Ultraculture

Unleash Your Magick

Is it Possible to Meditate While Drunk? Actually, Yes.

by 127 Comments

Meditate While Drunk Meditation Drunk Buddha

A Reddit user performed an interesting experiment: trying to meditate while drunk after consuming copious amounts of alcohol, with interesting results!

A Reddit user recently posted results of an interesting experiment: attempting to practice mindfulness meditation while drunk. Meditating while under the influence of alcohol is a bold move. While it would obviously be a bad idea for a beginning meditator, would an experienced meditator be able to meditate while drunk, or even benefit from it?

What It’s Like to Meditate While Drunk

User /u/iboard330 posted this intense story on the /r/Buddhism subbreddit:

Tonight I’m performing an experiment with the hope of bringing awareness to what happens to me when I drink. First I will meditate briefly to establish a baseline, and sip by sip, be mindful of how I change.

I’m drinking whiskey, straight. First glass has 4 shots.

Baseline: I find it harder to concentrate than normal. There’s noticeable tension between my brows.

1st sip: Head-space has opened up, brow-tension slightly increased.

2nd sip: Consciousness stream more pronounced, music in periphery. Impatience.

3rd sip: Cloudy. Hard to get a steady full breath. Inner voice is louder. Distraction is easier.

4th sip: Impulses.

” I wonder what would happen if I killed the bottle.”

” Maybe I should smoke some weed too and see what happens!”

Beyond this, the mind is overall quieter. Gave up on keeping my eyes closed. Reality is sort of dreamlike, images and sounds of the mind are louder.

5th: Feeling it. Easier to close my eyes now. Mind is chaotic but nothing persists for long, like flashes in the periphery, almost noise. Inner voice is restless. It’s been about 45 minutes now.

6th: I can tell my body doesn’t like it. I don’t feel well, which is abnormal for my tolerance level.

Alcohol is the opposite of mindfulness. It urges you to jump and surf its stream, and if you don’t, it punishes you with nausea. It promotes lack of awareness, and rewards you with the illusion of a quiet mind, but really, it’s blanket apathy.

After deciding to meditate while drunk, experimenter pours a couple more shots, and eventually puts alcohol to serious questioning.

In the comments, the experimenter revealed that they were initially inspired by an article that ran on Elephant Journal titled “Mindful Drinking,” particularly a passage reading:

McKeever recalled the lessons Trungpa Rinpoche offered him decades ago: “He had us take three sips and then look at the effect on our mind. ‘Have you relaxed?’ he’d ask. ‘Is your mind extending into space? If so, stop there.'” The goal of drinking mindfully is to bring full awareness to every sip.

The Notorious Tibetan Tradition of Drunken Meditation

The Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was a notoriously heavy drinker, and as the above passage indicates, frequently incorporated alcohol into his teachings and attempted to meditate while drunk. More from the Elephant Journal article:

Here’s the basic idea: once a meditator has developed basic Buddhist discipline (known as Hinayana training) and adopted the intention to dedicate his or her life to benefit others (the Mahayana view) the practitioner is ready to incorporate Vajrayana teachings, in which the simple prohibitions outlined in traditional Buddhist sutras are re-evaluated. When a meditator reaches this point, which usually takes a number of years, a dangerous substance like alcohol is viewed—within a context of strong discipline and clear intention—not as a conventional escape, but instead as a tool for loosening the subtle clinging of ego.

“Imagine you are enjoying a picnic in a beautiful spot with your lover,” McKeever told me. “You want for nothing in this situation.” If you choose to drink at this moment, theoretically, you have no reason to overdo it. You’ll drink just enough to relax, to appreciate your situation and, as McKeever puts it, “to help your ego go to sleep.”

That is why for centuries, in the Kagyü lineage monasteries scattered across the high plains of Tibet, monks incorporated alcohol into their esoteric Vajrayana practices. When one of those Vajrayana lamas, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, fled Tibet during the Chinese invasion of the country, he brought his teachings—including those on the use of alcohol—to the West.

(Below, check out a great Dharma talk by Trungpa.)

So, Is it Really a Good Idea to Meditate While Drunk?

There’s only one way to find out, of course. But before trying such a heroic (or maybe foolish) feat, you should probably get really good at meditation first.

Luckily, we have you covered. Our Hardcore Meditation course will give you everything you need to know to absolutely master meditation, and master your consciousness, so that nothing can faze you—not life, and certainly not a few shots of Bushmill’s. Meditation can improve every single area of your life. It steadily develops your mind and calms your emotions, and ultimately allows you to transcend your ego and experience pure ecstasy. Meditation—or, as it is properly and classically known, raja yoga—is a step-by-step science that predates civilization, and can take us to the stars. It’s the most critically important skill that anybody can learn… check out the class!

(Image via.)

About Andrei Burke

Andrei Burke is a journalist and blogger with a background in film and an interest in the magick and the occult. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Comments

  1. RobertSon says

    На данном сайте у вас есть возможность приобрести виртуальные телефонные номера различных операторов. Эти номера подходят для подтверждения аккаунтов в различных сервисах и приложениях.
    В каталоге представлены как долговременные, так и временные номера, которые можно использовать чтобы принять сообщений. Это простое решение если вам не желает использовать личный номер в интернете.
    купить виртуальный сотовый номер
    Процесс покупки очень простой: выбираете необходимый номер, оплачиваете, и он сразу становится готов к использованию. Оцените сервис прямо сейчас!

    Reply

  2. Benitovon says

    На этом сайте вы найдете центр ментального здоровья, которая обеспечивает психологические услуги для людей, страдающих от депрессии и других ментальных расстройств. Мы предлагаем комплексное лечение для восстановления ментального здоровья. Наши опытные психологи готовы помочь вам преодолеть психологические барьеры и вернуться к гармонии. Квалификация наших врачей подтверждена множеством положительных отзывов. Свяжитесь с нами уже сегодня, чтобы начать путь к восстановлению.
    beregifiguru.ru

    Reply

  7. MonteEvold says

    mexican pharmacy online store [url=https://mexicanpharminter.com/#]mexican pharmacy online store[/url] mexican pharmacy online

    Reply

  10. MonteEvold says

    canadian online drugstore [url=http://interpharmonline.com/#]Online pharmacy USA[/url] ed drugs online from canada

    Reply

  15. MonteEvold says

    canadian world pharmacy [url=https://interpharmonline.shop/#]most reliable canadian online pharmacies[/url] canadian pharmacy online store

    Reply

  21. MonteEvold says

    Mexican Pharm International [url=https://mexicanpharminter.com/#]buying from online mexican pharmacy[/url] Mexican Pharm Inter

    Reply

  27. Dwayneraima says

    buy generic 100mg viagra online [url=http://generic100mgeasy.com/#]buy generic 100mg viagra online[/url] Viagra tablet online

    Reply

  34. Dwayneraima says

    Kamagra Kopen Online [url=https://kamagrakopen.pro/#]Kamagra Kopen Online[/url] kamagra kopen nederland

    Reply

  44. Dwayneraima says

    buy Viagra over the counter [url=https://generic100mgeasy.com/#]Generic100mgEasy[/url] best price for viagra 100mg

    Reply

  65. bs2beast.cc says

    Теневой интернет — это анонимная зона онлайн-пространства, куда можно попасть только через защищенные браузеры, например, Tor.
    В этой среде размещаются как легальные, но и запрещенные сайты, например, форумы и другие платформы.
    Одной из таких торговых площадок считается Блэк Спрут, данный ресурс специализировалась на торговле разных категорий, включая противозаконные товары.
    https://bs2best
    Подобные площадки нередко используют анонимные платежи для обеспечения анонимности сделок.
    Однако, спецслужбы периодически закрывают популярные незаконные платформы, но вскоре появляются новые торговые точки.

    Reply

  70. Malcolmbof says

    Kamagra Gel [url=http://kamagrapotenzmittel.com/#]Kamagra online bestellen[/url] Kamagra Oral Jelly kaufen

    Reply

  75. Malcolmbof says

    Apotek hemleverans idag [url=https://apotekonlinerecept.com/#]apotek online recept[/url] apotek pa nett

    Reply

  83. Robertlaway says

    world pharmacy india [url=http://wwwindiapharm.com/#]www india pharm[/url] mail order pharmacy india

    Reply

  95. BrianTus says

    Lisin Express [url=http://lisinexpress.com/#]lisinopril buy without prescription[/url] Lisin Express

    Reply

  108. MichealAlirl says

    Our platform makes available a large selection of medications for ordering online.
    Anyone can securely order treatments from your device.
    Our range includes both common drugs and specialty items.
    Each item is supplied through reliable distributors.
    https://www.hr.com/en/app/calendar/event/nolvadex-the-silent-guardian-in-the-battle-against_lprv4cr2.html
    We prioritize discreet service, with private checkout and fast shipping.
    Whether you’re looking for daily supplements, you’ll find affordable choices here.
    Start your order today and get reliable online pharmacy service.

    Reply

  122. TimothyPat says

    usa canada pharm [url=https://usacanadapharm.shop/#]usa canada pharm[/url] canadian pharmacy king reviews

    Reply

  126. TimothyPat says

    usa canada pharm [url=http://usacanadapharm.com/#]canadianpharmacyworld com[/url] canadian pharmacy checker

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *