📖 Introduction
Do you feel controlled by anxiety, perfectionism, or obsessive thoughts?
This powerful testimonial from Santa Clara Meditation shares how one person overcame obsessive cleanliness, anxiety, and rigid thinking—and found freedom and a natural way of living through this meditation.
💬 Meditation Testimonial: From OCD to Freedom
By Minseob Kim (University Student, South Korea)
When walking along a main road, I wouldn’t talk.
I wouldn’t sit on the subway.
I wouldn’t hold bus handles.
When opening restroom doors, I wrapped my hands with tissue.
I never drank soda.
I avoided snacks and processed meats.
I ate vegetables every day and took vitamins and supplements without fail.
These were the rules I lived by.
🧩 “The World Is Contaminated” – How My OCD Began
Since elementary school, I had created these rules for myself.
No one taught me this. I don’t even know how it started. But I always felt that the world was “contaminated” and that people lacked proper hygiene.
Out of anxiety, I decided to protect myself.
Even though it was inconvenient, I strictly followed these rules. When I returned home, I kept my outer clothes and gloves outside on the balcony instead of bringing them into my room.
I wanted at least my room to remain perfectly clean.
My family complained, but I didn’t stop.
At school, I thought people were selfish, and in order to survive in this harsh world, protecting my body had to come first. I didn’t care much about others.
🌫️ Living in My Own Distorted World
When I was with friends, I pretended to be normal so I wouldn’t be seen as strange. I lied, acted agreeable, and tried to fit in.
If I had to eat something like a hamburger with friends, I forced myself to eat it. Then when I got home, I would eat twice as many vegetables to “balance it out.”
My daily life was full of dissatisfaction and stress, but I believed I was right.
When I turned 20, my older sister suggested I try this meditation. I went to the main center in Nonsan, thinking I would just take a one-week break.
But that one week changed everything.
🌱 Letting Go Through This Meditation
During that week, I was able to clearly see the 20 years of life I had lived only for myself.
I had been trying so hard to protect my body and control everything, but nothing had truly gone my way.
Because the world didn’t match my expectations, I rejected it—and began to see everything as more dirty, unfair, and wrong than it actually was.
I realized I had been living inside a world created by my own mind—judging everything as clean or dirty, right or wrong.
Looking back, it felt embarrassing that I lived thinking I was the most important, while constantly judging the world.
🌿 Freedom from OCD and a Natural Life
I let go of those minds continuously for a full week.
After just one week of this meditation, the version of me who struggled to be “better than others” was gone. Instead, I realized clearly that I am part of the infinite universe.
At that moment, I felt truly free.
After continuing this meditation, my perspective completely changed.
Now, everything in life feels natural and comfortable—meeting people, eating, dressing, and living.
Sometimes I drink soda, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I eat a hamburger, sometimes I don’t. I simply respond to each situation naturally.
I still maintain basic cleanliness—but I am no longer controlled by it.
🌱 A Life Without Obsession
I wasn’t particularly good at anything, yet I lived trapped in obsessive behavior.
Now, I am free from those limitations.
I feel deeply grateful for this change.
I would also like to sincerely apologize to the people around me who must have felt uncomfortable because of my behavior.
I am truly sorry—and truly thankful.
🌿 Reflect at Santa Clara Meditation
True freedom comes when you are no longer controlled by your thoughts.
Through this meditation, you can:
- Overcome OCD, anxiety, and obsessive thinking
- Let go of rigid beliefs and mental stress
- Live naturally and comfortably
- Find true inner freedom
👉 Begin your journey at Santa Clara Meditation.
