Vipassana Experience Report

Three weeks ago, I attended my first Vipassana Island meditation weekend. I had heard about it from a friend who had participated a few months earlier. When I picked him up afterward, he had a very happy smile on his face, and I could sense a deep peace and silence within him. When I met him again shortly after, he told me that this inner state continued to support him in daily life. That made me so curious (and a little envious) that I signed up at the next opportunity. I wanted to find out what would happen if I spent an entire weekend alone with myself on an “island.”

The “island” consists of a chair, a meditation cushion, a mattress, a blanket, and a pillow. Together with about 20 others and the spiritual teacher John David, I spent the entire weekend with my eyes covered, meditating alone on my “island” — no phone, no book, no music, no distractions. It was an intense journey into myself, which I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. In addition to the energetic support of the group and the teacher, there was a loving team of helpers who were there for us around the clock. They brought us meals and drinks regularly and even accompanied us to the bathroom so we could keep the blindfold on — a great support for the meditation.

I had high expectations for the weekend, and so I was initially quite disappointed when, during the first hours, a massive storm of thoughts arose. After some time, I felt completely exhausted. Then, gradually, the stream of thoughts began to weaken. Gaps opened up, and I could observe how certain thoughts repeated themselves over and over again. Some returned again and again, and I recognized that these thoughts were the foundation for some of my behavioral patterns… Then emotions arose, followed by various body sensations, even pain and memories… It’s amazing what goes on inside when there are no external stimuli!

Over time, a deep silence began to spread within me — gently and steadily growing. And within this deep silence, a feeling of love began to unfold, tender and sweet. A sense of peace and joy joined in, with a special quality I had never experienced before… I lost all sense of time…
One vivid memory is the moment I took off my blindfold at the end. I was deeply touched and felt so still and content that I didn’t want to speak at all.

Each person’s experience and journey that weekend was completely individual and unique, but by the end, we had all arrived in a place of deep silence.
For me, this weekend on my own little “island” was like a great, loving wave that pulled me deep into myself.
It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know myself more honestly and intimately and to better understand how my mind and body work.

I experienced firsthand that thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and even pain come and go — they are only temporary.
There is something else within me that remains still throughout all of it, untouched — full of peace, love, and joy.
This “something” often seems small and vulnerable and gets lost easily in the busyness of daily life, leaving me feeling disconnected from it.

I already knew this intellectually, but this direct experience deepened that knowing.
My awareness is now clearer, and the longing to stay connected to this wonderful, beautiful presence — which is who I truly am — has grown stronger.
This deep and intimate encounter with myself during the Vipassana Island weekend left me with a great sense of gratitude and a quiet smile that I still feel inside.

Anna Moore, June 2019