1 Comment.

comments from a friend (cj, Sep 2014):

• Concrete definitions

Engineers want them * They are not possible * Terms might include

Enlightenment * Meditation * Buddhism * Buddhas * Compassion * Mindfulness * Religion vs. Philosophy * Practice * Self-centeredness * Ego * Illusion * Reality: life as it is * Suffering vs. Pain

* Approach everything with skepticism

Buddha said this * So has everyone else * In direct contrast with other religions * In perfect agreement with science * Base everything on your own experience and data...if you see no data supporting it when you have truly studied it, then don't do it * There are no BELIEFS but just principles

* Take what works for you, scrap the rest

See above

* What can be quantified

Various studies on the health benefits of meditation * Studies on productivity benefits of meditation

* There are things the scientists don't know yet understand HOW they work, but can be measured

Acupuncture * Osteopathy * ...and even when they do it is easy to ignore

...but don't ignore! Take what you want, leave the rest

* The experimentalist's approach to meditation

Try it! * Observe yourself as you sit * Collect as many observations as possible * Correlation versus causation * ...but do this with no expecting

* The theoretician's approach (Mark should write this one)

• Squishy, unscientific things

Altered mental states * Hallucinations and hallucinogenics * Dreams * Psychic powers * Is there a God? Angels, demons, saints? * Can any of these things be measured or known? * ...and if they can't, does that invalidate everything?

* Measurable benefit...no expectations

• What would I, as a scientist, want to know about starting meditation?

What I think meditation is NOT * What I think meditation IS

Why listen to me on this one? * This answer is specific for me, so it really is easier to talk about what it is not rather than what it is

* What has or has not worked for me

Guided meditation

Why let someone tell you where your brain should go or what it should do in any instant? Just be in the moment.

* Meditation to music * Meditation looking at a candle * Walking meditation * Just sitting is so hard that you should not add complexity * Counting breaths * Labeling thoughts * Start short, build up * No success, no failure

Very contradicting of physical sciences * There is no timeline of when anything will occur

Assuming you have such milestones is setting expectations

* The Beginner's Mind

...but scientists want to be experts!

– Zzzzzzzzzz 2014-09-06 15:11 UTC</div>