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I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring your focus back to your breath." Here's where I recommend starting - http://www.nytimes.com/well/guides/how-to-meditate http://www.nytimes.com/well/guides/how-to-meditate There are a few moments now where my mind will go entirely blank, and it's the most relaxing feeling in the world. I still get too excited when that happens to keep it sustained, but I can sense it starting to work. It's really helpful to check in for a few minutes throughout the day as well. Take something in visually, observe a feeling, listen to what your body is telling you. Sounds hippy-dippy, sure, and I'm not pretending to be a doctor or make medical recommendations, but for me, It Just Works (TM)

Cozumel 10y ago
When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time, which sounds kind of bad but it's actually great, but the interesting thing is once you can control your own thoughts you'll start to realise that not all of them are yours. People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those powers known as 'siddhis' are just a fraction of what you can attain. Much like everything western though guided meditation is a horribly bastardised version of the real thing, if you're interested look into Raja Yoga when you're ready. Edited: http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1906-09rajayoga.pdf http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1906-09rajayoga.pd... This is the definitive course guide, the first lesson can take a year, 10 years, or a lifetime, don't go past the first lesson till you're ready. You'll know when you are.
- mythrwy 10y ago
  If this were true I'd expect to see yogis running the world. Instead, running the world are people who I suspect aren't much into meditation.
  - dgfgfdagasdfgfa 10y ago
    Perhaps the overlap between people who meditate and sociopaths is low.
  - noxplode 10y ago
    Why would yogis want to run the world?
    - koliber 10y ago
      I don't think the parent said he wanted yogis to run the world. I believe he said that if yogis could really project their thoughts, it would be a super-power which would enable them to run the world. The conclusion is that since they do not run the world, they likely do not possess such super-powers.
      - roansh 10y ago
        I do not believe that one can achieve supernatural powers with meditation either (for I have not seen someone with those). Assuming they have such superpowers, they also need the desire to run the world. Hence, this way of concluding that they do not possess such powers does not seem right.
        koliber 10y ago
        I like this mental exercise. I agree that it is possible that they have the mental projection superpower and no desire to run the world. That would make sense, at least from my cursory knowledge of yogis :). However, their philosophy has a central tenet of minimizing suffering. Wouldn't they use their superpower to eliminate suffering to any extent possible? And a counter-point to that is, what if they do have the superpower, and they do use it, and that is why there is less suffering in the world than there otherwise would be. It looks like what we need is a double-blind study.
  - 1602 10y ago
    Running the world is quite troublesome, and usually, motivated by qualities like greediness, jealousy, &c. Those qualities are very first ones to avoid as you start getting into mindfulness state. Hence even with superpowers (especially with those) yogis should more likely stay away from running the world, just by nature of the things.
- beachstartup 10y ago
  you're not doing meditation any favors by promoting it in this light.
  - djKianoosh 10y ago
    what's the problem? the concepts in that first lesson on the link/pdf Cozumel shared seem pretty relevant to someone learning the basics of meditation.
    - djKianoosh 10y ago
      ok maybe not the siddhis related stuff ;-)
    - hueving 10y ago
      Saying it gives you the ability to read minds and inject thoughts into other peoples' minds puts it in the same category homeopathy.
  - metaphorm 10y ago
    what favors is it due? how would you promote it?
- kranner 10y ago
  I'd be happy enough with increased focus and less anxiety: that's all I'm aiming for as a daily meditator. Siddhis and the rest of it I believe as much as I believe in God (not at all).
- mbrock 10y ago
  This is religious proselytizing.
- nonsince 10y ago
  I have lots of respect for spiritual people and adherents to both religious and non-religious supernatural practices, but I can't pretend that the association with supernatural beliefs didn't put me off getting into meditation and yoga for a long time, despite the very real empirical benefits. I understand that for you these beliefs (which, whether they are true or not, are not scientifically proven, which is important for me) increase the benefit you get from meditation, but for the non-spiritual these associations are a barrier to entry that must be overcome. I now meditate regularly and love it, but I still have some measure of resistance to yoga.
  - metaphorm 10y ago
    so...why do you call it "supernatural" practice? if you admit that there are very real, empirically verifiable benefits and results, then doesn't that make it part of nature? where's the "super" coming from? you say "these beliefs are not scientifically proven, which is important for me". What constitutes scientific proof? what do you suppose ought to be proved, that isn't proved? You already admit that there are very real benefits. A followup question for you: if you meditate regularly now, what do you meditate on? Mindfulness based stress reduction? That's like dipping your toes into an ocean.
    - E6300 10y ago
      I assume that by "supernatural" and "these beliefs", the above poster is referring to the stuff about > People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it.
      - metaphorm 10y ago
        that's a remarkably similar idea to what Jung called the collective unconscious. is that also a "supernatural" theory? or just psychology?
        E6300 10y ago
        It depends. Does Jung's idea depend on mind reading? If so, then yes, it would be supernatural.
- tombh 10y ago
  > When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time As others have suggested, this is hyperbole, verging on proselytising. Whilst there is rigorous scientific evidence for the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness, "blank minds" and other exotic states are anecdotes from those heavily invested in particular religious systems. I have no reason to disbelieve the less fantastical claims such as a blank mind, but I see absolutely no evidence to suggest that they are an inevitable and universal climax of those who practice for long periods.
  - gerbilly 10y ago
    I think it would be better restated as 'when you've been doing it for a while you can make your mind blank all the time.'[0] But it turns out that even though this can be really peaceful, it is not as useful as keeping your mind just at the threshold of the blankness, with just enough thoughts and sensations left.[1] Why? Because you can use this state to investigate the workings of the mind, and to start to see how sensations cause thoughts, which can cause further thoughts and on and on etc. [2] Meditation in many Buddhist traditions is to be used as a tool of investigation. It makes the mind just calm enough to enable you to study it. It is a form of introspective psychology. An analogy from fluid dynamics: It can be almost impossible to predict the behaviour of a turbulent fluid, in fact this is one of the few remaining unsolved problems of classical mechanics. But we do have laws for laminar flows. In the same way, calming the mind just enough, can be a great way to learn more about its workings. And having experiential insight into how your mind works, not book knowledge, literally can change your life. I know it has changed mine. [0] The four 'Jhanas' (http://www.imsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FourJhanas.pdf http://www.imsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FourJhanas.pd...) [1] Access concentration. [2] Dependent co-arising. (Great analogy on that here: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/resonance.html http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/resona...)
- dahauns 10y ago
  Meditation definitely has its merits, but... > People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those powers known as 'siddhis' are just a fraction of what you can attain. ...now you make it sound like NLP.
  - metaphorm 10y ago
    What is language except a means to project your thoughts into the minds of others? NLP literature sometimes makes claims that aren't robustly supported, but it's not really that exotic of an idea.
kordless 10y ago
Not hippy dippy at all. Consuming brain CPU, especially types of recursive CPU, is harmful to your mental health. It's also a big waste of time re-worrying about things, but still remains an option for many. Remember, it's not essential to do no-thinking. Many types of advanced meditation are actually used for focused thinking, such as walking meditation. Just remember that "clinging" is our nature, to the core. Non-clinging is key. Let the thought come, then go as needed. Give it no CPU when it comes and then watch where it goes.
crashdown 10y ago
How long have you been meditating and how long do you meditate for in both of your daily sessions?
- rando444 10y ago
  Not OP, but my advice would be to start small. 10 minutes is more than enough to start with. After doing it for awhile, you'll find yourself wanting to increase that time, but just do it gradually.. maybe work yourself up to 20 minutes, but if you ever feel like you don't have the time, just make sure you're doing at least 10 minutes.
dominotw 10y ago
> no big deal, bring your focus back to your breath. What is the difference between meditation and concentration? > mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect?
- Jtsummers 10y ago
  > Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect? My experience with depression, no. Instead of movies, I played video games. To great effect, my mind was off the things that were bothering me. But it was merely delaying the inevitable, and the wasting of time only added to my stress as I tried to catch up on work (or school work) or lost sleep. Meditation is (in many of these discussions) about mindfulness, not distracting yourself. You become aware of your feelings, thoughts, situation. Distracting yourself (by sex, alcohol, movies, games, etc.) is the opposite of this mindfulness and often works to set you back far more than the temporary reprieve you achieved from your primary condition.
- meowpants 10y ago
  1. Concentration is one edge of a two edged sword. The other edge is relaxation. You use a balance of concentration and relaxation (not too tense, not too relaxed) and rest your awareness on your object of meditation. The breath, in this case, can be your object. Simply rest your awareness on the breath. Use concentration to keep your mind from drifting, and use relaxation to keep your mind from getting too tense. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLjelIPg3ys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLjelIPg3ys 2. If you're watching the movie whilst being aware that you're watching it (watching yourself watching the movie), that is meditation. Otherwise, you're simply distracted from your basic awareness.
- sean2 10y ago
  I don't understand why these questions are being down-voted; I think they are pretty legit: Is meditation just a shortcut to the flow state? I'm also suspicious of guided meditations; I listen to audio books, how is a guided meditation different? Is a movie provably different? I'm not dissing meditation; I do a breathe focused meditation nearly daily and I occasionally do guided meditations (I'll try these tonight), but there's a large number of practices that loosely fall into the category of meditation and also a large number of possibly worthwhile activities that are booted out. Most people (including me) never seem to question the why of this separation.

Cozumel 10y ago

When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time, which sounds kind of bad but it's actually great, but the interesting thing is once you can control your own thoughts you'll start to realise that not all of them are yours. People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those powers known as 'siddhis' are just a fraction of what you can attain. Much like everything western though guided meditation is a horribly bastardised version of the real thing, if you're interested look into Raja Yoga when you're ready. Edited: http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1906-09rajayoga.pdf http://www.yogebooks.com/english/atkinson/1906-09rajayoga.pd... This is the definitive course guide, the first lesson can take a year, 10 years, or a lifetime, don't go past the first lesson till you're ready. You'll know when you are.

mythrwy 10y ago
If this were true I'd expect to see yogis running the world. Instead, running the world are people who I suspect aren't much into meditation.
- dgfgfdagasdfgfa 10y ago
  Perhaps the overlap between people who meditate and sociopaths is low.
- noxplode 10y ago
  Why would yogis want to run the world?
  - koliber 10y ago
    I don't think the parent said he wanted yogis to run the world. I believe he said that if yogis could really project their thoughts, it would be a super-power which would enable them to run the world. The conclusion is that since they do not run the world, they likely do not possess such super-powers.
    - roansh 10y ago
      I do not believe that one can achieve supernatural powers with meditation either (for I have not seen someone with those). Assuming they have such superpowers, they also need the desire to run the world. Hence, this way of concluding that they do not possess such powers does not seem right.
      - koliber 10y ago
        I like this mental exercise. I agree that it is possible that they have the mental projection superpower and no desire to run the world. That would make sense, at least from my cursory knowledge of yogis :). However, their philosophy has a central tenet of minimizing suffering. Wouldn't they use their superpower to eliminate suffering to any extent possible? And a counter-point to that is, what if they do have the superpower, and they do use it, and that is why there is less suffering in the world than there otherwise would be. It looks like what we need is a double-blind study.
- 1602 10y ago
  Running the world is quite troublesome, and usually, motivated by qualities like greediness, jealousy, &c. Those qualities are very first ones to avoid as you start getting into mindfulness state. Hence even with superpowers (especially with those) yogis should more likely stay away from running the world, just by nature of the things.
beachstartup 10y ago
you're not doing meditation any favors by promoting it in this light.
- djKianoosh 10y ago
  what's the problem? the concepts in that first lesson on the link/pdf Cozumel shared seem pretty relevant to someone learning the basics of meditation.
  - djKianoosh 10y ago
    ok maybe not the siddhis related stuff ;-)
  - hueving 10y ago
    Saying it gives you the ability to read minds and inject thoughts into other peoples' minds puts it in the same category homeopathy.
- metaphorm 10y ago
  what favors is it due? how would you promote it?
kranner 10y ago
I'd be happy enough with increased focus and less anxiety: that's all I'm aiming for as a daily meditator. Siddhis and the rest of it I believe as much as I believe in God (not at all).
mbrock 10y ago
This is religious proselytizing.
nonsince 10y ago
I have lots of respect for spiritual people and adherents to both religious and non-religious supernatural practices, but I can't pretend that the association with supernatural beliefs didn't put me off getting into meditation and yoga for a long time, despite the very real empirical benefits. I understand that for you these beliefs (which, whether they are true or not, are not scientifically proven, which is important for me) increase the benefit you get from meditation, but for the non-spiritual these associations are a barrier to entry that must be overcome. I now meditate regularly and love it, but I still have some measure of resistance to yoga.
- metaphorm 10y ago
  so...why do you call it "supernatural" practice? if you admit that there are very real, empirically verifiable benefits and results, then doesn't that make it part of nature? where's the "super" coming from? you say "these beliefs are not scientifically proven, which is important for me". What constitutes scientific proof? what do you suppose ought to be proved, that isn't proved? You already admit that there are very real benefits. A followup question for you: if you meditate regularly now, what do you meditate on? Mindfulness based stress reduction? That's like dipping your toes into an ocean.
  - E6300 10y ago
    I assume that by "supernatural" and "these beliefs", the above poster is referring to the stuff about > People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it.
    - metaphorm 10y ago
      that's a remarkably similar idea to what Jung called the collective unconscious. is that also a "supernatural" theory? or just psychology?
      - E6300 10y ago
        It depends. Does Jung's idea depend on mind reading? If so, then yes, it would be supernatural.
tombh 10y ago
> When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time As others have suggested, this is hyperbole, verging on proselytising. Whilst there is rigorous scientific evidence for the therapeutic benefits of mindfulness, "blank minds" and other exotic states are anecdotes from those heavily invested in particular religious systems. I have no reason to disbelieve the less fantastical claims such as a blank mind, but I see absolutely no evidence to suggest that they are an inevitable and universal climax of those who practice for long periods.
- gerbilly 10y ago
  I think it would be better restated as 'when you've been doing it for a while you can make your mind blank all the time.'[0] But it turns out that even though this can be really peaceful, it is not as useful as keeping your mind just at the threshold of the blankness, with just enough thoughts and sensations left.[1] Why? Because you can use this state to investigate the workings of the mind, and to start to see how sensations cause thoughts, which can cause further thoughts and on and on etc. [2] Meditation in many Buddhist traditions is to be used as a tool of investigation. It makes the mind just calm enough to enable you to study it. It is a form of introspective psychology. An analogy from fluid dynamics: It can be almost impossible to predict the behaviour of a turbulent fluid, in fact this is one of the few remaining unsolved problems of classical mechanics. But we do have laws for laminar flows. In the same way, calming the mind just enough, can be a great way to learn more about its workings. And having experiential insight into how your mind works, not book knowledge, literally can change your life. I know it has changed mine. [0] The four 'Jhanas' (http://www.imsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FourJhanas.pdf http://www.imsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FourJhanas.pd...) [1] Access concentration. [2] Dependent co-arising. (Great analogy on that here: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/resonance.html http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/resona...)
dahauns 10y ago
Meditation definitely has its merits, but... > People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those powers known as 'siddhis' are just a fraction of what you can attain. ...now you make it sound like NLP.
- metaphorm 10y ago
  What is language except a means to project your thoughts into the minds of others? NLP literature sometimes makes claims that aren't robustly supported, but it's not really that exotic of an idea.

kordless 10y ago

Not hippy dippy at all. Consuming brain CPU, especially types of recursive CPU, is harmful to your mental health. It's also a big waste of time re-worrying about things, but still remains an option for many. Remember, it's not essential to do no-thinking. Many types of advanced meditation are actually used for focused thinking, such as walking meditation. Just remember that "clinging" is our nature, to the core. Non-clinging is key. Let the thought come, then go as needed. Give it no CPU when it comes and then watch where it goes.

crashdown 10y ago

How long have you been meditating and how long do you meditate for in both of your daily sessions?

rando444 10y ago
Not OP, but my advice would be to start small. 10 minutes is more than enough to start with. After doing it for awhile, you'll find yourself wanting to increase that time, but just do it gradually.. maybe work yourself up to 20 minutes, but if you ever feel like you don't have the time, just make sure you're doing at least 10 minutes.

dominotw 10y ago

> no big deal, bring your focus back to your breath. What is the difference between meditation and concentration? > mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect?

Jtsummers 10y ago
> Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect? My experience with depression, no. Instead of movies, I played video games. To great effect, my mind was off the things that were bothering me. But it was merely delaying the inevitable, and the wasting of time only added to my stress as I tried to catch up on work (or school work) or lost sleep. Meditation is (in many of these discussions) about mindfulness, not distracting yourself. You become aware of your feelings, thoughts, situation. Distracting yourself (by sex, alcohol, movies, games, etc.) is the opposite of this mindfulness and often works to set you back far more than the temporary reprieve you achieved from your primary condition.
meowpants 10y ago
1. Concentration is one edge of a two edged sword. The other edge is relaxation. You use a balance of concentration and relaxation (not too tense, not too relaxed) and rest your awareness on your object of meditation. The breath, in this case, can be your object. Simply rest your awareness on the breath. Use concentration to keep your mind from drifting, and use relaxation to keep your mind from getting too tense. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLjelIPg3ys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLjelIPg3ys 2. If you're watching the movie whilst being aware that you're watching it (watching yourself watching the movie), that is meditation. Otherwise, you're simply distracted from your basic awareness.
sean2 10y ago
I don't understand why these questions are being down-voted; I think they are pretty legit: Is meditation just a shortcut to the flow state? I'm also suspicious of guided meditations; I listen to audio books, how is a guided meditation different? Is a movie provably different? I'm not dissing meditation; I do a breathe focused meditation nearly daily and I occasionally do guided meditations (I'll try these tonight), but there's a large number of practices that loosely fall into the category of meditation and also a large number of possibly worthwhile activities that are booted out. Most people (including me) never seem to question the why of this separation.