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Yeah, they didn't mention "mental" or "illness", instead the article used the words "psychotic break" and "worsen symptoms in people who have certain psychiatri

Yeah, they didn't mention "mental" or "illness", instead the article used the words "psychotic break" and "worsen symptoms in people who have certain psychiatric problems". So, yes the article did cover what you wanted them to. Someone who has an underlying problem may not have a good experience when he digs deep and explores his own thoughts.

CharlesW 10y ago
> So, yes the article did cover what you wanted them to. Not as I read it. In the article, "psychotic break" was used in the context of being caused by meditation instead of by an underlying mental illness. The second example gets closer to addressing the point I was making, but it's still just listing a possible risk for people who already have psychiatric problems. What I wanted the article to cover is the far more likely explanation: That 1 in 4 people who meditate will experience some level of mental illness in any given year — but not because of meditation. Of course, "meditation madness" is a much sexier premise.
- near_how_far 10y ago
  This is as if to say that meditation is anything other than thinking for thought's sake. And so, to stretch further, this paraphrasing of what meditation actually IS, at the end of the day... Is it possible for a person to simply "think" themselves into a certain states or flavors of insanity, or rather the more proper term, mental illness?
  - winfred 10y ago
    >Is it possible for a person to simply "think" themselves into a certain states or flavors of insanity, or rather the more proper term, mental illness? Of course it is possible to think yourself mentally ill. Paranoia, various phobias require nothing more than negative thought spirals (not to mention eating disorders).
    - jddjdbdbd3 10y ago
      Yup. We are taught ao thoroughly that our thoughts are distinct from reality, that we have trouble grasping thier power over our bodies. While you cannot move objects with your mind, in the domain of your body and mind, the mind itself is king.
    - near_how_far 10y ago
      Is rhetorical not in the dictionary?
      - reitanqild 10y ago
        What do you mean?
  - fennecfoxen 10y ago
    > Is it possible for a person to simply "think" themselves into a certain states or flavors of insanity That's basically the premise of the people at https://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas https://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas
  - askldfhjkasfhd 10y ago
    My understanding and experience is that it's more accurate to call it meta-thinking, rather than just thinking. Perhaps semantics, and the lines are not at all clear, but it's helping me find balance in my life. That isn't to say it didn't hurt OP.
- scott_s 10y ago
  Also, "psychotic break" is an extreme mental condition that is, I think, rare. Depression and anxiety disorders are much more common, and neither was brought up in the article.

CharlesW 10y ago

> So, yes the article did cover what you wanted them to. Not as I read it. In the article, "psychotic break" was used in the context of being caused by meditation instead of by an underlying mental illness. The second example gets closer to addressing the point I was making, but it's still just listing a possible risk for people who already have psychiatric problems. What I wanted the article to cover is the far more likely explanation: That 1 in 4 people who meditate will experience some level of mental illness in any given year — but not because of meditation. Of course, "meditation madness" is a much sexier premise.

near_how_far 10y ago
This is as if to say that meditation is anything other than thinking for thought's sake. And so, to stretch further, this paraphrasing of what meditation actually IS, at the end of the day... Is it possible for a person to simply "think" themselves into a certain states or flavors of insanity, or rather the more proper term, mental illness?
- winfred 10y ago
  >Is it possible for a person to simply "think" themselves into a certain states or flavors of insanity, or rather the more proper term, mental illness? Of course it is possible to think yourself mentally ill. Paranoia, various phobias require nothing more than negative thought spirals (not to mention eating disorders).
  - jddjdbdbd3 10y ago
    Yup. We are taught ao thoroughly that our thoughts are distinct from reality, that we have trouble grasping thier power over our bodies. While you cannot move objects with your mind, in the domain of your body and mind, the mind itself is king.
  - near_how_far 10y ago
    Is rhetorical not in the dictionary?
    - reitanqild 10y ago
      What do you mean?
- fennecfoxen 10y ago
  > Is it possible for a person to simply "think" themselves into a certain states or flavors of insanity That's basically the premise of the people at https://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas https://www.reddit.com/r/Tulpas
- askldfhjkasfhd 10y ago
  My understanding and experience is that it's more accurate to call it meta-thinking, rather than just thinking. Perhaps semantics, and the lines are not at all clear, but it's helping me find balance in my life. That isn't to say it didn't hurt OP.
scott_s 10y ago
Also, "psychotic break" is an extreme mental condition that is, I think, rare. Depression and anxiety disorders are much more common, and neither was brought up in the article.