The loyal Vipassana returnees: The confused lot!

Vipassana has been reintroduced into India from Myanmar. Claims of its scientific nature have fallen flat since there is to date no properly conducted large-scale studies to prove its benefits. There are a host of other flaws in this technique and it needs to be studied further before it is recommended to the masses indiscriminately. 

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What is Vipassana? 

Advocates of Vipassana claim that it is a pure and ancient meditation technique. The term implies an insight. Hence it is defined as a form of meditation that seeks an insight into the true nature of things and the reality of things. Courses are conducted at multiple centers in the world free of charge for participants of all ages; children to old age. It is a 10-day course and incorporates the following components:

1. Students are in a special center away from their homes and work for 10 days
2. They all observe Noble Silence. In this, they cannot talk to each other. Neither should they have eye contact with each other. They are not allowed even gestures or any sign language to communicate with each other. They can only talk to the teachers at the place and that too as regards clearing of doubts or any help in material things present there or problems related to it.
3. They get up at 4 am and sleep at 9.30 pm.
4. They meditate for 10 hours per day either in the hall or in their rooms.
5. They cannot have any mobile phones or such electronic gadgets with them. They cannot read or write during these 10 days. They cannot communicate with their family or friends during these 10 days and have to fully concentrate on their breathing and meditation and try to understand their own body and inner mind.
6. There is partial fasting in which students get breakfast and lunch but no dinner. Their last time to have something edible is at 5 pm in the evening and nothing after that.

Students have an audio-visual session every evening in which the main preacher teaches them about the technique and what is expected from them. There is an emphasis on leading a life of ‘detachment and simplicity’. They stress on ‘not reacting’ but ‘actions’. 

Vipassana center (Source: Pinterest)

The followers of Vipassana 

I had the opportunity to see many people of Indian origin who have undergone the course before and after. Some I have seen only after. But there is something common in all of them after the course. It can be seen that people after the course tend to bear a ‘serious countenance’ and not react even in situations where a normal reaction is expected. Their ‘laughs’ seem to have disappeared from their face and life and these are replaced by a ‘slight smile or none at all’. Their near ones and friends tend to not understand their behaviour often since there are no telling signs of what they are thinking. Besides, their behaviour appears many times ‘inconsistent and erratic’. This seems problematic in the human world where a lot depends on ‘proper and complete communication and gestures’. The ‘eye contact’ is an integral part of human communication and without it; it would be a world of ‘autism’!!! So people after the course tend to become less human in their behaviour and more of robots or zombies! 

Vipassana meditation (Source: Pinterest)

Additionally, these people are taught to learn to not attach to things and not react. But these two qualities are befitting a saint or a sage. The latter can be detached and not show any reaction. But for a family person and a worldly person to remain detached and not react is something foolish! How can he or she not attach and show emotions to his or her spouse or children or parents? How can a person not react when something bad happens in his or her life or there is some joy in his or her life? Overreaction or negative reactions are bad but normal human reactions are a must! Even the animal kingdom demonstrates such normal reactions. But one needs to learn to conquer them and channelize them into useful activities and acts! Besides, true attachment is required for a person to retain his or her sensitivity. And it is only after attachment that kindness and compassion comes in. And not without it!!! 

Hence very often one sees that these followers of Vipassana come out to be a bit of confused people after the course. They seem to be running away from society and also themselves in order to overcome their normal reactions and attachments to people and objects and animals around them! They run the risk of turning bipolar or displaying split personalities. 

Additionally, these ‘products of Vipassana’ continue to have feelings of jealousy, hate, dominating tendency, belittling tendency, lying and can be seen intermittently acting saint-like and sagely. They put on the garb of Vipassana intermittently but the vices are still visible through the tattered dress of Vipassana. 

What is the reason for such behaviours post-Vipassana?

1. Not enough properly-conducted studies are done in this field and it is not yet a science or a scientific program.
2. One cannot extrapolate ancient things into the modern world!!!
3. The entrants to the course should be screened properly by a clinical psychologist before they are subjected to the grilling daily routines of 10 days. They should be categorized as normal, mild, moderate or severe mental health issues. These mental health issues can be neurosis or psychosis.
4. The need for each component of the program should be evaluated and studied in depth to know its effectiveness and safety. If found ineffective or unsafe, it should be deleted from the program.
5. Data related to how many people actually completed the course should be assessed and published. Also how many people faced problems during the course and the nature of these problems should be highlighted.
6. Long-term follow-up should be carried out in the people who have done the course to know its impact on self and society.
7. Instead of a blanket therapy, course can be individualized and custom-made for people of different types.

   

   Lord Buddha (Source: Pinterest)

   Vipassana is not a science yet 

What ideally should be done? 

I strongly believe that schools and homes (parents, caretakers) should be told about the right methods of baby care and children care and parenting. Moral science should be reintroduced into the school curriculum and children should be taught about vices and virtues. Disciplining and supervision should be proper and not neglected anywhere. The good should be applauded and the bad should be punished. One should not be a mute spectator of happenings in the world. Yes one can change oneself but it is one’s duty to change others when they are in the wrong (from the human perspective). The right and wrong for humanity is universal and not so difficult in deciding. Learn to stand up for the rights and not bow down to the wrongs of society. Be vocal of anything wrong around us. Join the good gang against the evil gang. Incorporate good things in everyday life and try to banish the wrong and bad habits. When the upbringing, education, and supervision and law are good, the society would be good. Merely going for a course once or a few times do nothing to change a person in the ‘right way’. Changes may occur in a person post-course (as said above) but these changes are not helpful for the society at large. 

Stop promoting and selling Vipassana as a science when it is not. Stop propagating Vipassana as a universal therapy for all ailments when it is not. Do more extensive and proper studies on its impact on trainees.