Poiuytrewq asked:
By intellectual, I mean heightened thinking and understanding of things, and I would emphasize real life over philosphy in that. OR subjects, like math or history, or some literature you read, etc.
The rest of my question I think is self-explanatory; I don't really know what meditation entails of, what the goal is for your state of mind/consciousness/if it takes practice/ or anything else really--about it.
Thanks...
7 responses so far ↓
1 arthvader // Aug 24, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Meditation Books for Beginner
There are two, I take it.
One, it simply gives you a break and lets you deal with or temporarily get rid of stress.
Two, it can actually have healthful effects that go beyond eliminating stress, if it is done consistently and correctly.
2 nezra2 // Aug 25, 2009 at 9:57 pm
MP3 Meditation
I practice Reiki. It’s a form of meditation. It helps keep me centered and helps me feel better. Here is a link you could learn more about it from:
3 Everard G // Aug 26, 2009 at 3:31 pm
MP3 Meditation
It is said that people who do meditation don’t need to and those who don’t, do.
My understanding is that unless man finds a drug within himself, which I call ecstasy, he will go on finding some kind of drug as a substitute in the outside world. Only meditation can stop a person from taking drugs. No law can prohibit them – all laws have failed. It only creates hypocrites. (Osho)
(Sai Baba) The secret to happiness does not lie in doing what one likes, but in learning to like what one has to do.
He also reckoned that two days of social service will do you more good than two months of meditation … and … the rich should sacrifice their wants so that the poor can secure their needs … and … Love All; Serve All. (The Spiritual Tourist – Mick Brown)
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Meditation
Don’t let people confuse you about the object of meditation.
It’s simply the lengthening of the gaps between thoughts and slowing down the thoughts by NOT buying into their dramas.
It may take some time before you can just ‘observe’ the thought and let it ‘float’ way into the ether.
The mind is like a two year old – it wants ALL your attention ALL the time.
Don’t fight it – go with the flow.
Learn to ‘manage’ the mind … softly softly catchee monkee.
It may take some time for you to ‘control’ it.
“is it good or bad?”
Pure pleasure.
“And how long have you been meditating?”
Since the mid 80s.
“has it affect you in anyway?”
I don’t know anymore; it’s all so second nature.
“Any dreams or out of body experiences?”
Sure.
The best (although very rare for me) are the OBEs whilst you wide awake.
To explain, I was giving a talk at a conference in the early 90s and I seemed to step out of myself and become ‘the watcher’ for almost a minute.
It was very amusing – on one level I was talking without missing a beat – on another level I was watching the man (me) give a talk.
I know one of ‘us’ was smiling.
You could say that I was multi-tasking, aye?
Dreaming?
I love them … these days.
(After I came back from Vietnam I used to have a few nightmares …
I’d like to think they’re a thing of the past)
There is no set amount of time you ’should’ do it.
(Take should, ought and must outa your vocabulary)
I’ve meditated from a few seconds to hours.
Any moment spent stilling the mind is beneficial.
There is no RIGHT or WRONG way to meditate.
Anyone who says otherwise is ignorant, a liar or has some other agenda.
You can meditate eyes open or closed.
You can do it in silence or noise.
You can ‘focus’ on anything or nothing at all.
You can use noises (clock ticking, kids laughing or fighting, cars and sirens, etc) to intensify your meditation … with every sound I hear I will become even more relaxed.
You can do it sitting, standing, lying, walking, driving, washing, cooking, etc.
How often have you been so intensely doing something or driving somewhere and suddenly become ‘conscious’ and wonder where the time went?
Enjoy.
It is said that those who meditate don’t need to and those who don’t, need to.
~
4 fattefoxxe // Aug 29, 2009 at 9:14 pm
HowToMeditation.Net
i am a teacher in a public school and i cannot pray with my students, but i lead them in quiet reflection that allows them to gather themselves.
i find that today’s kids rarely get the opportunity to just be. as a result, they are chronically stressed and overstimulated.
i turn off the classroom lights, instruct them to get quiet, and still. i lead them through breathing exercises. i speak words of encouragement to them. i talk to them about responsibility, about handling stress, about keeping a positive and determined mindset. i also lead them in extending good wishes to others–friends, parents, and family members.
i find that my least behaved classes are most in need of this kind of quiet reflection time.
5 cadisneygirl // Sep 1, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Brain Wave
Meditation is usually about clearing the mind and finding peace and balance within yourself.
I dont think what you really want is meditation. It seems what you want is some kind of academic enlightenment.
6 Warrior Poo Flinger // Sep 3, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Meditation Books for Beginner
It’s used to clear and calm the mind, getting rid of the excess noise and “hamster head” so you can focus on the task at hand. Start by sitting somewhere that has a feeling of openness and free of clutter. Even though your eyes will be closed, your subconscious mind is aware of the clutter or confined space and that will interfere. Outside is best, if the weather permits. I like to do it in a hot bath; my bathroom is the least cluttered place in my tiny apartment. You don’t have to sit on the floor or in the lotus position, you can sit in a comfortable chair or recliner, that’s the best. Bed is discouraged, but not forbidden. To start learning to meditate, take five minutes a couple times a day, sit in your meditation place, close your eyes, and just focus on your breathing. Don’t change it, don’t try to control your breathing, just put all your attention on your breathing. Pay attention to it. As you’re breathing in, think to yourself “breathing innnnn” and as your breathing out, think “breathing out…” Think about how your body is moving, is your chest expanding or your belly? Is the air cool or warm? Dry or humid? How does the breathing make you feel? Do it for just five minutes. If you find your mind wandering off to other thoughts, don’t be hard on yourself, just bring your mind back to the breathing. After doing this two to three times each day for five minutes each time, you should find it getting easier to do, and when it does, increase it to ten minutes, and when that gets easier, do it for 20 minutes once a day, or twice if you want; and build up to an hour. Soon you’ll find that when you’re doing homework or in class, you’ll be able to envoke this clear mindedness and be able to focus on the subject, absorbing the material and be fully present instead of having your head filled with thoughts of what you did earlier, what you want or need to do later, songs playing in your head, conversations you had with others, or wanted to have, and so on. These are just thoughts, like birds flying across the sky, and soon you will not notice them unless you look up. And I tutor and am building an awesome web schoolhouse with notes and links at, not soliciting for money, it’s free to use the schoolhouse.
7 supastremph // Sep 6, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Brain Wave
From a pragmatic viewpoint, I’ll add that a primary purpose of meditation is to develop quiescence of mind, thereby enhancing the quality of the attention.
The cultivation of awareness without thought allows one the ability to monitor their mental phenomena instead of identifying with it.
Say someone gives me a really cheap gift. The average person will think, “Man, this is such a piece of crap–why would they give me a piece of trash . . .” They will be grouchy and annoyed.
A luckier person will think, “Even though this sure is a piece of junk, at least it was thoughtful.” They will be uplifted.
A meditator says, “Thanks.”
By increasing your familiarity with how thoughts come and go like clouds, and practicing on not grasping them, you gain freedom.
Eventually things that would have put you in a bad mood lose that power as you gain proficiency at monitoring and cultivating your mental environment.
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