Have you noticed meditation and being in the moment is just like ...

If you haven't meditated before, that is probably a fair assessment. However,meditation is more than just noticing what's going on without judging. It's actually about quite a few things. The two biggest things is relaxation and disconnecting from the brain.

Relaxation is fairly obvious, so I won't spend much time on it. But, if you've not meditated before, it is definitely a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. If you are the type that has busy days and stressful situations, then meditation is a great way to take a break from that.

Disconnecting from the brain is significantly more important. How often do you have "chatter" going on in your brain? The constant flow of consciousness? It's on all the time, right? That is how most people spend their day...with all of these seemingly random ideas and self-talk flowing through their brain. Disconnecting from that every once in a while is very helpful and can stimulate creativity (which fuels the imagination and leads to innovation).

do you realize it's not proven that "intelligence" is necessary for survival?

In the macrocosm, that is a valid perception - but really only because of sheer volume, not to mention the extraordinary efficiency in which life proliferates on this planet. But, if you look at things in the microcosm: take a human and a dog and put them on the side of a busy intersection. Which one is more likely to safely make it to the other side?

Just from the perspective of roadkill, intelligence seems to be quite important for survival.

Within the human race itself, the more intelligent ones also seem to have a much higher chance for survival (the dumb ones seem to be dying off at an alarming rate -- according to the news).

were still self-centered

We are self-centered and yet still have the capability of compassion, kindness, and concern for others. The word "self-centered" has a certain connotation, but the essence of the word accurately represents humans as a species.

If you think about it, the only way that you can help anyone is to properly take care of yourself. For example, I believe it is everyone's responsibility to work towards becoming rich. Who is more capable of helping others (from a financial standpoint)? The rich are obviously much more capable, compared to the poor. No one has to worry about taking care of the rich (they take care of themselves). And, the more rich people there are, the more people there are to help everyone else.

The problem is, most people accept mediocrity and eventually slip into poverty. Also, those who do have means often do not help other people -- that is where the true meaning of "self-centered" becomes evident. Unless each of us are completing the cycle, by helping others, then we are not living up to our potential or our responsibility as good citizens.

I wasn't planning on writing a sermon...but I think I just did :-) Sorry about that.

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

meditation is breathing. no more, no less

Occam's razor is often cited in stronger forms than Occam intended, as in the following statements. . .

"If you have two theories that both explain the observed facts, then you should use the simplest until more evidence comes along"

"The simplest explanation for some phenomenon is more likely to be accurate than more complicated explanations."

"If you have two equally likely solutions to a problem, choose the simplest."

"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."

I'm just saying, we over-rate ourselves. That does not mean were bad.

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heavysm 10 years ago

Our capacity to self reflect over our own consciousness works against us in the moments where we consider ourselves better or above other beings.

It's a big paradox because we're smarter and more robust intellectually etc etc but what if all of that just makes it more difficult to enjoy life and truly feel alright or enough right now. (which for many people it definitely does - meditation and feeling simply present can be a very difficult thing to do for some)

Meditation does help one to feel more connected to everything. I don't know if that is something that other species have, either in the sense that they have it naturally from birth or develop it, but it appears to be our way of centering in beyond the noise of everyday life to feel one/connected to something greater.
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rbarnhart1

10 years ago

Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge

meditation is breathing. no more, no less

"If you have two equally likely solutions to a problem, choose the simplest."

Well, that is a rather simple explanation of mediation. Although, it leaves out quite a bit of reality. :-). Good point though.

I'm just saying, we over-rate ourselves. That does not mean were bad.

Okay. got it. I take things too seriously sometimes. I probably just took your original post the wrong way -- it seemed to say that we are not really doing as well as we think we are and intelligence really isn't helping that much anyway (lol). But I think I see where you're coming from.

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

Originally Posted by rbarnhart1

Well, that is a rather simple explanation of mediation. Although, it leaves out quite a bit of reality. :-). Good point though.

Okay. got it. I take things too seriously sometimes. I probably just took your original post the wrong way -- it seemed to say that we are not really doing as well as we think we are and intelligence really isn't helping that much anyway (lol). But I think I see where you're coming from.

do you ever wonder what the heck Buddha was thinking about All that Time?

you can go crazy with the mind following 2-6 second thought strings.

To me he had to "drill down" to the most relevant, simple, and unbiased ideas possible.

what do you think?

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Zak L.

10 years ago

I used to think the EXACT same thing!!

And after years of actually studying the subject I learned the difference - and although it seems on the surface level that the two are the same...

...they're completely different.

One is coming from a higher level consciousness, whilst the other is coming from a lower level consciousness.

A great book to read on this subject is Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now'.

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Zak L.

I used to think the EXACT same thing!!

And after years of actually studying the subject I learned the difference - and although it seems on the surface level that the two are the same...

...they're completely different.

One is coming from a higher level consciousness, whilst the other is coming from a lower level consciousness.

A great book to read on this subject is Eckhart Tolle's 'The Power of Now'.

seem the same to me.

my difference is afterwards we talk about it, try to describe it, and it then becomes a

romantized experience.

how would you say specifically they are different?

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RogozRazvan

10 years ago

Two words - volitional consciousness.

The decision to think. Animals are not so much about thinking as they are about instinct. I don't know if an animal has or has not a self-talk but as far as I know, only human beings are the ones equipped (biologically) for such a process.

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

Originally Posted by RogozRazvan

Two words - volitional consciousness.

The decision to think. Animals are not so much about thinking as they are about instinct. I don't know if an animal has or has not a self-talk but as far as I know, only human beings are the ones equipped (biologically) for such a process.

so if get cut I have to think of bleeding 1st?

if a rock is coming at you, you will flinch 1st.

Instinct and thinking, "volitional consciousness" - false dichotomy, IMO

Definition of Dichotomy

a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Definition of VOLITION. 1 : an act of making a choice or decision; also : a choice or decision made. 2 : the power of choosing or determining.

Definition of Instinct .

an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biological species.

I just breath. The point of all human experience

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rbarnhart1 10 years ago

I just breath.

Breathe first, then feel. After you feel, notice. After you notice, experience. That is meditation. Breathing is only the first step in the process. The rest is what matters.

If you stop at breathing, you miss the deeper value in meditating. "Breathe and feel" is infinitely more valuable than breathing alone. Meditation has been described as a process that takes you deep into your being, which has no limits.

That means, as you gain experience in meditation, you can go deeper and deeper into it. The further you go, the more you relax, release the connection to the chatter of the brain, and connect with your inner self.

That is when creativity comes to the surface and you gain insights and distinctions that your busy mind would not have thought of.

do you ever wonder what the heck Buddha was thinking about All that Time?

I haven't studied Buddha. I occasionally see quotes, but that is the extent of my knowledge there.

To me he had to "drill down" to the most relevant, simple, and unbiased ideas possible.

what do you think?

I can see the value in that, but I think there is also a limit. I have tried that to some extent, but in my opinion the details that get distilled out are the glue that holds the higher concepts together. There is value in concise language and simple communication, but each person can have such radically different understanding, mindset, point-of-view, and attitude towards an idea. That is when the extra information becomes important.
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- kirbymarketingconcierge 10 years ago
  
  why do we make things complicated?
  
  why do we have to conjure up editorial's of human nature.
  
  This human propensity to attach ourselves to labels, language, feeling, and thought.
  
  And then, defending it, as if it's more real than it really is.
  
  Can we just let it go. Can we be in the moment.
  
  And see, that were no different than other living organisms at it's most basic biological
  
  level. (and be insulted by it!)
  
  ************************************************** ****
  
  Have you heard that Dogs may Dream?
  
  In the News!
  
  Dog takes bullet for family, saves child after road rage attack
  
  link : http://www.11alive.com/story/news/lo...ting/19644501/
  
  getting plastic surgery for better selfies
  
  Plastic surgeons in the United States have seen a surge in demand for procedures ranging from eyelid lifts to rhinoplasty, popularly known as a nose job, from patients seeking to improve their image in selfies and on social media.
  
  link : http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...r-selfies.html
  
  ************************************************** ***
  
  I just breath, everything that comes after...is created "out of thin air".
  
  create stuff. it's a good thing.
  
  start with 1 breath and add a good feeling or a productive thought, or a kind Act!
  
  life isn't complicated, but our opinions (editorials) make it so... sometimes....many times....
  
  and then we feel more important. Do dog's dream about being human???
  
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  rbarnhart1 10 years ago
  
  @kirby
  
  I now understand better the message you are trying to promote. If I have understood correctly, it is a very good message. I found a video on youtube that I think is in line with what you are communicating. Let me know if I'm on the right path:
  
  Can We Auto-Correct Humanity? - YouTube
  
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  kirbymarketingconcierge 10 years ago
  
  great video.
  
  RBarnhart
  
  you sense it.
  
  an "age of acceleration", at internet speeds, in a big social experiment
  
  on how fast can things go and how much information is possible.
  
  we glamorize and romanticize what we do.
  
  when all that has happened is
  
  communication at a distance and 2 way communication (think twitter)
  
  soon when we have google robots, artificial organs, on our flying machines .....
  
  what will we do with our time? when we sit and try to be still.
  
  take a selfie of us being still??? no. just breath. Like a cat with a nap
  
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thet

10 years ago

Interesting thought process and something I have been thinking about a lot.

I meditate daily, 20 minutes a day. After reading Eckhart Tolle and starting slowly with eastern philosphy I now made it into a daily habit. And I can your point so clearly.

Why do we need more knowledge? Why do I have this urge to learn more, and more and a lot of the time about things that aren't really that important for me to learn besides being interesting.

But maybe, we can be mindful while gaining knowledge. Maybe we have clearer thoughts to observe when we gain deeper knowledge.

Interesting to see where this thread will be going.

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Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
â€” Charlie Munger

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

from Eckhart Tolle ;

People don't realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind.

“I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.”

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thet

10 years ago

Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge

from Eckhart Tolle ;

People don't realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind.

“I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.”

Yes.
And then comes product knowledge, speaking to people all day long where you need to remember what they are telling you, you reading books, watching movies, watching tv, watching docs.

Eckhart Tolle brings a nuanced point and I do see what he means. In the every day life it becomes an impossible thing to practice for almost anybody living in the modern world in a modern lifestyle (so not being a billionaire, living in a cabin and only do meditation speaking classes when you feel like it.. but instead of that being bombarded by 3000 commercials a day, shitty prospects and shitty clients, coworkers on their period and a boss demanding to get results)

Still, mindfullness is a huge help in a overcrowded, overscreaming world full of attention demanders.

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Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
â€” Charlie Munger

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

Originally Posted by thet

Yes.
And then comes product knowledge, speaking to people all day long where you need to remember what they are telling you, you reading books, watching movies, watching tv, watching docs.

Eckhart Tolle brings a nuanced point and I do see what he means. In the every day life it becomes an impossible thing to practice for almost anybody living in the modern world in a modern lifestyle (so not being a billionaire, living in a cabin and only do meditation speaking classes when you feel like it.. but instead of that being bombarded by 3000 commercials a day, shitty prospects and shitty clients, coworkers on their period and a boss demanding to get results)

Still, mindfullness is a huge help in a overcrowded, overscreaming world full of attention demanders.

excellent input.

how can we just "shut off" the over-stimulation on demand?

maybe the mind is a filter, screening what we need to survive???

no more , no less (which is what all species do)

Aldous Huxley did in his classic The Doors of Perception,

"that the primary function of the brain may be eliminative"

Sam Harris stated, "to make their way in the world without being dazzled at every step by

visionary phenomena that are irrelevant to their physical survival."

then again he further states,

"One thing is certain: The mind is vaster and more fluid than our ordinary, waking consciousness suggests."

I wish I knew, but then again maybe not, because it's the journey of learning and the experience of our lives, that may count for more than we wish.

The idea that buddhist monks can regulate heart rate and brain waves makes me think

they have an on/off switch

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thet

10 years ago

Why do we need knowledge then?
Do we really need is for survival?

I love knowledge, I read 3-4 books a month. However, do I need to know or do i want to know?

It's a form of consumerism. I just feel elite and better because it's a book and not a telesell thingy

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Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
â€” Charlie Munger

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kirbymarketingconcierge

10 years ago

Originally Posted by thet

Why do we need knowledge then?
Do we really need is for survival?

I love knowledge, I read 3-4 books a month. However, do I need to know or do i want to know?

It's a form of consumerism. I just feel elite and better because it's a book and not a telesell thingy

evolutionary biologists are mixed over whether intelligence (knowledge)

has survival value.

maybe we developed it to survive, because we can't run fast, aren't bigger than other
animals, can't live underground, etc..,???

from Stephen Hawking :

"The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."

- maybe Buddha while he was under his tree, came to conclude:

if we just breath and be, there is no difference between human beings, between any other living organisms, it all just is with no judgement, no attachment (a function of knowledge/intelligence)

intelligence is just a tool - no more , no less

Like driving a new car we just bought. It's to get us from point A to point B.
But really, it feeds our Ego's that were important and better.

- or maybe God, like that old song " what if god is one of us, just a slob like all of us"
just made us this way.

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thet

10 years ago

Yes I know,

and it;s interesting to think about. Some knowledge might come in handy. But like Eckhart Tolle would say: You don;t need knowledge to understand you should not touch a hot coffee pot. Experience will do that for you. One touch, and you will never do it again.

For people like me, who loves knowledge, I should probably become more practical and pragmatic about it. Read what's fun, and read what I can use right now. That will avoid information overload and perhaps some paralyses by analyses. Which I am prone too.

But then we can debate what's useful and what's not.

One book about cold calling gave me a boost in sales. So in that sense, you don't need to reinvent the wheel. So that's useful.
Now I am reading a book about evolutionair biology and marketing, called "Spent", which might be considered usefull since our whole lifes are influenced by the subjects explained in this book.

Where to draw the line. And if you should draw a line.

The book Spirtual Enlightenment would say: It doesn't matter. At all.

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Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
â€” Charlie Munger

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kirbymarketingconcierge 10 years ago

the breath of Life. the Air Quality of your own world.
the Inhalation of your thoughts and beliefs. the Exhalation of actions and creativity

the pattern of breath.
what is in between the inhale and the exhale???

When it comes to getting out of a tricky situation, we humans have an evolutionary edge over other primates. Scientists have found mounting brain evidence that helps explain how humans have excelled at 'relational reasoning,' a cognitive skill in which we discern patterns and relationships to make sense of seemingly unrelated information.

"This research has led us to take seriously the possibility that tweaks to this network over an evolutionary timescale could help to explain differences in the way that humans and other primates solve problems,"

source : Brain network detected that gives humans superior reasoning skills -- ScienceDaily
December 3, 2014 University of California - Berkeley

Indiana University Center for Aging Research report

that waking intensive care unit patients and having them breathe on their own decreased both sedation levels and coma prevalence. The Wake Up and Breathe program also showed a trend toward reduced delirium in a critically ill population.

Date:
December 2, 2014
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1202132401.htm
Indiana University

the Gettier problem, named after American philosopher Edmund Gettier, which is about whether true belief that is supported by faulty reasons is knowledge.

Date:
December 2, 2014
Source:
University of Alabama Huntsville

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1202093626.htm
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Have you noticed meditation and being in the moment is just like ...

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