Eastern Meditation

[Lord Daedra]

Is it anathema to materialists like you or does it actually contain some beneficial attributes?

[Lord Daedra]

Bump..............

[Luisrah]

I was also interested in this question.

I've heard that meditation involves, besides other things, breathing exercises. Those certainly have an effect on the person (even if it isn't the expected). When you are in a stressful situation, you tend to have shallow breathing, whilst long breath usually happens when you are calm, resting or sleeping. Therefore it makes sense that breathing deeply and with your ''stomach'' instead of lifting the shoulders may put you in less stress.

Another thing I've heard is to imagine pretty views, listen to good, calm music and imagine good things.
Well, I'm not so sure about this but I do think that if you are worried about something or nervous about a speech or whatever and you imagine things going wrong and believe your ''inner voice'' saying that you suck and will screw up everything than you start believing that and get more worried/nervous. The opposite could be true, it doesn't sound so stupid.

In my case, as a musician, this affects me a lot. Whenever I'm going to an audition (specially playing alone) I get extremely nervous. My hands start shaking, get extremely cold (even if the room is hot) and sweaty. This is particularly helpful considering that I play the classical guitar lol

Therefore I would like to hear someone else's opinion

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

As a former practitioner of Theravada Buddhism I say that no, it is not anathema to materialism. Meditation, by itself, is just the act of focused breathing -- even secular psychology recommends it. the cosmology and mythology of many Eastern religions, however, is a different story.

[Zostrianos]

It has nothing but benefits. I practice meditation myself, and it's thanks to it that I overcame a serious depression a few years back.
Here's a relevant article on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_on_meditation

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

Meditation is wonderful, if extremely difficult for a scatterbrain like me!

Just do what feels right for you, fuck the labels.

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

The psychological benefits are quite clear. There's really no reason why not to - it makes life more pleasant to meditate and clear oneself. It is calming and helps to center us, especially in times of stress. It doesn't necessarily involve even practicing it in a religious way.


As a former practitioner of Theravada Buddhism I say that no, it is not anathema to materialism. Meditation, by itself, is just the act of focused breathing -- even secular psychology recommends it. the cosmology and mythology of many Eastern religions, however, is a different story.

Well, the more "enlightened" Buddhist theorists are not really attached to the cosmology and mythology. The cosmology and mythology are as much an aid for people without much experience at meditation or without the time to engage in such practices as they are a serious doctrine, or a way to appeal to the superstitious people who lived when the religion arose. The Buddha himself doesn't seem to have endorsed much of it in a strong way, as evidenced by parts of the Pali canon.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

The psychological benefits are quite clear. There's really no reason why not to - it makes life more pleasant to meditate and clear oneself. It is calming and helps to center us, especially in times of stress. It doesn't necessarily involve even practicing it in a religious way.



Well, the more "enlightened" Buddhist theorists are not really attached to the cosmology and mythology. The cosmology and mythology are as much an aid for people without much experience at meditation or without the time to engage in such practices as they are a serious doctrine, or a way to appeal to the superstitious people who lived when the religion arose. The Buddha himself doesn't seem to have endorsed much of it in a strong way, as evidenced by parts of the Pali canon.
As far as I know, except for Zen Buddhism, almost every sect of Buddhism believes that enlightenment is not attainable within a single lifetime; rather, many lifetimes are necessary. Of course, one doesn't have to accept the belief in rebirth to practice any form of Buddhism, but it is a central component of most of them.

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

The main feature is the psychological benefit. Regardless of the religious attributes, it does help centre oneself amidst noise if practised enough. Just forget extra baggage and learn only the technique. Then you won't have to worry about materialism because you'll be trying to get away from it temporarily anyway!

[ind_com]

Is it anathema to materialists like you or does it actually contain some beneficial attributes?

Meditation is just the technique of concentrating one's thoughts on a single topic. The position, breathing etc. are meant to help the body relax, so that there are less distractions. The psychological effect is the same if you focus on studying or thinking about anything.

[Eleutheromaniac]

It has nothing but benefits. I practice meditation myself, and it's thanks to it that I overcame a serious depression a few years back.

Do you have more information. I am interested.

[Zostrianos]

Do you have more information. I am interested.

You mean on specific techniques? I usually maintain rhythmic breathing (pranayama) while relaxing my body (either lying on my back, or sitting in asana), and then simply continue to breathe at a certain pace while observing whatever thoughts arise. At first it's hard to control the thought process, but with time it's possible to attain complete quiescence. There are many breathing techniques, but the one I use involves breathing in for 7 seconds, holding for 7, and exhaling for 20, then inhaling again (without holding the breath with empty lungs). The inhalation should be into the belly (not the upper chest), and you should inhale as deeply as possible. I've experimented a lot, and I find the fastest way to get into a deep trance state is to breathe out for as long as possible. Also, it's important to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Ideally, meditation should be done on an empty stomach, or at least don't eat for minimum 2 hours beforehand - a full stomach makes meditation almost impossible, it's like trying to sleep after drinking 10 cups of coffee.