251–260 of 289 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then you were rightly flagged.
I can believe that you might believe that, but you’ve also demonstrated a lack of reality based belief, so excuse me if I don’t care what you think.
Edit: oops sorry for actually talking about meditation in this thread
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can believe that you might believe that, but you’ve also demonstrated a lack of reality based belief, so excuse me if I don’t care what you think.
Seems like we both need to do more vipassana meditation then. I hope schizophrenia doesn’t run in the family. Edit: oops sorry for actually talking about meditation in this thread
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Well, at some point during your meditation, you might experience the fact that this world is a construct, a fabrication. But if you don't know how to put it into context, it will feel like nothing, void, nonexistence. This could shock your mind-body system. Without being arrogant or facetious this feels like a truism to me? After all, our sense of self is an emergent property of unfeeling chemical machines. I suppos…
I'm not talking about just the sense of self. I'm talking about the fact that the world is an illusion. In any case, I may not be conveying the message properly, because I'm still trying to understand these things conceptually. The book I mentioned does a far better job with this.
I may not be disagreeing with what you mean, but one should be careful to differentiate between concepts, that are knowable, and things they refer to, which are not¹. Lots of confusion stems from mistaking the two. From what you were taught are apples to the world or ones own self.
As an illustration, if I slap your face, you may argue it is an illusion, it may not affect your later in life, and you may not even remember it. I take it as true, that words nor imagination are no match for an actual good slap. After a slap, people may disagree whether it was a slap, they may have illusions about who, what, how or why .. yet I don't think many will argue it is an illusion in the sense that nothing in fact happened.
¹ Well, most of them anyway.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seems like we both need to do more vipassana meditation then. I hope schizophrenia doesn’t run in the family. Edit: oops sorry for actually talking about meditation in this thread
I think it's really weird how you still act like you have any qualification in this arena.
Edit: oops sorry for actually clarifying why I may be an expert on this subject
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it's really weird how you still act like you have any qualification in this arena.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’ve probably meditated for a lot longer than you. I highly recommend The Mind Illuminated. Edit: oops sorry for actually clarifying why I may be an expert on this subject
So again...why would I care?
edit: also, just in case anybody takes this charlatan at his word and does decide to read 'the mind illuminated' know that many of the author's followers demonstrate cult-like behavior, as well as disillusionment with his claims after it broke that he had been deceptive to his community about his sexual affairs.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’ve probably meditated for a lot longer than you. I highly recommend The Mind Illuminated. Edit: oops sorry for actually clarifying why I may be an expert on this subject
yeah dude, you are going way out on a limb there. But wait...you've done a whole lot of dissociative practices? So basically you're totally dissociated from reality? (to put things in your own words) So again...why would I care? edit: also, just in case anybody takes this charlatan at his word and does decide to read 'the mind illuminated' know that many of the author's followers demonstrate cult-like behavior, as we…
For one, I don’t think disassociating is a _bad_ thing. Psychedelics (and ketamine in particular) can be very therapeutic for their disassociative properties. This also transfers over to meditation.
But people need to be aware of it; meditation isn’t a cure-all and can induce a psychotic breakdown if you’re susceptible to them. I’m thankfully not in that camp, and it will take most people who _are_ susceptible a long time before such a breakdown occurs (like a weeklong vipassana retreat).
I know you don’t care, but it’s fun to share what one has learned.
Edit: also had no idea about the author’s affair. That’s unfortunate. I’ve learned a lot from professors with terrible home lives though.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
yeah dude, you are going way out on a limb there. But wait...you've done a whole lot of dissociative practices? So basically you're totally dissociated from reality? (to put things in your own words) So again...why would I care? edit: also, just in case anybody takes this charlatan at his word and does decide to read 'the mind illuminated' know that many of the author's followers demonstrate cult-like behavior, as we…
We’re finally getting to where the rub is! For one, I don’t think disassociating is a _bad_ thing. Psychedelics (and ketamine in particular) can be very therapeutic for their disassociative properties. This also transfers over to meditation. But people need to be aware of it; meditation isn’t a cure-all and can induce a psychotic breakdown if you’re susceptible to them. I’m thankfully not in that camp, and it will ta…
Anyways, basically your point is that meditation is like drugs in that it gets you high and helps you check out? Wow, how profound, definitely somebody I would give control of my life over to.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
We’re finally getting to where the rub is! For one, I don’t think disassociating is a _bad_ thing. Psychedelics (and ketamine in particular) can be very therapeutic for their disassociative properties. This also transfers over to meditation. But people need to be aware of it; meditation isn’t a cure-all and can induce a psychotic breakdown if you’re susceptible to them. I’m thankfully not in that camp, and it will ta…
Yeah, but those professors weren't claiming to be shining examples of ethics or practices that were supposed to lead to ethical behavior. Anyways, basically your point is that meditation is like drugs in that it gets you high and helps you check out? Wow, how profound, definitely somebody I would give control of my life over to.
I’m not sure how you got that from my comment. Not even sure what you mean by that last sentence. I’m sorry that even mentioning a substance had you jump to such conclusions.
Long term meditation "enthusiast" who has been around many meditation traditions and also done retreats from 3 days to 3 weeks. Meditation is definitely not relaxation. In the language of Yoga (which meditative traditions share), long meditation sessions move the focus (prana) to certains parts of the body where long sustained focus can create "imbalances" and lead to breaks and other side effects (psychosis or relat…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've written a detailed explanation above, but want to address a concern of you: > A sudden confrontation with this can be completely destabilizing. Many ways force a confrontation, and that's indeed dangerous. However, it doesn't have to be like that. Emotions are like onions. They're layered. Slow practice and slow advancement naturally brings practitioners to outer layers of these onions, which are easier to under…
I’m well aware of this, and have been meditating for much longer than 7 years. I’ve also spent time with numerous different meditation groups from different traditions. My experience is that they vary a lot. > You face only what you're ready for. We have safeguards against it. Your particular community may have safeguards. That is simply not true in the general case as the linked article asserts.
When it becomes a competition or a drug or a lifestyle or an experimental therapy or hobby or social or cult activity, there are greater dangers. People should be meaningfully informed of the risks. But there is money to be made, so...
Philosophical studies and religious faith and teachings seem to smooth the way. Know thyself. Everything in moderation. To thine own self be true. The small still voice within. If it isn’t making you more kind and loving to all you meet, whatever it is, then stop. As true about meditation as anything else.
The best introduction I ever found on the topic of meditation was Introduction to Yoga Principles and Practices by Majumdar, University Books, 1964. No cult, no workshops, been dead for a while.