Re: [FairfieldLife] Re: Cognitve Biases and Logical Fallacies

[Vaj]

On Jun 11, 2006, at 1:25 AM, sparaig wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 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. Of course not. Chuckle. Unlike the highly-touted study that recently came out on Buddhist  meditation? Guffaw. If you're referring to the recent study I'm thinking about, it came out years after KW's book. KW is in touch with the leader of the Shamatha studies meditative instruction ans has done a couple of long interviews on Integral Naked. I emailed him a month or so ago and told him It'd really be cool to see this research and continuum of practice featured at the Integral Institute. 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. Uh-hu. And we can tell this with a 2-channel EEG as he used? 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. And you had access to this 24-channel EEG machine where? 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! That might be. 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. Heh. ?? Personally, for me, I'll use an ishta that is appropriate for my own   state of mind or my own situtation. Confusion? Balance and evenness. __._,_.___ To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' SPONSORED LINKS Religion and spirituality Maharishi mahesh yogi YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS  Visit your group "FairfieldLife" on the web.    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. __,_._,___