What are the dangers of Vipassana Insight Meditation?

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Alot of Eastern meditation focuses on emptying the mind, which could open one up to to demonic possession. Vipassana seems to be the complete opposite of emptying the mind. The process is said for one to go in without any pre-conceptions and then what they do is focus VERY ACUTELY on different sense perceptions that pass through the meditator.

I’m curious on what the danger is of this.
 
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I have no plans at all in pursuing it at all. It’s not a risk I’m willing to take.

I’m just trying to figure out how intently focusing on different bodily reactions and sense perceptions becomes dangerous. I can understand how emptying the mind can lead to possession since one is basically leaving themselves open. I’m not understanding what intensely focusing one sense perceptions leads to possession and demonic activity since the person seems to be fully in control of what they are doing instead of emptying themselves.
 
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If you’re really good at this form of meditation, you could probably induce a hypnotic state. Pair that with some recreational drugs and you’ll definitely be seeing and hearing stuff. 🤤😵
 
Also, what practices do Christians use in their meditation?
 
Insight into the true nature of reality. That is like the apple Eve bit into. An alternate truth of reality.

It starts out focusing on sensations we are usually unconscious of. A bit hypnotic.

Seeking that in it’self requires a Catholic to deny the truth of reality.

I don’t like it.
 
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Vipassana means to see things as they really are. No different than what The Catholic Church teaches, especially through saints like St John of the Cross.

Emptying of the mind merely means emptying of erroneous thoughts which take us away from prayer.

No one can empty their mind completely. It’s a misunderstanding of what is meant by the term.

Jim
 
You might be using the wrong words.

Vipassana means “insight” and there are various techniques for gaining spiritual insight.

I would think we all desire greater spiritual insight.
Especially into the transitory nature of ambitions, wealth, suffering and ego formations…all of which are illusory.

“Emptying the mind” is a typical European misunderstanding of this practise.

In fact the idea is more about “letting go” (as in distancing) of the lower mind and its continuously illusory formations. One might even say its refusing to be held captive to the greedy or aversive imagination so that one can contemplate more stable and permanent truths cloaked by these illusory thoughts and needs and wants.
 
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Vipassana means to see things as they really are. No different than what The Catholic Church teaches
Well something has to be different, because it leads to one not believing in a permanent God.
 
It lacks spiritual elements such as meditating upon the eternal things of Heaven as opposed to this world, passing away. In this sense it trains it’s practitioners to be one with the world–indeed, the end goal of Buddhism is to be snuffed out like a candle is snuffed out, fading away like anything else in this world. But what can one expect from a philosophy that denies the eternal and (truly) heavenly, having a heaven as only a transitory period, a lesser reward.
 
Well something has to be different, because it leads to one not believing in a permanent God.
It has certainly led me to reject making God in my own image and likeness.
But I can understand how bias or cultural divide might turn that into what you just stated.
 
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It’s a specifically Buddhist form of meditation with one of to he aspects focuses on realizing impermanence in all things, including God.
 
Can I ask where you got this view from?
As I say it sounds like a typical European distortion to me.

The better translation of what you are saying is that Buddhism teaches the impermanence and imperfect nature of any human concept or utterance re Reality.

Which of course is exactly what Catholic mystics and even the Catechism also says.
 
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Can I ask where you got this view from?
Buddhism doesn’t believe in a permanent God.
They use this form of meditation as a way to achieve nirvana.
When one reaches nirvana, they claim that they experience the cessation of the 5 aggregates which are impermanent and ever-changing. The concept of God belongs to those 5 aggregates, according to them.
 
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You haven’t explained where you obtained this information from.

I strongly doubt it was an educated Asian Buddhist monk as its a typical shallow European view.
Nor do I believe you have much first person contact/understanding yourself.
Though I am willing to be surprised.

What you are doing is pretty much what Protestants do to Catholics re worshipping Mary etc etc.
We Catholics should therefore know better than this now.
 
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I have yet to find any Buddhist source that states they believe in the possibility of a eternal, permanent, God.
 
Great, so you have had no first hand discussions with real Buddhists whatsoever but rely on the internet.

And even this article, likely written by Europeans with an axe to grind re their cultural Christianity, contradict your view stated above. They deny a “creator” god not “gods” altogether.

The topic is far deeper than most of us realise so I suggest its probably better to refrain from trying to confidently advise people here when your own personal experience is as limited as anybody else’s here and we can all search the internet for the usual superficial expositions by Europeans.

Having spent time in Asia and discussed these issues with Asian monks I realise that Westerners (especially European ex Christians who have become Buddhists) really have little idea of what Buddhism is really about.

The simple fact is that Buddhism at the time of its establishment had no concept of the Judaic God so it is simply something never really contemplated or seriously addressed by Buddha.

Despite Christian rhetoric to the contrary some strains of Buddhism do find room for the Christian soul and I have not yet found a strong reason to believe a “permanent god” must absolutely be rejected by its principles.

Still less that Vipassana must lead a practitioner to that conclusion.
It hasn’t with me but in fact done the opposite.

If one practises insight techniques from a Christian perspective, dwelling on the invisible presence of Christ there appear to be, in my experience, no dangers whatsoever.
 
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