Edg, I won't attempt to comment on the development or lack of with regards to public figures or my acquaintances. I don't feel qualified to assess that at a distance. But I can say that in myself and in my close friends I have seen just the developments that you list: funnier, kinder, etc. However we have been practicing TM AND experiencing very hard knocks so who's to say whence cometh the growth? I do think practicing TM gives a resilience to deal with such.
And to follow up on what Bhairitu commented, I'd say that roasted seeds is a good way to describe the growth I see in myself. I can feel the presence of those lifetimes old samskaras. But many of them are dormant now, inactive and unable to be triggered, even some of the oldest and deepest. But not all. I know that too. I'll say a little more about the people person thing too. Years ago I had some very extensive career testing. It found me to be 50% introvert and 50% extrovert. And it's only been in the past few months that I've become comfortable with my introvert side. My pastoral counselor recommended Quiet: the Power of the Introvert by Susan Cain and I never looked back (-: Your paragraph about chemicals reminded of Maharishi's famous quote about how even the smell of a stinking bus could be what pops someone into enlightenment. This is a paraphrase of course. As for Barry's experience with his ex in the post office, I don't think there are very many people like that woman any more in FF. Yes, there are some, but I can't even remember the last time I heard the phrase "off the program." Oh, it was probably the last time I read it on FFL. How's that for irony? ________________________________ From: Bhairitu <noozg...@sbcglobal.net> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:00 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Illegal border patrol stop and frisk program being resisted by polite activists. Locally one of the chemicals the refineries are spewing into the air is estrogen. It's feminizing the men as well as contributing to obesity. So are many of the chemicals in processed foods. I'm sure if I posted on the local news blog about the estrogen release I might have an "accident." There is also an accusation that fluoride in the water acts as a mild tranquilizer and the real reason it's there rather than to fight tooth decay. Actually it's there as a way to get rid of a difficult toxic by-product of aluminum industry. It tends to make American passive. My tantric guru said personalities won't change a lot due to enlightenment as the samskaras responsible for personalty don't tend to get burnt away. Sort of the "remains of ignorance" that Maharishi talked about. If I want a nap in the afternoon I know something is off about my metabolism and do something about it. At peak performance I need only 4-6 hours of sleep. Also sounds like you are not really a "people person" but got put in charge of jobs where you had to be. I hear you on that. ;-) On 03/14/2013 09:15 AM, Duveyoung wrote: > All I know is that all the changes in my personality -- the few I can spot -- > have come from VERY HARD KNOCKS. 30 years of TM still found me with low > esteem, almost-clinical narcissism, and a "denial engine" that was churning > out magical thinking rat-a-tat-tat. I was not funnier, smarter, kinder, > wiser or whatever-er than anyone else after 30 years of TM -- and those > qualities are easy found in others who didn't meditate during similar > evolutionary periods. > > Sure, going to the dome, being in the FF community mind-set, teaching TM -- > all those had ordinary impacts on me in that I was dealing with people, > money, time use, and on and on -- and those things mature a person because > those processes are iterated and hardwired and must needs have impacts on > other processes. Obviously anyone who would put as much time into > Scientology or Catholicism as I did for TM would have similar stories and > personal growth just from all the "people business" that has to be part of > that. > > And all the folks I ever met in FF and the TMO sure seem like they never > changed. I never not once met someone -- decades after teacher training say > -- who was not immediately recognizable as the same person. Anyone detect > any changes in any of the long timer leaders? Aren't they all at about the > same level of ass-hole-ish-ness as when you first knew of them? > > I like the same foods, I like the same lifestyle, I like the same sex style, > I like the same everything and hate the same hatefuls. > > And I have to take more naps at 68 years old, and I'm aging like all the rest > of you....and so did and are all the TMers -- especially the so-called > ajur-vedists. > > And, I still don't get sick -- knock on wood -- as it always was for me in > days gone by, no colds or anything for 15 years. So, at least TM didn't make > me more likely to get sensitive to various germs -- so that's a benefit, now > is it? > > See? > > No one gets measured at the beginning of TM to establish a "tare weight." > BAH! And worse, no one can be measured in such a way that it would be > scientific -- decades later -- to assign cause to any changes. > > Remember that our environment has 50,000 chemicals being pumped into it by > industry -- and almost none of them actually tested for toxicity -- a micro > dot of LSD can make you crazy -- what to speak of all those other chemicals > and their effects? If someone HAS improved over the decades it could be > because they live downwind of the one chimney in America spewing the one > chemical that that one person gets affected by -- like that -- all > longitudinal research is suspect. > > Edg > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long <sharelong60@...> wrote: >> Edg, I'm not sure what you mean by "the conventional processes of ordinary >> human psychology." What do you mean by ordinary? What do you mean by >> conventional processes? Did somebody say FF has more saints or Arjuna pals >> than other towns of comparable size?! I think I missed a post but thought >> I'd attempt a reply anyway. Probably a bad idea but also want to thank you >> for the youtube clip (-:   >> >> >> Lastly, does ANYTHING really change ANYONE'S basic personality? >> >> >> ________________________________ >> From: Duveyoung <no_re...@yahoogroups.com> >> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 6:46 PM >> Subject: [FairfieldLife] Illegal border patrol stop and frisk program being >> resisted by polite activists. >> >> >>  >> Who here has the guts of these guys? >> >> You'd think all of us would have suchlike, but not me. These guys are >> heroes -- wizards of "holding onto rights." >> >> Where did TM ever push the concept that we'd all turn into heroes of >> righteousness of any sort? The TMO wanted sheep not shepherds. Anyone >> trying to lead was kicked out, right? >> >> I don't think contacting the transcendent EVER made me even a titch >> braver....let alone "one of Arjuna's pals." >> >> And I haven't heard shit-one from any TMer here about my concept that TM >> doesn't change personality -- except for the conventional processes of >> ordinary human psychology. IT DOESN'T. Fairfield has the exact same number >> of saints as any other town its size. >> >> BAH! >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Ku17CqdZg&feature=share >> > >
