On Nov 19, 2007, at 11:05 AM, Angela Mailander wrote:
How can you possibly know what others experience or do not experience? I understand your point and I agree that expectation muddies the waters of meditation, but that doesn't mean that some, eventually, swan-like, get through that muddy water and come out clean.
By observation, experience and by gaining perspective through other techniques/methods or simply by detailed instruction in the first place. One of the most obvious deficits in TM practice is torpor, and then, falling asleep. If you know what causes this and when you observe (for example) that the technique for relieving torpor is not part of TM practice, you can gain an understanding as to why it occurs so commonly. That's just one example, you could go through other parts of the practice and draw similar conclusions from direct experience.
Another way, is through authoritative testimony, the experiences of others in the practical tradition itself. Particularly in regard to mental mantra practice, it's very detailed in what the stages are, what their signs are and what the pitfalls are. You've read Padoux, so I'm sure you have an idea of what I mean.
