Physical pain...substitute for emotional pain?

[Bryan555]

Well, this section is called Meditation Chatter Box. So can I please just "chatter" for a moment about something which puzzles me? There is so much expertise and experience in this forum. I'd love to tap some of it, if I could.

I have read a lot here about the emotional "issues" that I should encounter, as I go deeper through meditation. Indeed, that is why LifeFlow starts at LF10, and progresses slowly, level-by-level.

In my case, I never experience such issues at all. But, when deep in meditation, I sometimes have an excruciating attack of physical pain. Not the normal twitches, itches and discomforts which come from sitting for 40 minutes. But the kind of pain which would have me seriously worried...if it was happening out in the "real world".

Yesterday, for instance, about 30 minutes into my session, I had terrible pain in my right arm and shoulder. It was so bad that, out on the street, I would have been sure that I was having a heart attack.

But, deep inside my meditation, I just assumed it was some sort of "manifestation", and watched it with as much detachment as I could muster. Sure enough, after a few minutes, it dissipated, then totally disappeared.

When I came out of my sitting, there was no trace of a problem whatsoever. And, indeed, I have never experienced any problem with that part of my body.

So, my obvious question: What's going on? Is this, indeed, a physical manifestation of an emotional "issue"? I would deeply appreciate any and all input. Much thanks for listening.

[Hazelkay]

Hi Bryan,

Being of an age where the physical body is showing signs of wear and tear, I often experience physical pain when sitting for meditation. There are also pains that come that are not from the teeth, arthritis etc. These can be excruciating, but they also pass. The 'normal' pains are still with me after sitting!

During meditation the 'normal' pains sometimes undergo a transformation. They either are not there or they are there but the experience of them is very different - its hard to explain - its like I am aware of them but not 'trying not to react to them' - that's not it but as near as I can get.

I can't remember a time when an emotional issue came up for me as an emotional issue just as a result of meditating. I do sometimes have an emotional issue when meditating, but I know I carried it into the meditation first.

I did have an experience, many years ago, which may be revealing. At the time I was very afraid of the dark. I was serving at a meditation centre in the winter and the dryer for the washing was in a dark place in the middle of the site which had rats. To switch the dryer on I had to go into an unlit store and find the switch in the corner. I used to take a deep breath, race in, put the switch down and race out with my heart beating my chest to pieces.

I had a meditation experience where I was in sharp pain and felt totally paralysed - for what seemed like an aeon, I could not move any part of the body. There were no corresponding thoughts or images - just a puzzlement about what was going on.

Later, in the evening, I was again doing the washing and drying, and, after the event, I realised that I had switched the dryer on without fear. The next day it was the same. Again, after the event, I realised that I had done it again. The fear of the dark has not returned.

Hope this helps
peace and joy

[GilesC]

Hi Bryan,

Not sure I'd say that physical pain is a "substitute" for emotional pain, but certainly I'm am strongly of the understanding that emotional issues can manifest physically through the energetic system of the body.

In EFT, the key statement is "The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption of the body's energy system", yet this doesn't in itself seem to include physical ailments. But, once we learn about EFT, we come to understand that the "negative emotions" is referring to anything "negative" whether physical, mental or emotional, as they are all seen as connected; and likewise, any physical, mental or emotional issues are treated equally when using EFT, all manifesting from a core event or causal issue.

Now, cross that with the understanding that everybody works in the realms of visual, auditory and kinesthetic, but most people tend to work more dominantly in just one of those, it would seem that you are perhaps a more kinesthetic (touchy feely ) person and thus you experience things more physically than through the other senses.

So, to me, I would certainly say that you could be experiencing your issues through the physical sensations, rather than visually/emotionally.

Hugs

Giles

[Michael David]

Originally Posted by Bryan555

I have read a lot here about the emotional "issues" that I should encounter, as I go deeper through meditation.....

In my case, I never experience such issues at all.

Hi Bryan

I am not sure what you mean by "never experience such issues." Usually emotional refers to a combination of mind and body "sensation" or awareness ie. thoughts in the mind along with sensations "feelings" in the body. Do you mean you do not have a sense of them in your body, mind or both? Or that you have them but you are not concerned or bothered by them ie. they are not an issue; they just come up and then go?

This quote is from Pollyanna's last post in the thread on religion and meditation.

Meditation cultivates the inner observer and as you consciously accept and observe the sensations that accompany negative and/or suppressed emotions you will begin to release them. You will experience much relief and peace as you gradually release more and more accumulated negative emotions.

My sister was diagnosed with a severe case of Crohn's disease many years ago. Thankfully she is 95% recovered also for many years. You may know that Crohn's is probably affected by hereditary and emotional issues. At the time of the diagnosis we spoke and I recall a conversation about emotions. She said that she had just discovered that she never had felt anger. She could recall not liking things but could not every remember haveing any felt sense of anger. I on the other hand was dumbfounded. "How could you not know what anger is?" I recall asking. It just was not a part of her experience. Long story short. She found yoga, meditation a change of life style and diet and had her wonderful recovery. The prominent New York City physicain who had the x-rays that showed the initial illness when showed the x-rays after her recovery would not accept that she was able to have healed.

I do not know if this is helpful but your question was about the possible physical manifestation of emotional issues and I had just read Pollyanna's post. What is your intuitive sense about this telling you?

Michael

[Karmoh]

Hi Bryan,

It’s interesting that you managed your pain (physical or emotional) within your meditation.

By simply acknowledging that it’s there you allowed the pain to flow its natural course, which is to arise and fall temporarily. It wasn’t until after meditation that the story of a possible heart attack arose, or if that story appeared during the meditation you allowed it to be and didn’t hook in to it. During the meditation you didn’t see yourself as a story suffering in time with pain. You saw yourself as what you really are—awareness of the pain.

I believe Giles is close,

So, to me, I would certainly say that you could be experiencing your issues through the physical sensations, rather than visually/emotionally.

From that perspective it sounds as if it was a good clear-out.


Peace

[Bryan555]

Well, much thanks to everybody. I had expected it would be very helpful to get the perspective of such an experienced corps of meditators, and it certainly was.

I didn't admit, in my first post, that it was kind of a scary moment or two. Sure, I was 80-90% sure that it wasn't "real", in the usual sense. But that still left a 10-20% chance that I was having a heart attack. And those are frightening odds.

Michael, when I said I never have emotional "issues" during meditation, I meant in the purely emotional sense. I kind of imagine people crying, or being upset, or reliving childhood terrors, etc. I never have anything like that....although, who knows, this could have been something like that, in another guise?

Karmoh, thanks for the encouraging words.

Hazel, much thanks. I will definitely be on the look-out for some sort of "symptom" which might have dissolved. And will certainly report back.

And Giles, perhaps it is time for me to tap-tap-tap my way to emotional freedom?

[Karmoh]

Originally Posted by Bryan555

Michael, when I said I never have emotional "issues" during meditation, I meant in the purely emotional sense. I kind of imagine people crying, or being upset, or reliving childhood terrors, etc. I never have anything like that....although, who knows, this could have been something like that, in another guise?

I’m also one of those who never have had an emotional outburst, during or after meditation, although I did have a “hard time” physically and emotionally as a child. But in my 20’s I came to realise that a lot of others had a harder time, and let it go, and strangely drinking and fighting also went away shortly after. When I started meditating 5 or 6 years ago for a long time I wondered where and when these “deeply hidden” emotions would surface, they never have. It seems that when I let go and forgave way back then, It worked.


EFT, does work, I was very sceptical at first and it took a while to understand when to use it, but like acupressure, used for the right reasons will work, “if” you want it to.


Peace