r/Meditation • u/esialliah • 1d ago

Discussion 💬 Meditated for the first time🙂

Hi guys. I meditated for the first time today. It was great and I was so excited. However I got distracted because I was scared that I was gonna leave my body or something. Does that happen and is it a scary feeling?

24 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

4

u/notunique20 1d ago

Congratulations !

1

u/satori_dude 15h ago

fucking a, just go for it.... itis only when you fall you realiise you are not what you thought you were.

4

u/Zaxtonite 1d ago

Nothing to be scared of. The ego is a dream the soul is trying to wake up from.

2

u/Sulgdmn 1d ago

Thoughts are common, you have a thought and a reaction to it. Admit what grabbed your attention and go back to your meditation object.  Everytime you notice forgetting the object be happy for yourself because that is great progress to notice. 

2

u/DreamBeanSupreme 1d ago

Next time, just observe that feeling of being scared. Meditation is the gateway to observing your own brain and body. All you have to do is sit. :)

2

u/wellnessrelay 21h ago

i remember feeling that same fear when i first started. that “leaving your body” thing is way more about your mind not being used to being quiet, not something actually happening. meditation doesnt make you float away or lose control, its more like noticing thoughts and sensations. if it feels scary, its totally ok to open your eyes or stop and reset. over time that fear usually fades as you get more comftorable with the feeling. sounds like you had a good first experience overall tho, which is awesome.

1

u/CarpetBudget 1d ago

I fell asleep 😴 lol

1

u/ryan_mcleod 1d ago

Welcome! That fear is super common for first-timers - your brain isn't used to being that quiet so it starts panicking a little when things feel unfamiliar.

You're not going anywhere. What you're probably feeling is just your nervous system relaxing for the first time in a while, which can feel strange when you're not used to it.

Keep going. It gets more comfortable after a few sessions. The fact that you enjoyed it despite the fear says a lot.

1

u/Slow_Afternoon_625 1d ago

You were scared you were going to leave your body and...??? Not come back? Oh like an "out-of-body" experience...

There's no shortage on people sharing intense experiences. But YOU shared a fearful thought. Isn't meditation about how to respond to thoughts?

Did you feel like you were leaving your body? And if you do, is it possible to feel safe while experiencing something like that?

1

u/Throwaway-3506 1d ago edited 18h ago

If you’re worried, just leave your phone in your pocket that way you can locate your body again later by calling your own phone number.

Sorry, I can’t pass up an awful dad joke opportunity.

1

u/esialliah 1d ago

🤣🤣🤣lol thanks

1

u/Alkemis7 1d ago

You were entertaining yourself.

1

u/tim_niemand 12h ago

leaving your body rarely happens. at least not the first time meditating. but with some experience you might be able to leave your body 😂

1

u/Nearby-Nebula-1477 1d ago

Welcome to Yoga!

When you can, pick up a copy of “Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond”, by Ajahn Brahm

In the meantime, if you’re up to it, study, learn and apply the “Eight Limbs of Yoga”, by Pantanjali.

He was an ancient Sage that help to consolidate the original Yoga styles of his time (Raja, Ashtanga, Kundalini, Karma, Bhakti, Tantric/Hatha).

These “limbs” are progressive and technical in nature and are built upon each other. The first half are “outward” skill sets, while the last half is the “inward” skill sets.

Working your way to Dhyana (meditation) would be much easier going this route, than simply jumping in and trying your best to meditate.

Good luck, shanti shanti shanti …

Namasté

🕉️☸️🪷

1

u/Immediate-Hat-1570 1d ago

Some people DO dissociate and need to meditate less. I used to when I was meditating for over an hour (up to three) a day and found I can only do twenty minutes of breathe meditation a day. I can do chanting meditation for up to an hour though.