A powerful prophetic experience often leaves a lasting mark, not just on the mind, but on the physical body as well. Following a deeply unsettling vision, Daniel experiences a severe emotional breakdown. He is overcome with weakness and physical suffering [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This illness is rooted in intense anxiety, panic, and deep sorrow over the future disasters revealed to him [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Offering a different perspective on his collapse, another approach suggests that during the vision, Daniel's intellect completely overpowered his physical form, leaving his body entirely exhausted [יוסף אבן יחיא].
Despite this severe crisis, Daniel eventually recovers from his sickness and returns to his regular government duties under the rule of Belshazzar, a position he was originally appointed to during the days of Nebuchadnezzar [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This return to royal service may be connected to a specific historical event later that same year, when Daniel was summoned to solve the mystery of the writing on the wall for the king [מלבי״ם].
Even as he resumes his daily routine, the experience refuses to let him go. Daniel remains stunned and panicked by what he saw [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. This ongoing state of shock stems from the fact that the portion of the vision regarding the end of days was left unexplained by the angel [יוסף אבן יחיא]. Alternatively, his amazement comes from watching the vision immediately begin to unfold into reality right before his eyes with the rise of the Persian Empire [מלבי״ם].
A lingering sense of mystery surrounds the aftermath of the prophecy, leading commentators to explore three distinct ways to understand what remained hidden. The first approach focuses on Daniel's ability to conceal his emotions. According to this view, none of the king's ministers noticed Daniel's inner turmoil because he worked very hard to hide his shock from the outside world [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. A second perspective highlights Daniel's unique wisdom. No one else was capable of grasping the meaning of the unfolding historical events, and it was only through this vision that Daniel alone knew how to interpret the writing on the wall [מלבי״ם]. Finally, a third approach looks at the actual content of the prophecy. The specific details of the vision remained shrouded in mystery because they point to a very distant future [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. As a result, even the greatest scholars of Israel who later tried to decode the secrets of the end times were unable to understand them [יוסף אבן יחיא].