That isn't a problem with Harris's definition, it's a problem of inadequate understanding of the nature of the practice (possibly the result of poor instruction).
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <sharelong60@...> wrote : Richard, the problem with Sam Harris' definition is that it might lead people into *trying" not to be judgmental and discursive. Which of course is counter productive to that settled state. But if it works for people, great. On Friday, May 16, 2014 10:04 PM, "'Richard J. Williams' punditster@... [FairfieldLife]" <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> wrote: On 5/16/2014 9:49 PM, authfriend@... mailto:authfriend@... [FairfieldLife] wrote: Actually, according to the dictionary, "meditation" can mean several different things depending on the context. You can use the term in an everyday sense to mean "to think things over," but it doesn't "simply" mean that, and that isn't what it means when we use it on FFL or in the context of a spiritual practice. To claim that's all it means just makes you look dumb. According to the dictionary, meditation means simply 'to think things over'. > So, I wonder what it is in practicing TM that you do if not simply thinking things over? It's not concentration and it's not mind-control. What is it, exactly? According to Sam Harris, mindfulness is simply a state of clear, nonjudgmental, and nondiscursive attention to the contents of consciousness, whether pleasant or unpleasant. Developing this quality of mind has been shown to reduce pain, anxiety, and depression; improve cognitive function; and even produce changes in gray matter density in regions of the brain related to learning and memory, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.
