user4748: According to the gentleman in this video ...

Enlightenment, DP/DR & Falling Into the Pit of the Void ~ Shinzen Young
Shinzen talks about the empowering facets of enlightenment and compares this to "enlightenments evil twin" DP/DR. He talks about the rare occasions that he's encountered a meditator moving in the direction of DP/DR and the strategy he used to "cure" it using mindfulness methods.

... the phenomenon of "depersonalization" is described in the Pali Canon. Could anyone provide the source(s) of this?
As a secondary question- could anyone share their personal experience with/knowledge of depersonalization occurring as a result of meditation?
Thank you

user254: It's hard to be sure what he's talking about, because obviously the Pali canon doesn't use the modern definition of DP/DR.
In the video he says a few things to describe what he's talking about:

That it's "DP/DR"
That it's very rare (so very rare that it shouldn't be used as a reason for not meditating)
That whereas enlightenment is liberating and makes your life bigger or fear-free, the "Falling into the Pit of the Void" experience/phenomenon that he's talking is the exact opposite of that
That it might even be the same (the usual) realization (of emptiness) as enlightenment/liberation, however in these (allegedly rare) cases the person reacts to it differently
That he (as a teacher) treats it by saying to such a student, "That's good! Now that you know emptiness you can rebuild yourself better than before" and then (like a physiotherapist would with an injured person) forces them to exercise (e.g. to concentrate on positive virtues)
He uses the word "nihilism"

I suspect that the description in the Pali canon (of derealization if not of depersonalization) might be of bhanga, see for example the descriptions in this answer.
I find it difficult to think of any place in the suttas where the results of meditation are described as pathological -- but one place might be the Vesali Sutta (which might be a description of nihlism).

The video doesn't say so but I wonder whether pathology/disorder might be understood as some imbalance (see for example, Balancing the spiritual faculties).

On the subject of "mindfulness" as a possible antidote, according to modern psychology "feelings of unreality (depersonalization or derealization)" can be among the symptoms of "panic disorder" and "acute stress reaction" ... and (to some extent Westernized) "mindfulness based stress reduction programs" is one of the clinical techniques that psychological therapists use to help to treat that.

user12677: Many practitioners experience some kind of "terror".  This would be a good sign of advancement in ones development.  The Dhamma teaches 'no self' for the development of 'right view'.  
When ever personal identity is undermined in some way there is inevitably a sense of threat.  When the aggregates-of-clinging are seen as 'not self' this may bring up this sense of threat.  Confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and community of practitioners will steady such a sense. 
Fun can be had with this kind of 'terror'.  For example walking backwards over a sidewalk kerb, into the camber of a (quiet!) street, with one's eyes closed, so as to deliberately set-up an 'unexpected' shock, could be one way of 'investigating' such a sense of terror in nearly perfect safety.  Such a procedure could be repeated as often as required to render this experience as 'nothing special': an improved sense of self confidence may even result. 
(As a secondary question -- I'd be happy to read or chat with anyone who could share their personal experience with/knowledge of depersonalization occurring as a result of meditation.)

4748: <p>According to the gentleman in this video ...</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zIKQCwDXsA" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Enlightenment, DP/DR &amp; Falling Into the Pit of the Void ~ Shinzen Young</a></p>
<p>Shinzen talks about the empowering facets of enlightenment and compares this to &quot;enlightenments evil twin&quot; DP/DR. He talks about the rare occasions that he's encountered a meditator moving in the direction of DP/DR and the strategy he used to &quot;cure&quot; it using mindfulness methods.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>... the phenomenon of &quot;depersonalization&quot; is described in the Pali Canon. Could anyone provide the source(s) of this?</p>
<p>As a secondary question- could anyone share their personal experience with/knowledge of depersonalization occurring as a result of meditation?</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
 254: <p>It's hard to be sure what he's talking about, because obviously the Pali canon doesn't use the modern definition of DP/DR.</p>

<p>In the video he says a few things to describe what he's talking about:</p>

<ul>
<li>That it's "DP/DR"</li>
<li>That it's very rare (so very rare that it shouldn't be used as a reason for not meditating)</li>
<li>That whereas enlightenment is liberating and makes your life bigger or fear-free, the "Falling into the Pit of the Void" experience/phenomenon that he's talking is the exact opposite of that</li>
<li>That it might even be the same (the usual) realization (of emptiness) as enlightenment/liberation, however in these (allegedly rare) cases the person reacts to it differently</li>
<li>That he (as a teacher) treats it by saying to such a student, "That's good! Now that you know emptiness you can rebuild yourself better than before" and then (like a physiotherapist would with an injured person) forces them to exercise (e.g. to concentrate on positive virtues)</li>
<li>He uses the word "nihilism"</li>
</ul>

<p>I suspect that the description in the Pali canon (of derealization if not of depersonalization) might be of <em><a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/search?q=bhanga">bhanga</a></em>, see for example <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/3304/254">the descriptions in this answer</a>.</p>

<p>I find it difficult to think of any place in the suttas where the results of meditation are described as pathological -- but one place might be the <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/3858/254">Vesali Sutta</a> (which might be a description of nihlism).</p>

<hr>

<p>The video doesn't say so but I wonder whether pathology/disorder might be understood as some <em>imbalance</em> (see for example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indriya#Balancing_the_spiritual_faculties" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Balancing the spiritual faculties</a>).</p>

<hr>

<p>On the subject of "mindfulness" as a possible antidote, according to modern psychology "feelings of unreality (depersonalization or derealization)" can be among the symptoms of "panic disorder" and "acute stress reaction" ... and (to some extent Westernized) "mindfulness based stress reduction programs" is one of the clinical techniques that psychological therapists use to help to treat that.</p>
 12677: <p>Many practitioners experience some kind of "terror".  This would be a good sign of advancement in ones development.  The Dhamma teaches 'no self' for the development of 'right view'.  </p>

<p>When ever personal identity is undermined in some way there is inevitably a sense of threat.  When the aggregates-of-clinging are seen as 'not self' this may bring up this sense of threat.  Confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and community of practitioners will steady such a sense. </p>

<p>Fun can be had with this kind of 'terror'.  For example walking backwards over a sidewalk kerb, into the camber of a (quiet!) street, with one's eyes closed, so as to deliberately set-up an 'unexpected' shock, could be one way of 'investigating' such a sense of terror in nearly perfect safety.  Such a procedure could be repeated as often as required to render this experience as 'nothing special': an improved sense of self confidence may even result. </p>

<p>(As a secondary question -- I'd be happy to read or chat with anyone who could share their personal experience with/knowledge of depersonalization occurring as a result of meditation.)</p>
