Re:The effect of meditation on brain structure (2012)
by codr7 on Saturday September 21, 2019 @07:54PM
(#21038686)
What you're looking for is awareness, to be right here right now and observe what's going on inside. If you're like most people, you spend most of your time lost in thoughts that you didn't actively choose. The first step is to realize that is the case, which is very difficult in the middle of the storm; hence the sitting down with closed eyes.
Re:The effect of meditation on brain structure (2012)
by sedeki on Saturday September 21, 2019 @08:20PM
(#21038793)
Thank you - this comment was helpful.
Re:The effect of meditation on brain structure (2012)
by chachachoney on Saturday September 21, 2019 @07:39PM
(#21038627)
>> On another note, I have spent a good deal self-reflecting more or less alone in the dark with me and my thoughts.
Two phrases that have been very relevant to my practice:
"Being lost in thought is the opposite of concentration."
"Lost in thought is not meditation."
The above is not meant to imply that there aren't benefits to spending time lost in thought.
Re:The effect of meditation on brain structure (2012)
by nprateem on Sunday September 22, 2019 @03:17AM
(#21040086)
I've read a lot of books on meditation. Without doubt, the clearest and easiest to understand for me was "The Yoga of Consciousness: 25 Direct Practices to Enlightenment" [1]. Well worth it to understand how to do awareness-based meditation and how it can fit into a broader set of practices.
[1] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yoga-Consciousness-Practices-Enligh...
Re:The effect of meditation on brain structure (2012)
by jkp56 on Sunday September 22, 2019 @04:38AM
(#21040318)
IIRC, the canonical book is "The [10] sravaka levels" but it hasn't been translated to English. However the most important parts from that book were incorporated by tsong-kha-pa into lam-rim - another canonical book which has been mostly translated into English.
On another note, I have spent a good deal self-reflecting more or less alone in the dark with me and my thoughts. From what I understand on some parts of the web, this pretty much equates to ”meditation”. While others describe it differently.
I guess I could download HeadSpace and be more explicit about it, but I do anyway think I have derived some mental benefits from the above behavior. Like, being more comfortable with myself. But I don’t think I am doing meditation since I don’t get all benefits as actual meditators.
Just as a reference to the OP of this thread, about being able to distinguish oneself from the voices in one’s head... I think there are more benefits in meditation.