--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@...> wrote: > > On Apr 26, 2012, at 3:15 AM, turquoiseb <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > > To be a successful program for the military or for > > the general public, either mindfulness or TM would > > IMO have to divorce itself from its religious roots > > and stick to being Just A Technique. I do not believe > > that the TM organization is capable of allowing this > > to happen. Their innate desire to prosyletize, to > > declare their technique "the best," and to upsell > > to all comers to get them as involved as possible > > in the cult and its belief systems will likely cause > > them to shoot themselves in the foot. > > My primary concern with TM would be with side effects for > one and two, it's inflexibility in terms of a technique: > one technique fits all. There has to be some variability > in any widespread technique because we're simply not uniform > widgets coming off an assembly line.
Agreed. But as I said, my biggest concern would be the inability of TM teachers to keep from using TM as a "gateway drug" to get them hooked on a whole belief system. > > Mindfulness, not so much. It can be -- and has been, > > in many cases -- divorced from its "spiritual" back- > > ground and presented as just a simple technique. TM > > never can be, if for no other reason because the TMO > > will never allow it to be taught without the puja, > > and without several days of indoctrination into the > > dogma that underlies it. > > The Dalai Lama, along with neuroscientists, physicians and > meditation experts have created a completely non-sectarian > meditation form which should be acceptable to just about > anyone. Plus, it would have *significant* advantages when dealing with PTSD because (even though Nabby in his blissful TM- induced ignorance doesn't understand this) mindfulness is not necessarily a "meditation technique" in the sense that he thinks of it. One can practice mindfulness anytime, any- where...no need to sit or close one's eyes, no need to withdraw from activity or work. Most important, if unwanted thoughts and emotions come up during the day or night for a PTSD sufferer, he or she can just practice mindfulness right then and there and relieve the distress, coming back to a more balanced mental and emotional state. I would have to assume that the military would consider this a BIG plus. You really can't have soldiers in the field taking off for 20 minutes to meditate with eyes closed, after all. > > Thus mindfulness will "win out" in the marketplace, > > no matter who "scores better" on scientific tests. > > It's already very widespread in the US. You'd be hard-pressed > to find a hospital here that doesn't teach it. And they don't try to sell you a set of "add on" courses that will wind up costing you $10,000 just to learn how to bounce around on your butt and bark like a dog. :-)
