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I have never sat down and properly given meditation a go. That said I have encountered it in various walks - through yoga, martial arts and casual meditation se

by yomly 6y ago

I have never sat down and properly given meditation a go. That said I have encountered it in various walks - through yoga, martial arts and casual meditation sessions. What benefits would you describe you feeling from getting past beginner stage?

kranner 6y ago
Not GP but if I may also contribute: greater metacognitive awareness (I get sucked into binge YouTube/Reddit sessions much less; I'm much more aware that I will probably regret saying something I'm about to say and can just not say anything), greater self-control, much less fretting about chronic pain flareups and generally decreased concern about bouts of ill health, more of the occasional moments of appreciation for beauty in the outside environment. Subtle and gradual changes, so far for the better.
lewispollard 6y ago
For me, having practised for around 6 years now, I can sum it up as the acceptance of reality as it is. Some valuable thing in my house breaks? Well, that's just what happens to things. There's very little resistance to what's going on even if it's painful. There's also a strong sense that the self/world boundary is constructed, and I can see that construction happening in my mind in real-time. This has led to greater empathy and compassion, because of the felt sense that we're all the same 'stuff'. Besides that, I have access to states of mind I couldn't conceive of before. I no longer feel like I am some kind of entity that lives behind my eyeballs, trapped in a body. I can always 'feel' the awareness of awareness, which isn't limited by my perception. So there's this great open space in which perception occurs, and I can continuously sense that. Having that as an anchor makes me far less reactive, and more calm in the face of challenges. I can deconstruct my sensory experience in realtime, which basically means whatever the senses are delivering to me, I can recognise what kind of sensing it is. This sounds trivial or tautological, what it means in practice is that nothing really 'sticks'. If a strong emotion comes up, I recognise internal feeling and it just sort of flows out of me. If I'm having a thought or mental image, I recognise it's a thought or a mental image, and it's seen in proportion to the space of awareness, rather than the mind getting stuck into it. If you're looking at a screen right now, you can sense the proportionality of the device to the room quite intuitively. That same sense of proportionality is given to the contents of the mind-body system with continued mindfulness practice. Everything just happening where it is, rather than somehow being stuck within it. All that said, the linked article is quite right. Most people do not get to these states of mind without struggle, because we are complex psychological beings with trauma, regret, guilt, shame, and so on, and all of that comes up while sitting, to be seen and digested.
- Mo3 6y ago
  Hey, I‘m at the point where you are. Nothing to add, just good to see I‘m still not insane and all the best to you.
  - lewispollard 6y ago
    Wonderful to hear! Can't guarantee I'm not insane though. Still at least 70% delusion at best over here :)
pdamoc 6y ago
Robert Kegan has a constructive developmental model where he uses "Subject" and "Object" to describe the progression in development. Basically, you identify with the Subject and at the next level you become aware that that identity is actually something you have, not something you are. Foe example, you have wants and needs you are not your wants and needs. Your identity is not grounded in the fulfilment of your needs. Mindfulness helps with this. You stop identifying yourself with your body and you realize that you have a body. At an advanced level you stop identifying yourself with your mind and you realize that you have a mind. This ownership allows you to choose your reactions to outside stressors and to approach in a more rational manner changing the things you have. You can change your mind because you want to change it. At ultimate level subject-object distinction disappears. Glimpses of this ultimate level can be obtained through proper use of entheogens but it is meditation that is the slow and steady road to the mountain top. In other words, you might get to experience the state in a psychedelic trip but if you want to live there, you need to pay the price. The price might be 10 years of daily meditation. For a frequently funny and light-hearted approach to this subject I recommend the work of Anthony de Mello. He used the word "Awareness" to label this space an "Wake Up" for the process of getting there.
- lewispollard 6y ago
  This is an excellent description. Thanks for sharing. Using a mental technique to objectify any subjectivity that arises. Surfing that boundary, interesting things happen.

by yomly 6y ago

kranner 6y ago

Not GP but if I may also contribute: greater metacognitive awareness (I get sucked into binge YouTube/Reddit sessions much less; I'm much more aware that I will probably regret saying something I'm about to say and can just not say anything), greater self-control, much less fretting about chronic pain flareups and generally decreased concern about bouts of ill health, more of the occasional moments of appreciation for beauty in the outside environment. Subtle and gradual changes, so far for the better.

lewispollard 6y ago

For me, having practised for around 6 years now, I can sum it up as the acceptance of reality as it is. Some valuable thing in my house breaks? Well, that's just what happens to things. There's very little resistance to what's going on even if it's painful. There's also a strong sense that the self/world boundary is constructed, and I can see that construction happening in my mind in real-time. This has led to greater empathy and compassion, because of the felt sense that we're all the same 'stuff'. Besides that, I have access to states of mind I couldn't conceive of before. I no longer feel like I am some kind of entity that lives behind my eyeballs, trapped in a body. I can always 'feel' the awareness of awareness, which isn't limited by my perception. So there's this great open space in which perception occurs, and I can continuously sense that. Having that as an anchor makes me far less reactive, and more calm in the face of challenges. I can deconstruct my sensory experience in realtime, which basically means whatever the senses are delivering to me, I can recognise what kind of sensing it is. This sounds trivial or tautological, what it means in practice is that nothing really 'sticks'. If a strong emotion comes up, I recognise internal feeling and it just sort of flows out of me. If I'm having a thought or mental image, I recognise it's a thought or a mental image, and it's seen in proportion to the space of awareness, rather than the mind getting stuck into it. If you're looking at a screen right now, you can sense the proportionality of the device to the room quite intuitively. That same sense of proportionality is given to the contents of the mind-body system with continued mindfulness practice. Everything just happening where it is, rather than somehow being stuck within it. All that said, the linked article is quite right. Most people do not get to these states of mind without struggle, because we are complex psychological beings with trauma, regret, guilt, shame, and so on, and all of that comes up while sitting, to be seen and digested.

Mo3 6y ago
Hey, I‘m at the point where you are. Nothing to add, just good to see I‘m still not insane and all the best to you.
- lewispollard 6y ago
  Wonderful to hear! Can't guarantee I'm not insane though. Still at least 70% delusion at best over here :)

pdamoc 6y ago

Robert Kegan has a constructive developmental model where he uses "Subject" and "Object" to describe the progression in development. Basically, you identify with the Subject and at the next level you become aware that that identity is actually something you have, not something you are. Foe example, you have wants and needs you are not your wants and needs. Your identity is not grounded in the fulfilment of your needs. Mindfulness helps with this. You stop identifying yourself with your body and you realize that you have a body. At an advanced level you stop identifying yourself with your mind and you realize that you have a mind. This ownership allows you to choose your reactions to outside stressors and to approach in a more rational manner changing the things you have. You can change your mind because you want to change it. At ultimate level subject-object distinction disappears. Glimpses of this ultimate level can be obtained through proper use of entheogens but it is meditation that is the slow and steady road to the mountain top. In other words, you might get to experience the state in a psychedelic trip but if you want to live there, you need to pay the price. The price might be 10 years of daily meditation. For a frequently funny and light-hearted approach to this subject I recommend the work of Anthony de Mello. He used the word "Awareness" to label this space an "Wake Up" for the process of getting there.

lewispollard 6y ago
This is an excellent description. Thanks for sharing. Using a mental technique to objectify any subjectivity that arises. Surfing that boundary, interesting things happen.