Meditation Found to Increase Brain Size~ Harvard, Yale, MIT Study

Awesome. I'd love to do research in this area because its very intriguing to me how meditation effects the brain and nervous system. Meditation is healthy and it's been around for thousands of years, so it deserves some recognition and study. Same goes for "chi" in meditation and martial arts. I'd love to be able to understand these ancient concepts in a western scientific frame to know exactly what's going on. Might want to change that color of the text though

 

Ignore Zanshin, those are a couple of my favourite colours.lol. Colours in such an interesting article is even better! Thanks for that.

 

Thanks, that is interesting!

 

I've been meditating for about a year now, and can see the difference in my thinking. I control my mind better, and consentration has developed as well. Ofcourse it's natural progress when getting older, but I think that meditation has had remarkable role. I recommend to everyone.

 

Yeah, colours are fine and I'm sure they look great if you're using the star clusters forum style but those of us with a predominately white forum style literally can't see the text. I've changed it to blue for now, feel free to pick something different Human just know we can't see anything light. Bottom left hand corner to change styles to test out what others can see if needed

 

It was very interesting and reminds me I need to get more disciplined about meditating. I tend to get a little lazy.

 

So, how exactly does one meditate? Meditation, where I grew up, was always looked down on as opening up your mind and letting your brains spill out. I would like to be corrected, though. Please enlighten me.

 

Just like the Monkey icons on this forum there is no one type of Meditation technique that could be said to be the original or most authentic compared to others.

Some focus on concentration, others upon forced emptying of mind, which is in itself a contradiction much like 'trying to forget something' involves a degree of focus on the original thing in the first place.

Meditation when using attention or concentration is usually centred upon one 'thought hologram' (so to speak) for a predefined and extended period of time. This could be a word or a sound, which is known in some forms of meditation as a "Mantra" and as other terms depending upon the systems origins. Sometimes a picture or representation of a religious deity is used instead, or sometimes an object from nature such as a waterfall or a flower, etc...

But what is in common between all forms of meditation (excluding a few forms of open eye meditation) is the general focus upon a process of awareness introversion in the sense that the individual focuses inside herself or himself rather than on the "5" outward senses, usually seeking stillness of thought, a sensation of peace and more esoteric effects depending upon the belief framework behind the meditation system in question...

Just my 10 cents.

 

First of all you don't need all those lotus postures etc.
you can meditate lying on your bed if you want.
I usually concentrate on my breathing, relax, and listen music.
when I began it took at least 30 minutes to enter this particular
state of mind, now it takes about 1-5 minutes.

 

I never really looked up on how to meditate, per se. I just sorta... Started doing it. When I was a kid, I'd just sit there, close my eyes, start breathing deeply and put my mind elsewhere.

At this point, I get somewhat "Psychedelic-esque" CEV's. I start seeing patterns dancing and moving around. It might just be me sorta placebo-ing myself out. Who knows? I'm just telling it like it is.

 

Cool

 

Nice reference to the monkeys, btw.

The mind has 2 parts - the Thinking Self, and the Observing Self. As I understand it, emptying the mind is an effort to finally get the Thinking Self to shut up.

I guess I should rephrase my question, though. What are the goals of meditation? What state of mind is the practicioner trying to achieve?

 

Once again, that depends entirely upon the particular meditation system you are focusing upon. There are many desired outcomes, it would be misleading to generalise as there is no one Meditation. (Excuse the pun) As you point out, most of those involve becoming the observer, becoming your non-attached self, unbound by distinctions and aware of the bigger picture from a position of nonchatter or silence upon the deep waters of the mind, conscious and subconscious combined.

But of course thats the pragmatic and atheist description coming to the fore. As I'm sure you know, there are many descriptions of the state variously reffered to as Enlightenment, Satori, Nirvana, Self Realisation, God consciousness, etc...These states (depending on who you ask) are not only a change in the day to day state of the mind, but also while being hard to prove scientifically are said by some to reflect subtle changes in physiology particularly in the central nervous system. Some would also tell you that the body is more than what we can touch and currently measure energetically, and that we humans are a combination of biological solids and subtle pathways and portals between our different octaves of quantum, atomic and macrocosmic 'clouds' of particle systems and relative densities.

Its hard to define the goal of meditation, when the central 'question' is so elusive. ;-)

Apologies for getting all new-age on you.

 

I like meditating. but like PsilocinProject, I also just lie on my bed. I clear my thoughts, and enjoy the peace. I love this state especially when my emotions start to build up..like now.. think i'll do it later before i sleep

 

Prayer works wonders, too.

 

Does the skull grow to accomodate the larger brain?

 

I find it very hard to meditate, because either I get bored really quickly, or the amount of relaxation I achieve frightens me. I'm generally not relaxed, so it's strange, and I feel almost vulnerable.