Misconceptions about meditation

[TBRS1]

Reminds me of a friend from work who always tried to meditate while riding BART from San Francisco to Orinda. She was quite adept at somehow cancelling out all the external noise of riding in a high-speed subway car.

That is actually very common for people who meditate regularly.

A while back, friends dragged me to a football tailgate party. The crowd, the chaotic environment, the mixed blaring of different music, the smells - all way, way to much for me.

So I (intentionally) slipped into a meditative state and just ignored it all.

 

[vergil96]

I never understood what is so hard about concentrating even in a busy environment. For me it's rather draining or unpleasant than distracting. The idea has to be more suitable for some temperaments or minds than others.

 

[Aspychata]

I like to practice meditation sitting in the car staring out at the waves, l find my mind soothed by the constant motion of the water. l also feel better in a dark space, and a small fan to create a soothing noise while l do my best to contemplate on letting my feelings go.

 

[TBRS1]

I like to practice meditation sitting in the car staring out at the waves, l find my mind soothed by the constant motion of the water. l also feel better in a dark space, and a small fan to create a soothing noise while l do my best to contemplate on letting my feelings go.

This would probably work for me, except that those sounds - waves, fans (green noise), rainstorms - are sounds I listen to when I go to sleep. I think I've programmed myself to fall asleep when hearing them.

However, they are inherently calming, and seem to "push" random thoughts away. This makes them a very good meditation aid (for people who don't use them as a sleep aid ).

 

[velociraptor]

I never understood what is so hard about concentrating even in a busy environment.

1. I'm unable to filter things out, they all hit me hard at the same time.
2. I have synesthesia on top of this, giving me another layer of "sensory input"

 

[TBRS1]

1. I'm unable to filter things out, they all hit me hard at the same time.
2. I have synesthesia on top of this, giving me another layer of "sensory input"

Oh! Somebody else with synesthesia. That's probably why I find music while meditating so distracting.

 

[vergil96]

1. I'm unable to filter things out, they all hit me hard at the same time.

Me too, but I never understood why or how that interferes with attention. How does it work?

I imagine synesthesia has to be distracting, though.

 

[velociraptor]

How does it work?

It doesn't work, that's the issue.

 

[BloodyKun108]

It would seem there are still so many ways for people to think about meditation, whether some try to sell it or not I guess. Personally, it’s not something I’ve necessarily looked deeply into, interested but wildly different takes makes it confusing to navigate. Simply focusing on my breathing often leads to just stressing about my breathing, to be honest. Would love to clear my mind, for example when my mind is just wandering all about keeping me up all night, but there have been timed where I feel I’ve almost done just that and sort of startle myself awake again when I feel like I’m suddenly falling or something. Perhaps the closest thing has been my parents telling me when I was young to try and picture myself in a relaxing scene to get to sleep. I feel I can still try to do that at times when things get to be too much around me, but only if I don’t have to be present for something.

 

[TBRS1]

It would seem there are still so many ways for people to think about meditation, whether some try to sell it or not I guess. Personally, it’s not something I’ve necessarily looked deeply into, interested but wildly different takes makes it confusing to navigate. Simply focusing on my breathing often leads to just stressing about my breathing, to be honest. Would love to clear my mind, for example when my mind is just wandering all about keeping me up all night, but there have been timed where I feel I’ve almost done just that and sort of startle myself awake again when I feel like I’m suddenly falling or something. Perhaps the closest thing has been my parents telling me when I was young to try and picture myself in a relaxing scene to get to sleep. I feel I can still try to do that at times when things get to be too much around me, but only if I don’t have to be present for something.

The problem of being unable to "clear my mind" is not exceptional - it is standard.

The very first thing a beginner at meditation learns is I can't control my thoughts!

Surprise! NOBODY CAN. Even the Dali Lama can't control his thoughts.

Most people (I imagine) who discover this true fact - that the thoughts are uncontrollable - give up learning to meditate.

If the person continues learning, the second thing they must learn is: but I can stop paying attention to them.

This is how basic meditation works - one learns how to notice, but let go, of the thoughts they can not control so that one is not distracted by them.

Once a person learns this, meditation can them be used in other ways, for other purposes.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Guided Meditation

I started serious meditation with the guided meditations of John Bradshaw who was instrumental in popularizing Inner Child work to heal the wounds of our childhoods.

His lectures and guided meditations are on You Tube.

If you are having difficulty getting “into” meditation, some guided meditations may help you. I’m sure there are others besides John Bradshaw. He just happens to be the one I know. Because they are guided, they help you focus.

Btw, I learned about the Inner Child work and bought the book. Went to at least one lecture. Set up a group of 5 and we worked through all the material, many of which I thought were stupid until after I experienced the changes wrought by them.

YMMV

 

[TBRS1]

Guided Meditation

I started serious meditation with the guided meditations of John Bradshaw who was instrumental in popularizing Inner Child work to heal the wounds of our childhoods.

His lectures and guided meditations are on You Tube.

If you are having difficulty getting “into” meditation, some guided meditations may help you. I’m sure there are others besides John Bradshaw. He just happens to be the one I know. Because they are guided, they help you focus.

Btw, I learned about the Inner Child work and bought the book. Went to at least one lecture. Set up a group of 5 and we worked through all the material, many of which I thought were stupid until after I experienced the changes wrought by them.

YMMV

Relevant to my response to @BloodyKun108 - in the "Guided Meditation" referenced here:

Notice where the speakers says: Notice your thoughts, the way you would type scrolling across a tv screen while one is watching a program, but just let it go."

This is how one learns to acknowledge one's thoughts, while avoiding getting trapped in them.

This is the opposite of suppressing thoughts.

Suppressing is bad - it causes psychological damage (see info on Jung's concept of the "shadow").

Acknowledging but letting go (the mediator's way) gives one control over the thoughts they " listen to" and those they don't.

 

[velociraptor]

This is how one learns to acknowledge one's thoughts, while avoiding getting trapped in them.

I mentally place intrusive thoughts into a large soap bubble in my hands, open them, and let the breeze carry them away.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

When you get really good, you can cradle the anger, resentment, worry or whatever in your heart and care for it deeply until it heals.