Early, Middle and Late: The Stages of Meditative Insight

We tend to see meditation as a single spiritual practice experienced equally by all. It seems meditators sit, practice their technique, attend retreats and accumulate hours.

What’s missing is the developmental dimension of meditation. This practice unfolds in recognisable developmental stages.

These are not rigid categories, but shifts in identity, perception and relationship to experience. What changes is not just depth of calm — it is the structure of self.