[Gilbert RMember]

Given how far out the mind can go on meditation retreats, combined with potentially intense psychological purifications, I would not generally recommend fasting on retreats. Fasting can act like an unknown variable that the mind can perseverate on in an unhealthy manner. Obviously, your mileage may vary. I do think that fasting can be beneficial for some people in some situations.

[Gilbert RMember]

Early on in my meditation career I started out meditating with relatively high levels of caffeine (ie 1-2 cups of coffee). The caffeine appeared to help make the sits more enjoyable and productive. As I progressed with meditation I naturally started tapering over the years. I found myself becoming more sensitive and needing less caffeine. I switched to tea and I liked that for several years. During these years, I did sometimes notice some of the “negative” effects that others have reported.

From what I’ve been able to gather, caffeine is merely an apparent external tool that can help to regulate the energy level of the mind. If one is chronically mentally drained or dull(many people), caffeine appears to help at least temporarily. Naturally there are side effects and crashes to this approach. For those who are actually naturally hyped up (too high energy level of the mind), caffeine actually can serve the opposite function and lead to calming down or even sleepiness. There are side effects and problems with this approach as well. In the long run, it does seem to be best to reduce one’s reliance on an external supports to regulating the energy level of the mind. In the short run, caffeine is sometimes very helpful.

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