Hi I've just started the meditation lessons this week and I have had some intense stress release episodes.Unfortunately in my first meditation session I set my zen timer which gives a soft gong sound to go off after 20 minutes and it didn't go off. So I ended up meditating for 30 minutes doing the mantra.In that session I had two very intense stress relief episodes the second one was so intense I had to stop the mantra altogether in the middle of the release because my heart was racing and i was feeling sick. I rested for 5-10 minutes in silence and then felt ok. I had to write an assignment for university that day and after 2 hours was so brain drained I just couldn't work anymore. The rest of the day I felt ok but felt that I just couldn't cope with doing another lesson that day. The next morning I did the second lesson making sure I stuck to the 15 minutes of using the mantra and then I rested for 5 minutes and then had to lay down for another 10.I still felt the stress release happening 10-15 minutes after I had finished doing the mantra. Same thing happened after that I could only cope with doing my assignment for 2 hours and then I felt weak with brain drain. The rest of the day I felt terrible, spacey, strange feelings in the head, unfocused, tired yet I could not sleep when I went to bed despite the fact that I had not done another session later in the day. When I went to bed at midnight I could feel that my nervous system was over stimulated.The next morning I decided not to continue with the lessons until I could get some advise and so I did my usual heart meditation which I have been doing for half an hour every day for years. I felt so much better after I did that meditation, I felt that it rested my whole nervous system and I ended up having a good day. I want to continue with the lessons, I can't believe how powerful this tecnique is and I thank you for making it available at such a low price. I will not continue however without some guidance and I am willing to pay for some email consultations I just don't know how to access it. I have a fairly weak nervous system anyway due to a major health crash I had 5 years ago with my metabolic system. I also need to know whether I should be focusing my internal gaze on my third eye when I am saying the mantra.It does not take much to over stimulate my nervous system and thats what the stress relief tecnique seems to be doing. Thanks for your support I look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Fiona,

Thank you for your detailed report. I wish more people would provide this level of detail, as it really helps me understand what is happening.

You are correct in your understanding that this is a situation of rapid stress release that continues after the meditation session throughout the rest of the day. While rare, I have seen it in one other meditator, where it was probably associated with marijuana use (such drugs seem harmless, but actually store up quite a bit of stress that can later produce very dramatic experiences of stress release). In your case, it may have to do with your major health crash five years ago.

You did the right thing to stop meditating. We never want to have this kind of discomfort, especially in daily activity outside of meditation sessions. Life is supposed to get smoother and more enjoyable, not rougher and more difficult!

The advice is to continue meditating, but to decrease the actual meditation time and increase the resting time afterwards. In your case, start with 1 minute of meditation (preceded by the usual 30 seconds of silence), then lie down and rest for 10-15 minutes. Gradually increase your meditation time by 1 minute every other session, but stop increasing if the process of stress release gets uncomfortable in any way. So, on the first day you will be meditating twice for 1 minute, on the second day twice for 2 minutes, etc., up to about 5-10 minutes maximum, depending on your experiences.

It will be best if you don't use your Zen timer for NSR meditation. It can shock the nervous system on a subtle level, and interfere with the growing autonomy of the Self. Go by your inner sense of time, and verify by checking your watch (for best results, re-read the manual and follow all instructions).

Do not mix NSR and other techniques (such as focussing the gaze on the region of the third eye), as this may cause stress and interfere with the transcending process. If you choose to practice such techniques, do them well away from your NSR session times. Give NSR a chance by itself. You will probably find that NSR provides deeper and more fulfilling results than these other techniques, particularly in the first few months of practice.

You are welcome to purchase private email consultations (use the order form at www.NaturalStressReliefUSA.org) or to continue using this public forum, your choice. In any case, it will be very important for you to keep reporting your experiences until we get you to the point where you are having enjoyable NSR meditations and are getting good results in your daily life. This may take a few days, but I'm here to work with you until we achieve that goal.

A final note to other people reading this: it is good to be aware that some people can have this experience of intense stress release, but you should also know that this situation is very rare, and easily fixed by reducing the meditation time.

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA

Dear David,
Thankyou for your support, advise and prompt response. It is interesting that you mentioned a link between marjuana smoking and intense stress release because I was wondering the same thing myself before I got your email. Although I havent smoked marjuana for 13 years I was a complete addict for at least 10 years before that and I'm afraid that I do not consider that marjuana is a harmless drug because it has certainly done me a lot of damage in more ways than one. I have done many different meditation techniques over the years including primordial sound and none of them have been as effective at stilling my mind than the natural stress technique. I have suffered greatly over the years from a mind that is contantly cluttered with thoughts and I have continued to have difficulties with concentration regardless of what meditation practice I have been doing and for how long. Although I have received many benefits from doing meditation stilling my mind has not been one of them at least not in the long term. However the little I have done of the natural stress technique so far has succeeded in doing that. I heard what you said about cutting back on the meditation time and I have done that this morning for my third lesson. It was fine its just hard keeping an eye on the time because I am long sighted and need my glasses to see the time. I dont want to meditate with my glasses on, that is why I was using the zen timer turned down very low. I am still not sure where I am supposed to focus my internal gaze I am so used to focusing on the heart centre or the third eye can you give me some guidance on that one? I appreciate your committment in supporting me through this process David because I wouldnt have wanted to continue with out any support.

Fiona,

Thanks for the kind words. You're quite welcome.

You have been suffering from intense stress release outside of meditation. Now you know that the solution was to reduce the meditation time and increase the rest afterward. With this small change, this otherwise severe problem goes away. It is just a matter of proper knowledge. We are so fortunate to have such a powerful and flexible technique.

There is no more efficient way to reduce intrusive thoughts and improve the ability to focus and think clearly during daily activity than to get rid of the stresses through the deep rest of NSR. NSR is powerful enough to do this for everyone. This is the message we want to give to the world.

Try to figure out a good way to check on the time. It is best to check without much effort, just opening one eye enough to see the time (opening one eye brings us out less than opening both eyes). Perhaps you can buy a watch or clock that has just the combination of size and convenience so you can see it easily. This is an opportunity to put creative thinking to work. I've experimented with several different watches and clocks myself over the years, and I feel that it's worth finding something really comfortable. Just avoid anything (like an alarm) that forces you to end the session at a specific time; let your growing internal abilities be your guide.

My girlfriend says this: "Use a large analog clock--it will be easy to see even without reading glasses. You can get one at www.independentliving.com or other places on the Web."

Concerning your internal gaze, it sounds to me like this is a deep habit, and not one that produces a negative effect. If you find it effortless to rest your internal gaze between the eyebrows, then continue to do so. The only reason not to do it is if there is even the slightest discomfort or distraction.

Continue gradually increasing your meditation time as described above, making sure to avoid any uncomfortable stress release. Stresses should be released quietly and gently, so their associated thoughts, feelings, sensations, and movements never become a problem.

Please continue checking in here until you have worked your way through the entire manual and have had at least a whole week of comfortable, enjoyable NSR practice with noticeable benefits in daily life. I'm glad you are doing so well now; it will get even better!

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA

Dear David,
I am not convinced now that this technique is the right one for me I think it is way too powerful. Yesterday I did what you suggested I meditated using the syllable in the morning and late afternoon for 1 minute and then lay down for 10-15 minutes. I experienced brain drain again after doing my assignment and then woke up this morning dreaming about my dog being bashed over the head with a shoe and my mother lying unconscious on the ground. This may not mean anything to you but I am a very sensitive person especially since I got sick 5 years ago and I am really tuned into my physical body. This dream was my sub-conscious telling me that my brain is out of balance. I woke up with sensations in my brain. I am not sure whether it is the combination of learning this technique along with the mental exertion of writing academic assignments or whether it is the fact that I pushed it too far in the first lesson or maybe one session in the morning is enough. Is it that important to do 2 sessions a day? I have done my session this morning again for only 1 minute and will not be increasing the time until I can do it with ease and not experience negative effects. Dont get me wrong Im am not willing to give up on it quite yet. It is such a fine line of balance in my body which has made it difficult at times for even some healers to work with me depending on their type of treatement.It really doesnt take much to throw me out of balance.For example if there are particular herbs that can have rare negative effects on people I will be one of those people! It has happened so many times so Im really not suprised when you say that these experiences I am having are rare. But saying that I also have to say that when I find what works for me I can get amazing results really quickly. And I do question whether every form of meditation, healing etc works for everyone. The manual says that the technique slows down the metabolism,and I have liver problems so does that mean that it could be putting stress on my liver?

Fiona,

I'm so sorry you are still having problems. I said that they had been solved because I misunderstood your reply and thought that all was going well now.

If there is only a little bit of discomfort, see if you can continue twice a day for one minute, then lie down and rest for 5-10 minutes afterward. If there is too much discomfort to do even that, then just sit in silence for 5 minutes twice a day until you regain easiness. You may not feel this way, but it may actually be good luck that your stresses are so easily released. If you can get through this initial period of intense stress release, you will probably notice some really big improvements in your life.

I will understand if you wish to quit. But if you decide to continue, I'm here to continue helping in any way I can.

I don't know enough about physiology to discuss the effects of lowered metabolism on the liver. That might be something to discuss with a doctor. In general, of course, deep rest is good for the body because it facilitates all sorts of natural restorative processes.

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA

According to chinese medicine rest is very helpfull for liver problems

David, thanks for the ongoing advise. I did do the technique twice again yesterday because the first session of 1 minute went well but then after the second session, later in the evening, I felt complete brain drain and wondered how I was going to get to sleep. I did not have a good nights sleep. I really think that second session is just too much so I think I might stick with one session per day for a while. The other thing I could try is doing the meditation lying down in the prone position. I have done primordial sound that way and have had really good results. Then when the meditation is not as effective lying down I could try it again sitting up and it might be ok. I only say that because I know that meditating lying down is not as powerful as sitting up and when I am meditating lying down I am not prone to falling asleep. The other thing I thought I could do is continue on with the meditation sitting up but slow down the pace that I say the syllable, that might work too. What do you think? I am used to playing around with different techniques until I find what works. It might be useful information for you to have to pass on to anyone in the future who has the same problem if I can find a way to make it work.
Network54 User David Spector - NSR/USA <nobody@network54.com> wrote:

This is an automatic email response to a message you posted at

Fiona,

Normally, I would not recommend that people experiment. However, your case is definitely a very unusual one and I think you have good ideas and a good understanding of the mechanics of NSR.

Definitely go ahead with these experiments, except for the manipulation of the mantra. The mantra always "thinks itself" innocently. Don't hold onto it. Never apply any individual effort, intent, or manipulation to thinking the mantra. It should just be a faint idea or feeling, never a clear pronunciation.

Be very easy, innocent, and accepting, whatever you choose to do. Success will be indicated by a feeling of deep peace or inner silence, moments of joy, or a "gap" in the passage of time during your practice, and improvement in any area of life in daily activity.

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA

Fiona,
Some of these concerns have been addressed very well by Yogani. His method of Deep Meditation is completely consistent with the NSR technique. He emphasises the need for self-pacing and in cases of energy imbalances such as those you are describing he advocates the use of spinal breathing. Free information is availalble on his AYP site.

Thanks for the info Mark I'll check out this site and see what i can learn.

David,
Thanks for the clarity on the mantra, maybe I have been trying to manipulate it a bit too much. Anyway I'll experiment for a while and see what happens. I'll get back to you sometime soon to let you know how I'm going.

Dear David,
Although I think that the NSR technique is an amazing form of meditation that enhances wellbeing and propels one onto the path of enlightement I am afraid it is just not for me. I have played around with it over the past 3 weeks including doing it lying down for only one minute building up to no more than 5 minutes only once a day.I stopped doing it a week ago because the last release I had has completely messed up my nervous system. Since stopping the technique I have had daily headaches both on top of my head and across the forehead and down around my eyes. I now can no longer do any form of meditation without it enducing anxiety with flushes of heat and nausia. I have experienced a daily build up in my head of pressure and sometimes I need to equalise with my ears. I have been spaced out unable to sleep for longer than 2 hours at a time at night and have had difficulties getting to sleep. I have also been waking up hungry through the night and feeling at times like I am going crazy. I am also experiencing random muscle twitchings.I am unable to read or study without bringing on symptoms. I have been seeing a healer who tells me that my crown and third eye chakra has been opened too much which has loosed the connection between the crown and base chakra. This has affected the pineal and hypothalemus glands that govern everything in the body. Since stopping the technique I have discovered a german study on TM that lists a number of side affects that I have been experiencing. It says that at least 10-20% of people are susceptible to experiencing these side affects and that for those people this technique can even be dangerous. How can something so simple I keep asking myself have had this affect on me. This study was done on long term TM meditators.Can you tell me anything about this study? Do you have any advise on why this is happening to me after such a short time and what I can do to settle my nervous system back down. I take full responsibility for what is happening to me I should have known better and stopped the technique after I had had this experience a couple of times. Although the NSR technique works for most people it is probably good for people to know that this experience can also happen especially if you are very sensitive like me.

Dear Fiona,

I am very concerned about your latest posting, "Some feedback from the experiments I have done." I hate to hear that you are suffering so much.

Your experiments make it clear that you need to seek help for your physical and other problems before you can enjoy the results from NSR that others enjoy. This is nothing to feel bad about. I completely agree with your decision to stop practicing NSR. Now is the time to address your physical distress and completely resolve it through appropriate medical care. I urge you not to try to do this on your own, but seek professional help. Individual practice of a mental technique, no matter how natural and powerful, is no substitute for professional care. NSR will always be there for you, when you are ready for it. Don't feel any anxiety over not practicing: sometimes we need to stop and rest before we can resume our journey. This is as true for me as it is for you.

In Chapter 7 of her book, The Book of Meditation, Dr. Patricia Carrington, a practicing psychologist, writes, "In my own psychotherapeutic work, I have seen several TM meditators in whom tension-related physical symptoms or a latent emotional illness apparently became aggravated after commencing meditation. While these people are the extreme exceptions, they are a cause for concern... We immediately reduce meditation time at the first sign of an emerging difficulty, rather than risk any buildup of stress in a meditator... Each person will judge this for himself by trusting in the wisdom of his own inner self to know what is correct for him in terms of how much meditation is beneficial."

I hope you know that we continue to be here for you, ready to help in any way we can. You may also contact me privately via email, using the Contact Us form at www.nsrusa.org.

David Spector
Natural Stress Relief/USA

Dear David,
I am feeling much better now and I have been getting treatment from a healer which has helped immensely. I will probably have to stay away from meditation for a while now maybe a month. It will be hard because meditation has been a part of my life for so long, but for now I need to work on keeping myself grounded.I don't think though that I will ever have the courage to do NSR ever again indeed I have been told not to. It is a pitty because I could really feel amazing benefits from the first couple of sessions.I hear what you are saying about the technique unlocking a latent problem and I think that you are probably right. These things always happen for a reason. This experience has made me realise just how much my health problems 5 years ago were related to the nervous system. Would the book that you have quoted in your last posting be of value to me? Thanks for your kind words and concern.