zen sickness

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I saw someone post in a mediation sub about getting “zen sickness”. He described being in a meditative state and suddenly feeling emptiness that led to a long period of extreme anxiety and eventually a numbness of emotion.

Reading about “Zen Sickness” : r/Buddhism 2026
I was reading that the Zen monk Hakuin suffered a debilitating condition called zen sickness before his enlightenment. This seem to be a direct result of his practice.

What is zen sickness? 2026