. So I'm mostly curious about anyone else that is managing it, and anything you have found to make it any easier.

My work day schedule is to be up at 4:45 to meditate for an hour and then leave for work by 6:30. I usually get home from work around 7:30 or 7:45 and need a little bit of decompression so I often don't sit until 8:30 or 9. On days that I don't work, I usually sleep 8-9 hours a night so the work days, I only get about 6 and sometimes it makes me feel pretty tired at work!

After a couple years away from the practice I have started again. I am sitting one hour every morning. I am planning to attend a 10DC in April but in the meantime I want to keep practicing. I am doing my sitting in the morning but I am finding that after a while I start drifting into a dreamlike state. When this happens I just acknowledge and think “drifting, drifting, anicca, anicca” and go back to anapana for a few breaths and then go back to the body part I was before I started drifting.

I understand this is part of the process and I try to not get upset and simply acknowledge and accept, but I would like some advice on whether I should just continue or if there is something else I should do.

Things I am doing to help:

• I am sitting outside in the balcony so it’s not too warm
• I am drinking some water before sitting
• I am wetting my face before starting to be more awake
• when I find myself drifting I take a couple of deep purposeful breaths while I go back to anapana.
• I have even tried opening my eyes for a bit to recover my alertness.

Thank you and metta to everyone.

Hello all,

Kind of looking for advice here. During the past 6 months my meditations have been following the same pattern.

Whenever I focus on the breath there is a jump of fear, as if someone were menacing me. My whole body tenses up as if going to get hit. It's not really a memory, I'm not able to see who it is, there is no visual that comes with it. If I try vipasana then it's very hard to focus on the sensations, and when it does happen, I get an even bigger jump of fear, like I'm visibly bobbing on my meditation cushion. After a while I get very fine sensations, but I feel super vulnerable and it's a bit hard to go through the day (maybe I'm being too self-indulgent here, I still can).

I meditate 2 hours a day, so basically it feels like 2 hours of people shouting at me. At first I was like oh yeah I'm releasing a lot of stuff but since it's been so long I'm kind of wary of it, and my motivation has taken a dip.

Thanks for any input :)