Why is it that people are afraid to Meditate?

I have those in my sleep all the time! I never used to have anxiety, and I have been through a LOT in my life. But now, all of a sudden, it's almost uncontrollable, which is partly why I decided to start meditating. There is this woman Bimla who I used to work with...she is from India. She taught me so much about learning to relax and stay calm and that meditation doesn't necessarily have to be for religion, which is what I had always thought before. She used to witness me having the worst panic attacks ever in work...which led to some major health issues and led me to have to stop working there. I kind of associated working there with Panic...but I loved working there! It was the strangest thing, and I totally regret leaving, but I was told by my counselor (yes, even resorted to that) that I was headed to being in a home similar to that of those with mental problems just so that I could relax for a little while. It wasn't that I was crazy or anything of that sort, it was just her concern for me that I would push myself over the limit with stress and continue to cause more health problems...so she was ready to put me somewhere where I would have no choice but to relax. My mom went through this same thing, but hers was a lot more severe...so we kind of believe either it's inherited (my dad has anxiety too) or that it's due to the raging hormones because of my age (hers started this early too).

It really helps when you are trying to go to sleep at night. I think that is the best time to do it.

I've fantasized about going to one of those places before, I've been there! :-) But thankfully it got better, and I know what kind of triggers set me into panic, so I've come a long way. And I've definitely been interested in meditation for some time, maybe I'll pick that up!

I'm not sure that I agree that it is effortless...I think it takes time to learn how to meditate and how to get used to remaining calm and still. For someone with major anxiety issues, that is a tough thing to be able to do. Have you ever tried to sit a kid down after they ate too much candy or drank too much soda? It's not very easy, and I believe the same works for meditation as well. With time, you learn what works and what does not work. And, once you program a certain way to start meditating, your mind kind of remembers it and it becomes easier to start. For example...if you always sit with legs crossed and your index finger and thumb together, and it's always in the same spot, it would be easier for you to meditate than in a new room in a new position...I believe your mind can be "trained" into remember that is where you meditate.

Meditation has been one of the hardest skills that I have tried to accomplish. It takes a lot more energy than I thought. The benefits are wonderful though. I highly recommend it.

I have that same problem sometimes. I have a hard time learning how to go deeper than 5 minutes into a Meditation, partly due to Anxiety and fear of the unknown and partly because I can't sit still that long! So I guess how to explain it would be... Your first meditation does not come easy. It takes a long time to get to that stage of comfort and relaxation. Most people do not want to sit still for that long doing "nothing." Did I hit the nail on the head or what?