On the suggestion of CTK and for the benefit of everyone on this board, I will first describe my experience with vipassina and then talk about my horrible and persistent ear ringing problem that has persisted since I learned the technique.

I am new to Dharma and first became interested and fascinated with Eastern traditions of enlightenment during a couple of trips to Cambodia I was privileged to take in 2008 and 2009. In a country wreaked by political violence and intense poverty I was amazed at how peaceful, wise and happy the Khemer people were. I fell in love with the country and culture. Officially I am an atheist and recovering Catholic, so I am very skeptical of religion and claims to past or everlasting life. That said, I have always been intrigued by the principles of eastern philosophical traditions including Buddhist thought.

I signed up for a 10-Day Vipassana meditation retreat taught in the tradition of Goneka. The place was in the Pacific Northwest in a beautiful setting. You are not to talk to people and must follow a code of discipline that includes getting up at 4AM and not really eating after noon, no intoxicants and no sex. The first three days of the retreat all you do is focus on your breathing. That is it. It was very boring but during these three days I began to focus on thoughts and anxieties that have plagued me for several years. It was very productive. I also spent a lot of time thinking of inane things like episodes of South Park or my favorite movies, which was not very productive. I had my eyes closed for 10 to 12 hours each day focusing on breathing. During this time I began to see hallucinations on the back of my eyelids and uncomfortable and bad thoughts about things that have haunted me over the years, but it was really good because I was processing them in a new and "objective" kind of way. On the fourth day you begin to learn vipassana. At first I stumbled and a man in the meditation hall who must have had tourettes or other mental problem kept making noises and fidgeting so it was hard to concentrate. However, after much struggle on the fourth day I learned vipassana meditation and it was total bliss. My whole body shimmered, I felt that there were the hands of 1000 tiny apsaras messaging every inch of my body. The sensations came in waves, at first I was unable to control them but then, under the guidance of recorded audio, I began to control the sensations in a systematic way. My body hurt from hours and days in the lotus position, but it didn't matter. I loved what I was learning. The fifth day progressed and I suddenly noticed that my ears were ringing during the hypnotic trance I put myself in. At first this was not uncomfortable at all and I just observed. I figured it was part of the experience. I did spend some time focusing on the ringing in my ears, but quickly moved to other parts of my body per the instructions. On the morning of the sixth day, I woke up with a horrible ringing in my ears that was very distressing and uncomfortable. I continued to learn and practice, but it was distracting me and I had a bad day. On that day, I broke silence (as was permitted) to talk to the teacher about it. He told me to continue and that it was part of the process. The seventh day was much better and I was able to meditate and learn more methods about observing thoughts and sensations in my body, I was aware of everything my body was doing, heart valves working, digestion, minute movement. The ears started ringing horribly again and I did not sleep at all that night. I was stubborn and persisted throughout the eight day, but I was beginning to lose it. The ringing was going on all the time and I was becoming more and more agitated. I didn't sleep again that night because of the ringing and sought emergency advice with a the teacher at 2AM on day 9. I wanted to leave to see a doctor, and he said it was my choice but encouraged me to stay for the morning sessions and that I was so close to finishing. I was so exhausted but did the morning meditation. By noon, I knew I couldn't do it any more and left. It was bizarre to be in a car and listening to the radio after nearly 10 days of silence. My ears continued to ring and even got louder. After driving home for 6 hours I went to the emergency room because I thought something was horribly wrong with my ears. After several vists to a doctor, and MRI and an audiologist they all confirmed that noting was wrong with me. I was prescribed sedatives and sleeping pills. I also took up drinking. The ringing is still there and has disturbed me enough to make me feel hopelessly depressed. I am seeing a therapist now, but the ringing will not stop.

I have no hard feelings at all about what I did and would probably do it again if I were ever in as strong as mental and physical shape as I was in just five or six short weeks ago. Since, the horrible and constant noise is driving me insane, I know I can't will it to stop but meditation does nothing or intensifies it. It is not a positive thing at all and while I have read similar stories of people having ringing, others report it as a positive thing or something that only happens during meditation. I don't know what I did or how I could have hurt myself by doing something that was intended to make me more aware and open.

I recounted my experience for the benefit of everyone. I can't say I would recommend or not recommend a vipassina retreat. It should have been a positive experience, but it did cause a debilitating handicap which I do not have the tools or knowledge to cope with.

Peace,

Brian

A few things only somewhat related to the ringing:

the bliss and nice stuff you felt was the A&P, and the Dark Night follow this like thunder follows lightening

the sound likely is not driving you crazy: it is just tinnitus.

More likely it is the Dark Night and Re-Oberservartion that are causing the emotional instabilities, though I can't actually hear what you are hearing, obviously, so this is just speculation based on what usually happens.

As to the ringing: I would either stop practicing entirely, in which case it will likely fade, or go on another retreat with really good technique and really following the instructions.

I think that Tarin's questions are really good ones, and I would definitely talk to his friend.

Meditation can cause some really weird side effects, but just knowing that is what they are can help.

If you haven't read my book, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, I would recommend it. You can find it in various places, including the wiki here, or, if you want paper, Amazon, etc.

Let us know how it goes,

Daniel

Tarin,

Excellent questions. First: It is subjective, but it seems very loud especially in a quiet room or when trying to sleep, it is similar in intensity to a tea kettle whistle although I am able to hear everything else around me, no hearing trouble to my knowledge.

Second, the sound is mainly in my right ear, although it sounds like it may be located more in my head at times, but mostly just the right ear. So I would say it is somewhat inside, but mostly perceived by my right ear.

Third: Although I describe it as a tea kettle whistle, I have never heard this sound before, but I imagine it could be matched by someone with a sound mixer/sythesizer.

I would like to be put in touch with your friend if possible. I am very annoyed and anxious because of this meditation induced problem. It has been going on for six weeks now.

I developed tinnitus during a month-long retreat a year ago along with at least one other attendee. I had no idea what was causing it at the time and it was difficult to keep practicing. I was eventually diagnosed with TMJ, but you might just have tight muscles from sitting in one position for 6+ hours a day. Even if your posture is perfect, sitting still for a long time will tighten the chest, neck, and jaw muscles. The sternocleidomastoid muscles in the neck run up alongside the ears. If these get tight enough, you can experience ear-related symptoms like tinnitus and dizziness. If physical repositioning (like jaw movement) affects the sound, it might be worth finding a good chiropractor who does deep tissue work to loosen things up. Check Yelp reviews for chiropractors near you. Avoid practitioners who only spend 10-15 minutes with each patient.

Echoing others in the thread, it's also possible the problem is "energetic", in which case it's a good idea to stop practicing so that your nervous system can calm down.