Your Thoughts On Meditation?

[Ing]

What is the Definition of Meditating for YOU?

I love sitting on the toilet in the morning, the smell of coffee in my nose and thinking about the opportunities the day can show me.

Thats meditation to me.

Stopping the car, looking at the country and thinking about the situation and the life.

Thats meditation for me.



Going to a gym, sitting anywhere with 20 other meditators.

Thats NOT Meditation to me.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

You almost HAVE to be an idealist to beleive in meditation. Otherwise you are a materialist and just stuck with a body and a bunch of miserable memories. Materialist beleive the physical world is the most powerful and only existence.

To be honest I don't see how this follows... there are many atheists and materialists out there who "believe" in the beneficial effects of meditation. Many of them, including Sam Harris, think that there is nothing supernatural about meditation. Meditation just quiets the part of the mind that creates the process of the ego, thereby opening up the potential for an egoless state - the mind functioning without the process that gives rise to a center, or an ego. Thomas Metzinger would be the most coherent and thorough of this breed of hardcore materialists who are very much sympathetic to both Buddhism and meditation.

Furthermore, you could also be a Monist, as Spinoza was for example, so I don't see a clear boundary between materialism and idealism.

 

[jasonbuilds]

Wow it sounds like it really helped you in a tough moment! Happy to hear that man.

Thanks mate!

Personally though, I feel if you're procrastinating, and the answer is let me do 15 minutes of meditation, that is just more procrastination. The only thing that isn't procrastination is getting the job done. So I think in such cases, meditation is really a cop-out, a fake solution. That's why I can't see how it can help with these issues people have when building their business.

100% agree with you here. Meditation is not a replacement for building skill in other areas. I think a lot of people do get a little over the top about the benefits (I know I sometimes get carried away!). I'm not saying that meditation will build your business for you and anybody who says that is just plain wrong.

Meditation is just an exercise that strengthens your focus and awareness, which is a health benefit, but not a business benefit. Is meditation necessary for a strong, thriving business? No. Can meditation be used for action faking? Absolutely.

There are other activities which benefits your health but can also be used for action faking too. Going to the gym, reading books, socializing and going to networking events, having a healthy relationship with your family and friends, etc. You get health / mental / emotional benefits from those activities but it doesn't necessarily benefit your business. Your health is always in the background while you are building a business and if you have the time and are not action faking, it can be good for your business to take care of your health. To eat well, do some exercise, read books, and socialize with people that cares about you, (and to meditate!)

"Turning Pro" as Steven Pressfield would say is about an attitude that you have, a mindset. Meditation itself doesn't help. All that you need to do is understand that unless you "go get some" you're not going to move ahead.

Think about it. Tony Robbins vs Eckhart Tolle for business - who'd you choose?

Tony Robbins is a pretty consistent advocate for meditation! And he'll definitely agree with you that meditation isn't a replacement for building business skills.

I think the comparison here strengthens both our points. Meditation is not a replacement for business skills. It's all about how you use it. Tony uses it to destress and increase his focus so he can better serve his audience. Maybe in another universe, Eckhart Tolle would've been a fantastic businessman if he chose to spent his time focused on business. But he used it for his own purpose. In the end, he did end up writing a best selling book and has a major audience.

Business success is all about how you use your life. But your health can play a big part of it!

 

[Rabby]

Have you ever met someone who BECAME rich because he was in control of his emotions? I have met many people who have STAYED rich because they are in control of their emotions, but certainly not BUILD UP that wealth.

I could argue the point, but I'm not saying you should replace everything with "mediation." That's kindof a straw argument. But if someone has emotional diarrhea, they're not going to get rich. At best, they might make a lot of income, and be high-income poor. They'll never resist buying the overpriced thing that sets them back 10 years. They'll be a crap negotiator. They'll have a panic attack when things don't go as expected, start drinking heavily, etc.

Ok, maybe I'm arguing a little. I don't disagree with "people ned to do stuff." As you can no doubt see from all my other posts. But I credit EQ with a lot of my own success, and while there are other ways to cultivate EQ, meditation ain't that bad. Keep in mind that motivation, the will to do stuff, the grit to keep going... all of that is emotional control. Someone with a frail emotional system will just quit, or retreat to safety. And for certain specializations like speculation, auctions, investing, emotional control is the absolute make or break skill.

 

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[RayAndré]

What are some beginner books you guys recommend for meditation?

this book, its free online

My Story · Mind Hacking

www.mindhacki.ng

 

[Defection]

Everyone on this thread who liked Untethered Soul may also benefit from Singer's book The Surrender Experiment. It tells how he quit his Phd program and went on to become a dot-come billionaire as the founding CEO of a software company. I found that it provides useful strategies for handling stress.

He was definitely "unscripted ". He dropped out of a phd program, used all of his savings to buy a piece of land, founded a housing construction company, then a religious organization, and bought one of the first computers and tought himself to code, selling software to medical providers. He grew the company to about 3 billion dollars, and then lost control in a lawsuit. Then he turned around this negative story by writing The Surrender Experiment, which is now an international best-seller.

I was really surprised how many people mentioned Untethered Soul in here, but not The Surrender Experiment!

Those of you that liked Untethered Soul, and that are on this forum - you NEED to read/listen to The Surrender Experiment.

 

[Lua]

I began meditating 2 weeks ago. The reason was because I realized my mind has been drifting with thoughts for a very, long time. I guess most of you know our thoughts are the starting point for how we feel throughout the day and consequently, for how we act.

I noticed huge improvements. I can't describe this improvement exactly, but I feel more "mindful", especially in social interactions. You become aware of your thoughts and stop them before they develop into a chain of other, negative or useless thoughts.

I believe in today's age where we are bombarded with information, meditation is a must. Otherwise we are going to be taken away from this relentless river of information.

Anyways, in terms of "business", I didn't notice much improvement, however, I started being aware of the thoughts that made me wanna quit something, such as feelings of despair and thoughts related to shiny object syndrome ("there must be something better I can do").

What's your experience?

Hi Vic,
It's great timing that you brought up meditation now. I personally find it essential to give me the focus I need for my peace of mind and as you stated to help on course with with whatever project that I have started to see it through to completion.

I began meditating 2 weeks ago. The reason was because I realized my mind has been drifting with thoughts for a very, long time. I guess most of you know our thoughts are the starting point for how we feel throughout the day and consequently, for how we act.

I noticed huge improvements. I can't describe this improvement exactly, but I feel more "mindful", especially in social interactions. You become aware of your thoughts and stop them before they develop into a chain of other, negative or useless thoughts.

I believe in today's age where we are bombarded with information, meditation is a must. Otherwise we are going to be taken away from this relentless river of information.

Anyways, in terms of "business", I didn't notice much improvement, however, I started being aware of the thoughts that made me wanna quit something, such as feelings of despair and thoughts related to shiny object syndrome ("there must be something better I can do").

What's your experience?

 

[Cyberthal]

If meditation removes your desires undesirably, meditate in a different way.

You don't have to meditate on nothing. You can meditate however you want. Pick the way that most enhances your performance.

Your goal is money, not enlightenment, presumably.

 

[PapaGang]

When I was young I rolled my eyes and made fun of people doing it. Whatever, hippies.

Then I gave it an honest effort after reading and getting curious about the power of the mind. Now this may sound like hyperbole, but I don't care: I've had life altering experiences after doing it regularly for months.

Meditation is no joke.

 

[Cyberthal]

Stoicism Resources and Recommendations - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

Stoicism 101 Stoicism 101: A Practical Guide for Entrepreneurs On The Shortness of Life: An Introduction to Seneca Stoicism for Modern Stresses: 5 Lessons from Cato The Practicality of Pessimism: Stoicism as a Productivity System General Philosophy How to Use Philosophy as a Personal Operating...

tim.blog

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfLuQ2arP48

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXsuZgVwtA


I'm not a Stoic, and I don't meditate Tim's way, but it seems a sound place to start for a beginner.

 

[RayAndré]

I gave it an honest effort after reading and getting curious about the power of the mind. Now this may sound like hyperbole, but I don't care: I've had life altering experiences after doing it regularly for months.

Meditation is no joke.

this

 

[MetalGear]

• I have stopped meditating consistently and notice a difference in my muscle tension and general irritability
• Getting back into it, it is a practice for sure

 

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[Hadrian]

Hi Gang... shameless plug here but I would love to get your feedback on my own meditation app. I resisted posting in this public thread for a while but the comments on here are really useful and inspiring. So I hope you won't mind as it's your brains I would very much like to pick!

In short I tried Headspace/Calm/Insight Timer and about 100 other meditation apps etc. and although I appreciated the Scientific approach I found myself looking for a more magical/spiritual/fun element. Neo Travel Your Mind was the best I found but it was limited.

I gained some benefits from the usual apps but they never held my attention for long. I also knew these Zen monks in tibet etc. don't meditate for hours without a genuine purpose. I knew there had to be something more to it.

When I couldn't find an app that worked for me I decided to create my own, and part of my strategy was to try to create something that men and teenagers might use as well... as Ireland my country has the 6th highest suicide rate for teenagers in Europe. I wanted to change that!
FYI Calm did a report outlining about 80% of meditation app users are female.

Characteristics and Usage Patterns Among 12,151 Paid Subscribers of the Calm Meditation App: Cross-Sectional Survey - PubMed

Results highlight important demographic characteristics and usage patterns among a self-selected sample of Calm subscribers. Mental health concerns and sleep appear to be top reasons for downloading Calm. Sleep Stories and meditations are the most popular app components. The frequency of using...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So here it is: "Celtic Whispers", a Fantasy themed Meditation and Mythology app set in the Celtic Spiritual Tradition, and a guide for those looking for a more meaningful way to live in harmony with your community and the environment.




It's only in its infancy but you could call it Meditation for the Lord of the Rings demographic!
I found the key for me was using Binaural Beats and I have been able to briefly tap into the bliss state which I can only describe as tapping into the energy frequency of the universe itself... it looks like George Lucas may have been right after all!

I could write so much more as this journey has taken a few long hard years but I have a presentable MVP on iOS right now. I have ten categories with a variety of meditation techniques and the first one in each is free. It also has a Celtic History and Mythology component as well which adds a unique element.

If anyone wants to try it out and give me feedback I would be most grateful.. and even more grateful for an honest positive review!

Thanks Fastlaners...

Magical Meditations - Celtic Whispers

Welcome to Celtic Whispers, a Fantasy themed Meditation, Mythology and Music app set in the Celtic Spiritual Tradition. Irish meditation, druid meditation

www.celticwhispers.com

‎Celtic Pagan: Norse & Wicca

‎The Ancient Celts and their spiritual mentors the Druids viewed life as a continuous cycle of birth-death-rebirth, for they understood that everything moved in a spiral, from the growth of a snail’s shell to the whirling glaxies above. But awareness of life as an unfolding spiral is something...

apps.apple.com

 

[Black_Dragon43]

Edit: can confirm what @Black_Dragon43 has been saying throughout the thread about meditation not really helping you to make money and win in life.

Yes, of course it doesn't. The first thing everyone should do is get really clear on what their goal is. Meditation, regardless of your spiritual tradition, was not a practice that was developed to attract more wealth.

In Buddhism, where most of the meditation practices popular today come from, meditation was developed with one goal in mind: to develop insight into the true nature of existence, more specifically to realise that all phenomena are empty of self, impermanent, and ultimately unsatisfactory, leading you to become detached from them. That is where meditation is taking you to and that's what it was designed for. So it's not surprising that money isn't falling from the sky, it wasn't meant to!

Now, if that is not in line with your goals or aspirations, then probably it will be a hindrance in your path, and not something that will help you. Do not forget that many people, see Tim Ferris, meditate because it is popular and trendy to do so, not because of any other reason. It is a form of virtue signalling. So do not be tricked by all millionaires claiming to meditate into thinking that this has anything to do with their success. It's just a current fad, that they all join by virtue of being human beings and members of this culture, and wanting to show that their are modern and in-trend with what's going on.

Also, another important point. Meditation is at its heart a spiritual practice, so even if your reasons for practicing are spiritual, you must still make sure that you practice is aligned with your goals. For example, Buddhist meditation is different than Christian contemplative prayer (the equivalent of meditation in Christianity). If your goal is the attainment of "enlightenment" you'll make a different choice than if your goal is knowing & loving God. The practices are but superficially the same, and the difference is coming largely from the intentions and beliefs that the practitioner bears on the practice. For example, if you're searching for the loving presence of God, you'll purposefully cultivate and attract a different experience than if you reject the loving presence as merely another impermanent, not-self, and ultimately unsatisfactory experience that requires detachment. Your beliefs help shape your intention, and your intention is just as important as the sharpness of your attention in your meditative practice.

These distinctions become very important, and most New Age practitioners who create a mish-mash of traditions miss them.

 

[RealDreams]

I used to meditate. My experience is that it does provide some quiet and helps you achieve some detachment from your thoughts. It's great for relaxation, which is sometimes needed.

However, meditation will not make you rich. Maybe it will make you happier. But it won't help you make more money if that's what you're after. In fact, getting into meditation PROPERLY will probably decrease your desire for money and worldly things. You'll be less and less interested in the "games" people play because you'll easily see through them. There is also a risk that you'll enter into what is known as the Dark Night of The Soul, in which you'll lose your interest and motivation in everything around you. You'll effectively become psychotic, and go through some very nasty states, and it's possible that you'll never recover.

You can, however, use meditation surgically to alter deeply held beliefs. Meditation can effectively become self-hypnosis. As you relax, your conscious mind lets its guard down, and you become more capable to access the unconscious and implant beliefs there. In deep meditation your conscious mind is no longer active, so whatever feeling and belief you create, goes straight into your unconscious as a real experience. Just like in hypnosis.

P.S. I had a thread about this before: An Unpopular Opinion - Questioning The Value of Mindfulness For Entrepreneurs

If you want to do better in business I'd say WRITE, THINK, PRAY and focus on connecting more deeply with others. All business is built upon human relationships. If you can focus on connecting more deeply with others, and you understand people's psychology and how to communicate effectively, then you are much more capable to identify needs and fulfil them. Focus on creating the BELIEFS necessary to do this through repetition and by forming habits. That will do far more to help you in whatever business you're working on.


It is a great book - I often recommend it as well. I think the biggest takeaway is learning to not be identified with your thoughts. Having the capacity to detach from your thinking, and achieve a meta-cognitive awareness of what is going on inside your mind.

I think this is even MORE important than being present. Being present is just a WAY to achieve this detachment from your thoughts (and by the way, not the only one), so that you are not a prisoner of your own mind.

This is really true. I used to have a burning obsession to achieve my goals and the ideal life, but what meditation actually does is calming this fire, which might be good in terms of hormonal balance (decrease cortisol and stress) but not so much in terms of goals-achievement. A burning desire to achieve something is really the only way to ever get it.

One thing I liked about meditation is that it makes you aware of your bad habits. Not only practical habits, but also thinking habits.

A book I got recommended (apart from "The Power of Now") is "The Secret of Secrets", which seems to be a very old book translated. It somewhat jumps into Buddhism, however, I realized Buddhism isn't a "bad" thing. I always thought of religion as a sort of useless brainwashing, however, Buddhism actually seems to be very practical in a chaotic world such as the one we live in today.

Of course, if you become a Monk, you can say goodbye to your entrepreneurs' goals. You must find a balance.

 

[Sid781]

I suggest reading The Power of Now by Eckardt Tolle ... it is a great prelude to being present, in the moment, which is the foundation to meditation. While some will dismiss the book as "woo woo" it applies to anyone who calls themselves a human being... regardless of religious affiliation.

The book has been instrumental in increasing my happiness. I believe @Valier even mentioned it as one of his "life changing" books.

Another book that I found helpful in mental discipline is The Untethered Soul, by Singer.

I second this regarding Eckhardt Tolle's Power of Now @MJ DeMarco!

 

[Rearden]

@RayAndré

 

[mssharlenes]

Although most consider meditation essential, it's pretty boring. Especially when there's countless better things you could do.

If you want to meditate, find your own style. It doesn't need to be starring on a wall for half an hour. For me, for example, it's almost like a breathing exercise.
- While I rest between series (after lifting weights), I meditate.
- After I dive into the pool for over a minute, I breathe and meditate.

It doesn't follow the official term, but for me it's much better than reserving time to do nothing. I want to move!

I agree with this. I'm just starting to get into the classic seated meditation, but I also do what I call "walking meditation". It's nothing special. I just breathe deeply, absorb my surroundings, and ask myself, 'Where am I?'. "I", being the observer, the awareness. Should sound familiar if you've read "The Untethered Soul". That one question brings me back to the present like nothing else.

 

[Shoshin]

Everyone on this thread who liked Untethered Soul may also benefit from Singer's book The Surrender Experiment. It tells how he quit his Phd program and went on to become a dot-come billionaire as the founding CEO of a software company. I found that it provides useful strategies for handling stress.

He was definitely "unscripted ". He dropped out of a phd program, used all of his savings to buy a piece of land, founded a housing construction company, then a religious organization, and bought one of the first computers and tought himself to code, selling software to medical providers. He grew the company to about 3 billion dollars, and then lost control in a lawsuit. Then he turned around this negative story by writing The Surrender Experiment, which is now an international best-seller.

I can second this, it's a fantastic book as well

 

[Sanj Modha]

Meditation is the medication.

 

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[Cyberthal]

After interviewing 140 people at the top of their fields, Tim Ferriss realized almost all of them share the same habit

After compiling his new book "Tribe of Mentors," Tim Ferriss saw that most of the people at the top of their fields had a mindfulness routine.

www.businessinsider.com

 

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[evergreen_scene]

I rapidly and repeatedly switch information contexts in my workflow. This is easy while walking on a treadmill desk but hard when sitting down. While sitting, I tend to procrastinate with reading or writing while trying to clear my mind.

I found an effective method of breaking this costly habit. I already had a simple short conceptual sequence I used for meditation. Adding a physical ritual - tapping - allows me to rapidly switch info contexts even while tired and stressed.

The "tapping" or EFT movement is weird. I don't believe in Chinese meridians. However, distracting the brain with tapping does work. It purportedly relaxes the amygdala and definitely occupies nerve bandwidth, which can be useful for mitigating acute pain. During acute pain, I use wrist tapping and video game music videos.

I once saw a WW1-era video of a shellshocked soldier who could hardly walk due to chronic nervous tension. By learning to rub his thumb and fingerpads together hard, he was able to control his tension and walk normally with a smile.

World War 1 Shell Shock Victim Recovery (1910s) | War Archives

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Jll9_EiyA


Tapping is similar. So it's a no-joke method, despite the weirdness of tapping gurus about Chinese acupuncture and New Age affirmations.

My tapping method focuses on rhythmically tapping a body point with one finger, to vibrate bone and stimulate nerves. Vibrating bone feels weird.

In practice I mainly use three points. Between the eyebrows resets the intellect. Wrist radius and collarbone relax the body. Usually I only need to tap one point fewer than 10 times. That's enough to unstick a basic info context transition.

For dealing with nervous tension when tapping isn't feasible, perhaps the WW1 therapy of rubbing digit pads would work. It requires only one hand and is inconspicuous.

Wrist tapping should not be overlooked. It is especially helpful during times of epiglottis globis.

This man gives a great example:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG3xN38A9Gs&

 

[Tommo]

I've heard some much about this book. I need it on the reading list.

I am reading it now and it blew my mind, it explains what has concerned me for so long about thoughts and self talk. Thanks to @MJ DeMarco for mentioning it.

 

[RealDreams]

For anyone interested, I started reading "The Mind Illuminated". Seems to be the most "scientific" book on meditation I've read so far.

 

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[danwan337]

I began meditating 2 weeks ago. The reason was because I realized my mind has been drifting with thoughts for a very, long time. I guess most of you know our thoughts are the starting point for how we feel throughout the day and consequently, for how we act.

I noticed huge improvements. I can't describe this improvement exactly, but I feel more "mindful", especially in social interactions. You become aware of your thoughts and stop them before they develop into a chain of other, negative or useless thoughts.

I believe in today's age where we are bombarded with information, meditation is a must. Otherwise we are going to be taken away from this relentless river of information.

Anyways, in terms of "business", I didn't notice much improvement, however, I started being aware of the thoughts that made me wanna quit something, such as feelings of despair and thoughts related to shiny object syndrome ("there must be something better I can do").

What's your experience?

I had a similar experience to you. Meditation helps to remove the toxic thoughts from your mind. It helps to keep yourself free from unwanted thoughts and help you relax the entire day. Though you cannot remove thoughts from your mind completely, you can always eliminate the ones you don't want

 

[Bonetrousle]

Meditation is invaluable, if you can get yourself into a consistent habit.
I remember back when I was in college I had an Accounting course that I found extremely boring. The homework was grueling and I didn't want to do it.
I also was really into meditation at the time, doing 1-2 hour stretches on a daily basis.
I found that on days when I did the meditation, it allowed me to sit and do the work until it was done, no matter how long it took or how badly I wanted to do something else.
In my opinion that's the greatest benefit of meditation for entrepreneurs, it unlocks the ability to do potentially boring work for hours. The 1-2 hours a day you spend on it yields 5+ hours of focused productivity.

 

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[Thinh]

I've been meditating on and off for about 4 years now.
Been doing it truly consistently since 1.5 years.

Did it change my life? Don't know. Doesn't seem like.
Did I reap benefits from it? Nope. It didn't make me a better entrepreneur/businessman, didn't increase my motivation level or made me more disciplined.

But I continue doing it because I actually enjoy doing it.
If you're doing meditation to get something out of it, you're doubly wrong: it won't change things magically for you, and you'd be better off doing something else.

 

[RealDreams]

If meditation removes your desires undesirably, meditate in a different way.

You don't have to meditate on nothing. You can meditate however you want. Pick the way that most enhances your performance.

Your goal is money, not enlightenment, presumably.

This makes sense.
My goal is not necessarily making money (at least for now), it's fixing my life. And if I become complacent with what I have now, nothing will change in my life and I'll remain stagnant.

I've been meditating simply by focusing on the breath and shutting off the mind. Apparently it was the wrong technique...

This is a good point. There are meditation techniques that take you through every emotion, that aid in problem solving, etc. You don't have to quiet your mind only... that's simply one technique, or an entry point. Use meditation to wind yourself up if that's what you need.

Do you have any recommended sources for that? The only meditation I know is the one that has the purpose of making you calm and detached from everything. If you ask me, it's quite anti-business since the people who promote that kind of lifestyle are usually 100% okay of not being wealthy. But I can't afford that mindset at this moment in my life lol

 

[luniac]

check this book out, there aren't many different types of meditation, there's only one meditation and various crutches and training wheel methods to help get there, such as mindfulness.

SILENCE YOUR MIND
Silence Your Mind - Kindle edition by Manocha, Dr Ramesh. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

 

[BarKogan$]

For me, it's been 4 months since I started meditating every morning for 10 min (sometimes more during the day)
I feel way happier, Im able to control my emotions way better, and I feel more "present" in my life.

Just one thing to keep in mind:
Meditation is not a sprint run, you'll have to adopt the mindset of a marathon, invest in it even if its hard and you lost in thoughts, understand that the results will come with the time and as you practice more and more.
Good luck!

 

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