Meditative practice is a wide spectrum between novices and enlightenment
Meditation is more than either stress relief or enlightenment
Gamine P, Vox. August 2023
ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖'𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕀 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕝𝕖
What's up?
⛔ Two poles with a broad spectrum in the middle: In the Western world, there are two main schools of thought when it comes to the benefits of meditation: one emphasises calming the mind and relieving stress, while the other emphasises spiritual growth and enlightenment.
⛔ "McMindfulness:" The "McMindfulness" sector has sprung up to cash in on the popularity of meditation as a stress-busting strategy, but this approach overlooks the real problems that lead to stress in the first place.
What's new?
✅ Research into the middle ground: Recent studies are delving deeper into the nature of the mind and its transformative potential by investigating the complete spectrum of meditation experiences with cognitive science and cutting-edge techniques like machine learning. There are current efforts to create psychedelic and brain-stimulation technology that can make profound meditation experiences more widely available.
Ancient reports of remarkable meditation states, such as the loss of consciousness, are also being investigated by modern scientists.
✅ Widening access: Efforts are being undertaken to make these life-altering techniques less exclusive to monastic communities and more available to the general population.
However, there are hazards associated that must be carefully assessed and managed, such as anxiety spikes and psychotic episodes.
✅ Governing body: To promote communication between clinical treatment, public health, and the depths of human experience, the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium is actively engaged in this endeavour. Better packaging and a shared understanding across cultures are needed to disseminate the results of research into advanced meditation.
What's next?
𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖-𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 - The study of meditation and its transformational power is reaching new heights thanks to the work of the area of contemplative science. Although venturing into more advanced meditation practises is not without its hazards and difficulties, the benefits to one's own development and happiness are promising.
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