--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@...> wrote:
<If you'd asked me when I was a TB I'd have dutifully given all the "correct" responses about how it affected me and everyone I'd known who'd done it long term, I'm just a bit more honest now, a bit more ready to compare the promise with the result, and not so likely to keep the faith. I like it and see it's done something but is it all it's cracked up to be? Of course not. Was it worth the effort? We'll never know as I have no "control me" to compare myself to.> I loved that. It focuses questions I have about my own practice of TM. Since Maharishi's death I have gone back and forth with practicing TM after not practicing for 18 years. I try it for a year or 6 months at a time and really enjoy it. But then something creeps up over time that makes me think that I am just addicted to it and that it is not doing anything for me cumulatively and isn't worth the time. I was reading an interesting book called "What makes your brain happy and why you should do the opposite". He makes a case for ways that our brain seeks states that don't necessarily serve us. And our cognitive gaps are often the result. We reverse engineer "reasons" that we do things that ultimately represented the brains dislike for change, even if it is growth. So for me the jury is still out. I have little doubt that some people can benefit from whatever it is that meditation does. I know for me, short term, it can make me feel better. I really like it right before performing to clear my head if I've had a long drive and feel scrambled. But what it does to us long term and neurologically is a mystery. And I am not inclined to believe that ancient cultures had it all figured out a long time ago. Sometimes when I am in my TM phase I feel the way I used to, that I could sit in that state for hours. It has a charm. But I can't help thinking that my ol' brain is just catching a nice stasis buzz and the attraction has more to do with my brain's lack of interest in having to do some heavy lifting of challenge to become the most "me" I can be. "Do nothing and accomplish everything" sounds a little like "Turn on, tune in, drop out" to me now. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <LEnglish5@> wrote: > > > > Interesting that you dont' hear what I hear: > > > > "a couple of suicides" reported by a single teacher PLUS a hospitalization > > every year of students of that same teacher PLUS 2-4 people with inability > > to work for a month every year, again from that same teacher. > > > > This is a pretty big contrast with the much touted stuff for the TM > > organization, which has taught 5 million people, including people in mental > > institutions, veterans with PTSD, former child prostitutes, etc. > > > > And.... > > > > just because symptoms of "unstressing" are the same from TM, does this > > mean the outcome is the same? > > Why doesn't someone from the TM science dept do the research and > find out? I know people who have stopped because they couldn't cope > with it. I know people who have had mental breakdowns on or after > courses or had to exchange purusha for an even bouncier room in hospital. I > think you'll find the stories are there *if* you want to > go look for them. > > > According to published research, the most consistent effect of most > > meditation practices, is as fragmentation of brain functioning. > > > > The most consistent effect of TM practice is integration of brain > > functioning. > > > > The depersonalization and "loss of self" that most meditation practices > > lead to is thought, *BY THE RESEARCHERS*, to be due to this brain function > > fragmentation. > > > > The constant state of pure watchful awareness that long-term TMers report > > is thought to be due to brain integration. > > If you'd asked me when I was a TB I'd have dutifully given all the > "correct" responses about how it affected me and everyone I'd > known who'd done it long term, I'm just a bit more honest now, a > bit more ready to compare the promise with the result, and not so likely to > keep the faith. I like it and see it's done something > but is it all it's cracked up to be? Of course not. Was it worth > the effort? We'll never know as I have no "control me" to compare > myself to. > > > > > > Both situations are interpreted as "depersonalization" or "derealization" > > by some people when they hear descriptions of it, but the mechanisms that > > prompt these self-reports are completely different. > > > > Which goes back to MMY's claim, which he probably learned from Gurudev, > > BTW, that most meditation techniques do subtle damage to the brain, even if > > they also have beneficial effects. > > > > > > L > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "salyavin808" <fintlewoodlewix@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <LEnglish5@> wrote: > > > > > > > > I take it no-one besides me bothered watching this? > > > > > > I bothered, very interesting. It sounds like "Something good > > > is happening" in other disciplines too, which might indicate > > > that meditation techniques aren't so different. > > > > > > There isn't much here I haven't experienced myself and I've > > > seen a great many other people suffer on courses. I agree > > > with what she says about knowing when it's an expected example > > > of progress or a development of pathology or is it all down > > > to how much you can personally cope with? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Some VERY interesting statistics were brought out. Where's Vaj when you > > > > need an alternate point of view? > > > > > > > > > > > > L > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <LEnglish5@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > note that ONLY buddhist meditation techniques and teachers were > > > > > interviewed/considered by the lecturer: > > > > > > > > > > http://vimeo.com/18819660 > > > > > > > > > > Interesting, at least to me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > L > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
