Without anything specific to refute or correct the old personal attacks again...
Check out Judy's response which has many good points of challenge for me to think about. What have you accomplished here other than to appear like a dick? --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, doctordumbass@... <no_reply@...> wrote: > > Just like Barry, Curtis has his secret stash of data, on the rest of us, > scrupulously compiled with a wounded and fearful heart. > > Every time Curtis gets bent out of shape, he starts up with his, "maybe red > is blue", act, and determines all sorts of "scientific truths" about TM and > Maharishi, from his crippled emotional state. > > He and Barry need therapy. Sorry guys - I have come across a lot of dense old > men - those continuously ready to see the problem always "out there", propped > up by a bloated ego. And it gets really tiresome. > > I get the oddest picture when Barry and Curtis team up - a couple of spinster > aunts. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <authfriend@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "emilymae.reyn" <emilymae.reyn@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Does meditation work to balance out the chemical makeup of > > > > one's physiology? Does it release our natural feel good > > > > chemicals within the body? Or, maintain balanced levels > > > > of serotonin, dopamine, etc. > > > > > > My experience with TM meditation and its associated practices > > > is that it is a way to hijack our usual brain reward system > > > for achievement in our lives. > > > > Maybe this should say, "...it is a way to hijack my usual > > brain reward system for achievement in my life," since this > > is your personal experience. > > > > > And this was Maharishi's stated goal, fulfillment divorced > > > from achievement. > > > > When did he say this? Do you have a quote? Was this one > > of the "secret teachings" just for teachers? Because I > > sure don't remember having heard him say it. > > > > Anybody else remember Maharishi saying this was his goal? > > > > > If you keep mediating you cultivate the mind to trigger > > > highly pleasurable states. It becomes very addictive. > > > Many meditators show signs of extreme irritation if they > > > miss a mediation once they get hooked on it just like > > > any other addict. > > > > How many meditators show this? What percentage would you > > say? And how have you determined this? > > > > In what follows, you shift back and forth from statements > > about your personal experience to general statements as to > > how TM affects people in general. With regard to the latter, > > could you explain how you've determined that these are > > effects common to everyone who practices TM? (Or meditation > > in general, depending on which you mean, which you don't > > always specify.) > > > > I ask because none of what you describe resembles my > > own experience. > > > > > > > > > > > So IMO mediation can become a problem like any other form of hijacking > > > the pleasure states, meant to reward our species for doing things that > > > promote our survival or express our creativity. I believe there is no > > > neuronal free lunch, every pleasure state has a cost. > > > > > > Of course this is a highly heretical view in circles where regular > > > meditation and more meditation are both seen as only positives. But for > > > me the balance is trickier. I use meditation when I need some of what it > > > does for my brain, but regular meditation just leads to me getting hooked > > > on the mental states it produces. And for me these states do not produce > > > my optimum functioning. > > > > > > They are as advertized, very charming to our minds. But they can easily > > > lead to an end in themselves since our brains are inherently lazy and > > > getting the quick reward is neurologically preferred. Unfortunately that > > > does not lead to my fullest creative potential any more than hitting the > > > slot lever again and again. Although they say that meditation is a > > > preparation for activity, and I don't doubt that for really impulsive > > > people it is a real benefit, for people like me who have perhaps > > > cultivated this functioning a bit too much, it can become a real > > > distraction. I get a lot more done with my eyes opened! > > > > > > This understanding is still just a work in progress. I am fascinated > > > that some like Barry maintain that other forms of meditation do no > > > exhibit some of what I see as downsides of TM's passive bliss states > > > style. > > >
