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What are the hidden benefits of meditation? in Spirituality · Dec 6, 2012

analogstag29 said:Look, if you're going to claim you "know" what's happening, could you actually walk me through it? I'm genuinely curious—give me some specifics. Which monastery are we talking about, which order, when did this happen, where was it located, and what kind of madness actually went down? I'd really love to hear the details...

I don't know anything about monasteries, but I certainly know something about transcendental meditators. 😢😲😁

By the way, there's a mention here regarding a priest who took his own life in Rome:

There was one other person in my life—someone I truly felt I could entrust my entire existence to—and that was my dear, dearly missed professor, Anton Benvin.

Anyway, that's a whole different subject:

Masons, chakras, spirituality, Satanism... I'm CONFUSED in Spirituality · Dec 1, 2012

Jeremy Ross said:I feel like I've already touched on this quite a bit in this thread:

Quincy:

Masons hate me. They follow me everywhere I go, trying their best to eavesdrop on my private conversations. They’ve jumped me, tried to kidnap me, and for quite some time, they spent every single day of my life trying to kill me. Sometimes their wives will even dress up—say, as nuns, or as a Muslim woman (headscarves and all)—just to trick me, though it never actually works. I have seen such pure evil in them that it isn't even natural. It makes me convinced that about 50% of all Masons are possessed by demons. So, half-devil, half-human. It probably stems from the sin that pours out of their mouths. Basically, sin on the outside -> demon on the inside.

To me, this sounds more like paranoia regarding the Masons than actual Masons themselves!!??😕

Paranoia:
To people like that, the world is a minefield, and they’re always sniffing out these hidden, non-existent threats. A Paranoid person is deeply convinced that their thoughts are absolute truth—their only reality, really—so they view any disagreement as a direct act of hostility.
Do you get the feeling you're being followed? Are you never quite sure where your spouse is or who they're with? Do you suspect a coworker is spying on you and reporting your daily routine back to the boss? Is your dear neighbor's grandson definitely the one responsible for the break-in at your house (because she gave him your schedule)? When you walk into a room, does it feel like everyone starts whispering and gossiping about *you* specifically?

Are you being serious right now, or are you just messing with us? 😲 😁

Masons, chakras, spirituality, Satanism... I'm CONFUSED in Spirituality · Nov 23, 2012

Jeremy Ross said:Silvio Berlusconi is a Mason. People claim he isn't anymore, but honestly, that's just a lie.

That’s just impossible—really. The man is far too preoccupied with sex and money. See, a true Mason actually has to focus on the spiritual side of things, not just the physical impulses, 😢😲😁
but Berlusconi? He doesn't give a damn about any of that. His mind is strictly on his mistresses. 😁 http://nytimes.com/world/berlusconi-and-his-lovers

Masons, chakras, spirituality, Satanism... I'm CONFUSED in Spirituality · Nov 22, 2012

mellowranger11 said:Thanks, man. That was actually pretty interesting—you're right, it definitely helped clear my head a bit, haha. But honestly, I still want to hear what everyone else thinks. I don't take anything I read as the absolute "truth." Even with all those books and info I dig through, I try to approach everything by stripping away the ego—you know, trying to get past all those baked-in beliefs, attitudes, and that whole mental armor the ego drags around everywhere.

The more I look into this stuff, the more I'm convinced that all the data from books and whatever doesn't mean much. As crazy as it sounds—and yeah, call me stupid if you want—but I feel like the actual "truth" can only be found within yourself. What I mean is, we could only find the "real" truth if we managed to totally shed that ego armor and actually look into the core of our own being. Whether people agree with me or not doesn't matter; this has been my gut feeling about the only real way to search for the "truth" for a long time now. It’s not something I read in a manual or anything—it's just pure intuition speaking.

When you're out there searching for the truth, keep this story in mind:

Even if you end up accepting some parts of this:

Or perhaps this:

Or even what's provided below the line:

The roots of quasi-spirituality and the misery it causes, based on people like this! in Spirituality · Nov 6, 2012

Angela Cox4 said:Whenever we stumble upon something that looks like it might actually help us out, we tend to get tunnel vision—we fixate entirely on whatever little thing is gonna pull us out of our current mental rut or shitty headspace. It’s like we're just looking for an exit ramp from the "bad vibes." But honestly? Just like every other screw-up in life, at the end of the day, we’re the ones holding the bag. We're the ones responsible to ourselves for how we handle things.

Look, our mindset matters—and I mean this for everything, not just when we're talking about meditation. If you want a specific result out of life, you can't just wing it. I honestly think it’s a massive mistake to treat meditation, or those higher states of consciousness people are always chasing, like they're some kind of endgame goal you just stumble into after doing all the work. It’s not some artificial thing you just "set up" once you've checked enough boxes. It's deeper than that.

Look, we were born with a higher level of consciousness from day one—even back then, nobody really knew what to make of us. And now? Now it’s just become some topic of speculation for some depressed college student from a year ago, and some socially anxious girl today. It’s honestly exhausting.

And why does that happen? Because she’s basically left wide open to her own thoughts—just constant, relentless self-criticism looping in her head. It’s this heavy, negative internal monologue that stays stuck on repeat regardless of how much she meditates, and honestly, it all just hits her at once the second someone asks her for directions to the Mary Smith hotel.

I heard about this one student in Washington, D.C., who was trying out some techniques from those books by Smith. Instead of reaching some enlightened state, she ended up in a psychiatric ward. Something similar happened to that one "speed-meditating" practitioner of ours. Personally, I think it's just plain old illness. For certain people, certain techniques simply trigger conditions that mimic mental illness. It's like how Hodak's shamanic rituals supposedly drove some participants into madness; sometimes the techniques themselves are what cause the breakdown. There isn't some deep, hidden wisdom in that. 😢😲

The roots of quasi-spirituality and the misery it causes, based on people like this! in Spirituality · Nov 3, 2012

Angela Cox4 said:Wait, didn't you guys learn in TMu that anticipation is totally counterproductive? (It just builds up this massive, nasty tension in the mind)

The real deal is that searching for any kind of peace outside of ourselves—which basically means finding it in the present moment—is the goal. Any daydreaming about how much better things will be in some distant future is really just a refusal to accept who we are right now; it's just fantasizing about a version of ourselves that doesn't even exist.

In principle, you shouldn't have to expect anything at all. Everything just arrives on its own. Or so the literature claims. For instance, see here:

There was this intense push to frame meditation strictly as a relaxation technique—just a way to blow off steam and de-stress—to make it align with a materialistic worldview. By wrapping it in scientific jargon, they made it accessible to the masses, I suppose.

But pretty soon, that approach started showing its cracks—real inconsistencies, actually. If you want actual progress, true understanding, or any kind of stability in higher states of consciousness, you really need to practice the entire system of Yoga as a whole, just like the traditional texts instruct.

The crux of the issue lies in these "higher" or "lower" states. Does such a hierarchy even exist? Or is it just a downward spiral into lower states? One student back in the day made a rather poignant observation: before I started my IBM practice, I was a bit depressed and scattered. After a year of doing it, I felt exactly the same. Only difference was, I had "learned" how to blush in public. "Before that, I never felt awkward around people, but now I start turning red if some stranger asks me where the Mary Smith hotel is located.
I guess I ended up sinking into lower states of consciousness instead of ascending to the higher ones. 😢😲😁

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 27, 2012

steelnomad84 said:It doesn't necessarily mean that avoiding boredom requires something bad to happen.

Take an artist, for instance. If they have inspiration, time, and the right resources, they aren't bored because they're busy creating. They aren't suffering through some tragedy just to find interest.

Sure, maybe when boredom just vanishes on its own, it's usually because something went wrong. But that just means we should try to create our own excitement rather than waiting around for a disaster to shake things up. 😉

The absolute worst scenario is when you're forced to paint some commission just to pay the bills—and you have to do it immediately because you're practically starving.😲

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 27, 2012

electrictiger25 said:I do, actually. And I love him immensely—I’d do absolutely anything for him. He truly is the finest
human being I have ever encountered; he possesses such a youthful soul and is just an incredibly sincere, loving person.

But this isn't really about him, it's about me. Though, I suppose no one would be happier
than if he were right there by my side during this search for... "that certain something." 🙂

steelnomad84 — owls are quite brilliant, I'll give you that. 😁 Personally, though, I'm more of a cat person; they possess the most colorful
range of expressions; they're just top-tier. 😍

edit: for instance—this face I make whenever my mother reminds me that my biological clock is going to start ticking much faster
over the next few years...

Tell them it’s never too late to make love passionately—and even better, to stay in that state: http://www.nytimes.com/lifestyle/health-kids
😁

The data suggests that adults whose mothers gave birth to them between the ages of 35 and 44 aren't any less healthy in their 40s or 50s than those born to mothers who were between 25 and 34 at the time of delivery.

NEW YORK CITY – It appears children of older mothers aren't facing an increased risk of health issues later in life, according to a recent study published in the journal Demography.

I went through a bit of a crisis like that myself back when I was 26: finished college, got married, landed a job at a solid corporation, wife gets pregnant = "Well, there goes my exciting life, looks like a boring future ahead." But it wasn't boring. Not by a long shot. Before I knew it, the early '90s hit, and instead of things looking up, everything went south: the war broke out.
Now, I look back at it through a different lens: life was incredibly dull, and the future is looking even more tedious!!! Let's just keep it that way—keep it hellishly boring! Because if life suddenly stops being "boring," it’s probably for some absolutely miserable reasons: your kid is on drugs, your spouse is cheating on you, you've been diagnosed with cancer, or the world is falling apart around you... 😲 😁

There's an old Chinese proverb for when you actually WISH SOMEONE ILL: "May you live in interesting times!!"
For some, those are heroic, legendary times; for most of us, it means a stray grenade might fly through your window, or your car gets torched during a protest. 😲

coastalhound58 said:I don't think that'll do much, given that I'm not exactly thrilled with the ishod😁

We really need to drag this process out:
😁

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 27, 2012

driftingraven122 said:I used to get hit by those feelings too, though rarely. But back then, I was having visions constantly, which actually made the meditation quite interesting. Nowadays, as a result, I have this profound silence, mental focus, and a pretty stable mood. I guess I'm mostly glad I dedicated so much time to it.

Tantra isn't really my thing, but hey, you never know. 😁

Meditation relaxes me, too. Though, I have to say, there's a limit—if I overdo it, it actually starts to make me feel more irritable than anything else.

I'm not really much of a tantra person, but hey, you never know. 😁

When I saw Stančić on Latin America, I almost crossed my fingers under the table—not out of fear, but because the whole topic was centered on aphrodisiacs. 😢😲😂

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 27, 2012

coastalhound58 said:At this point, I’m finding that neither sex nor chocolate provides any real fulfillment—honestly, I might be a lost cause😲😁

Just switch up the routine and grab a box of those fancy chocolates instead. You know, the ones filled with sweet liqueur.😁

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 27, 2012

electrictiger25 said:Honestly, thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the support and the advice. It is such a relief to finally talk to people who actually get it 🙂

I am just utterly exhausted by all these arbitrary rules—but honestly, it’s more than that. It’s the hatred, the discrimination, all those ugly social constructs that
drive a wedge between us. Sometimes I find myself staring out at this world we inhabit and just feeling overwhelmed. Everything seems to revolve around money; people are
judged solely by the size of their vacation homes or their job titles. I still remember when my dad made a comment about
this guy: "How can a man be any good if he wears shoes like those?" (The guy was wearing these beat-up, century-old sneakers because, frankly, he
couldn't care less about his footwear or how he looks to strangers). It genuinely broke my heart to hear him say that 😢 It is simply impossible
to squeeze any sense of openness out of certain types of people.

Everyone is so obsessed with cash and material possessions, acting as if they’re going to carry them into the grave with them.

I don't know exactly what it is I'm looking for... I just know that I'm not a lesbian 😁, that I will never give a damn about what Peter from the third floor thinks...
and that I want to travel—to see every single corner of this planet. I've always had this dream of living for one year at one
end of the world, then moving to another the next year, and so on. Just spinning the globe and letting my finger decide where my next home will be...

I don't know...

You've got a boyfriend and you love to travel. Honestly, what could be better? Tell everyone trying to nag you or force you into their little mold to just go jump in a lake!

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 27, 2012

electricdriver33 said:Maybe that little shred of satisfaction is called "Use, nase i podase?"🤔 😬

How on earth did you nail that? 😁

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 26, 2012

electricdriver33 said:Everything is just a hustle to make a buck... 😬

As long as it doesn't break the bank. Usually, you're paying for someone's expertise—like when you go to a seminar led by a specialist, say http://www.dagroup.org/understanding-spirituality.html
http://naturewonders.com/portal/iu/285...my-statements

Personally, I think the ideal setup would be an outdoor retreat—just getting out into nature where people can actually exchange experiences. Everyone gets a turn to speak, everyone gets a turn to listen. It’s much more organic than sitting in some stuffy hall.

driftingraven122 said:I went through something similar myself—and let's just say there was no returning to "normal" life. I quit my job, dropped out of college, and spent about six to eight hours a day meditating in pursuit of the Truth. It’s become my purpose—my... whatever you want to call that higher calling. If I had to do it all over again right now, I probably would.

I suppose I don't know what the future holds. Life outside of a structured program is tough; you basically have to abandon everything. Maybe I'll head to a monastery, maybe I'll end up wandering the country as a drifter, or find some niche hobby and try to make a living off it... 🤷

But honestly? In the end, I realized I don't even care. Whatever Reality decides to throw my way, I'll just adapt. And frankly, I'm actually quite happy to be done with that whole "normal" life thing.

Eight hours of meditation a day!?! Well, damn. Cheers to that. My crew and I used to do something similar, though our sessions were much shorter, and we still ended up losing our minds a little bit going totally nuts all at once!! 😲 😁

Actually, I heard that the path taken by David Smith—the IBM instructor who first introduced me to meditation back in 1980—was almost identical to yours. But look, people change over the decades. By his later years, he had pivoted entirely to becoming a specialist in a different kind of spirituality: http://furthermore.com/us-life/recipe-for-...body/243611

It makes you wonder how your own journey might end up looking down the road, doesn't it??

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 26, 2012

electrictiger25 said:So, I suppose I am slowly drifting into the world of adulthood... assuming, of course, there is actually some kind of recipe out there for finding purpose.😢

Trust me, I’ve been hunting for it for forty years now and I’m still empty-handed. At this point, you just have to settle for catching those tiny, fleeting moments of actual satisfaction.

Akasha in Spirituality · Oct 26, 2012

Sophia Moore38 said:Thanks for the links...

As for those Catholic theologians, I honestly don't know...
I’m not so narrow-minded when it comes to faith that I feel obligated to hang on every word they spout.
Look, I am a Catholic, and I believe in God, but as for the Church itself? Not so much...
There is far too much greed and corruption baked into the system just to keep people sitting through their sermons...
Sure, I attend Mass, but I do it for my own spiritual sake, not because I'm following their script...

And what about conversations with Archangels?
They are part of our Catholic tradition too...

There is actually a massive amount of work to be done here:

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 26, 2012

electrictiger25 said:If we’re talking psychology, someone please just relocate my entire existence to that subforum. Honestly, I might as well move over to the "depression" thread so I can transition from being a perfectly sane woman
into a complete lunatic, much like Nicholson in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* 😁

Capsule — look, I wasn't trying to imply that I'm somehow "superior" to anyone else who thinks
or wants different things out of life... I just needed to vent a little... and perhaps confirm that I'm not drifting through this alone..

That isn't depression. It’s just the search for meaning in life. And let me tell you, that is a complicated business. Plus, it’s deeply personal to every single one of us.

I feel like I'm meant for something more... in Spirituality · Oct 26, 2012

electrictiger25 said:I honestly don’t even know where to begin. On paper, my life looks absolutely flawless—I’m young, I’ve got my head on straight, I’m nearly wrapping up my degree, I look decent enough, I’ve been in a stable relationship for several years now, and I have plenty of hobbies to keep me busy... Yet, for the last year or two, this creeping sense of emptiness and anxiety has started to settle in. I suspect it’s tied to the fact that I’m rapidly approaching that stage of life where society expects you to land a career, settle down, start a family, and just slide effortlessly into some "happily ever after" script. It is particularly grating when my parents start their usual litany of expectations: "Well, in two or three years, you'll probably have a baby, so you should start preparing... We need to start saving up for your wedding... You really need to find a job in your field," and so on and so forth. My best friend is following the exact same trajectory; she’s finishing up college and we spend our coffee dates discussing wedding guest lists, the struggle of the job hunt, and how she’ll likely have kids within the next couple of years...

🙂

It makes me wonder, what exactly are we? Are we just some kind of pre-programmed biological machines? Does anyone actually bother to ask if *I* want any of this? Why am I supposed to have a child just because it’s considered "normal" or because "that's what everyone does"? Why am I expected to marry and "settle down"? Whenever I pose these questions to my family, they look at me as if I’ve completely lost my mind—most of the time they just ignore me entirely and steamroll ahead with their lectures about how things "must" be done. Even when I was a little girl, I never played with baby dolls, I never spent my time daydreaming about a white wedding, and I never harbored any desire for children (and I certainly don't have any now). So why on earth should I suddenly undergo this transformation just to satisfy an external expectation? This is my life, and mine alone. Don't get me wrong, my parents don't have much sway over my actual decisions—I'll ultimately do whatever I want regardless of whether they disown me or not—but these constant expectations are profoundly disorienting...

Please don't take this the wrong way; I’m not trying to offend anyone. There are people who find genuine bliss in marriage and parenthood, who truly love that lifestyle, and more power to them. But I crave something more substantial than that; I refuse to live my life according to a cookie-cutter template. Find a job, work a standard 9-to-5, pick up the kids from school, prep breakfast and dinner, have intimacy with a spouse in the evening... and repeat that loop for thirty years? Then eventually get some grandkids, retire, and spend my mornings picking out produce at the local supermarket... Is that it? Is that the entirety of a human existence? 😲

Tell me, am I losing my mind for wanting something more (even if I can't quite articulate what that "something" is)? I feel a profound sense of pity for myself when I realize that at only 23, I already feel this utterly miserable... if this is how it feels now, what does the future hold? I've become disillusioned with people, too; I only have one true friend left (though even with her, I don't feel I can truly open up), and I simply lack the energy to invest in building relationships with anyone else. I find I only truly connect with animals; at least they are honest and instinctual. Perhaps I should just pop a few antidepressants. Then I could just fake a smile, wear a mask, retreat into my own little shell, and pretend to be fulfilled and happy just like everyone else. 🤷

...

Since this is essentially philosophy, I suppose I should offer a philosophical answer. Though, personally, I think this leans more toward psychology.
Generally speaking, everyone is searching for something "more" out of life. The problem is just defining what that "more" actually is.
Maybe "more" looks like this, though I wouldn't personally recommend it:
http://www.pricajmipricu.com/tag/zen/

A moment of clarity

There was this Buddhist priestess—let’s call her Rionen—born back in 1797. She was actually the granddaughter of that famous Japanese warrior, Shingen. Now, she had this incredibly poetic soul, and honestly, she was so breathtakingly beautiful that by the time she was seventeen, she was already part of the Empress's inner circle as a lady-in-waiting. I mean, fame was practically knocking on her door before she even hit adulthood.

But then—and this is where life gets messy—the beloved Empress dies suddenly. Just like that, all of Rionen's bright, hopeful dreams just... evaporated. It was a harsh wake-up call about how nothing in this world is permanent, which led her to want to study Zen.

Of course, her family wasn't having any of it—they wanted tradition, not spirituality. They basically forced her into marriage. She eventually struck a deal: she’d marry and have three children, and once that was done, she could pursue the priesthood. And true to her word, before she even turned twenty-five, she had fulfilled the requirement. Her husband and relatives couldn't stop her anymore. So, she shaved her head, took the name Rionen—which translates to "clear realization"—and set off on her pilgrimage.

She makes it to the city of Edo and asks a teacher named Tecugua to take her on as a student. He takes one look at her and turns her away immediately—not because of her spirit, but simply because she was too beautiful. Can you imagine? Beauty as a barrier to enlightenment.

So, Rionen goes to see another teacher, Hakua.

And Hakua rejects her for the exact same reason, telling her that her looks would only cause nothing but trouble and distractions.

This is where things get intense. In a move that sounds absolutely gut-wrenching, Rionen takes a red-hot iron and presses it against her own face. In a few short moments, her beauty was gone forever.

Only then did Hakua accept her as a student. To commemorate what she had done, Rionen wrote a poem on the back of a mirror:
“In service to my Empress, I burned incense
to scent her extravagant robes;
Now, as a homeless wanderer, I burn my own
face to enter the Zen temple.”

Before she passed away, Rionen left behind one more poem:
“Sixty-six times these eyes have watched
the changing of the autumn seasons.
I have questioned the moonlight enough;
I ask no more.
I listen only to the sound of pines and cedars in the moment when
the wind falls still.”

Akasha in Spirituality · Oct 26, 2012

Sophia Moore38 said:Thanks, Benjamin Taylor6, but what exactly is the Akash?
I've been reading about it online, though I'm actually Catholic, just with a bit of an expanded view on faith.
My real goal is to work through my own emotions and fears, to finally bring some sense of harmony to my chaotic life.
But there are just so many different techniques out there, and frankly, so many of them aren't even well-intentioned.
I truly believe we all stem from the same God, the Creator... it's all just one single energy that different world religions simply give different names to.
Which religion is the Akash tied to?
And is it possible to be a faithful believer while still practicing these techniques?

Maybe these questions sound a bit foolish.🙂
But I really want to understand.

Thanks.

http://2012-transformacijasvijesti.c...a/akasha-polje
It’s essentially the primordial field of the universe. You have the Kabbalists and various Indian traditions who believe the world is built from four cosmic elements—J.H.V.H., if you want to get technical—but they always preface it with that foundational praelement, Akasha, or the ether.
http://www.biorama.net/pet-elemenata.html

I’ve been reading up on it online—I’m actually Catholic, though my beliefs are a bit more... expansive, let's say.
I really just want to work through my own emotions and fears—to finally bring some sense of harmony to my otherwise chaotic life.
But there are just so many different techniques out there, and honestly, half of them seem totally shady.
I mean, we all come from the same God, the Creator... it's all just one single energy that different world religions happen to call by different names.
Which religion is Akasha tied to?
And can I be a good believer while still practicing these techniques?

They might sound like silly questions,🙂
but I genuinely want to know.

Thank you.

Based on what I've gathered about religious doctrine, I'm not exactly convinced that Catholic theologians are going to be fans of these "alternative" methods. To them, it looks like competition. So, naturally, they tend to try and smear the whole thing! 😲

Akasha in Spirituality · Oct 25, 2012

Sophia Moore38 said:I'm putting this out there...

Does anyone here actually dive deep into this stuff—someone who can take the time to break down the entire process for us mere mortals?

All I can tell you is that even the advanced Transcendental Meditation techniques taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi involve working directly with the Akash. It’s just a much more intricate procedure, honestly. First, you have to master basic TM. Then, you spend maybe a year or two just meditating consistently before you even think about moving on to the advanced courses—there are four of them in total. The final stage is basically that famous "yoga leap" technique:

The roots of quasi-spirituality and the misery it causes, based on people like this! in Spirituality · Oct 16, 2012

wearyowl29;41794700 said:
frozengull2 said:The real deal.

The kind that actually gives you the guts to change from the inside out... provided you actually put in the work.

Then there’s all the other garbage versions out there.
I’m talking about all that mainstream nonsense that tries to convince us "spirituality" is just some personal playground designed solely to
feed our own "personal ego trips."
It’s like that one commercial;
They ask a kid what they should eat to stay healthy, right?
And the kid just goes, "If kids were in charge, everyone in the world would just eat Krispy Kreme all day!"
Click!
Forget fruit, veggies, or a homemade chicken soup—none of that matters if it doesn't hit that sugar high. It's just annoying to them.

In a world full of spoiled, childish, and mostly blind people nowadays, that shallow stuff is unfortunately what sells best.

Such a shame.

Especially when you’re suffering from severe lower back issues. Seriously, you have to practically engage every single muscle in your core just to stay upright.😢😲😁