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How fortunate we are with our practice of meditation.
zenff
Veteran
At the moment I’m reading a book from Victor Lamme; a neuro-scientist.
http://www.cognitiveneuroscience.nl/index.php?p=501964
The book is about the absence of free will.
What that means (in my words) is that our brain makes its own decisions. We don’t know how that happens; it’s unconscious. A number of mechanisms in our brain make their contribution. They are genetically designed and influenced by our history. The sum of all the contributions results in a decision. Our conscious mind has no say in the matter.
We don’t make decisions on the basis of our conscious intentions and thoughts. They’re just a tale we tell ourselves; the tale of who we are and what we do and why. A phantasy we build around the real thing.
A discussion about free will is not what I have in mind though. The book just made me realize how fortunate we are with our practice of meditation.
We can just sit and stay there and be fine.
All those preferences and conditionings in the brain are put to rest. We just give all these mechanisms - conscious and unconscious - nothing to run off with.
I suppose we don’t even see (consciously) how deep this affects the processes in our brain.
We don’t appreciate our meditation enough.
http://www.cognitiveneuroscience.nl/index.php?p=501964
The book is about the absence of free will.
What that means (in my words) is that our brain makes its own decisions. We don’t know how that happens; it’s unconscious. A number of mechanisms in our brain make their contribution. They are genetically designed and influenced by our history. The sum of all the contributions results in a decision. Our conscious mind has no say in the matter.
We don’t make decisions on the basis of our conscious intentions and thoughts. They’re just a tale we tell ourselves; the tale of who we are and what we do and why. A phantasy we build around the real thing.
A discussion about free will is not what I have in mind though. The book just made me realize how fortunate we are with our practice of meditation.
We can just sit and stay there and be fine.
All those preferences and conditionings in the brain are put to rest. We just give all these mechanisms - conscious and unconscious - nothing to run off with.
I suppose we don’t even see (consciously) how deep this affects the processes in our brain.
We don’t appreciate our meditation enough.
0
Comments
Who?
Ah... I found this thread: http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/13083/my-mind-keeps-on-chattering-in-meditation/p1
I think I get your point.
“I suggest you stop analyzing and let things unfold as they unfold”; Is a good advice in many fields.