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Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

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Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#11

Post by culturalzero »

pinchharmonic wrote: post #6

It helps you be more mindful and detach from the moment to moment undulations of modern life. This can be good and bad. I can meditate anywhere. But usually I sit in half-lotus, slowly easing myself into a blank state. I think about radiating outward. Anywhere from 5-25 mins. Never did a retreat. The problem with meditation is I think that it can release a latent and light form of schizophrenia. Things that society v…

Meditation on the Buddhist tradition is more like 'leaning in' or becoming immersed in your experience. It's certainly not at all about achieving a blank state, or detachment. Not saying there isn't a meditation tradition that works like that, but from a Buddhist/psychology perspective, that sounds more like dissociation..

Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#13

Post by creep »

culturalzero wrote: post #11
pinchharmonic wrote: post #6

It helps you be more mindful and detach from the moment to moment undulations of modern life. This can be good and bad. I can meditate anywhere. But usually I sit in half-lotus, slowly easing myself into a blank state. I think about radiating outward. Anywhere from 5-25 mins. Never did a retreat. The problem with meditation is I think that it can release a latent and light form of schizophrenia. Things that society v…

Meditation on the Buddhist tradition is more like 'leaning in' or becoming immersed in your experience. It's certainly not at all about achieving a blank state, or detachment. Not saying there isn't a meditation tradition that works like that, but from a Buddhist/psychology perspective, that sounds more like dissociation..

It's called void meditation, and is actually part of the buddhist philosophy. There are many different methods for practicing meditation even in buddhism. The goal with meditation in general is to will oneself into any desired mental state. One "practices" meditation to the ends of being able to call that state wherever one happens to be. It is a future-oriented practice, even when doing meditation that immerses one in the "moment", it is about eventually being able to do it anytime and anywhere one needs it. Often it is about introspection, but void meditation is about self control, and creating a feeling of safety in a mind full of loose and anxious thoughts. Void helps in times of deep emotional stress, so that instead of causing trauma, one can simply ignore the thoughts until they can be processed more coherently.

Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#14

Post by creep »

phakding wrote: post #3

I don't do the meditation exactly, but I recently trekked to Mt Everest base camp and stayed in Nepal for few days. I get mentally overwhelmed with the natural beauty and that sort of creates effect similar to meditation. After coming back, I feel much calmer. Very few negative thoughts occur in my mind and I noticed that I don't get worked up that easily. I somehow learned to not get angry at the slightest provocati…

This happens to me in any encompassing natural situation, or even after watching a well-made nature documentary. It feels as though the troubles of my daily life do not matter as much as the beauty I have witnessed-- it feels like I'm privy to another world that seems external, but feels internal, like the creations of nature are actually a part of me.

Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#16

Post by aynsof »

I did a ten-day silent retreat (Vipassana) and the effects were profound. I was far calmer, far more able to focus.

It's hard to explain, but physical pain was also reframed from negative 'pain' to simply neutral sensation.

I also found I had much less desire for stimulus. Usually when I'm cooking dinner or cleaning the house I feel the need to play a tv show or listen to a podcast, but after the retreat I could just experience the activity.

For a year after that I kept up between one and two hours a day, until I found that I was feeling a lot of guilt around the practice - when I put it off, when I wasn't able to find time. It seemed like I had begun to miss the point, so I stopped. I'm getting back into it currently, though.

I'd highly recommend the practice, especially learning by going to a ten-day retreat. It really gave me an experience of what is possible with meditation - true peace and fulfillment.

Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#17

Post by creep »

SirLJ wrote: post #2

Not much, my advice is do exercise instead, even 15 min a day will make a difference...

Exercise is a meditative experience! Pushing the body to its limits necessarily changes the mind's experience, and it can help you to cope with any external stress, and solidifies the principle of growth through hardship. You exercise, you break down your own muscle tissue, which then regenerates as an adaptation to the stress, and you become physically stronger.

Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#18

Post by creep »

pinchharmonic wrote: post #6

It helps you be more mindful and detach from the moment to moment undulations of modern life. This can be good and bad. I can meditate anywhere. But usually I sit in half-lotus, slowly easing myself into a blank state. I think about radiating outward. Anywhere from 5-25 mins. Never did a retreat. The problem with meditation is I think that it can release a latent and light form of schizophrenia. Things that society v…

I find I don't value social constructions near as much as I used to as well. For me it's because I realized there is something inside me. In deep trance I can see it as a blue fire. And it feels like this blue fire is more real than any insecurity or any external pursuit, and yet it drives my external pursuits so that my choices become clearer and I am less confused. It just feels real, while often our modern world feels like brittle plastic.

Re: Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?

#19

Post by x2f10 »

SirLJ wrote: post #2

Not much, my advice is do exercise instead, even 15 min a day will make a difference...

I agree - IMO, meditation's benefits pale in comparison to the benefits of regular exercise. That's not to diminish the benefits of meditation but to emphasis the benefits of exercise. I find that with regular exercise, I am much less prone to depression and anger.
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