Meditation leading to slit wrists?

[Elaira]

i know this sounds impossible, but according to my friend, she read in the papers that an experianced practicerer of meditation was meditating until when somebody found him, they found his wrists slit. Oh, and its a grown up, it seems.

My friend was very worried about this, because she herself including me meditates quite regularly. Maybe the cause of the slit wrists is something else?

[BrigidMoon]

i know this sounds impossible, but according to my friend, she read in the papers that an experianced practicerer of meditation was meditating until when somebody found him, they found his wrists slit. Oh, and its a grown up, it seems.

My friend was very worried about this, because she herself including me meditates quite regularly. Maybe the cause of the slit wrists is something else?

We this isn't the normal behavior of a meditator. I am wondering if that was the point of meditation in the first place......to help with the pain. :(

What a horrible thing to do while meditating!

:hugz: to you and your friend.

[jcldragon]

I rather doubt that happened at all. It reminds me of many of the made-up stories that were printed about people using the Entheogens during the 1960s. People believed they were true at the time, and now years later, when it has been proven that the stories were fabricated, they still persist as Urban Legends.

How often have you heard of stories of animal sacrifice supposedly performed by Wiccans? None of those are true either. People devoted to a Nature-based religion, are not prone to doing harm to any of Nature's creatures. Additionally, a lot of Pagans are vegetarians...

Now there is a mental disorder commonly known as cutting. It is quite serious, because people can disfigure themselves. It seems to arise in people who have been seriously abused either mentally or physically in childhood. What they are doing, is inflicting physical pain upon themselves, in order to get away from an extreme mental anguish. If you know somebody who is doing this, you really ought to do an intervention, and get them professional help.

[Gypsy flower]

sounds wrong to me!! sorry I dont buy it!:eyebrow:

[Nadeshda]

It might not be directly related. Just because he slit his wrist while meditating, it doesn't mean meditation led to it. He probably had other problems that led to that.

[Geministar]

Personally I would guess that slitting his wrists was his intention all along. If I were to think about doing that to myself I would probobly meditate too. I'm not saying I am suicidal but I always try to put myself in someone elses shoes and if he already meditated regularly then I could see doing that to get yourself to commit suicide. I wouldnt worry about that happening to you though. Its something that happend to this man because he wanted it to happen is my guess.

[daughtersleep]

*seconds that* I know I would meditate a long, long time before attempting to take my own life.
Meditation might also be a convenient excuse for wanting to be alone and silent for a long time.

[charmedkisses1]

They could have just been overwhelmed or something. Maybe they were in a trance and their subconscious took over.

Or something worse.

I wouldn't doubt it, I've seen weirder.

[StarCraftLia]

.

[Tulip Tree]

Oh my, this sounds very much like an urban legend. Why would I think so in this case? The story lacks logic.

How on earth would anyone know the person was meditating before slitting their wrists? There are two possibilities:

1. The person wasn't alone while meditating. Has anyone here ever smelled large amounts of blood? Only an extremely disciplined meditator could remain unaware through that metallic and nauseating odor. That person would have had tourniquets on both arms before they could have bled to death.

2. The person was alone while meditating but found dead in the perfect lotus position. People sit in the lotus position because it helps them to stay awake. It's a fairly easy position to balance, which means that muscle activity is minimal, yet it's still there. I suppose it's possible, but I have trouble believing that a person's body would remain in the lotus position after their muscles had gone completely slack.

I just reread your post. Did your friend believe that the person's wrists were slit supernaturally as though demonic activity? Let's look at that possibility a moment. Suppose your friend read the article in a Christian weekly reader and the article was warning about the dangers of the occult. Let's look at those beliefs:

1. Meditating makes you a gateway for demonic entry. Meditation is disciplined consciousness, that's why your muscle activity remains. I would have to ask the people who wrote article what makes them think that meditation creates a perfect gateway. Personally, I would think that fainting or going under anesthesia for surgery would make you more of a gateway, because then your guard is really down. Nonexistant, even. If demonic entry was so pervasive, every Christian without his tonsils would be in danger.

2. Meditation is a dangerous occult practice. Meditation is practiced by almost every religon, it's not a fringe activity. Some Christian's believe that prayer does not involve meditation. It doesn't always, but in long prayer sessions, many Christians are trying to reach an altered state of consciousness where they can actually feel the presence of God. The word "meditate" is used in Christian teachings often. "Meditate on the Word" for one. Not to mention the fact that not all Christians live in fear of demons and so don't consider themselves occultists when they attend weekly yoga classes and practice meditation to reduce stress. Yet, somehow, these dangerously fearless Christians wake every morning to wrists that haven't been demonically slit as punishment for their crimes against the sensibilities of James Dobson.

Sorry to get so sarcastic there, but it's silly when you think of it. It sounds like your friend's article was about the occult dangers of meditation. When millions of people not only survive meditation but are better off because of it, it does make it kind of a silly morality tale.

[Kaija]

I tend to agree with the urban legend theory... however, is it POSSIBLE?.... Yes.. that's what makes urban legends so believable.

If indeed it happened... one reason.. as already mentioned.. that was why they were meditating or they were not actually meditating just in the position that was comfortable. OR it wasn't just meditation.. If pathworking.. not an overly common practice, but done often enough.. sort of like self-hypnosis.. you could be aiming to meet your other side.. or your true self.. whatever.. and if you were unbalanced emotionally or something.. that wouldn't be a very happy version of yourself. So, assuming that a weapon was handy.. (not likely in this case, but I suppose if a full altar was set up it's possible), it could be a reaction to that. This is highly unlikely however. It's not impossible.. but is a stretch.

The story is far too detailed for someone not to have been in the room... that's one of the big signs of an urban legend. Either it was pure presumption, or someone was there when it happened.. (in the latter scenario I would also say murder was a possibility honestly)..

[paganpilgrim]

i know this sounds impossible, but according to my friend, she read in the papers that an experianced practicerer of meditation was meditating until when somebody found him, they found his wrists slit. Oh, and its a grown up, it seems.

My friend was very worried about this, because she herself including me meditates quite regularly. Maybe the cause of the slit wrists is something else?

I highly doubt this one. I've been reading lurid fundy literature for years, and this has all the markings of it:
- the New Age (read "satanic") practice of meditation
- the mysterious death
- the insinuation of "demonic activity"

Here (http://www.layevangelism.com/qreference/spiritual-warfare/spiritual-warfare7.htm) is an article detailing the Christian Fundamentalist beliefs regarding meditation. Their claims are not limited to this, however. People of this ilk tend to regard anything of any other religion as being "satanic". Do you wear a pentacle or a crystal? People like this actually tend to believe that these objects are populated by tiny little "demons" which are supposedly bent on making our lives miserable.
:stooges:

Take any story like this with a grain of salt, or a pillar of salt if you're so inclined! :hrmm:

[Cyzarine]

I wouldn't doubt it...but it wouldn't have been the meditation which cause this person to slit their wrists. It would have been an untreated mental illness. Meditation has actually helped me with my bi-polar and adult add. This could also be another one of those fundy articles to get people to believe that everything else is wrong but what they preach. I'd have to have the article to tell you though.

I wouldn't stop meditating.

[Anubis]

Do you wear a pentacle or a crystal? People like this actually tend to believe that these objects are populated by tiny little "demons" which are supposedly bent on making our lives miserable.
HEY! Mine must be broken.. it didn't have a tiny little demon.. can I take it back for one that does?

[Gypsy flower]

what???
tiny demons.. geez my bedroom must be over run by them then!:devil: :vanish:

[aluokaloo]

it does sound like he was just using an excuse if it actually did happen, like a drug addict might excuse themself to go to the bathroom, to go shoot up. But yet we know that not all people who go to the bathroom do it for the sole purpose of shooting up.

[Cyzarine]

HEY! Mine must be broken.. it didn't have a tiny little demon.. can I take it back for one that does?

:rollingla

[starfire]

No, not the cause of the slit wrists.....That person apparently wanted to do himself in, and chose to be at peace with it. Therefore afterward meditated.

Most people meditate to find inner peace or clear their minds of the daily stress that causes turmoil in our bodies....

I know many many people that meditate and can assure you that it was not the cause, just the way he chose to deal with it.

Also I didn't see any statement about it being done while meditating, that is why I figure it happened first then meditation was how he chose to deal with it. Just because one slits her or his wrists, doesn't mean one can't get into a meditation afterwards.

Elaira correct me please, your statement doesn't say it happen specifically while he was meditating that is just what people are assuming.

[star_belfire]

HEY! Mine must be broken.. it didn't have a tiny little demon.. can I take it back for one that does?

Hey mine doesn't have any either!! Must have been a defective batch. Looks like I'll have to go out and buy more.

[wolf]

Maybe the cause of the slit wrists is something else?

Depression and suicidality, most likely.

[Teresa]

I vote Urban Legend to scare those that wanna learn to meditate or are somewhat new to it.:thumbsup:

[Djiril]

I second what has been said already.

Do you know where the article came from? Is it online so that you could post a link to it?