|
05 march 2026
The Uninterestingness of Meditation
Philosophy
Olga Sharipova
When people start meditating, they almost always expect something unusual.
Light. Movements of energies. Insights. It all seems so inspiring.
But one of the most honest things that can be said about meditation is that it is boring and uninteresting.
And precisely in this boredom, practice begins.
In everyday life, our mind is always busy with something. It is always in process: sometimes a detective, sometimes a commentator, sometimes a bored philosopher. But the activity continues constantly.
Therefore, when a person sits down to meditate, the first thing that happens is that the mind, out of habit, begins to produce content. Thoughts. Fantasies. Memories. Plans.
This can be reinforced by bodily sensations. Tingling. Warmth. Numbness.
Sometimes colorful visions unfold before us. Many take this as a sign of successful practice. But, alas, these are just reactions of the mind and body. Nothing more.
If you continue to "sit," sooner or later another stage arrives. Boredom.
Nothing special happens. No revelations. No experiences.
Just breathing. And observation.
And at this moment, it feels like meditation isn't working.
But it only seems that way.
Boredom is not a glitch in the practice. It is the moment when it becomes visible how the mind is structured. How dependent it is on stimuli. And how unusual it is for it to just be.
Gradually, another small shift occurs.
The mind stops producing. It no longer needs to entertain itself.
And the separation dissolves. The observer. And the observed.
Only simple presence remains.
This is where it becomes clear why meditation seems uninteresting.
Because it dissolves everything that the mind is used to entertaining itself with. Thoughts. Stories. Experiences.
There is exactly what there is.
Simple? Yes.
But the most difficult thing in meditation is its simplicity.
Beginners are taught to realize three points before practice:
I am nobody.
I want nothing.
I do nothing.
Read these lines again.
It's all so simple and so complex.
Just to be.
After all, meditation is a state. Not a result.
Light. Movements of energies. Insights. It all seems so inspiring.
But one of the most honest things that can be said about meditation is that it is boring and uninteresting.
And precisely in this boredom, practice begins.
In everyday life, our mind is always busy with something. It is always in process: sometimes a detective, sometimes a commentator, sometimes a bored philosopher. But the activity continues constantly.
Therefore, when a person sits down to meditate, the first thing that happens is that the mind, out of habit, begins to produce content. Thoughts. Fantasies. Memories. Plans.
This can be reinforced by bodily sensations. Tingling. Warmth. Numbness.
Sometimes colorful visions unfold before us. Many take this as a sign of successful practice. But, alas, these are just reactions of the mind and body. Nothing more.
If you continue to "sit," sooner or later another stage arrives. Boredom.
Nothing special happens. No revelations. No experiences.
Just breathing. And observation.
And at this moment, it feels like meditation isn't working.
But it only seems that way.
Boredom is not a glitch in the practice. It is the moment when it becomes visible how the mind is structured. How dependent it is on stimuli. And how unusual it is for it to just be.
Gradually, another small shift occurs.
The mind stops producing. It no longer needs to entertain itself.
And the separation dissolves. The observer. And the observed.
Only simple presence remains.
This is where it becomes clear why meditation seems uninteresting.
Because it dissolves everything that the mind is used to entertaining itself with. Thoughts. Stories. Experiences.
There is exactly what there is.
Simple? Yes.
But the most difficult thing in meditation is its simplicity.
Beginners are taught to realize three points before practice:
I am nobody.
I want nothing.
I do nothing.
Read these lines again.
It's all so simple and so complex.
Just to be.
After all, meditation is a state. Not a result.
All rights reserved, Return © 2026
