--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltabl...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@> wrote: > > > > > > On Feb 7, 2009, at 3:34 PM, curtisdeltablues wrote: > > > > > I think this yogic identification theory is totally bogus. It is a > > > made-up problem. I am not identified with any object of perception. > > > I can be passionate about some things, but trying to paint that as > > > some kind nonspiritual way to live seems so contrived. > > > > > > > > Look at it this way: if you were no longer identifying with your body, > > you'd either be constantly dissociating or, you'd be dead. > > > > Identification is required to live a normal life. What's not required > > to learn how to disassemble our identification, i.e. yoga. > > > > Do you really believe that you don't identify with he body you inhabit > > or the instrument you pick up every day and play or the sounds that > > come out of it? > > I'm glad you weighed in Vaj. I guess the word "identify" doesn't have > much meaning for me in this context. I feel my body and flow my > feelings through my instruments when I play them. But saying that > this is an "identification" doesn't register. I am closer to my body > than my guitar and it is certainly more a part of my sense of my > complete self. Although I understand the conceptual usefulness of the > body mind distinction, that is not usually how I experience the > package deal of being human. > > My point was that the idea that someone else have a superior way of > organizing their internal sense of self, has lost its appeal. I don't > see any evidence for this claim. I believe that some people have more > or less intelligence, or have a better ability to express and even > feel their emotional capacity. But the whole idea that somehow we are > identifying with the objects of perception, which lies at the core or > Maharishi's assumptions about "ignorance", doesn't ring true to me. I > think he is describing a severe mental deficiency. > > I just did a show for the kids who can't be in the school system due > to emotional or mental problems and some of them might have this > problem of identifying with an object of perception. But I am not > broken in this way and need no fixing. > > I probably missed you point but would be interested in any more > thoughts you have about the value of cultivating a different style of > internal functioning.
Curtis, what say you to Fred Travis' finding that long-term and short-term TMers show the same overall physiological changes DURING TM but that there are distinct differences between long-term and short-term meditators outside of TM? L.
