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meditation/philosophical ponderings thread (there is a question in the OP)
Mr. Henry Bemis
God is loveRegistered User regular
God is loveRegistered User regular
~PHILOSOPHILIZIN'~
What sources do you derive meaning from in your life?
In what do you place significance and value?
~MEDITATIN'~
hey guys let's talk about meditation
I would highly recommend meditation to any dang one
it's basic good in pretty much all ways
So what is meditation? Why the fuck would i just sit there, bro?
Alright so this stuff sounds okay i guess. Sell me on it.
okay so you know how extended stress is really bad for you due to overlong activation of the sympathetic nervous system? well meditation is pretty much like a direct counter to all that mess
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_applications_and_clinical_studies_of_meditation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10841380
it's really fucking good for your body
and that's just the physical effects of being less stressed
it does wonders for mood, energy and general thoughtfulness to destress in such a manner
there is also a healthy amount of research on meditation's effects on brain activity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_applications_and_clinical_studies_of_meditation#Meditation_and_the_brain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_applications_and_clinical_studies_of_meditation#Meditation_and_EEG
it can have very real effects on both brain activity and chemistry, leading to significant alteration of consciousness
Alright, cool. Let's do this thing. What do i do?
sup guys let's get crunk on some meditation
What sources do you derive meaning from in your life?
In what do you place significance and value?
~MEDITATIN'~
hey guys let's talk about meditation
I would highly recommend meditation to any dang one
it's basic good in pretty much all ways
So what is meditation? Why the fuck would i just sit there, bro?
well meditation is a super ancient practice, largely associated with eastern religion but also present in Abrahamic belief systems in various forms along with less organized religions such as the Native American Church
the incarnation typically discussed is the one stemming from eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism
there are like a million different kinds of meditation but the variety i know most about is Buddhist Vipasanna meditation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insight_meditation
also known as awareness or insight meditation it largely focuses on perceiving things as accurately as possible, that is, the true nature of reality
modern psychology has done a bit of theoretical work surrounding the mechanism of action in Vipasana, mindfulness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_(psychology)
the incarnation typically discussed is the one stemming from eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism
there are like a million different kinds of meditation but the variety i know most about is Buddhist Vipasanna meditation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insight_meditation
also known as awareness or insight meditation it largely focuses on perceiving things as accurately as possible, that is, the true nature of reality
modern psychology has done a bit of theoretical work surrounding the mechanism of action in Vipasana, mindfulness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_(psychology)
The first component involves the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for increased recognition of mental events in the present moment. The second component involves adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present moment, an orientation that is characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance. (2004:232)
Alright so this stuff sounds okay i guess. Sell me on it.
okay so you know how extended stress is really bad for you due to overlong activation of the sympathetic nervous system? well meditation is pretty much like a direct counter to all that mess
For example, in an early study in 1972, Transcendental Meditation was shown to affect the human metabolism by lowering the biochemical byproducts of stress, such as lactate, decreasing heart rate and blood pressure and inducing favorable brain waves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_applications_and_clinical_studies_of_meditation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10841380
it's really fucking good for your body
and that's just the physical effects of being less stressed
it does wonders for mood, energy and general thoughtfulness to destress in such a manner
there is also a healthy amount of research on meditation's effects on brain activity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_applications_and_clinical_studies_of_meditation#Meditation_and_the_brain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_applications_and_clinical_studies_of_meditation#Meditation_and_EEG
it can have very real effects on both brain activity and chemistry, leading to significant alteration of consciousness
Alright, cool. Let's do this thing. What do i do?
okay well
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html
that is a great, easy to read book about meditation
it's only about 100 pages and pretty easy to make your way through
but in case you are a lazy shmuck, here's a real easy guide to getting started and deciding if you think it is a Cool Thing.
okay so make sure you're in comfy clothes
first there's a few positions to choose from
if you can't manage any of these just find a way to sit somewhere on something in some way where you can breathe easily and can stay there for 10+ minutes comfortably
you can either close your eyes or focus intently on something but i'd recommend closing them
okay so now start breathing slowly and fully, fill your lungs
pay attention to the sensation of your breath, keep your mind still and uncrowded
just focus on your breathing
thoughts will creep in unasked, totes normal
note them and refocus your attention back to your breathing
do this for 10-15 minutes
you'll feel pretty cool afterwards, probably!
try it out, guys
The subject of this book is Vipassana meditation practice. Repeat, practice. This is a meditation manual, a nuts-and-bolts, step-by-step guide to Insight meditation. It is meant to be practical. It is meant for use.
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html
that is a great, easy to read book about meditation
it's only about 100 pages and pretty easy to make your way through
but in case you are a lazy shmuck, here's a real easy guide to getting started and deciding if you think it is a Cool Thing.
okay so make sure you're in comfy clothes
first there's a few positions to choose from
1. American indian style. Your right foot is tucked under the left knee and left foot is tucked under your right knee.
2. Burmese style. Both of your legs lie flat on the floor from knee to foot. They are parallel with each other and one in front of the other.
3. Half lotus. Both knees touch the floor. One leg and foot lie flat along the calf of the other leg.
4. Full lotus. Both knees touch the floor, and your legs are crossed at the calf. Your left foot rests on the right thigh, and your right foot rests on the left thigh. Both soles turn upward.
if you can't manage any of these just find a way to sit somewhere on something in some way where you can breathe easily and can stay there for 10+ minutes comfortably
you can either close your eyes or focus intently on something but i'd recommend closing them
okay so now start breathing slowly and fully, fill your lungs
pay attention to the sensation of your breath, keep your mind still and uncrowded
just focus on your breathing
thoughts will creep in unasked, totes normal
note them and refocus your attention back to your breathing
do this for 10-15 minutes
you'll feel pretty cool afterwards, probably!
try it out, guys
sup guys let's get crunk on some meditation
Nothing is true; Everything is permitted
Mr. Henry Bemis on
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@Bryceforvice on Twitter Facebook
a hipster minus the arrogance?
Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
sorry, march
gonna buy dat
it's a combination of skill and concentration
for real
I actually tried this after wanting to give it a go a little while ago
it is a nice thing I think I will continue
I will at times set my mind up as a simple stone or block of wood in a location like this, having no responsibility other than to smell the salt in the air, taste it on the wind, watch the boats pass here to there and pay no attention to whether the sun is rising or falling.
kinda like meditation, maybe?
Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
PARKER, YOU'RE FIRED! <-- My comic book podcast! Satan look here!
but I'm a creature of habit, and my brain wanders even when my body does not
Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
I had to explain to someone today how even when daydreaming or seemingly lost in indiscriminate imagination, that there is still a constant background chatter of highly excited and wandering thought.
Stale knows what I'm talking about (we talked about it once)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzPfDdfk1VY
that song. especially the beginning is boss as hell
but that's neither here nor there
I am usually the kind of dude who is either drunk or yelling or both.
But I tried meditating a couple years ago and it is actually pretty awesome. I took a neurotheology course in uni and we talked about how MRIs of the brains of monks during meditation show significant differences. Meditation is awesome. Unfortunately I don't have time to do it much anymore.
Also speaking of yoga my sister joined Dahn Yoga last year without realizing it was a cult. I ell-oh-elled at her dumb ass.
even just 10 minutes a day is worth it
just that it's very hard for me to pull away from the various distractions of my life
perhaps I will make an attempt
just for you
but i wholly support others who do it
i completely understand it's actually a pretty difficult thing to make yourself do
it's really worth it though
give it a shot, man
That's sort of like meditation but better because I get to dream awesome things.
I'm really stressed and school aint that hard
and like you gotta walk past them for some reason and its all awkward and you try to be silent and wonder if they can even hear you or not because they havent moved
That sort of distraction is addicting, and it's hard to understand how pleasant a conscious reprieve from it can be until you experience it.
that's all the sounds in the Universe, that is