Laurens
New Member
I thought I would post this here as I want to discuss this away from a religious context. I used to be a Buddhist and I used to spend a lot of my time meditating. When I abandoned Buddhism I also gave up meditation, that is until recently when I decided to try it again because I've been getting stressed out at work and stuff.
The first thing that strikes me is how much more beneficial it can be when not done with a religious aim. As a Buddhist I wouldn't achieve any states of relaxation or bliss, because subconsciously I wanted more out of it, I wanted profound metaphysical revelations etc. These days I just view it as a way to unwind and or get to know what state of mind I am currently in. It works a lot better outside of a religious context.
The practice is simple just observe your breath and any time you notice that you are distracted go back to the breath. This will often induce a state of relaxation and peace of mind, sometimes it can be frustrating because your thoughts don't seem to stop, but I find that even if you don't feel relaxed you can gain insight into what is bugging you. Oftentimes we feel anxious or stressed but we can't pinpoint why, meditation can help us become aware of the causes and triggers.
I would definitely recommend it to everyone. Just ignore all the mumbo jumbo that surrounds it. Even the stuff Sam Harris says. Just do it as though nothing is going to happen and there is nothing to gain, that way you get the most out of it.
The first thing that strikes me is how much more beneficial it can be when not done with a religious aim. As a Buddhist I wouldn't achieve any states of relaxation or bliss, because subconsciously I wanted more out of it, I wanted profound metaphysical revelations etc. These days I just view it as a way to unwind and or get to know what state of mind I am currently in. It works a lot better outside of a religious context.
The practice is simple just observe your breath and any time you notice that you are distracted go back to the breath. This will often induce a state of relaxation and peace of mind, sometimes it can be frustrating because your thoughts don't seem to stop, but I find that even if you don't feel relaxed you can gain insight into what is bugging you. Oftentimes we feel anxious or stressed but we can't pinpoint why, meditation can help us become aware of the causes and triggers.
I would definitely recommend it to everyone. Just ignore all the mumbo jumbo that surrounds it. Even the stuff Sam Harris says. Just do it as though nothing is going to happen and there is nothing to gain, that way you get the most out of it.
