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Ten Days of Silence

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Re: Ten Days of Silence

#2
Vipassana is an absolutely wonderful experience. A 'brain washing' where it can rid your mind of all the crud that has accumulated from our culture and society. It puts you in touch with your body in a way that nothing my life ever has. I'd be happy to answer some questions if anybody has any.

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#3

Vipassana is an absolutely wonderful experience. A 'brain washing' where it can rid your mind of all the crud that has accumulated from our culture and society. It puts you in touch with your body in a way that nothing my life ever has. I'd be happy to answer some questions if anybody has any.

Same here. It was difficult at first but became a very beautiful experience.

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#4

Vipassana is an absolutely wonderful experience. A 'brain washing' where it can rid your mind of all the crud that has accumulated from our culture and society. It puts you in touch with your body in a way that nothing my life ever has. I'd be happy to answer some questions if anybody has any.

I've signed up for a 10-day course in mid August and am stoked about what I'll gain and also about the sheer difficulty. Could you talk more about the long-term effects of Vipassana on your body/life?

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#5

Vipassana is an absolutely wonderful experience. A 'brain washing' where it can rid your mind of all the crud that has accumulated from our culture and society. It puts you in touch with your body in a way that nothing my life ever has. I'd be happy to answer some questions if anybody has any.

I've signed up for a 10-day course in mid August and am stoked about what I'll gain and also about the sheer difficulty. Could you talk more about the long-term effects of Vipassana on your body/life?

I did it first in 2011. I've only done one session. I've tried to go back a few times but have created barriers in myself to doing so.

It will do me more to go back to Vipassana than any single thing I can do for myself. It puts you at the center and you just follow along, being true.

As far as long-term effects, I came out of the experience glowing. Heat didn't bother me. I saw clearly. The afterglow lasted for about three months. Slowly, I became a little bit agitated by things that didn't bother me during the period of afterglow. If I had continued to meditate regularly, I would have been fine. Centered. Since I didn't...Because I made excuses for myself...I'm in a not so great state these days. And yet, if I found myself again in the state after Vipassana, if I took care of myself and meditated, I would be in a much better mental state.

It does great things, but it's not a cure-all. It changed my life more than anything else has and is immensely powerful. It introduced me to myself. For that I will always be grateful. And I hope I respect myself enough to go back soon.

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#7

This sounds like more feel-good pseudoscientific hogwash. Is there any evidence that "not talking" can actually lead to an improved life, or is this yet another fad that makes people feel good about themselves?

Yes, there is evidence:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_on_meditation

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#8

This sounds like more feel-good pseudoscientific hogwash. Is there any evidence that "not talking" can actually lead to an improved life, or is this yet another fad that makes people feel good about themselves?

From what I recall, meditation has proven physiological effects on the body, so there's that. I would not be surprised if 10 days of the lifestyle described in the article would change the way you think about things, at least for a little while. Whether or not this is related to an improved life, who knows, I imagine your mileage will vary.

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#9

This sounds like more feel-good pseudoscientific hogwash. Is there any evidence that "not talking" can actually lead to an improved life, or is this yet another fad that makes people feel good about themselves?

It's more than not talking, though. It's extreme meditation. If you didn't have to worry about anything in your life for ten days, where to sleep, what to eat next, the next project, proposal, email, significant or insignificant others, where would your mind wander?

I don't think it's feel-good anything, and not claiming to be scientific. I think it's stressing the mind in a way that it's typically never stressed, resulting in outcomes that others have never experienced. And because of that, they want to share it -- as is human nature.

Re: Ten Days of Silence

#10

This sounds like more feel-good pseudoscientific hogwash. Is there any evidence that "not talking" can actually lead to an improved life, or is this yet another fad that makes people feel good about themselves?

I know a number of people who've done Vipassana retreats, and there do appear to be material changes in their lives after. How long those benefits last seems to correlate pretty strongly with whether they continue to meditate upon returning home.

So, yes. Anecdotally, anyway. Leaving entirely aside, you know, all the research on the benefits of meditation, ever.

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