Inquiry content:

Many instructors believe that meditation records should be kept private, but why are you making them publicly available for anyone to see?

(End of question)

I understand that there is an opinion that writing meditation records is meaningful, but they should not be made public.
Thank you for your inquiry.

Nowadays, the internet is widespread, but originally, this website started with no particular purpose, and I mainly wrote travelogues and trivial everyday things. In that sense, I started writing meditation records, and they gradually accumulated.

This is not a website with a large number of visitors, but rather a small, relatively private website. So, while it is publicly available, there is not a particularly significant reason for it. I am more curious about why some people post things on X (Twitter) without any context, and I wonder why they make them publicly available. While meditation has a purpose, many posts on X (Twitter) seem to lack a clear purpose.

Since there was not a significant reason to begin with, if the number of visitors increases and more people start complaining, I might suddenly close it down. However, for now, I am doing it as a hobby. Ultimately, it is a personal hobby website.

Well, there are various reasons to consider, but ultimately, I started it without much thought, simply because it was trendy, and I have continued doing it. However, writing helps me to organize my thoughts, and if it were only a personal record, it would lack objectivity, so I thought that making it public would help maintain objectivity.

Now, I have decided to ask ChatGPT for an objective opinion on this matter.



(ChatGPT) Let's objectively organize the information about this matter.

1. Background and reasons.

There are several reasons why many instructors treat "meditation records" as something to be kept private.

① The nature of internal and subjective experiences.
Meditation is a very personal and internal process. The content written down reflects the individual's mental state and unconscious reactions, and there is a risk of being misunderstood or evaluated by others if shown to them.

② The non-competitive nature of enlightenment and growth.
Meditation practice is not about competing with others, but about the maturation of one's own inner self. Making records public can lead to comparisons with others and self-promotion, which can undermine the pure pursuit of self-discovery.

③ Ensuring psychological safety.
Deep meditation experiences can bring emotions and memories to the surface. If shown to a third party, the content may be misinterpreted, which can cause psychological burden to the instructor and the individual.

2. Merits and Demerits.

▪️Advantages of keeping it private:
- You can focus on self-exploration.
- You are not influenced by external evaluations.
- You can maintain your mental safety.
▪️Advantages of not keeping it private:
- You can receive feedback from instructors.
- You can objectively evaluate the effects of meditation.
- It is easier to establish habits and develop improvement strategies based on records.
▪️Risks of not keeping it private:
- You may be subject to misunderstanding or overestimation by others.
- It is easier for self-promotion and competitiveness to creep in.

3. Objective evaluation.

From the perspective of a third party, the leader's opinion that "meditation records should be kept secret" seems reasonable. The reasons are as follows:
- Meditation is essentially an internal experience and should not be the subject of evaluation by others.
- Complete disclosure is not always desirable in order to maintain psychological safety and the purity of practice.
- However, it can be beneficial to share it selectively only when there is a relationship of trust with the leader.
In other words, "meditation records should basically be kept secret, but it is effective to consult with a trusted leader" is a balanced approach that seems objectively reasonable.

Here is a table that organizes the effects of "keeping meditation records secret" and "sharing them," including psychological and scientific perspectives.

Point of view.	In the case of keeping a secret.	When sharing.
Psychological safety.	It is expensive. It is less affected by external evaluations and misunderstandings.	Slightly low. Self-evaluation tends to fluctuate easily based on the reactions of third parties.
The purity of self-exploration.	It is expensive. It allows you to focus on your inner awareness.	It may be possible for it to decrease. There may be cases where it is related to comparison or self-promotion.
Feedback usefulness.	Limited. Relies on self-judgment.	It is expensive. You can receive improvements and insights from leaders and experienced individuals.
Habituation and improvement.	Self-management is necessary. There is a lack of objective data on habit formation.	Based on the records, specific improvement measures and habits that are easy to establish.
Scientific research and record-keeping purposes.	It is difficult to use as a research material.	It can be utilized for research and data analysis.
The degree of freedom of internal experience.	It is expensive. I can write what I feel.	It is somewhat restricted. Because it is written with the premise of showing something, the expressions may be suppressed.
Risk.	It is low as long as it does not leak externally.	There is a risk of misunderstanding, overestimation, and psychological burden.

Objective summary.

- Keeping something secret is effective in protecting psychological safety and the purity of exploration.
- Sharing something is helpful for feedback, habit formation, and research utilization, but it is susceptible to the influence of self-promotion and comparison.
- The optimal balance is to share only with trusted mentors or within a limited community.



Also, regarding the decision of "whether or not to make meditation records public," there are several other perspectives and frameworks besides the "keep secret/share" perspective mentioned earlier. Let's organize them.

1. From the perspective of public sharing.

◆ Social and Educational Value
- By sharing meditation records on blogs and SNS, it can serve as a reference for learning and awareness for others.
- It can lower the barrier to meditation and contribute to the growth of the community.
- Examples: Meditation-related YouTube channels, journal sharing features on apps.
◆ Community Participation
- By learning about the experiences of others, one's own insights can deepen.
- Instead of comparing oneself to others, one can receive empathy and encouragement.

2. Privacy and self-protection perspectives.

◆ Respect for individual's internal experiences
- Meditation is a personal and spiritual exploration, and the original "selflessness and lack of evaluation" experience may change by showing it to the outside.
- Even when writing it down, by keeping it in a place that is only for oneself (such as paper or local data), one can safely introspect.
◆ Avoiding psychological burden
- By making it public, one may be influenced by reactions such as "likes," evaluations, and comments, which may lower the purity of self-exploration.

3. Scientific and archival use perspectives.

◆ Data Utilization
- If you want to analyze the effects and trends of meditation in the long term, anonymizing and publishing the data can be useful for research and self-analysis.
- Publication may also allow you to receive improvement advice from third parties.
◆ Anonymity vs. Real Name
- Anonymity reduces the risk of personal information exposure.
- Revealing your real name increases transparency and reliability, but it also increases psychological burden and privacy risks.

4. Ethical and cultural perspectives.

- Depending on the school of meditation and its religious background, there may be cases where experiences and records are considered "things to be kept secret."
- There is a risk that making them public may conflict with the school's doctrines and cultural rules.

5. How to maintain balance.

- Partial disclosure: The core experiences are kept secret, only general insights and progress are shared.
- Selective sharing: Only disclosed to trusted communities or mentors.
- Anonymous sharing: Provided safely for research and educational purposes.

▪️ Points

Whether to make something public is not a simple "yes/no" decision, but rather should be determined comprehensively based on:
- Purpose (learning, record-keeping, research, supporting others)
- Psychological safety
- Consideration of culture and ethics
- Individual maturity and autonomy

Furthermore, let's consider the publication or non-publication of meditation records from a different perspective, which is slightly different from the viewpoint of "keeping it secret/sharing it" or psychological/social perspectives. Here are a few examples.

1. Purpose and achievements.

▪️Confirmation of self-growth
- If the purpose is to record the results and changes of meditation, external publication is not essential. Rather, it can be valuable as a personal record.
▪️Influence and education for others
- When publishing for the learning of others, it is necessary to objectively convey the results and experiences. This prioritizes "ease of communication" over the purity of one's inner self.

2. Perspective on the time axis and maturity.

- In the initial stages, focus on internal organization and remain private.
- Once self-understanding deepens, selectively and anonymously disclose information.
- After experience becomes stable, consider full disclosure or educational sharing.
→ This perspective suggests that the degree of disclosure, whether public or private, changes based on the level of meditation proficiency and years of experience.

3. Specificity of Risks and Safety.

▪️Psychological risks
- Publicly disclosing emotions or experiences that one does not yet fully understand may lead to fluctuations in self-evaluation and anxiety.
▪️Social risks
- Depending on the religious or cultural background, public disclosure may lead to misunderstandings or prejudice.
▪️Legal and privacy risks
- Since sharing digitally results in a permanent record, it can be difficult to delete it later.
→ The decision to disclose should be made based on one's "risk tolerance."

4. Balance between internal exploration and outward expression.

▪️Prioritize internal exploration.
- The act of writing itself is a part of meditation. It is not necessarily required to show it to others.
▪️Prioritize outward expression.
- By sharing with others, you can gain empathy and feedback, which accelerates learning.
→ The choice between prioritizing internal exploration or outward expression determines whether or not to make it public.

5. Philosophical and existential perspectives.

- Meditation is "an act of facing oneself."
- By externalizing that experience, there is a possibility that the "purity" of the experience may change.
- Whether to publish or not is also a philosophical choice of "how to position one's own experience."

▪️Summary

When changing perspectives, the decision of whether to make something public or private can be considered in multiple layers, not just "psychological safety" or "feedback from others," as follows:
- The purpose of one's own growth and achievements.
- The maturity and timeline of the experience.
- Risk tolerance (psychological, social, and legal).
- The priority between introspection and outward expression.
- Philosophical and existential values.