10 Weird Things People Often Experience in Meditation That Are Normal, Healthy, and Expected

1. Gravity playing tricks on us

For some people, deep relaxation may be accompanied by either feeling like they are about to fall through the ground or, on the opposite, to levitate. No one actually levitates - it is just a feeling.

2. Tears or laughing, especially after meditation

Emotional release is part of the body's de-stressing. We feel lighter and years younger, as if heavy burdens were lifted from our shoulders.

3. Time becomes funky, and either runs too slow or too fast. Our internal clock says we have been meditating for 2 minutes; the actual clock shows 10. Or vice versa.

4. Falling asleep. Perfectly healthy, nothing to worry about.

5. Remembering something difficult from the past.
As our bodies get rid of tension, we remember what we were tense about. This might be scary, but it is normal for the mind to learn from past experiences, rebalance itself, and make sure we do things differently next time. Note: certain meditation approaches may be contraindicated for people who have severe unhealed emotional trauma from the past.

6. Being flooded with light, seeing streams of colors, fractals, or sacred geometry. Some people see spirit guides, angels, etc. Some of us are psychic and do not know about it. Not crazy - normal.

7. Thinking about your to-do list or planning the future (writing an email, planning a vacation, rehearsing a conversation). The biggest myth of meditation is that thoughts are somehow a problem and should be actively exiled. That's not particularly useful and will mostly lead to the sense of straining and fighting yourself.

The source of these thoughts, your brain, has about 86 billion neurons that form 100 trillion connections. We can witness only the minuscule amount of brain activity we call "thoughts." We have thoughts in meditation because our mind rehearses certain actions it considers important in a relaxed state. This way, in the future, the actions we take in the outside world will be permeated with this sense of calm and equanimity. In brief, if you want to act in a Zen-like way, allow your brain to rehearse your actions while IN THAT STATE.

8. Hearing a hum or any sounds that sound harmonious and ethereal. Many people naturally find the Aum mantra resonating in their being, even if they have never heard of it.

9. Feeling tired after meditation and wanting to crawl under a blanket and sleep. When we are low on rest, our body might be running on cortisol and adrenaline so we don't feel fatigued. In meditation, the stress hormones are washed away, exposing the deficit of rest underneath. Then we can get to the rest we need instead of being tired and wired and not able to shift into relaxation.

10. Feeling love towards someone or something - your family, pets, job, Nature, God. The heart starts singing in meditation. This attunement to what we treasure keeps us aligned with what matters the most.