Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice • Hacker News Board

Re: Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

#61

Post by thornofmight » Wed, Sep 09, 2015, 9:01 PM UTC

hosh wrote: post #46

willhinsa wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you so much for your writing on this issue. I second others' motion that you should write a book, but until you do, what book would you recommend for someone who wants to get started?

I usually give out book recommendations based on the person's interest. So I'll give my best shot for making a generic recommendation. The first thing to understand is that books on meditation are not going to help you all that much. This is not something you try to understand intellectually. It is experiential. You are much better off attempting to practice. If you need help with practice, there are various groups a…

Thank you for sharing.

I was reading through your posts and saw this: "The second is this: when Shakti pierces the 4th chakra and/or the hrit padma (below it) ... you'll gain a kind of "compass". From there on out, you'll always have a way of checking which path to go. It might mean staying with kundalini yoga, it might not be. The journey getting to the center involves piercing through the 2nd ganthri, learning to surrender. It will be like peeling an onion. You'll cry. A lot. And you'll know it is worth it."

This is related to kundalini yoga? Any recommendations on how to get started there?

Re: Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

#62

Post by hosh » Wed, Sep 09, 2015, 11:47 PM UTC

thornofmight wrote: post #61

hosh wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I usually give out book recommendations based on the person's interest. So I'll give my best shot for making a generic recommendation. The first thing to understand is that books on meditation are not going to help you all that much. This is not something you try to understand intellectually. It is experiential. You are much better off attempting to practice. If you need help with practice, there are various groups a…

Thank you for sharing. I was reading through your posts and saw this: "The second is this: when Shakti pierces the 4th chakra and/or the hrit padma (below it) ... you'll gain a kind of "compass". From there on out, you'll always have a way of checking which path to go. It might mean staying with kundalini yoga, it might not be. The journey getting to the center involves piercing through the 2nd ganthri, learning to s…

I was speaking specifically to that person, not for the general case. Kundalini yoga is not the only way to awaken and work with the Kundalini. For example, a martial art enthusiast might check out Scott Meredith and Damo Mitchell's books to develop refined power and connect with Shakti through their martial arts.

Believe or not, you can get in touch with this heart experience that going to evangelical Christian revivals (there are some severe shadow sides related to this, however, there are Christian mystics around) or go attend kirtans. There are shamanic methods. Or just go to a rave and really open up your heart while dancing. Mindful prayers, asking to be guided into this will be heard.

Email me sometime. Maybe in the course of talking, what you say will remind me of a path that may really resonate with you.

Re: Cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

#63

Post by fsloth » Fri, Sep 11, 2015, 4:53 AM UTC

MichaelGG wrote: post #32

gammafactor wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea here (that one gradually slips into with meditation or other mystical systems) is that there is no "You". Happy, sad, You, other people, all these "things" don't really exist, they're all illusions, mind constructs, artificial. Once you see the world for what it really is (a dream), all the masks fall away and you're free to go on with your "life" unencumbered by artificial thought creations that another art…

Is there a school of meditation that is in line with what reality actually is and recognizes minds as the result of real physical processes?

Meditation is a specific exercise like yoga that has physiological responses (well, neurological in meditations case).

I've read western mindfulness literature, western zen-buddhist literature and some pieces from tibetan buddhists. All the advice on specific meditation techniques I've read there were sound.

The tibetan buddhist books usually flirt in some places with their traditions which can be a bit off-putting but it seldom affects the meditation itself and is something like "if you practice this 50 years and learn to levitate pleace don't brag about it".

So, zen buddhist or mindfullness books are usually fully fully compatible with a materialistic world view (like mine).