How to Meditate?

[DT Strain]

I am not a Buddhist, but have recently become more interested in meditation than I have been in the past. I have a naturalistic perspective of the world, so I have previously understood and appreciated that meditation can have good stress reduction and other such effects.

But I have recently read some articles talking about how various Buddhist meditation techniques seem to allow us a subjective experience of cognition that might be useful to the cognitive sciences, and is replicatable by other observers. These seem to describe methods of controlling and altering the functioning of our brains. So, my previous appreciation of meditation as stress relief has suddenly turned to an interest in it as a means of exploring the inner nature of cognition.

I have also read some various instructions on how to meditate. But, quite honestly, it all just seems like breathing exercises and visualization. It's hard for me to understand exactly what I need to be doing to bring about these alterations in brain activity in a perceptually meaningful way.

There is also a lot of fuzziness for me on the different methods, what they're supposed to do exactly, and how to do them.

Can anyone offer me some tips or resources on how to get started?

Thanks much.

[rdwillia]

Hello DT Strain,

Check out my post on the "Zen Meets Quantum Mechanics" thread. I have attempted to give a brief instruction on an emptiness meditation that I find really helpful. I hope it might tie in well with your naturalistic view. Although my goal is set beyond stress reduction, I find directly realizing emptiness, however briefly, makes all my little daily problems not seem so big. I really hope you can use it and get some benefit from it. Good luck with your search.

~Ricky

[seattlegal]

I am not a Buddhist, but have recently become more interested in meditation than I have been in the past. I have a naturalistic perspective of the world, so I have previously understood and appreciated that meditation can have good stress reduction and other such effects.

But I have recently read some articles talking about how various Buddhist meditation techniques seem to allow us a subjective experience of cognition that might be useful to the cognitive sciences, and is replicatable by other observers. These seem to describe methods of controlling and altering the functioning of our brains. So, my previous appreciation of meditation as stress relief has suddenly turned to an interest in it as a means of exploring the inner nature of cognition.

Hello, DT Strain, I'm not a Buddhist, either, but I have a great fondness for some of the Zen techniques for developing the intuitive mind. Is this what you are after?

[DT Strain]

Rdwillia:
Thanks very much, I'll take a look!

Seattlegal:
Actually, I'm thinking more of understanding what this experience of consciousness we all have is and how it happens by experiencing different forms of it, as modified by the act of meditation. I'm thinking that the experience of these other more unusual forms of consciousness, may give me some insight into how and why our experience of consciousness exists and what it is exactly - especially when I compare this to studies on brain function.

But to experience this, I can only do it first hand and to do that takes skills and knowledge of how to meditate which I don't currently have. Perhaps I will need to seek out a personal teacher.

[seattlegal]

Perhaps I will need to seek out a personal teacher.

That would be the prudent thing to do, IMHO.

[Vajradhara]

Namaste all,


i had posted here last night, but the ghost in the machine must have erased it


generally speaking, there are two basic forms of meditation that Buddhism espouses, Vipasana and Samatha. these are fancy Sanskrit names for "calming" and "insight" and they are typically practiced in that order...i.e. one must first calm the "monkey mind" before it can be pointed at a particular object to gain insight.

with regards to methods, there are several different methods which are taught. in the Pali canon, we find the Buddha Shakyamuni extolling the virtues of breathing meditation quite a bit. the rythymic nature of our respiration is a solid anchor for our monkey mind during the calming types of meditation. there are, of course, other foci which a being can use. some use a candle flame or a point of light to develop this mental stillness. chanting of Mantras is, essentially, a form of breathing meditation with the addition of audio.. sort of a two pronged strategy, if you will.

once we have been able to have some experience with a calm mind, by which we mean the discursive intellect, we can then turn our full attention to our next foci, the object of insight meditation. this, too, can take a variety of objects as the focus, depending on the capacity of the being in question. in many cases, this can be a Koan or other sort of mental object, in still other cases, it can be physical objects, depending on the particular tradition that one is following.

with regards to resources, Kalamashilas' seminal text "The Stages of Meditation" is, in my view, without peer, at least from the Vajrayana point of view. there is a modern interepetation of this text with commentary by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama which should be available at all fine book stores

like all skills, meditation becomes easier and more accomplished as we practice and our experience of what is happening during this time changes as our perspective changes. suffice it to say that some of this is a matter of personal instruction.

now, when we get into the visualization methods of meditation, these are properly part of the Tantric and Vajrayana lineages, though you can find some of this in the Pali canon as well, it isn't very well elucidated.

all three Yanas agree that ones physical posture plays a great role in the quality of ones meditation. as such, there are three sitting postures which are typically known as "Lotus, half-lotus and cross-legged". all three postures emphasize the proper positioning of the spine and head so that it does not become tiring when sitting for an extended duration and that one does not become sleepy whilst sitting.

metta,

~v

[wil]

Perhaps I will need to seek out a personal teacher.

Glorious little 4 foot nothing female preacher in her 90's...Amalia Frank says, "A book on meditation? A class on meditation? You need someone to teach you how to sit down and be quiet?"

Oversimplified yes, but also poigniant. #1 reason people quit meditating or hesitate trying imho is time... It is a commitment of time and space, something very valued here in 3D...reducing hours to moments of eternity is not what we do down here in the earthly plane of existence unless we are talking commercial television..

The value is worth the time....if it takes a trainer or a hundred books...take the time to go within ... if you have it, take the 10 days it takes for a sitt... and then give some days back in service so others may sitt..

namaste,

[DT Strain]

Interesting thoughts everyone. I think one of my conundrums, Wil, is that I probably won't end up spending enough time to truly get meditation down well (so you make a good point). This is because (and I mean this with all respect) I currently don't really see meditation as a path to enlightenment, or a communion, or any of the other higher interpretations people have given it. I'm not even sure that my life is stressful enough to warrant it as a means of stress relief.

Rather, my primary interest in it is in what, perceptually, it may allow me to percieve concerning brain function and its self-modification. This is more of an intellectual curiosity than a theological persuit, and thus probably won't result in the sort of commitment meditation, no doubt, takes.

But I do see a spirituality in understanding nature and understanding ourselves so, in a more indirect sense, I may be inspired to put more time and effort into meditation in the future. Right now I'm simply exploring and considering, and I'm very grateful for your input here. Vajradhara, your overview has also been most helpful.

I'm in the middle of a move right now, but perhaps when I am settled in I will seek out a Buddhist temple for further learning.

Incidentally, I have recently posted some thoughts of a different nature regarding meditation on my blog. Comments are always welcome.

http://dtstrainphilosophyblog.blogspot.com

Thanks,
DT Strain