I have just had a letter from an old school friend, who has had a terrible time recently with her daughter, Katie. It seems Katie went to India to study meditation and got involved with vipassana and got in too deep, too quickly and for too long with inadequate support. She became acutely psychotic and attempted suicide. Her dad brought her home and she has been in a mental hospital. She wants to go back to India as she feels she 'belongs' there - but obviously my friend is very worried by this. Has anyone had experience of anything similar, or vipassana, or any advice I can pass on to my friend? Thank you.
Vipassana is essentially watching the madness that mind is. It is passive watching of whatever arises in the mind. For some people that can be too much. Done under supervision there is no reason for it to cause problems.
Spiritual progress is understanding backed by personal experience. She obviously needs more then advice and wise words. Rising kundalini can play havoc with some people and suicide could be a reaction to 'suffering' that all spritual quest is trying to escape, so to speak.
Katie is very welcome to get in touch.
Ruby
Thank you for replying, Jnani. I have passed your contact details onto my friend.