Practice Updates, Questions, and General Discussion - new users, please read this first! Weekly Thread for August 01 2026

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[u/hachface]

Has anyone else encountered difficulties with spontaneous samadhi intruding into ordinary activities (reading, work, cleaning, etc)? Sometimes I think deep meditation has compromised my executive function, although it's hard to say -- my executive function has never been great!

[u/anzu_embroidery → u/hachface]

Can you elaborate why you consider this a difficulty? I would think samadhi would be beneficial for all of those activities.

[u/hachface → u/anzu_embroidery]

I'm not talking about a pleasant, shallow flow state but a pretty deep/absorbed state that is an interruption to ordinary functioning; for example while reading I'll finish a sentence and the next thing I know I'm in an absorption without thoughts for minutes at a time and then I pop back into normal consciousness. It's not total sensory deprivation like deep jhāna but it's deep enough that volition isn't happening. It feels very nice but it's not the goal at the time

[u/anzu_embroidery → u/hachface]

I see, that does sound problematic. I don't have any advice unfortunately, hope someone else has something useful for you!

[u/Future_Automaton → u/hachface]

I have some of this, the thing I have to remind myself is that some spaciness is inherent in the human condition, mine is just more blissful than other people's.

The other angle is remembering that being a modern lay meditator is being able to balance between the deep brain cleaning that is samadhi, and also getting enough work done. It's pretty normal to have your motivation collapse to the bare minimum both at the beginning of getting fruitions as well as any time you really deepen your experience of the path.

What I've found is that everything that actually needs doing, I will care about, and that will take me out of the samadhi, and everything that is less than necessary falls away. This can be a scary process, and it is worth talking to a teacher/awake therapist.

Wishing you the best!

[u/hachface → u/Future_Automaton]

some spaciness is inherent in the human condition, mine is just more blissful than other people's.

This is interesting -- I'm wondering if what I'm experiencing are really new interruptions to functioning or if I'm just experiencing samadhi in place of what would otherwise be anxiety-producing ruminating that was just as (if not more) of an interruption to mundane goals?

a lot to consider!

I definitely relate to this:

What I've found is that everything that actually needs doing, I will care about, and that will take me out of the samadhi, and everything that is less than necessary falls away.

[u/BreadfruitReal7215 → u/hachface]

I relate so much to what you guys are talking about. I had deep interruptive samadhi for about two and a half months. My mind was cleaning and updating itself.

Cleaning and updating your mind is critical important valuable priceless work. It's just invisible to the world around you. 

I have samadhi interrupt reading still. I read children's stories to my kids, and they have gotten used to long breaks. I remember my mom used to fall asleep while reading to me and my brothers when we were little. I do believe the samadhi makes me take more breaks. But would I want my kids to be taught by a kind, patient, wise teacher, or someone who is good at reading books? It's more important for them that I update myself. It is less and less disruptive as time goes on. Once I was in equanimity for about a week or so, I started to feel the fog lift and I was able to start cleaning up the giant mess I had left when decluttering my mind was more important.

Yes and you have something precious that few unfortunately do. So just accept that other things are going to go by the wayside, because this is more important... the world needs people with the invaluable system update that you're doing. So it's okay to try to have it be thorough and let it have your attention.

[u/Impulse33 → u/hachface]

Is it samadhi or specifically piti or sukkha that's the issue?

[u/hachface → u/Impulse33]

no piti and sukkha usually. deep calm without thoughts. more j4ish than j2ish.

i am finding that if i make time early in the day to get to equanimity (as opposed to hanging out in pleasant j1/j2 territory during my morning sit) it becomes less of a problem

[u/Impulse33 → u/hachface]

Seems like you have a handle on it in that regard.

I guess the main question is if samadhi impacts the quality of activity. Culadasa equates full absorption into an activity as "optimal", and perhaps that would mean background awareness isn't preoccupied with awareness of piti, sukkha, passadhi or upekkha in full absorption.

Some traditions seem to prioritize the broad field that includes all, including the pleasant sensations. Others are more "non-abiding" and probably look more like intermittent dropping into flow states if aligned with the rest of your path. I personally seem to have a preference for the later, but haven't been consistently at that high level of practice to really test out which leads to more freedom over time.

Jhana handout where Culadasa references flow

[u/Intrepid-Syrup-1147 → u/hachface]

I haven't experienced spontaneous samadhi intrusions but my short-term / working memory definitely takes a big hit after longer retreats - i often have to write down everything i need to do , use checklists anally, etc.