Vipassana: Meaning, Meditation, & Experiences

Vipassana means clear insight or knowledge about the real characteristics of the body and mind (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). Vipassana meditation comes from the tradition of Theravada Buddhism and is thought to ultimately lead to self-realization, or enlightenment (Wikipedia, n.d.).
​
Vipassana insights are acquired through mindfulness meditation. Although most people think of meditation as something that happens while we are sitting crosslegged with our eyes closed on the floor, meditation can be any meditative practice, including those practices that happen during the course of daily life. For example, we might walk in the woods, listen actively to the sounds of our favorite song, or engage in deep concentration while in discussion with a close friend. From my experience, vipassana insights can emerge in any number of meditative situations.

Vipassana literally means intense, deep, or powerful seeing (perceiving). Vipassana meditation is focused on observing the body and mind with attention. While people may use other forms of meditation to “escape” reality or reduce psychological stress, vipassana meditation is more about confronting reality. We aim to look past our mental and emotional conditioning and see our body, mind, and existence for what it truly is. In my experience, this involved shadow work—i.e., working through trauma and other repressed or suppressed material.

Over time, vipassana meditation slowly purifies the mind, eliminating the attachments, desires, and delusions that cause suffering (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). Although this may sound like a good thing—and it is!—perceiving truth means that we also see what is false. For example, we often witness false limiting beliefs, old traumas, and aspects of our personality that we don’t like so much. This process of letting go of our desires and delusions is extremely freeing, but it can also be painful.

Mindfulness Versus Concentration Meditation
In the Buddhist tradition, there are two types of meditation: Vipassana (Insight) and Samatha (Tranquility). In tranquility meditation, you fix your focus on a single object. This concentration helps you enter a trance-like stillness. However, negative emotions return once you leave meditation. 

In vipassana, we engage in mindfulness of the present moment. All of the aspects of daily life can then be objects of meditation—e.g., our thoughts, experiences, behaviors, beliefs, etc… By consistently observing our existence with mindfulness, we become more and more aware of the three characteristics of existence: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and impersonality (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). 

Impermanence refers to the ever-changing nature of reality. Unsatifactoryiness refers to the subtle dissatisfaction the self experiences in response to all things. Impersonality refers to the non-self and that things are happening on their own. As you can probably now understand, the realization of these realities can be intense or upsetting, before becoming liberating.
Here is a free vipassana mediation course to try:

When we engage in vipassana (whether we do so knowingly or not) we go through a series of stages, each revealing a more advanced insight (Sayadaw, 2016). These insights are stepping stones to the full understanding of the three characteristics of existence: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and impersonality (Ingram, 2018). These insights don’t emerge as a result of thinking—quite the opposite, in fact. These insights seem to emerge from the empty space that exists when our thinking pauses.

​How Long Is Each Vipassana Stage?
Everyone goes through the vipassana stages at different speeds. For each person, each stage may last hours, days, weeks, months, etc… Sometimes, we may get stuck in a stage. This may be particularly likely in Western contexts where we often embark on mindfulness meditation without understanding the spiritual context and natural progression of meditation practice. Thus, we may find ourselves experiencing these stages without having any idea why or what to do.
​
If you get stuck in an uncomfortable stage, just keep noticing your bodily experiences (e.g., what does it feel like in your body?) Try not to evaluate, name, or judge those experiences—just experience them and let them go (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). Whatever happens—no matter how blissful or terrible—just try to witness it as an observer without letting the mind come in and claim it. For example, even if you develop “spiritual gifts”, continue to observe these gifts without letting the ego claim them and use them to puff itself up.

Some meditation teachers believe that telling people these stages will bias them and prevent progress (Sayadaw, 2016). For example, we may think that we’re in a stage that we are not. Personally, I think it’s more important that people be able to understand the weird things that are happening to them as a result of meditation, and knowing the viapssana stages can really help. 

Even after more than a decade of studying mindfulness (in a Western academic context), I knew nothing about these experiences, and they were quite surprising and sometimes upsetting to me. Now I understand that this is a normal part of meditation progress, and I find this knowledge comforting. Hopefully, if you’re meditating and coming across these experiences, you too will find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone and these weird experiences are part of the meditation process.

Before reaching the 16 stages, Sayadaw (1994) suggests that we first start by noticing physical processes (e.g., watching the breath go in and out of our body). With practice, we then strengthen our concentration so that our minds don’t wander constantly as we are meditating. Then, we begin to notice the act of noticing itself. These beginner stages precede the more advanced 16 stages of vipassana which I’ll briefly describe next.

1. Distinguishing between mental and physical states
When we progress in vipassana, we eventually begin to notice that there is 1.) material content of experience and 2.) a witness—or consciousness—witnessing experience. For example, we notice that there is a tree and “our” consciousness witnessing the tree. Or we hear that there is a sound, and we notice that “our” consciousnesses is hearing the sound.

2. Noticing cause and effect relationships between mental and physical states
In this stage, we begin to notice how physical states cause mental states and vice versa (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). For example, a thought about picking the kids up from school may propel our bodies to grab the keys and get in the car. Or, a heavy sensation in our back may lead to the thought, “Ow, my back hurts.” We are beginning to notice this interplay between body and mind. We previously thought that this interplay was self, but now we begin to see it’s just a process (Sayadaw, 2016).

3. Noticing that mental and physical states are not the self
After processing and integrating the previous stages, we begin to realize that neither mental nor physical processes are us (they are not the self). How could they be? We are observing them, and they are happening on their own. We are beginning to understand that what we thought of as “self” is not actually the self.

It is important to note that by this stage, we may also be having weird mental experiences (like visions) or bodily experiences (like twitching, itching, or trembling in the body; Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.).

4. Noticing the arising and falling away of states
Here, many of us may experience what is referred to as rapture, or intense joy, exhilaration, or ecstasy, often accompanied by goosebumps all over the body (Sayadaw, 1994). Nothing disturbs us—life is as it is, and we’re not mentally bothered by things at all. This experience is truly incredible. 

After the intense enjoyment fades, we eventually realize that the states of pure joy we just experienced were temporary (impermanent) and that we must continue on the path. But from this point forward, it almost feels as if everything is happening on its own.

5. Noticing dissolution
During this phase, we may feel like we’ve lost insight rather than gained it. According to Sayadaw (1994), we are no longer noticing the arising of objects but only the dissolution of objects. As described by The Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society (n.d.) it may appear that the ground or sky seem to shake or vibrate.

6. Knowledge of fearfulness
Here, we realize that everything ends and that means everything in the future will end. This insight produces fear.

7. Knowledge of misery
In this stage, we feel miserable. All conditioned things seem empty and unsatisfying. We are beginning to truly understand the inherent unsatisfactoriness of all things.

8. Knowledge of disgust
Our misery continues, but now it’s to the point where we can not take delight in even the most desired of objects of situations. There is absolutely no joy that can be found in any noticed object. As a result, it’s difficult to continue our vipassana practice. We feel completely cut off from everything. 

9. Desire for deliverance
At some point, it will become clear to us that there is no comfort, no joy, no happiness in our external world. We don’t want anything anymore and we deeply desire to escape from the world of objects (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). Hopefully, this compels us to turn inward.

10. Re-observation
At this point, it will be clear to us that everything is impermanent, without a self, and imbued with suffering. We may feel exhausted or heavy (I slept 12 hours per night and woke up feeling like a train hit me), and we may be hot or sweaty (Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society, n.d.). But somehow we know that the only way to move through the pain is to fully witness every painful thought, feeling, and experience so that we can let them go. By witnessing every thing fully, without judgment, they slowly dissolve, this time for good.

11. Knowledge of equanimity
After moving through the most difficult stages—which combined are often called ‘The Dark Night of The Soul’ (Ingram, 2018)—we eventually arrive at this stage feeling indifferent. We now refuse to let our ego-minds get attached to objects—we understand that attachment to anything only causes suffering (Sayadaw, 1994). 

As a result, we may also feel everything happening on its own. The ego-mind still exists but it’s not in charge anymore. Eventually, we abandon both fear and delight, realizing there is no happiness in either.

12. Knowledge of adaptation
Here we more fully understand formations as being 1.) impermanent, 2.) unsatisfactory, and 3.) without self. We’ll have greater insight into one or two of these (Ingram, 2018), and through these insights, we witness the cessation of mental and physical phenomena.
​
13. Fruition
Having witnessed mental and physical phenomena cease, consciousness witnesses what is outside the normal human state. This experience is characterized by rapturous joy and ego death (Ingram, 2018). The state of enlightenment is perceived, and over time, may be sustained.

I stumbled upon the insights of vipassana by accident after a series of difficult life events that are too complicated to sum up in a sentence. At the time, I didn’t really meditate—and you don’t necessarily need to meditate to start moving through the vipassana stages. Because vipassana is about mindfulness of everyday experiences, insight can be gained without a meditation practice. That being said, once I realized what was happening, I began a meditation practice to better process and integrate my insights into my worldview. I do believe that a meditation practice can also help you move along more quickly through the difficult stages.

​Vipassana Challenges
If you find yourself experiencing vipassana insights, you’re bound to find yourself on somewhat of a mood roller coaster. There are highs related to uncovering insights that reduce suffering and lows related to realizing how delusions have caused suffering in yourself and others. Overall, despite the challenges, vipassana results in a greater understanding of yourself and the world.

• Ingram, Daniel. (2018). Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book – Revised and Expanded Edition. Aeon Books.
• Sayadaw, M. (1994). The progress of insight: a treatise on satipatthana meditation. Buddhist Publication Society.
• ​Sayadaw, M. (2016). Manual of insight. Simon and Schuster.
• Vipassana Dhurs Meditation Society. (n.d.) Retrieved 6/21/2024 from  https://www.vipassanadhura.com/
• Wikipedia. (n.d.). Vipassanā-ñāṇa. Retrieved 6/21/2024 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassan%C4%81-%C3%B1%C4%81%E1%B9%87a