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Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

calm.com

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Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#101
Imaging entering a state of meditative bliss, realizing we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves and then being interrupted with an advert for a PS4.

Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#102

what kind of meditation needs (or is helped) by this? i kind-of do mindful meditation (i'm no expert) and this would be just one more piece of sensory data to acknowledge and then largely ignore. if you're doing "concentrative meditation" (i'm using terms from wikipedia) then i would have thought this would be distracting. is this more like new age tv?

Good question. The site's 10 minute guided meditation right now does not sound like the forms of Zen meditation I'm familiar with, and it doesn't sound like mindfulness meditation. What is it? And is it evidence-based? I practice Zen-style breath-counting meditation (susokukan) now. No doubt many different kinds of meditation are beneficial, but I suspect they have different effect sizes. Probably some do nothing for…

breath-counting meditation sounds really interesting, where did you learn about it? Any recommended resources?

Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#103

This picture sums up my thoughts perfectly: http://anticache.img0.joyreactor.com/pics/post/comics-before... Anyone who has looked into causes of stress cannot avoid the fact that a lack of PHYSICAL activity, a lack of PHYSICAL presence, and a lack of PHYSICAL stimulation is a major, if not the major factor. Trying to get the average person today to meditate on a computer screen is like trying to get your average desk…

I've used a computer program in order to aid me in meditating. That was a program dealing with sound, not with anything visual.

You're right that computers for computers sake is missing the point. But so is dismissing computers because they're computers, or because they're used in unconventional ways.

I can at least say that using that program made it a lot easier to get into a more meditative state. And it was not supposed to be a perpetual training wheel, more like a temporary one, until you could get the same desired effect without any sound-aid.

Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#105

This picture sums up my thoughts perfectly: http://anticache.img0.joyreactor.com/pics/post/comics-before... Anyone who has looked into causes of stress cannot avoid the fact that a lack of PHYSICAL activity, a lack of PHYSICAL presence, and a lack of PHYSICAL stimulation is a major, if not the major factor. Trying to get the average person today to meditate on a computer screen is like trying to get your average desk…

Instead of theorizing, how about just using it and seeing if it actually helps ?

I have been a regular user every morning for the past 3-4 months. It is easy to follow and gives a great sense of calm - almost time expanding in a way. Helps productivity too.

Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#107

This picture sums up my thoughts perfectly: http://anticache.img0.joyreactor.com/pics/post/comics-before... Anyone who has looked into causes of stress cannot avoid the fact that a lack of PHYSICAL activity, a lack of PHYSICAL presence, and a lack of PHYSICAL stimulation is a major, if not the major factor. Trying to get the average person today to meditate on a computer screen is like trying to get your average desk…

>Anyone who has looked into causes of stress cannot avoid the fact that a lack of PHYSICAL activity, a lack of PHYSICAL presence, and a lack of PHYSICAL stimulation is a major, if not the major factor.

Could you provide peer-reviewed research supporting this statement? Stress is a well-studied process and if what you say is true you should have no problem finding sources.

Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, it'd be like "virtual-parent.com! No need to be a parent to your kids, just point them at this website and we'll be their parent for you". If you want less stress, or to calm down, the last thing you should be doing is staring at a computer screen. Go outdoors. Exercise. Meet real people.

I agree that "real" experiences are awesome and sometimes people spend a bit too much time in front of their computer or staring at their phone.... But the vitriol of the grandparent-comment seems uncalled for. Computers/phones/etc are not some sort of evil presence that infect everything they touch, and apps like this can have their place too. In the right context, they might do a lot of good. [E.g. I love various s…

Yeah, to be fair I had just gotten out of a series of meetings about having less meetings...perhaps the vitriol was a bit uncalled for. I'm also with you on those "sounds of rain" or other white noise apps for concentration.

But this isn't just for concentration, this is for (quoted from their terms and conditions) "customized relaxation and self-improvement sessions." I'm not of the mind that electronics are an evil presence that infect everything they touch, rather I'm of the mind that there are certain activities which are cheapened by a service like this.

Actual meditation requires some amount effort, not a 20 minute session with headphones and an app.

Re: Meditate in front of your computer with Calm

#109
post #81

This picture sums up my thoughts perfectly: http://anticache.img0.joyreactor.com/pics/post/comics-before... Anyone who has looked into causes of stress cannot avoid the fact that a lack of PHYSICAL activity, a lack of PHYSICAL presence, and a lack of PHYSICAL stimulation is a major, if not the major factor. Trying to get the average person today to meditate on a computer screen is like trying to get your average desk…

It saddens me such a cynical response made it to the top. I will use this app. Some days I walk to a local park to meditate. Some days I go to the meditation class we have at work. However, some days I plan to use this app, even if for just the 2 minute meditation. In my experience, in regards to stress prevention even 2 minutes of meditation is better than none.

cynical is the name of the game here.
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