Many people that are going through a spiritual awakening feel the need to seclude themselves more from the world as they go through the internal looking process. As we go within to cast off what is false within our minds so Truth can be known, through the process of meditation/self-inquiry, the mind moves into a natural momentum of digesting itself. This process becomes like a vacuum, and we are pulled deeper into our minds so the unconscious layers can be seen through and fall away.
Many of us will feel the need to shut out the world because to keep our minds focused too much on the world pulls it out of this digestion process by causing too much thinking about mundane things. Too much thinking about mundane things can make it harder to focus internally on our attachments especially in the beginning of our practice. We feel as though if we can pull ourselves out of the world temporarily, we can move further away from the storm of thoughts that the everyday world creates. This seclusion can help the mind see itself more clearly and the digestion process of awakening becomes more efficient. It is natural for us to want to shut out the world so we can gain more of an internal focus.
Some enlightened teachers of the past, such as Buddha and Ramana Maharshi, secluded themselves before their awakening. It is very normal to feel pulled into seclusion, especially at the beginning of this process.
The mind is normally externally focused on the world. The world is very entertaining and seductive, and it draws the mind out into it. Out of habit, we continually allow the mind to be pulled outward. But this is what keeps the mind asleep to Truth. To begin waking up, you need to go within. The Truth is in you, not outside of you.
You can find teachers in the world that can help point you to the full nondual Truth, but you must go inward for the mind to begin the digestion process. The longer you go with your meditation practice, you will eventually become so good at meditating, and it will become such a reflex that you will be able to move in the world and meditate at the same time. Moving meditation can clear a lot more stagnant energy than just sitting meditation can. Several years into my practice, I was meditating while talking to people. I was meditating all day long. I was even meditating while working and while sleeping.
When you are only sitting still while meditating alone, you are not facing things in the world that might trigger your attachments, things like other people or situations that can stir those mental and emotional attachments up. It is good to meditate both alone and while moving through the world, so more of what is in the mind and emotional body can fall away. Then Light of Truth has more of a chance to make an appearance.
I recommend allowing yourself to be pulled into seclusion for a time in the beginning if you feel drawn to doing that. Honor those feelings of needing to shut the world out for a time. This can help thoughts slow down, so your focus grows more pointed, and the digestion process becomes more efficient.
This leads me to a very important point. There is a common misconception about meditation. It is a misconception about what the purpose of meditation is. Many think the purpose of meditation is to rid yourself of thought.
The purpose is of meditation is not to get rid of thoughts. The purpose is to see through thoughts so they can naturally clear. If you try to force thoughts away, that is suppression. Thoughts that are not dealt with will always come back later. I wrote more about this misconception here: https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-when-you-stop-thinking-in-meditation/answer/Amy-Bergh-1
I feel it is very important for those who are serious seekers to not only do sitting meditation but also to eventually do moving meditation, so deeper clearings can take place. You can have very rapid clearings while moving through life and meditating at the same time. I recently created a guide with a simple exercise on how to help yourself clear these stuck mental and emotional energies: https://zeropointshamanism.com/product/guide-to-clearing-stuck-energy/ That exercise is best started while sitting but it can later be used while moving through life as well. If done regularly, that exercise can become a reflex, and you will begin to do it without thinking about it.
Seclusion or turning away from the world temporarily is a natural part of the spiritual waking up process for most of us. Especially at the beginning of our journey. But as more of the mental and emotional conditioning moves out and you find more space opening up in the mind, allow yourself to venture out of seclusion more so that you can clear some of the mental attachments you might face in life that you would never face while being alone or only doing sitting meditation. This will help the Light blow the final dark remnants out, so you can finally live in full Union with Truth.
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