On Jun 10, 2006, at 11:20 PM, sparaig wrote:
In more recent comment, Ken is back-pedaling on his opinion of TM research.
Probably because it is so at odds with the research coming out on Buddhist meditation.
No, I don't think that's it. It seems to have more to do with perceived credibility, i.e 'how seriously you take the research of someone who's selling you something'. It seems he was a little behind on the negative aspect of TM research simply because he was so happy to hear what they had to say (and he didn't realize it was really *what they were selling*). He did not take into account the inherent bias. I'm of the opinion that TC ala TM and whatever state identified as [Buddhist term goes here] that is brought about by whatever most Buddhists are practicing are NOT the same physiological state, even if the superficial description sounds the same.
Well, let's be clear, all that "Buddhism" is, is an enlightenment school (yes, there are some who distort that into a *religion*). There are many methods available in this enlightenment school. Since TM is essentially manasika-japa (mental mantric repetition) of the ishta-devata (personal deity) practice--if you want to see something similar, you should compare that to ishata-devata (or "yidam" practice as they call it in Tibetan) practice. It's considered a useful side-practice in these traditions. Interestingly, the practice KW uses in his anecdotal "here's how to change your brain waves by doing different types of sama-dhi" videotape is--you guessed it--Yidam practice.
But really there are numerous practices which should produce this dualistic "witness" eeg artifact.
I was able to produce the same effect on a 24 channel eeg, just by doing my ishta practice.
Drealization due to traumatic stress in early childhood seems to involve an immature emotional side of the brain, combined with a normal intellectual side. The Buddhist state appears to involve a normal emotional side combined with an overdeveloped intellectual side. Both appear to involve intellectual witnessing of What Goes On.
Well, there are no easy answers. My observation would be that different styles of Buddhist meditation produce different styles of brain output. That's all. You might want to consider that we've been conditioned (through our exposure to TM literature and PR) to believe that certain physiological correlates are "good" when they're really merely representational of the method of meditation being used! TC due to TM, on the other hand, involves holistic functioning of the various parts of the brain on both sides, as though thoughts were fluctuations of a background state of attention-switching. Since TM-style ishta practice is based on "peaceful ishtas" (who are generally understood in meditative traditions to induce transcendence), it would be interesting to see research done also on other types of ishata-devatas.
Personally, for me, I'll use an ishta that is appropriate for my own state of mind or my own situtation.
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