AliceKnewIt wrote:That meditation could trigger psychosis is new to me.
If you haven't yet, you might want to read
Kundalini by Gopi Krishna. He managed to pull himself back from the ledge at the last moment, but it wasn't an easy fight. True meditation opens up natural forces that can be much stronger than expected by the meditator. Without proper training and/or self-awareness, those forces can overcome an unprepared psyche.
So she was having psychological trouble before she went to the retreat, and did not inform the staff that she was on medication. The staff should have made it routine to ask everyone about their health and medications before they are admitted.
The staff does. She chose to withhold that information. Do what thou wilt, after all.
https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/about/code wrote:People with serious mental disorders have occasionally come to Vipassana courses with the unrealistic expectation that the technique will cure or alleviate their mental problems. Unstable interpersonal relationships and a history of various treatments can be additional factors which make it difficult for such people to benefit from, or even complete, a ten-day course. Our capacity as a nonprofessional volunteer organization makes it impossible for us to properly care for people with these backgrounds. Although Vipassana meditation is beneficial for most people, it is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment and we do not recommend it for people with serious psychiatric disorders.
...
Those taking medicines or drugs on a doctor's prescription should notify the teacher.
One's psychological history and history of drug use is also an explicit question on the application.
seekinghga wrote:My thought is a desire to know why such activity is equated with the term "meditation." Meditation, dhyana as the Hindus call it, is sustained, one-pointed concentration. This young woman's unfortunate episode has nothing at all to do with anything that this forum should call meditation.
Actually, Vipassana Meditation is precisely a practice of one-pointed concentration, initially focused on the bodily processes beginning with breath.
Go in all ways contrary to the world.