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Guided meditation for beginners

quietkit.com

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Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#61

Post by koliber »

desireco42 wrote: post #42

I hate guided meditation... to me this is complete opposite of what meditation should be. You can do this initial few times, but after that, you don't need any voice but your own in your head. That is if you are really doing meditation, if you want to pretend... then headspace yourself. Again, this is my view as someone who actually meditated for like 20+ yrs.

I hate training wheels on my bike... to me this is complete opposite of what riding a bike should be.

You can do this initial few times, but after that, you don't need any help but your own sense of balance in your head. That is if you are really riding a bike, if you want to pretend... then continue using training wheels yourself.

Again, this is my view as someone who actually rode a bike for like 20+ yrs.

---

Comes off a bit snarky, doesn't it?

I think I see what you are trying to convey, and wrote the above so that others could get a feel as well, using a more tangible analogy.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#62

Post by nonsince »

Cozumel wrote: post #27
sharkweek wrote: post #23

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring you…

When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time, which sounds kind of bad but it's actually great, but the interesting thing is once you can control your own thoughts you'll start to realise that not all of them are yours. People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those pow…

I have lots of respect for spiritual people and adherents to both religious and non-religious supernatural practices, but I can't pretend that the association with supernatural beliefs didn't put me off getting into meditation and yoga for a long time, despite the very real empirical benefits. I understand that for you these beliefs (which, whether they are true or not, are not scientifically proven, which is important for me) increase the benefit you get from meditation, but for the non-spiritual these associations are a barrier to entry that must be overcome. I now meditate regularly and love it, but I still have some measure of resistance to yoga.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#63

Post by nonsince »

I use the app "Headspace" as a meditation beginner. The monthly price after the first 10 sessions is a little steep (can't remember the exact price) but there's a lot of extremely high-quality content covering mindfulness in almost every aspect of life. I think it's worth the price.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#64

Post by nonsince »

markestefanos wrote: post #59

For those interested in learning more, The Mind Illuminated is by far the best book I've come across on the topic. It's an extremely systematic college level manual for learning how to meditate. The author has a PhD in physiology, has been meditating for 40 years, taught neuroscience for years, and speaks Pali and Sanskrit, so he's able to read and interpret the original Buddhist texts. These combined allow him to te…

Frustratingly, you can't get the kindle version if you live in the UK (I actually live in the Netherlands, which Amazon doesn't operate in at all, but my account is from the UK). The kindle version even shows up on the US site until I log in.

EDIT: I tried to use Amazon.nl (they do have a kindle store, just not regular Amazon), they have the kindle version of the book but when I log in after buying it I'm told it's not available in my country

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#65

Post by markestefanos »

nonsince wrote: post #64
markestefanos wrote: post #59

For those interested in learning more, The Mind Illuminated is by far the best book I've come across on the topic. It's an extremely systematic college level manual for learning how to meditate. The author has a PhD in physiology, has been meditating for 40 years, taught neuroscience for years, and speaks Pali and Sanskrit, so he's able to read and interpret the original Buddhist texts. These combined allow him to te…

Frustratingly, you can't get the kindle version if you live in the UK (I actually live in the Netherlands, which Amazon doesn't operate in at all, but my account is from the UK). The kindle version even shows up on the US site until I log in. EDIT: I tried to use Amazon.nl (they do have a kindle store, just not regular Amazon), they have the kindle version of the book but when I log in after buying it I'm told it's n…

Email me (in my profile).

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#66

Post by roansh »

koliber wrote: post #52
noxplode wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would yogis want to run the world?

I don't think the parent said he wanted yogis to run the world. I believe he said that if yogis could really project their thoughts, it would be a super-power which would enable them to run the world. The conclusion is that since they do not run the world, they likely do not possess such super-powers.

I do not believe that one can achieve supernatural powers with meditation either (for I have not seen someone with those).

Assuming they have such superpowers, they also need the desire to run the world. Hence, this way of concluding that they do not possess such powers does not seem right.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#67

Post by sjayasinghe »

chillwaves wrote: post #17
jupiter90000 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't do it as much now, though have consistently over long periods in the past. Some benefits I experienced (subjective): - Thoughts do not have a grip over how I act as often. - probably related, lower likelihood of compulsively doing things. - Feeling more collected and relaxed in traffic and 'stressful situations.' - More likely to be able to pay attention to who I am talking with, what I am doing, etc, right now…

> - Start of realization that who I am is not the internal dialog and procession of thoughts. This one is hard to explain. I think I am certain things due to my thoughts; that's just my thoughts though. This one for me is huge. You are not your thoughts. Took a really long time to understand.. it's almost like I am two people, the one who is thinking and the one who observes the thinking. Helps me distance my emotion…

Actually what's happening is a bit different.

The one who observes the thinking arises in relation to what is thought ("the one who is thinking"--in your words).

This means that as the thought changes from one to the next, the one who observes the thinking also changes.

The thought and it's observation arise together, and pass away together. This is followed by the arising of another (different) thought and corresponding observation of that thought.

Prior to perceiving this inconstancy of observation/consciousness whatever consciousness that arises is identified as I, mine, that I'm within it, or that it's within me.

When perceiving inconstancy of consciousness, whatever change of consciousness that arises is understood as just another change and is not identified with as me/mine/etc.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#68

Post by 1602 »

mythrwy wrote: post #28
Cozumel wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time, which sounds kind of bad but it's actually great, but the interesting thing is once you can control your own thoughts you'll start to realise that not all of them are yours. People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those pow…

If this were true I'd expect to see yogis running the world. Instead, running the world are people who I suspect aren't much into meditation.

Running the world is quite troublesome, and usually, motivated by qualities like greediness, jealousy, &c. Those qualities are very first ones to avoid as you start getting into mindfulness state. Hence even with superpowers (especially with those) yogis should more likely stay away from running the world, just by nature of the things.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#69

Post by proteinbased »

chillwaves wrote: post #17
jupiter90000 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't do it as much now, though have consistently over long periods in the past. Some benefits I experienced (subjective): - Thoughts do not have a grip over how I act as often. - probably related, lower likelihood of compulsively doing things. - Feeling more collected and relaxed in traffic and 'stressful situations.' - More likely to be able to pay attention to who I am talking with, what I am doing, etc, right now…

> - Start of realization that who I am is not the internal dialog and procession of thoughts. This one is hard to explain. I think I am certain things due to my thoughts; that's just my thoughts though. This one for me is huge. You are not your thoughts. Took a really long time to understand.. it's almost like I am two people, the one who is thinking and the one who observes the thinking. Helps me distance my emotion…

>- Noticing that thinking constantly about things using language puts reality into categories that are essentially made up.

This is a revelation of even higher magnitude for me. Especially if you are multilingual, you notice how many of your ideas about the world are shaped (or at least influenced) by the language you use, which might be helpfull to some, and limiting to others. I think this is what Wittgenstein wanted to express in his famous quote: "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world"

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#70

Post by tombh »

Cozumel wrote: post #27
sharkweek wrote: post #23

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring you…

When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time, which sounds kind of bad but it's actually great, but the interesting thing is once you can control your own thoughts you'll start to realise that not all of them are yours. People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those pow…

> When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time

As others have suggested, this is hyperbole, verging on proselytising. Whilst there is rigorous scientific evidence for the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness, "blank minds" and other exotic states are anecdotes from those heavily invested in particular religious systems. I have no reason to disbelieve the less fantastical claims such as a blank mind, but I see absolutely no evidence to suggest that they are an inevitable and universal climax of those who practice for long periods.

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