There are a lot of mysteries that lie in the practice of meditation, and everyone’s experience can be so different and meditation to a large decree can be subjective. Now, while many experience similar benefits with meditation, it leads some to wonder whether meditation can change their personality.
There really isn’t a binary yes or no answer, because you may change your personality without realizing it. But what remains true is that by meditating for the long haul, you decrease your anxiety to the point where, many times, it no longer affects your life to the same degree it did before.
If becoming a calmer, less reactive, and a more solution-oriented person would be considered a change in personality, then yes, meditation can change your personality. But for those already possessing these traits, they are more likely to amplify, as these are traits that come a long way in becoming the best version of yourself.
Table of Contents
Changing Your Personality Through Decreased Anxiety With Meditation
You may not realize how much your anxiety and fear have shaped your personality until you take a step back and trace the source.
Maybe there are undealt traumas or repressed memories built up throughout the years, causing the anxiety, which in turn, subconsciously makes you act a different way had the anxiety not been part of your life.
Both anxiety and fear, although necessary instincts that have been present throughout our evolution, can many times present themselves as roadblocks in our journey to become the best versions of ourselves.
It’s common for anxiety to get in the way when we are leaving the comfort zone and experiencing some pain, because it’s in the best interest of the mind for you to stay within the borders of what’s comfortable, and the mind will often do an outstanding job at convincing you to stay at the same place.
When you push through that, you are reshaping the part of your personality that gives in to the pressure of anxiety or fear, and upon overcoming it, it can also reflect externally where someone that would’ve sparked anxiety in you no longer has the same control over you they once had.
So in a sense, you become free from a part of yourself, and thus, it translates to a freer, more expressive day-to-day life.
Extroversion vs. Introversion
People tend to be categorized into either extrovert or introvert, but it isn’t as binary as many would think, because as an introvert, you can still have extrovert traits that might’ve been repressed by the mind to protect you from judgment.
So by meditating, there’s a chance you give room for the extroverted traits within you to express themselves, ultimately defining who you really are as opposed to who you think you are.
The trace of extrovert that already was in you will amplify and you might feel like a missing piece starts falling into place, and you don’t need to abandon your introverted nature if you are an introvert or feel more comfortable being an introvert.
Similarly, you might be an extrovert with introvert traits, and thus, you start becoming more reserved, as meditation is a way to find yourself and grow into the personality that more resonates with you.
There might be subconscious preconceived notions you have about either personality that will often clear through meditation, because you start understanding the bigger picture, in the sense that personalities aren’t necessarily something to be attached to, add labels to, or judge.
Past vs. Present Personality
The personality you’ve built up until this point could stem from the past, but because you can’t control your past, the past could have shaped you in a way without you knowing while thinking it’s always been a part of you.
But with meditation, you gradually start abandoning the past to start living in the present moment instead, since it’s the present you have and the past no longer exists, as hard as it is for many to come to terms with.
The past provides comfort, but meditation doesn’t push you to comfort, it pushes you to greatness, which often becomes more comfortable the more you come to terms with it. Once you find comfort in the present, staying in the present and basing your personality on the present becomes easier.
If you come to terms with your present self, you might find out that your present is a completely different person from your past once you start seeing yourself through a third-person lens, without repressing any thoughts, be they negative or positive but take everything as it comes.
Building Your Personality
If there are parts of your personality in the present you have a hard time coming to terms with, because it happens to be an undesirable personality trait, the sooner you come to terms with it, the easier it will be to change it with meditation.
It’s a paradigm shift to go from repressing a personality to shaping a personality, but it all starts with acceptance of yourself and self-love. Self-love can be practiced in many ways, and meditation teaches us to love ourselves over time.
One way to practice self-love, in relation to building your personality and meditation, is to start adapting traits of the ideal version of you that already has everything you want to achieve, a self you picture in your mind vividly and bring to the present. Visualization is a powerful exercise, and it’s why many meditations are focused on visualizing.
Some combine visualizations and affirmations with meditation, and you may not realize who you want to become until you start finding yourself. Meditation allows you to find your true self and based on that, create an image of the type of person you want to become.
The best version of yourself is many times gonna be shaped by you and what you want that personality to be, then adopting that personality but not attaching yourself to that personality, since changing personalities and then growing past certain personalities we adopt is part of our journey towards greatness and expanding our concept of greatness.
The scope of your concept of a desirable personality can expand the more you achieve what lines up with who you want to become and the more you see it play out in real-time, as it serves as a receipt that you’re moving in the right direction and already becoming your best version and past your best version, which becomes more evident the more you grow spiritually as a result of meditation.
You Are Not Your Personality
You are not your thoughts or feelings either, and some may feel mixed knowing this because the idea of attaching our identity to a personality that’s worthy of admiration is tempting, but you may find yourself growing to see a certain personality that you now look up to with different eyes, later down the road.
With meditation, you are constantly evolving and your goals may change. However, you may also amplify your existing personality since meditation is a journey inwards.
Now, on the flip side, this can be liberating, knowing that with meditation, you just are, and learn to become more accepting of the personality you are shaped with, while fully knowing that if there’s something that doesn’t serve you, you can always let go off.
Final Thoughts
There are several ways meditation can change your personality, and it’s often for the better and will many times result in a more calm and accepting part of you that’s open to change.
Openness to change liberates many who fear change, because while it may mean some discomfort, it also means becoming someone you can be comfortable with, in your own skin.
And instead of looking at yourself from a judgmental perspective, you allow yourself to be, which often translates externally into allowing others to be who they are.
The potential changes of personality you experience with meditation will often work in your favor and many times allow you to pursue your purpose without the burden of stress, fear, or anxiety, which for many would be liberating.