When Practice Isn’t Enough: A Buddhist Look at Panic

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In this episode, I speak directly to a question I’m often asked: what can we do when anxiety or panic takes over? While many people associate Buddhism with calming the mind, the path is far more layered than stress reduction. Sometimes the most skillful response is not meditation but something far more ordinary and tender.

I share my own experience with severe panic attacks—episodes triggered whenever I felt trapped, especially on airplanes. These attacks arrived suddenly and with enormous force, and none of my usual tools helped. Not meditation. Not breath practice. Not even medication or, memorably, tequila. What ultimately made a difference was human connection: one person’s kindness interrupting the spiral of fear.

The turning point came from a United Airlines pilot, Captain Denny, whose simple presence and reassurance steadied me. Later, I learned to ask seatmates for brief conversation during takeoff. Every single time, someone responded with kindness. That small act—letting myself be seen—became my true mantra. Sometimes the most effective practice is to ask another human being to care, even for a moment.

Meditation, I learned, can actually intensify panic, and it’s important to acknowledge that. In moments of terror, the dharma may show up not as a technique but as connection, vulnerability, and shared humanity.

Highlights

• Why Buddhist practice offers more than stress relief
• My experience with claustrophobia-related panic attacks
• The flights where panic overwhelmed every coping strategy
• How Captain Denny’s kindness changed everything
• The healing power of vulnerability for both giver and receiver
• Why meditation can sometimes intensify fear
• The “mantras” that truly helped: someone sees me, someone cares, we’re in this together
• After-party: Yellowman, “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng” and a brief history of the “Diseases” riddim

Thank you for listening, for sharing the podcast with anyone who might benefit, and for being part of this exploration of the dharma. I’ll see you next week.

Music Segment
 “Zungguzungguguzungguzeng,” performed by Yellowman, built on the legendary “Diseases” riddim—an essential thread in reggae’s remix lineage and a showcase of Yellowman’s remarkable presence.

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Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

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