Mania is connected to deep eastern spiritual practices.

by Yogi

Over a month ago I tweaked a very advanced yogic practice and entered what psychologists would call mania. I now enter that state everyday. The problem with bipolar is people are unaware of what's really going on and thats why they can't control the manic state and go back into a depressive state. Sorry I don't think I should share too much about that because I feel there must be a reason advanced spiritual practices are kept secret. I figure it's because without proper training in meditation or the proper context to view such experiences could result in all kinds of bad news. But if you are interested in that sort of thing you should check out a book called Advanced Yoga Practices. It can also be read free online at www.aypsite.org I studied advanced eastern spirituality for a decade and this book contained everything I learned. Best practical book I've ever read.

Ben's Reply:

I've taken a quick look at the website you mention, and it does seem to contain a lot of good, detailed information. Various traditional schools of yoga have their own variations on some of those practices, but what I've seen there so far looks quite good. I like that the author seems to be very mindful of the risks associated with too much energy being released. My only reservation, is that for some people, the temptation to jump into doing all of these practices without a guide, could put someone into a state that may be overwhelming (such as mania), and then simply reading about what to do on a website might be ineffective to remedy the situation at that point. If you've found balance with your yogic practice and found a way to manage manic (or high energy states) with those methods, I think that's wonderful. But anyone with any history of mania, significant mood swings, or family history of schizophrenia or bipolar/manic-depression, should be exceptionally careful in doing advanced yogic practices. In my opinion, it is best to have the support of a teacher or guide (or trusted Guru) whenever possible.

Thank you for this resource.

Best Wishes,
Ben Schwarcz, MFT