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JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
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 Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a skeptic and a big fan of Randi.
However it is not outside the realm of possibility that keeping good posture, regulating your breathing and attempting to clear your mind could relieve stress and hence be beneficial. It is not an outlandish claim. |
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detourne_me
Joined: 26 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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I'd also wager that Bertrand Russel, who is a much more competent, respected and world famous skeptic, thoughts on meditation found in "The value of Philosophy" would contradict those of Randi's.
Last edited by detourne_me on Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Senior
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Your subconscious mind is incredibly powerful. Using meditation to "program" your brain, can have surprising results in many different areas of your life. This isn't pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo. This stuff has been researched by scientists and Drs and psychiatrists and such. |
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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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I've certainly never believed all that meditation hooey. Just look at all the angry replies from the True Believers on page 1. If a believer gets angry when their ideas are criticized, what possible good can meditation be?
Rightly or wrongly, I instinctively associate meditation with vegetarianism, environmentalism and other quasi-religious leftwing things that I absolutely hate.
| gibberish wrote: |
Have you guys ever heard of James Randi?
I didn't think so. |
Thanks for the name. I'll check him out. Funnily enough, if there's one thing I love to do to relax, it's to laugh at quasi-religious leftwing crap take a hammering. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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| D.D. wrote: |
| giving answers from your lesser parts of your brain. |
I think I have that problem. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Meditation is useful in getting laid. I went to Guelph University it's full of hippies. Just hang out with get high then start talking about stuff like Karma, Buddhism. Tae Chi, Negative and Positive energy. Then mention that you meditate and you are planning to become a vegan. Worked like a charm everytime. |
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Triban
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
Location: Suwon Station
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Fishead soup wrote: |
| Meditation is useful in getting laid. I went to Guelph University it's full of hippies. Just hang out with get high then start talking about stuff like Karma, Buddhism. Tae Chi, Negative and Positive energy. Then mention that you meditate and you are planning to become a vegan. Worked like a charm everytime. |
+1 |
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crescent
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: yes.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Sergio Stefanuto wrote: |
I've certainly never believed all that meditation hooey. Just look at all the angry replies from the True Believers on page 1. If a believer gets angry when their ideas are criticized, what possible good can meditation be?
Rightly or wrongly, I instinctively associate meditation with vegetarianism, environmentalism and other quasi-religious leftwing things that I absolutely hate. |
LOL!... ALL the angry replies? ALL of them? As in more than one? The most emotionally charged reply came from you, based on a faulty perception.
You, other posters, Randi, whoever....have not discredited meditation.
Meditation doesn't help me, but it helps a lot of people. It's a coping mechanism, just like your coping mechanism is to laugh at things you can't understand.
If you're going to blindly criticize meditation, why not debunk hypnosis, and placebos while you're at it.
Let me get a can of Pringles first. |
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Street Magic
Joined: 23 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Sergio Stefanuto wrote: |
| If a believer gets angry when their ideas are criticized, what possible good can meditation be? |
Wouldn't those who aren't born particularly relaxed or content be more likely to want to find ways to change that? I doubt anyone in this thread is an ascetic monk with years of regimented experience. I posted a link on the first page with some observed phenomena from actual monks. If it was something any random amateur hanging around Dave's could easily master, then it wouldn't be a formal practice at all-- it'd just be chilling out.
| Sergio Stefanuto wrote: |
| Rightly or wrongly, I instinctively associate meditation with vegetarianism, environmentalism and other quasi-religious leftwing things that I absolutely hate. |
I agree there are plenty of people who believe in quasi-religious explanations for meditation involving spirits or magic or whatever. Similarly, there are plenty of people who believe in quasi-religious pseudoscience explanations cobbled together from poorly understood bits of quantum physics or evolutionary biology. Despite all that though, what we're talking about is the observation and experiential understanding of one's own consciousness. That's a pretty fundamental thing to dismiss because of a label and the unfortunate cultural baggage associated with it. You might as well oppose books in general because the printing press was designed for bibles. |
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madhusudan
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:01 am Post subject: |
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| Meditation might not be beneficial to some, while others may find it useful. The only way to find out is by trying it. It has been practiced for thousands of years and can be traced to the dawn of recorded history as something already established (older). Evidence dates from 4600-5000 years ago. If it doesn't work for you so be it, but what harm is there in other people giving it a go? |
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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| crescent wrote: |
LOL!... ALL the angry replies? ALL of them? As in more than one? |
Yes, there was more than one angry, contemptuous reply. Not that there's anything intrinsically wrong with being angry and contemptuous to those who criticize our ideas, but when those very ideas concern calmness and relaxation, it's very similar to being told "those who criticize our religion of love and peace will burn in hell!"
| cresent wrote: |
| The most emotionally charged reply came from you, based on a faulty perception. |
That's because I'm a total butthole. An emotionally-charged, contemptuous, intolerant butthole. So an angry reply from myself seems appropriate. An angry meditator, on the other hand, is like a married bachelor.
| cresent wrote: |
| You, other posters, Randi, whoever....have not discredited meditation. |
I have absolutely no interest in it. I may read James Randi, because reading meditation take a spectacular arse-kicking sounds rather fun, but perhaps it would be very similar to reading a discreditation of astrology. Or theism. Or socialism. Or any '-logy' or '-ism' that always seems to appeal to adults whose brains are smaller than electrons. |
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crescent
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: yes.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| Sergio Stefanuto wrote: |
| Yes, there was more than one angry, contemptuous reply. |
Fail.
| Quote: |
| I have absolutely no interest in it. I may read James Randi, because reading meditation take a spectacular arse-kicking sounds rather fun, but perhaps it would be very similar to reading a discreditation of astrology. Or theism. Or socialism. Or any '-logy' or '-ism' that always seems to appeal to adults whose brains are smaller than electrons. |
Oh but you do have interest. You hate it, remember? And, you keep taking the time to respond, even though I already admitted meditation does nothing for me.
The basis for your belief is ignorance of the subject, and the chirping, tired comedian in your avatar. Randi has not discredited meditation, and neither could you. Even if your brain was bigger than an electron, you still need to know how to use it.
Last edited by crescent on Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| Sergio Stefanuto wrote: |
I've certainly never believed all that meditation hooey. Just look at all the angry replies from the True Believers on page 1. If a believer gets angry when their ideas are criticized, what possible good can meditation be?
Rightly or wrongly, I instinctively associate meditation with vegetarianism, environmentalism and other quasi-religious leftwing things that I absolutely hate.
| gibberish wrote: |
Have you guys ever heard of James Randi?
I didn't think so. |
Thanks for the name. I'll check him out. Funnily enough, if there's one thing I love to do to relax, it's to laugh at quasi-religious leftwing crap take a hammering. |
Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences and there is nothing abnormal or wrong in experiencing anger. Being fake and trying to repress your anger can lead to sickness and rage. Meditation doesn't make you numb like anti-depressants so you can't feel your emotions . If anything you experience them more but in the present moment and then they are gone, so this game of supression of becomes less than in non meditators. |
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ModernNomad
Joined: 25 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| I started practicing meditation a few months ago. I find it very beneficial. My advice would be to ask about it from a professional because on ESL cafe you'll just get a lot of unprofessional opinions from people who don't really know what meditation is. Take an intro class to learn the basics. I also recommend actually going to a class in the beginning instead of just reading about it, because the experience is in the doing. That's how you'll know what it does for you. |
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