Meditation?

[metaphours]

Scott, I think you're missing the point that while meditation can be spiritual for some, it doesn't have to be for others. People have this misconception that meditation is linked to Hinduism/Yoga. While it is linked to it, that doesn't mean you have to follow the life of a Yogi to be a successful meditator. For some people, it's a purely secular thing.

For me, I know I feel a spiritual presence within me when I meditate but it has nothing to do with any religion. It is simply the spirit of the cosmos flowing throughout my soul.

 

[Scott N Denver]

Scott, I think you're missing the point that while meditation can be spiritual for some, it doesn't have to be for others. People have this misconception that meditation is linked to Hinduism/Yoga. While it is linked to it, that doesn't mean you have to follow the life of a Yogi to be a successful meditator. For some people, it's a purely secular thing.

For me, I know I feel a spiritual presence within me when I meditate but it has nothing to do with any religion. It is simply the spirit of the cosmos flowing throughout my soul.

Ok, I see your take on this. Yes, there are many levels of meditation and a number of different motivations. For plenty of people its as you put it "secular" and about stress relief or relaxation or maybe focusing better. That's perfectly fine, and I hope that people "find what they are looking for" when they do that. There are also deeper things in this realm of activity, so if someone asks about meditation experiences, we are free to answer as well. You did ask about people's experiences, which at some point I discussed some of mine, so I did answer that topic which was asked.

Sometimes people are interested in meditation and hear about all sorts of "fantastical" experiences, which some find very intriguing and some find very odd. Personally, I tend to try not to get too involved in discussing those unless someone specifically asks or something. Even in my response here I kept that stuff pretty low.

Meditation can be found all over the place, its FAR more broad than just yoga, or hinduism, or buddhism, which are probably about the most common "places" people here about it in. It is a common misconception that meditation=buddhism, or the like. I always tell people "I just don't see how you can accuse 'paying attention' to your breathing as somehow requiring or implying buddhism or the like, just like saying 'breath well' doesnt imply daoism. Its just paying attention in the one case and breathing in the other. It can connect to more stuff, but it doesnt need to." Absolutely, there are a number of ways one can meditate and a number of "places" one can learn it from. Eastern philosophy, and other things too!, not required.

I can't stop what people are going to do, and for some drugs can serve as an entrance point to "spiritual experiences", but still I wish to argue against their usage. There are things FAR more profound out there within the realm of possibility, and in many ways drugs are an uncontrolled crutch at best. I've already discussed that earlier so I won't any more, but as a "serious" person on this topic I did want to bring up reasons not to use drugs.

 

[Nonsensical]

Drugs are a cheap way for mankind to cheat the system, for those unable to attain being on their own.

It's an attachment that you use to cheat your way into the program.

But when you get there, you aren't really there.

Drugs are an illusion.

 

[metaphours]

Drugs are a cheap way for mankind to cheat the system, for those unable to attain being on their own.

It's an attachment that you use to cheat your way into the program.

But when you get there, you aren't really there.

Drugs are an illusion.

Very deep.
I get you completely.

 

[Antimony]

How do you get to the point where you really get inside of your own mind?

Like, I have heard of the monks who stop feeling pain to a certain degree because they are able to separate their minds from their bodies.

 

[wank]

Repetitive objectification or withdrawal into thought,... pure thought isn't subject to the external,...

Weird story: As a child I would consistently bring bathwater to as hot as the water heater allowed, in some sort of incremental way, and manage to not scald.

I don't know why I stopped except that it wasn't an expedient way to bathe.
I might start doing this again...

 

[wank]

Also - anyone, why is it Roygbiv from root to crown instead of the other way around as like a rainbow(this question has pestered me too long)?

never mind, I'm so disappointed in myself.

 

[INFtha14]

Scott, I think you're missing the point that while meditation can be spiritual for some, it doesn't have to be for others. People have this misconception that meditation is linked to Hinduism/Yoga. While it is linked to it, that doesn't mean you have to follow the life of a Yogi to be a successful meditator. For some people, it's a purely secular thing.

For me, I know I feel a spiritual presence within me when I meditate but it has nothing to do with any religion. It is simply the spirit of the cosmos flowing throughout my soul.

yes Metaphours that is exactly it. I find when i meditate it's like i feel at peace with everything around me.
Also feel a hugeconnectedness/acceptance with life, stress etc.
It's definitely is a spiritual experience not religious. Like when it helps you get in touch with what matters in life. Letting your brain go, letting problems go.

I find i'm more forgiving and accepting of whatever comes my way when i meditate. Able to let go of things more too and appreciate my friends even the ones who have hurt me.

I feel that connection with some higher power sometimes like you said the cosmos like i am one with the universe . Feels really good hehe.

Ever done that meditation on youtube where she has you send good vibes to your enemy,the world and visualizing the vibe that connects us all?

That one always has me feeling so good and at peace with the world, feel internal harmony, not stressed or anxious just relaxed and at peace.

Love meditation i feel like it takes me to a higher place to help me become a better person/ more mindful. Also i find i handle conflict better too, able to keep a cool head and not let emotions rule me.

Just notice I have more patience, more centered and able to sit with my thoughts. Feel like it gives me more understanding of anothers postion in life and how were all connected in this life.

It really shifts my perspective and helps me be more mindful. I feel afterwards like i want to just give everybody a bouque of flowers, hug my mom lol.

Also if in conflict with someone just meditate and it's like i am no longer mad at them and i just want it to be set straight so the harmony can be back. Helps me understand there are bigger fish to fry, love meditation .
Seriously like the world don't seem so scary or wrong.
Much more positive vibe ahhh.

Don't you agree metaphours,OneWithSoul etc? It's nice isn't it. I like how OneWithSoul describes alot of their experience with meditation, I agree with alot of it. I truly just want to feel at one with earth, peace, my inner soul and what really is important etc.
I think this thread needs a hug and love smiley.
and

 

[Lux]

So you'll doing meditation successfully these days? How long did it take you before you could really calm down? How did you "prevent" the thoughts?

I just found this thread so sorry if this is a bit late.

I meditate every night as I fall asleep. I've been doing it for years. Something I do to help control the chatter in my brain is I repeat a phrase I learned form a woman who was a Reki master. She came from India and I was fortunate enough to speak with her for her short time in the U.S. Now, whatever your beliefs on that are that's fine. I don't know what I believe but, I will say I have never in my life met anyone who held the peace and complete acceptance of humanity in my life. She was an amazing person.

What I do is repeat in my head: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (that's phonetic)

Supposedly it means "I bow down to the universal laws of cause and effect."

But it could also mean "This girl is an idiot and she thinks I have inner peace. I like tacos."

 

[Zoom]

Meditation quiets the voices in my head, and focuses me within my own body - a beautiful tool I am in tune with normally, but can lose track of when my mind goes off into the clouds.

I learned it in a couple of different academic classes, and miss it. It centered me and drew me to the root of myself - giving me that feeling of being in sync right at the core, at the base of my spine all the way up to my heart and brain.

 

[metaphours]

Supposedly it means "I bow down to the universal laws of cause and effect."

I really love this quote. I might just use it the next time I meditate/chop it up and use it for my poetry

 

[Lux]

^ It just rolls in my brain effortlessly, so it works really well with letting go. As my mind ebbs and flows I find that saying always in the background, it fits with me.

 

[Katsuni]

I can't meditate. Every instruction has always started with "clear yeur mind" well I guess we're screwed from the start then aren't we >.>

Unfortunately my mind doesn't do "clearing". It does ridiculous multitasking quite well though, at any time I can be thinking of something, considering the implications of having that though, and having a 2-3 way conversation with myself in my head over the point of the thought. Not to mention unrelated thoughts which have no baring at all on the matter as I'm considering completely different avenues of thought. My mind wanders, mostly due to any number of several lines of reasoning may be going on at one time, there's many split ends available to each one, and the act of accepting a different direction on any one of these tends to bring it to the forefront of conciousness, this means that I've completely changed topics to something I was thinking about without changing that I'm still thinking about the other thing TOO.

So... yeah... "Clear yeur mind" mantras don't work in large part due to this... mostly it ends up with one layer of thought doing whotever the mantra is (we'll use ooooohm, the supposed sound of the universe for example here), this going ooooooohm... while at the same time I'll have another layer of thought going "don't think of anything but ohm, don't think of anything but ohm, don't think of anything but ohm" in a similar style, yet at the same time there'll be a third layer going "Gah yeu just thought of it!" and another going "zomg I thought of thinking of it too crap now I have to start over!".

While still maintaining the ohm...

Yeah my poor mind is pretty badly fractured at this point XD

Short point being, I can't stop thinking, I never have been able to, and probably never will. As such, the idea of meditation is completely beyond my capacity to do so.