Comments on: Meditation and the False Lure of Zoning Out http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/meditation-and-the-false-lure-of-zoning-out/ A neuropsychologist's exploration of mindfulness meditation, relationships, and the brain Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:04:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Mindfulness and Neuroscience: Let's Make A Deal http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/meditation-and-the-false-lure-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Mindfulness and Neuroscience: Let's Make A Deal Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:33:34 +0000 http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/?p=474#comment-112 [...] Related blog posts Meditation and the False Lure of Zoning Out - Why meditation does ...The Science of Mindfulness: An Interview with Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D [...] [...] Related blog posts Meditation and the False Lure of Zoning Out – Why meditation does …The Science of Mindfulness: An Interview with Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D [...]

]]> By: Jeremy http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/meditation-and-the-false-lure-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Jeremy Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:52:39 +0000 http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/?p=474#comment-85 Dear Dr. Lucas! - Thank you for this article - it definitely reflects my experience with meditation. I am looking forward to following more of your work, and am looking forward to sharing this article with others =) Best, Jeremy Dear Dr. Lucas! – Thank you for this article – it definitely reflects my experience with meditation. I am looking forward to following more of your work, and am looking forward to sharing this article with others =)

Best,
Jeremy

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/meditation-and-the-false-lure-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-77 uberVU - social comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:41:16 +0000 http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/?p=474#comment-77 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by me_molly: Meditation and the False Lure of Zoning Out - Why meditation does ...: There are an awful lot of misconceptions ab... http://bit.ly/6LUt66... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by me_molly: Meditation and the False Lure of Zoning Out – Why meditation does …: There are an awful lot of misconceptions ab… http://bit.ly/6LUt66...

]]> By: Ryan http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/meditation-and-the-false-lure-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Ryan Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:32:06 +0000 http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/?p=474#comment-74 wonderful article! Meditation = zoning out is a belief I hear a lot in the popular press. There is a danger in using meditation to escape; one of my instructors calls this "spiritual bypass," but honestly everything and every behavior can be used/abused. And as you suggest, if you focus on the qualities of empathy and attunement as a yardstick for measurable change, the spiritual bypass cravings are easily seen and correctable. wonderful article! Meditation = zoning out is a belief I hear a lot in the popular press. There is a danger in using meditation to escape; one of my instructors calls this “spiritual bypass,” but honestly everything and every behavior can be used/abused. And as you suggest, if you focus on the qualities of empathy and attunement as a yardstick for measurable change, the spiritual bypass cravings are easily seen and correctable.

]]> By: Derek http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/meditation-and-the-false-lure-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-73 Derek Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:46:07 +0000 http://rewireyourbrainforlove.com/?p=474#comment-73 Thank you for a well-written description of meditation. If I may I would like to share my experience... I have practised zazen (Zen) - mindfulness meditation - for the past 30 years and it is certainly not escapism or a "floating around on cloud nine!" experience. As I focus on breathing into the hara (lower abdomen), I gradually become more and more mindful, but rarely without some degree of "battle" of the rational, analytical mind. The truth is that the zazen experience is nothing to do with how meditation “should” or “should-not” be, it is as it presents itself at each time of sitting. Every feeling that a person can have can manifest during zazen and the idea is not to resist, but to witness the rise and fall of each emotion from indifference to anger, to pleasure. All these experiences come to be "healed" and transcended and it seems endless. Then, in one moment out of the blue, I can feel the absolute presence of self, but I need to take care not to cling to that, for it is the journey of understanding the essence of life, and not the destination that I get to deal with whilst in human form. If I look at this, I can see quite plainly that I have not “arrived” anywhere! These short moments of clarity, seem to come to reassure me that all my struggles are well worth it. There is a spiritual satisfaction that is beyond anything that the mind can provide. As a result of zazen, mindfulness extends into everyday activities, so one slowly becomes more and more mindful on a permanent basis. Paradoxically, such mindfulness is a tool towards enlightenment, but only providing I stop looking for it, and just stay mindful for the sake of being mindful. It is true that zazen can produce some fascinating mental abilities at times, but in Zen, the idea is not to be seduced by them but to stay mindful of the moment of now. For mindfulness is the journey and the destination. :-) Thank you for a well-written description of meditation. If I may I would like to share my experience…

I have practised zazen (Zen) – mindfulness meditation – for the past 30 years and it is certainly not escapism or a “floating around on cloud nine!” experience.

As I focus on breathing into the hara (lower abdomen), I gradually become more and more mindful, but rarely without some degree of “battle” of the rational, analytical mind. The truth is that the zazen experience is nothing to do with how meditation “should” or “should-not” be, it is as it presents itself at each time of sitting.

Every feeling that a person can have can manifest during zazen and the idea is not to resist, but to witness the rise and fall of each emotion from indifference to anger, to pleasure. All these experiences come to be “healed” and transcended and it seems endless. Then, in one moment out of the blue, I can feel the absolute presence of self, but I need to take care not to cling to that, for it is the journey of understanding the essence of life, and not the destination that I get to deal with whilst in human form. If I look at this, I can see quite plainly that I have not “arrived” anywhere!

These short moments of clarity, seem to come to reassure me that all my struggles are well worth it. There is a spiritual satisfaction that is beyond anything that the mind can provide.

As a result of zazen, mindfulness extends into everyday activities, so one slowly becomes more and more mindful on a permanent basis. Paradoxically, such mindfulness is a tool towards enlightenment, but only providing I stop looking for it, and just stay mindful for the sake of being mindful.

It is true that zazen can produce some fascinating mental abilities at times, but in Zen, the idea is not to be seduced by them but to stay mindful of the moment of now. For mindfulness is the journey and the destination. :-)

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