Makyō

The Zen term makyo (魔境, makyō), is defined as being the combination of Ma which means devil and kyo which means the objective world. It refers to the hallucinations and perceptual distortions that arise during the course of meditation and can be mistaken by the practitioner as "seeing the true nature" or kensho. Zen masters warn their meditating students to ignore makyo-sensory distortions.

The contemplative literature contains numerous descriptions of the perceptual distortion produced by meditation. It is characterized in some schools as "going to the movies," a sign of spiritual intensity but a phenomenon that is regarded to be distinctly inferior to the clear insight of settled practice. In some Hindu schools it is regarded as a product of the sukshma sharira, or "experience body," in its unstable state, and in that respect is seen to be another form of maya, which is the illusory nature of the world as apprehended by ordinary consciousness.

External links

• Institute of Noetic Sciences
• Zen Dictionary