Meditation Strategies

I was never against self-hypnosis (I couldn't let my guard down enough for someone else to hypnotize me, but I have no problem with doing it to myself.)

I am interested, I just never knew where to start. The book Jestor referenced seems as good as any though, and I was already planning to dig it up and download it.

As for my meditative practices, I have already stated that I'm a fan of sitting quietly and doing nothing. But I have found many ways to turn inward and have been known to turn any sort of "mindless" activity (that is anything I don't have to focus on to do) into at least a "shallow" meditation. How long? Off and on for more than a decade. I have no regular schedule, I should but life isn't allowing for it right now.

Alluvius wrote: As for my meditative practices, I have already stated .

Sorry I forgot after so many posts.

Thank You

turn any sort of "mindless" activity

I tune out: washing dishes, shoveling snow, walking on the treadmill etc. Can't go very deep but it's nice. My wife can tell by the look on my face I'm somewhere else. :whistle: :whistle: :laugh:

Alluvius wrote: Individual results may vary. All propaganda and "commercials" aside, meditation is a personal endeavor and you can't track your progress thru comparison to someone else's results.

In the school I study individual results do not vary at all, and we indeed can track our progress based on the experiences and results of more advanced students.

All students experience the same effects and signs which serve as mile markers telling them when they are ready to progress to the next level/stage of meditation.

There are 72 levels or stages in the school I study.









Also about the propaganda and commercials...

I come offering scientific investigation of my teacher, and teachers of similar schools, studies published in reputable journals, etc.

Hardly what I would call "Propaganda"

As far as commercials go, I am not here to earn money from anyone, I am not selling anything.

Just hoping to offer something genuine to those who are interested, free of charge.

Rickie wrote: I tune out: washing dishes, shoveling snow, walking on the treadmill etc. Can't go very deep but it's nice. My wife can tell by the look on my face I'm somewhere else. :whistle: :whistle: :laugh:

Exactly.

maynoth wrote: Sadly in the school I study individual results do not vary at all, and we indeed can track our progress based on the experiences and results of more advanced students.

Sad indeed.

maynoth wrote: Also about the propaganda and commercials...

I come offering scientific investigation of my teacher, and teachers of similar schools, studies published in reputable journals, etc.

Hardly what I would call "Propaganda"

As far as commercials go, I am not here to earn money from anyone, I am not selling anything.

Just hoping to offer something genuine to those who are interested, free of charge.

I was not trying to offend you, and I used the word "commercial" figuratively.

Most schools and practices I've studied don't really have a goal, aren't really trying to accomplish anything, and in fact don't.

Let me quote you one of my favorite authors on the subject:

"What are you doing?

Why are you doing it?

Where is this going?

If you know, you’ll succeed.

If you don’t, you won’t.

That’s not just pretty talk, that’s the law."


Jed McKenna - Spiritual Enlightenment The Damnedest Thing

"How long has your guru been teaching?"

"Well, uh, over thirty years."

"And how many of his students have achieved enlightenment?"

"Well, uh..."

"That you know of personally?"

"Well, uh, I never..."

"That you've heard of?"

"It's not"

"That there were rumors of?"

"I don't think..."

"What is it they're doing, Martin? The recipe for enlightenment they're promoting - what is it?"

"Uh, well, meditation and knowledge, basically."

"And in thirty years they've never held someone up and said, 'Look at this guy! He's enlightened and we got him there!' In thirty years, they don't have one? Don't you think they should have, like, an entire army of enlightened guys to show off by now?"

"Well, it's not..."

"After thirty years they should have a few dozen generations of enlightened people. Even with only a quarter of them becoming teachers, they should have flooded the world by now, mathematically speaking, don't you think? I'm not asking all this as a teacher myself, mind you. I'm just asking as a consumer, or a consumer's advocate. Don't you think it's reasonable to ask to know a teacher's success rate? The proof is in the pudding, right? Didn't you ask them about the fruit of their teachings when you started with them?"

"Well, that's not..."

"Don't you think it's reasonable to ask? They're in the enlightenment business, aren't they? Or did I misunderstand you? Do they have something else going?"

"Nooo, but they..."

"If Consumer Reports magazine did a report on which spiritual organizations delivered as promised, don't you suppose that the first statistic listed under each organization would be success rating? Like, here are a hundred randomly selected people who started with the organization five years ago and here's where they are today. For instance, thirty-one have moved up in the organization, twenty-seven have moved on, thirty-nine are still with it but not deeply committed and three have entered abiding non-dual awareness. Okay, three percent - that's a number you can compare. But this organization of yours would have big fat goose egg, wouldn't they? And not just out of a hundred, but out of hundreds of thousands - millions, probably. Am I wrong?

- Jed McKenna - 'Spiritual Enlightenment:The Damnedest Thing'

Alluvius wrote:

maynoth wrote: Sadly in the school I study individual results do not vary at all, and we indeed can track our progress based on the experiences and results of more advanced students.

Sad indeed.

maynoth wrote: Also about the propaganda and commercials...

I come offering scientific investigation of my teacher, and teachers of similar schools, studies published in reputable journals, etc.

Hardly what I would call "Propaganda"

As far as commercials go, I am not here to earn money from anyone, I am not selling anything.

Just hoping to offer something genuine to those who are interested, free of charge.

I was not trying to offend you, and I used the word "commercial" figuratively.

Cool Maynoth...now let me quote one of my favorite authors...

Polonius: "What do you read, my lord?"

Hamlet: "Words...words...words..."

Shakespeare - "Hamlet"

(Actually, I'm lying, Shakespeare is not one of my favorite authors, but the quote fits my sentiment here, and calling him one of my favorite authors preserves the continuity of the conversation. )

Aesop's Fable: "The Fox and the Grapes" is a good read as well.

Alluvius wrote: Cool Maynoth...now let me quote one of my favorite authors...

Polonius: "What do you read, my lord?"

Hamlet: "Words...words...words..."

Shakespeare - "Hamlet"

(Actually, I'm lying, Shakespeare is not one of my favorite authors, but the quote fits my sentiment here, and calling him one of my favorite authors preserves the continuity of the conversation. )

Yes it is...as are most fables and parables.

Alluvius wrote: the quote fits my sentiment here

I like this one

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 159–167