From Chaos to Cosmos:
Chaotic, or Natural, Meditation
Meditation is always passive; the very nature of it is non-doing. But to get to this non-doing state you’ve got to do much. Don’t confuse this doing with meditation.
The principles behind the method
Tell a person not to think of a monkey, and she can’t stop thinking about it. Tell him to relax, and he’ll try to relax, but that’s an effort, and with effort relaxation is not possible. His very lying down trying to relax disturbs the whole thing, is a tension, a conflict. Trying to relax is absurd, a contradiction in terms, and, moreover, doesn’t work. On the other hand, if I tell you, “Don’t do anything,” tell me, what are you going to do? You can’t do it! See? The good news is: The problem lies not with you, but with the method.
According to the law of reversed effort, when we try to stay on the surface of the water, we sink; but when we try to sink, we float. For this reason, in the chaotic method of meditation we create tension first, and take it to the extreme—a state of utter tension and absolute doing. In other words, we make total effort, and go to the very limit of activity, till it’s exhausted, till there’s no further to go. Once we reach the extreme (this climax, or boiling point, of tension and activity), and stop, and let go, natural, effortless meditation (the opposite extreme) kicks in reflexively, without anything being done on our part. So, after all, Chaotic Meditation™ isn’t chaotic at all, but rather, Hegelian dialectical, Neo-Reichian indeed. Contract and relax, that is to say.
In the way indicated, the chaotic method of meditation has two parts: active (nothing but effort) and passive (the ultimate experience of total relaxation, not a practiced relaxation; you’re not doing anything, you just are). There are two antagonistic crowds: those who preach that nothing can be achieved without effort, and those who advocate that nothing is to be done. To us these two viewpoints are not opposed, but complementary; they’re the two parts of a single dialectical process, as illustrated in Chaotic Meditation.™
Meditation or sedation?
Man is neurotic, schizophrenic, divided against himself. Zenrin Kushu’s “Sitting quietly, doing nothing” (or any suppressive meditation for that matter) helps only to a certain extent, and only on the surface. It sedates you, at best. At worst, the more you try to just sit, the more disturbed and frustrated you become. The split mind and the constant repression of the unconscious by the conscious remain.
Meditation not medication
The cathartic, intense, strenuous methods of Chaotic Meditation™ dissolve this inner division, release, resolve and integrate the repressed, unconscious material and neurosis, liquefy the “body armor,” clean the body and mind, and make us whole. This in turn eliminates hidden influences, distortions and projections coming from the subconscious mind, and frees the emotions that have been locked into the body. There’s an upsurge of energy, because the blocked energy from the material and from our effort to repress it is now disentangled, and a feeling of lightness, freedom and power ensues. It goes without saying, physical and emotional numbness, tension and pain, fatigue, depression and psychosomatic illness stemming from repression are removed from our system totally. Clarity, understanding ourselves, happiness and pleasure are but natural outcomes. “Better than gym!” people say after trying it.
Chaotic Meditation™ produces the upward flow of energy known as kundalini (evolutionary energy), which is the agent or cause of evolution and enlightenment. In fact, meditation is the by-product of sex (life) energy moving upward. The strangest thing happens in the second stage: you may not have known anything about yoga asanas, pranayamas, mudras and bandhas (postures, breathing patterns, locks and contractions, respectively), but the body itself now starts doing them. They are spontaneous, authentic, and originate in the body wisdom. By the way, Chaotic Meditation™ is an excellent preparation for Calm Abiding, Insight, Just Sitting, and Natural Yoga™ meditations (we teach them as well).
On the biochemical level, Chaotic Meditation™ most probably triggers the brain by inducing a release of endogenous ecstasy neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine and endogenous cannabinoids. Along with Forceful Yoga™ and Conscious Connected Breathing, it’s more powerful than any marijuana, mushroom or LSD trip. It’s healthy, it’s natural, and has no harmful side-effects.
