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Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by kumarvvr on Tuesday March 16, 2021 @11:12PM (#26486084)
Really curious. Can you give more details?

Vamachara stuff is forbidden and can lead to extremely dangerous reverse effects.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by asymptosis on Tuesday March 16, 2021 @11:20PM (#26486125)
It might be forbidden within the context of certain religious paths/orders, but it's not forbidden for random people on the internet to experiment with whatever exercises they come across.

I think the site where I got it doesn't exist any more. I think I have a copy in my own archives somewhere.

The basic gist of the practices was a combination of various asanas, mantras, pranayama and visualisation.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by asymptosis on Tuesday March 16, 2021 @11:52PM (#26486323)
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by IAmGraydon on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @12:38AM (#26486601)
You sure it wasn’t the text color/background combination that caused your psychotic break?
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by asymptosis on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @01:04AM (#26486769)
hahaha :D
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by blobbers on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @03:37AM (#26487666)
I clicked this way back link, and it reminded me of what the internet used to be.

It was so much cooler.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by thevardanian on Tuesday March 16, 2021 @11:41PM (#26486256)
It's not about it being religious, but about it being dangerous, or in some ways a hinderance/harmful to the self.

Kind of like how self harm is forbidden. Vamamarga is psychological self harm, in a sense. Aghoris then take that same principle to the next level.

The problem is people fetishize, or in other ways make arguments and ideas about Indian origin things within the context of religion. That has in my opinion done far more harm in understanding the philosophical approaches of Dharma than any other misconception, including translation errors.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by asymptosis on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @12:01AM (#26486381)
Perhaps you're right, but I wasn't operating within a Buddhist or Hindu paradigm at that time. I was exploring a wide variety of practices as part of a novitiate with the Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros.

Even if someone had told me that it was risky, I still would have had the attitude of, thanks, but I need to find this out for myself from experience rather than just take your word for it.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by thevardanian on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @12:38AM (#26486602)
And that's fine. In fact that is itself a valid argument within the Buddhist/Hindu context. I would even argue it's basis of both "religions"; proof through self experience.

So again, the point here is that it's important to be knowledgeable about whatever subject matter that you're taking part in, not least because of being respectful, but because that way whatever task is being undertaken can be done "correctly". Including, perhaps especially, if you have belief in occult ideas.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by blobbers on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @03:35AM (#26487642)
As someone ignorant, and I mean no disrespect by saying this...

this thread reads like an H.P. Lovecraft or Dan Brown novel. Please keep this thread alive, it's fascinating!

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by thevardanian on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @12:34PM (#26493487)
Psychedelics man...

They'll mess you up.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by ta988 on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @10:22PM (#26499142)
And you're the only one that may not notice.
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by mangamadaiyan on Tuesday March 16, 2021 @11:31PM (#26486204)
Who forbids it?
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by frongpik on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @01:38AM (#26486994)
From wikipedia: Vāmācāra is a Sanskrit term meaning "left-handed attainment" and is synonymous with "Left-Hand Path".

In occultism, "left hand path" means black magic. So it would be the "right hand path" followers who forbid practice vamachara.

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by hnick on Tuesday March 16, 2021 @11:47PM (#26486290)
Interesting piece on it here. I wasn't aware of these terms.

Basically, by definition it is about breaching Hindu societal taboos, unless I am vastly misunderstanding this brief summary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-hand_path_and_right-hand_...

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by asymptosis on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @12:04AM (#26486393)
This is the syllabus I was working through: https://web.archive.org/web/20040612155253/http://www.kamaka...

It isn't obvious that asanas, breathing exercises, mantras and visualisation are somehow breaching any taboos of any society that I know of ;)

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by mulberrybush on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @04:42AM (#26488051)
This is derived from kriya yoga, not Vāmācāra. Another similar online tutorial is https://www.aypsite.org/10.html. Real Vāmācāra by definition involves breaking all taboos - see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hiKDMsIHn8 (warning - it is pretty horrific)
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by Nemrod67 on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @07:42AM (#26489682)
Watching the doc, all I see is LARP.

Why do we consider those seriously while making fun of LaVey's rituals?

Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by ta988 on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @10:43PM (#26499245)
Most human activities could be seen as that. An american screaming madly at its tv screen showing a football game with ads telling them what to buy. A priest burning frankincense and telling other humans what to do... Those are all meaningful for the people practicing them and can look ridiculous for others.
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by mulberrybush on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @04:04PM (#26496149)
Shouldnt consider any of it seriously - it is all LARP all the way down...
Re:Lost in Thought: Psychological Risks of Meditation by asymptosis on Wednesday March 17, 2021 @05:41PM (#26497114)
Thanks for the heads up. When the link said "vamachara" I just took it face value.