3 month silent retreat - summary!!!

For those who don't want to read the full unedited journal entries (in my previous post), this is what I wrote to my sister when she said she was considering a meditation retreat:

A silent retreat is like a BRAIN FAST. Just like in a normal fast, if you stop eating you get really hungry. If you stop mental stimulation your brain starts going crazy and feeling really agitated.

That will simmer down after a while but the first few days are rough. I found that the part of my brain that needed stimulation (part that was really bored) was a protection against a really angry critical voice. (see attached journal entry 1 from 90 day retreat)

Second point to mention: You are crazy. Your brain is crazy. Your brain - like  a dog needing a bone - will always need something to focus on. The smallest things seem like major problems because you start to lose perspective. Pain in back become broken rib. Bump on chest becomes cancer.

Third, Vipassana Romance. If there are men there.... because you are not interacting with them, you can project anything you want onto others on the retreat. Since you have nothing else to do, you will probably do this. First day, dating, second day engaged, third day married, fourth day divorced, fifth day bitter custody battles....

But all in all, carry yourself and your mind as lightly as possible and know that it will be a transformative experience.