The Experiment: The longest I have ever meditated is 20 minutes. Monks do it for days. I will attempt 4 hours of continuous Zazen (sitting meditation) without moving. No music. No guidance. Just silence.
> THE SETUP
I bought a Zafu cushion. I sat facing a blank white wall. I set a timer for 240 minutes.
This is stupid. I have so much work to do. I mentally planned my grocery list 4 times. I wrote an entire screenplay in my head. Observing thoughts? No, I am drowning in thoughts.
My nose itched. It felt like a spider. I didn't scratch it. The itch intensified until it was the only thing in the universe. Then, suddenly, it vanished. Lesson 1: Problems disappear if you ignore them (sometimes).
My legs fell asleep. Then they woke up screaming. My back felt like it was on fire.
LOWER BACK severity: MODERATE
NECK severity: LOW
The white wall started to breathe. Colors shifted. This is caused by "Sensory Deprivation." My brain, starving for input, started projecting visuals onto the wall.
I stopped feeling my legs. I stopped feeling "me." For about 10 minutes, there were no thoughts. Just pure existence. It was terrifying and peaceful.
> THOUGHT INTRUSION COUNTER
I tried to count how many times I got distracted.
(Estimated. Basically once every second for the first 2 hours).
> THE AFTERMATH
The timer went off. I tried to stand up.
I fell over immediately. My legs were numb. I laughed uncontrollably for 5 minutes. The world seemed "High Definition." Colors were brighter.
> ANALYSIS
4 Hours is unnecessary for relaxation. It is an endurance sport.
However, the mental clarity afterwards lasted for 2 days. The "Volume" of my anxiety was turned down from a 7 to a 2.
> CONCLUSION
If you can sit with yourself for 4 hours, you can handle anything. The hardest person to be stuck in a room with is you.