Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

dsernst.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 63 posts

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#31

Post by klrkdekira »

vidarh wrote: post #27
NathanKP wrote: post #9

I don't really meditate, but one thing I've found helpful is to make it a point to not purposefully distract myself from mindful thought. The truth is that we all have plenty of time for mindful thinking, even if we don't actually set aside time to sit with eyes closed in a "meditation" state. Think about how much time is spent just sitting on a train, or in line doing nothing. The instant impulse most of the time in…

I don't doubt that this is useful to you, but the phrase "mindful thinking" makes me wonder what exactly you mean. "Mindfulness" as used in insight/mindfulness meditation / vipassana and similar schools of mediation does not refers to thinking about something. Rather it refers to detached but focused observation (though you may observe your thoughts). The point is to instead of "following a train of thought", to get…

I think what mentioned by NathanKP is closer towards Samadhi than Vipassana :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samadhi

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#32

Post by klrkdekira »

faitswulff wrote: post #6

Just a note - meditation can have negative side effects: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/the-dark-k... This article, which has been submitted to HN before, investigates several severe reactions to meditation and the nonexistent research in, or even interest in researching, its downsides. Having a negative reaction to meditation is not surprising, if you think about it. Deep introspection can lead to…

Insightful meditation isn't about indulging in the mind's delusions, it's about realizing and observing the mind's usual habits of creating thought if left idle. There's an old saying, "If you're doing meditation, you're not doing meditation"

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#33

Post by droopyEyelids »

ca98am79 wrote: post #5

From my experience it is even more than this. I meditate 2 hours a day and it has had a profound, yet subtle, influence on my daily practical life. Things are just much better. It appears to me that when you make things better on the inside, there is a direct influence on the outside.

I'm curious what portion of your personal time those two hours takes?

For example, I sleep 8 hours, work 8 hours, commute 1.5 hours, and take an hour for lunch.

Not counting other meals and chores, that leaves me with 5.5 discretionary hours a day.

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#34

Post by jonstewart »

stephengillie wrote: post #14

Meditation is one of those things that people aren't allowed to not like. If you say you don't like it or it's not for you, you get overwhelmed and drowned out by the echo chamber.

It makes me really wonder about the "hacker" community that such obvious bunk keeps showing up here. Hackers are skeptical.

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#35

Post by TheMakeA »

digitalsushi wrote: post #30

I have tried meditation a few select times and over two sessions in the same year, I had the same experience. I found that I was in some sort of odd state, neither asleep nor awake. I did not have any recollection of my body. But my thoughts were strikingly aware of reality. I felt an overwhelming connectedness to essentially everything. I googled for the sensation and the closest match I could find was an Hindu word…

You might have experienced a brief moment of depersonalization[1]. It can be a desirable state for some, but for others (like myself), it has caused the past six years to be hell.

[1] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization_disorder

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#36

Post by mcshicks »

stephengillie wrote: post #14

Meditation is one of those things that people aren't allowed to not like. If you say you don't like it or it's not for you, you get overwhelmed and drowned out by the echo chamber.

I'm curious if you have ever tried your theory out on an experienced mediator? By experienced I mean 5 or more years of a regular practice. I meditate every day, and do a couple of week long meditation retreats a year if I can. I certainly don't think it's for everyone. Most of the people I meditate with (including myself) have spouses that do not meditate. I cannot imagine any of them criticizing their spouse for this. I think the idea that meditation is for everyone is a position taken by novices who experience something that is positive for them, particularly in the short term, and think that experience would extend to everyone.

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#37

Post by ca98am79 »

droopyEyelids wrote: post #33
ca98am79 wrote: post #5

From my experience it is even more than this. I meditate 2 hours a day and it has had a profound, yet subtle, influence on my daily practical life. Things are just much better. It appears to me that when you make things better on the inside, there is a direct influence on the outside.

I'm curious what portion of your personal time those two hours takes? For example, I sleep 8 hours, work 8 hours, commute 1.5 hours, and take an hour for lunch. Not counting other meals and chores, that leaves me with 5.5 discretionary hours a day.

Yeah, it isn't as difficult to manage as it may appear - I just wake up a bit earlier for an hour first thing in the morning, and then stop doing things a little earlier in the evening for the 2nd hour.

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#38

Post by faitswulff »

meowface wrote: post #20
faitswulff wrote: post #6

Just a note - meditation can have negative side effects: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/the-dark-k... This article, which has been submitted to HN before, investigates several severe reactions to meditation and the nonexistent research in, or even interest in researching, its downsides. Having a negative reaction to meditation is not surprising, if you think about it. Deep introspection can lead to…

Reading this brings to mind very similar stories about people trying marijuana and suddenly undergoing long psychotic episodes and/or becoming diagnosed with psychotic conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar. The vast majority of these cases always end up being result of a genetic predisposition to psychosis. That seems exceedingly likely to be the case with those who undergo psychotic episodes due to meditation. I…

If we knew what the risk factors were for meditation, then yes, warning people would be a good idea.

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#39

Post by Florin_Andrei »

digitalsushi wrote: post #30

I have tried meditation a few select times and over two sessions in the same year, I had the same experience. I found that I was in some sort of odd state, neither asleep nor awake. I did not have any recollection of my body. But my thoughts were strikingly aware of reality. I felt an overwhelming connectedness to essentially everything. I googled for the sensation and the closest match I could find was an Hindu word…

If you're still experiencing "thoughts" as entities beyond your full control, if the "feeling" portion of the mind still fluctuates, if you're not free to direct your ENTIRE attention in a single direction and hold it there for a long time - then that's not turiya.

You've experienced an expansion of awareness. It's pretty cool when it happens. You should "encourage" it and practice it more.

Turiya is far beyond the reach of basically everyone in their normal state. It takes very long and very difficult preparation to get anywhere near it. If it's easy to get there, you're basically an avatar.

Re: Meditation Is Garbage Collection for Your Mind

#40

Post by IndianAstronaut »

jonstewart wrote: post #34
stephengillie wrote: post #14

Meditation is one of those things that people aren't allowed to not like. If you say you don't like it or it's not for you, you get overwhelmed and drowned out by the echo chamber.

It makes me really wonder about the "hacker" community that such obvious bunk keeps showing up here. Hackers are skeptical.

What makes you say it is bunk? There is mounting scientific evidence in favor of meditation and its benefits.
Post reply on HN