TM practice starts to create higher alpha-1 (slower range of alpha band) EEG coherence in the part of the brain that most scientists agree is important for our "sense of self."
In the long-term, TM practice, alternated with normal activity, starts to create a situation where teh EEG signature of TM starts to be found more strongly outside of TM. Given teh above, is it rocket science to say that TM practice spontaneously strengthens "sense of self" outside of TM practice? It is certainly the case that TM practice creates a situation where alpha-1 EEG coherence in he part of the brain that most scientists agree is important for our "sense of self" becomes higher than before. It is certainly the case that many people interpret whatever internal discussable "experience" associated with this alpha-1 EEG coherence happens to arise in terms of "self." In fact, about 20 years ago or so, a psychologist published a paper on 6 of his patients who had been practicing TM for beteen 1.5 and 20 years, who all complained of some kind of permanent uninvolved self. The fact that they had no psychological compliant other than a concern about how weird it was to have a self that didn't do anything, led the psychologist to call for a reinterpretation of "depersonalization." In teh DSM-IV, they ended up adding a "spiritual practices" exemption for people who practiced TM and other forms of meditation: if they were having some kind of depersonalization/dissociative state that had no pathology and appeared to result from meditation practice, they didn't have "dissociative disorder." L ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <turquoiseb@...> wrote : From: "curtisdeltablues@..." <curtisdeltablues@...> To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, May 2, 2014 3:30 AM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Re-Facilitating a Future and the New TM Movement: R: According to Harris, by paying close attention to moment-to-moment conscious experience, it is possible to make our sense of "self" vanish and thereby uncover a new state of personal well-being. 'The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason' by SamHarris W.W. Norton & Company, 2004 p. 214 C: Excellent quote find Richard! What I believe distinguishes him from the Maharishi perspective is that he does not identify the silent aspect of the mind with a higher Self. This also corresponds with my own experience of using TM without the belief system. I cannot say that what I used to consider my Self, is the most important aspect of my identity. That move is an intellectual one supported by the belief system and triggered by the mahavakyas in Maharishi's system. Without that presumption it appears as just another aspect of a multifaceted identity cluster which may or may not be all illusion. I am fascinated by exploring this without the usual assumptions from the Vedic perspective. Excellent point, Curtis. One of the things I reject about almost all forms of spirituality I've encountered is that they're stuck in hierarchical thinking. One's sense of "self" is lower than one's sense of "Self." They build their whole philosophies around their assumption that the universe is hierarchical in nature. I honestly don't believe it is. I think it's relational. (For me to explain this, I'd have to trot out my rap about hierarchical vs. relational databases, and I doubt anyone wants to read through that again.) I'm a "hard social scientist" when it comes to which comes first -- the experience one is trying to interpret or find meaning in, or the belief system one uses to interpret it. IMO the belief system always comes first. It colors anything you experience. So if he's got suggestions for how one can avoid that trap, I'd love to hear them. Love your phrase "just another aspect of a multifaceted identity cluster which may or may not be all illusion." That's it. What TMers and New Agers call "Self" is Just Another Experience. Not higher, not lower, and possibly not even happening at all. :-) Just sitting and noticing. Another good phrase. Thanks for digging that up. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <punditster@...> wrote : On 5/1/2014 3:26 PM, curtisdeltablues@... mailto:curtisdeltablues@... wrote: > Any tips or insights, especially since you have a TM history and might > know the issues TMers might have would be welcome. > According to Harris, by paying close attention to moment-to-moment conscious experience, it is possible to make our sense of "self" vanish and thereby uncover a new state of personal well-being. 'The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason' by SamHarris W.W. Norton & Company, 2004 p. 214 --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com http://www.avast.com/
