--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" <wayback71@...> wrote:
> > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Buck" wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I too like Jill Bolte Taylor's insights because it is kept simple and > > > > clear. If I were in a contrary mood, I might ask if we have to destroy > > > > something to get that experience. And not just by a stroke, but my > > > > modifying how the brain functions. I don't think so, but the question > > > > is reasonable. One reason I think that these awakened states are a good > > > > thing is when I think back to the sense of unity and light that seemed > > > > to permeate my childhood years, I think that was really good and that > > > > was and is a flavor of awakening. I do think you are right that all > > > > these concepts of enlightenment can just cloud the waters, create > > > > misconceptions and lead people to intensely look in all sorts of > > > > directions and buy all sorts of stuff - and miss the point. > > > > Personally, I find it a challenge to drop the whole MMY rubric. Guess > > > > that' one reason I can get hung up on the brain functioning. > > > > > > > > > > > I had the exact same experiences as her, same scenario and outcome. Big > > > time. It was extremely enlightening in that it was illuminating but I > > > would not just wish a stroke on anyone for all the possibilities of how > > > it can go to push the energy centers of the faculties around. > > > Fortunately we both got enough of a whole back working that we can live > > > on pretty well and even talk about it. But the perspective was > > > illuminating spiritually along the way. > > > > > > However, en lieu of having a stroke there is certainly spiritual practice > > > that can be done if one has the discipline to do it. I'd recommend > > > pursuing that also because now the science is showing that it (spiritual > > > practice) indeed does change and enhance how a brain can work. An aware > > > person of modern spirituality and science certainly can sit up and have > > > the experience. If only by the science, people should take the time to > > > come to meditation and not just talk or just write about it as an idea. > > > Take the time in the practice. It is different than surfing. > > > > > > -Buck > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *** > > > > > > > Buck, I must have missed the info that you had a stroke. Welcome back. I > too would like to hear about your experience if you ever want to describe it. > Yes, science is showing that meditation is really a good thing. I am > reading Newberg's How God Changes Your Brain. Really, the book is not just > about God or religion, seems to be about how meditation, the idea of God, > thinking about anything abstract and uplifiting (even science) has similar > beneficial effects on the the brain. Belief/religion/being part of a > community,ritual all have good effects. And the brain is really malleable. > The authors do seem to find that different techniques have different effects, > but also that in general, most meditations are similar in their action on the > brain. I have lots more to read and will get into some specifics when I am > done. I am sure that your years of meditating are an important aspect of > your recovery. Take care. > Yeah, it is interesting. In my experience with it, to have more full Self realization it is way more than just transcending of the mind or mental activity, meditating. Meditating is the start of the work. Waking is also much more dependent on a stabilized and lit energy system. Many are the chakras of the subtle that are in the grey matter of the brain and the central nervous system. The mortal faculties are chakra fields themselves and then there is the process of the whole energy system taken together which houses and reflects an individuation of a soul. As the injury of my stroke itself and then the brain surgery made for a swollen and sore brain the different faculties got pushed around and tampered with. And it was very evident where in the grey matter different mental functions would happen. As it happened in my case, the reference of a self and then a soul in it all never got lost. A lot pops out by contrast when mental things don't work like before or malfunction and you watch it all happen. For quite a while I was very aware of where mental functions were happening within a sore brain by contrast. Through out the stroke and recovery, in my case, I never lost critical witness or self-awareness as a soul. But that too reflects variably as the subtle system works well or decays. Different parts of the energy bodies will spin and turn on or dim out and a lot of time for no apparent reason. It is like there is a decay in the rotation of a chakra and and the reflectivity of the self dims out. With a little attending to it can start up again, fluoresce and integrate with everything else again and well-being returns. Sitting with the saints and some healers can be real good at working with that as the underlying process of well-being of it all. Adya Shanti has an excellent teaching point of view of talking about abiding and un-abiding waking similar to this. That makes a lot of sense to me by my experience. And evidently this kind of spiritual well-being is definitely something that can be worked and cultivated. Science is getting closer to understanding it too. -Buck down on the farm
