I may be going on a 10-day silent meditation (Vipassana) retreat soon enough. Any have first or second-hand experience of meditation retreats or generally, extended meditation?
More generally, anything to share on the topic of meditation?
I’ve done a couple sesshin (Zen retreats, specifically Sōtō school) years ago. It’d differ from the Vipassana method, we alternated zazen (sitting) with other meditations, usually walking meditation but also manual labour, mindful art or even gardening.
It was always hard going, at first. It took a couple days to settle into the routine, and also to get used to the stillness. Some of the practice, especially early on, is similar to Vipassana, mindfulness of breath etc, but most of it was shikantaza which is supposed to be free of any focus, including breath. Sōtō Zen doesn’t really go in for the koan stuff in a big way.
One question would be, if you already meditate? Sesshin weren’t really for beginners, it could be quite unsettling for a newb. I’d been practicing lay Zen for 5 years before I went on my first one.
Yes, for a few months now. My longest session was one hour.
How was is unsettling for newbies?
Expect to babble like a maniac in your first conversation once you get out. 
Even a little awareness can be unsettling. I mean, not full-on “Kundalini Syndrome” unsettling, just - a strange place full of strangers is not always the best place to have deep insights into your own self or the nature of the universe, all in one go. And some of the side effects of really deep meditation are physically intimidating, too, a little like a drug trip.
Meltdowns and mania?
Specifically, psychedelics?
I spent a week at a retreat center, but it was an individual silent retreat, so the amount of time I spent in sitting meditation was up to me. I’m not permitted to cross my legs or sit for long periods (risk of DVT), so this was ideal in that regard. However, I did feel the lack of sangha.
Or depression and withdrawal
Somewhat, but also like psychoactive drugs - some overtly physical effects like elevated heart rate, euphoria, nausea, also synaesthesia and increased sensitivity to sensory input were all ones I was told about.
Personally, I just got euphoric episodes similar to amyl nitrate intake but not as intense - probably down to hyperpnea during walking meditation. The only negative effect I ever experienced was overwhelming tiredness - but Zen has a cure for that.
Six or seven years ago, I did the exact same thing: A ten-day Vipassana retreat.
I went into it as a complete noob, having never meditated before. It was tough, but I wouldn’t say “unsettling.” I never freaked out or panicked or anything like that. Just be ready to have your sleeping habits and your eating habits temporarily suspended, and in all likelihood you’ll be fine.
I did not continue with the practice upon returning to “civilian life,” though I have recently taken up (non-Vipassana) meditation, giving it about twenty minutes every day.
Can’t be worse than bootcamp : )
Which kind?
20 minutes keep coming back as a good amount of time. I get the impression that this is because it takes about 10 minutes for the mind to settle and then you start getting into it properly. The first 10 minutes is a warm up, what follows is the exercise proper. Is this so?
That sounds an awful lot like psychedelics, especially MDMA.
Doing that Headspace thing - actually not sure what kind(s) of meditation that counts as?
IIRC it starts out with ten-minute sessions and then later on you can choose to either stay at ten minutes, or else go up to either fifteen or twenty minutes per session. (I’m at twenty minutes per day.)
There’s a fair bit of “gameification” at play - it keeps track of how many days you’ve managed in a row, and after fifteen days in a row you get a bonus, etc. There are also plenty of different “series” and “packs” depending on what, specifically, it is that you are trying to work on, or achieve.
I’m sure it differs wildly from person to person. I have long stretches of time where I have an extremely hard time getting anywhere near a state of pure concentration free of all distraction, i.e. where even the full twenty minutes doesn’t seem enough to even get started. But I keep at it. My hope is that, in the long run, it’ll be keeping up with the daily habit that’ll matter, rather than any one “perfect” twenty-minute stretch.
I generally think of E as a euphoriant and empathogen way before I consider it a psychedelic.
I’ve been on several shorter meditation retreats, which were intense enough. Because you may become more open, less-protected, and more sensitive to stimuli, it would be a good idea to have a quiet schedule and time in nature afterwards.
Some of my yoga instructors have gone on silent retreats. One said that they met with a spiritual guide each day, one-on-one, and they were allowed to talk to their guide for a little while. She said that it helped to know that the conversation was coming and probably helped to avoid the whole “babbling for an hour” thing once they all left. She also said that after a few days of not speaking (and, more likely, a few days of solid meditation), everybody looked years younger.
Nice idea, Tapiotar.