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As to the social/environmental: You may have to decide what kind of environment you surround yourself with during this difficult time.
In my counseling experience, people who surround themselves with friends who continue to meditate — or at least support the TM Movement and the Maharishi — have a difficult time cutting back or ceasing meditation.
Just as an alcoholic has to choose to avoid bars and drinking parties — even drinking friends, it is possible, although not certain, you may need to change your social environment to successfully cease TM.
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How many times have you said or heard someone say after a long chant or meditation that they felt "stoned"?
Referring to the '60's reference of using drugs, there are many similarities between the two. At the same time, the spiritual communities would have you believe that their 'high' is safer and cleaner than drugs.
I have serious doubts about that.
Shakti, as generated by chanting and meditating, easily moves a person
beyond 'uncomfortable' feelings. We are told that it is 'good' because we
are moving beyond those feelings, that we are 'purifying' them. And yet,
it never seems to stop. The 'feelings' keep coming back and we keep
chanting and meditating to purify them and to get high.
I can remember incredible ecstatic experiences that truly transformed me, for a time. The interesting thing was that when I returned home after a visit at the ashram, the normal range of feelings always returned.
We were told to attend the local center and do daily japa (another way of generating shakti or a change in mood) to stay in touch.
Mostly we are told to come back, at a significant cost.
I am not against all chanting and meditation, but believe that if it is to
be used it should be in balance with the other aspects of our lives. Do we
attend to our feelings? Do we attend to our physical needs? Are we using shakti to avoid the painful realities of our life?
With the use of shakti, we are given the social reinforcements and
supports to continue the 'spiritual' practices!
We are told and we tell ourselves how special we are because the rest of the world doesn't have the same experiences we do. We develop an all knowing look and language to support our use of shakti.
Just as people who have addiction problems, we also develop symptoms of
abuse that get in the way of our daily functioning. Some of these might
include:
1. Use of shakti to avoid feelings and critical thinking
2. Spending money we don't have to attend another program, to get another 'hit'
3. Isolate ourselves from others who do not use shakti
4. Lie to support the organization that delivers the shakti
5. Developing a dependency upon the person (guru) and the organization
that delivers the shakti
6. Breaking the law (physical and sexual assaults on individuals, forging
documents, smuggling items into India and the US) under the guise of
protecting the shakti
7. Use of shakti to develop open and receptive states in people, then
'programming' them with the goals of the organization
8. Developing illness by not getting enough sleep in search of shakti
9. Call in sick at work to do seva, to get ready for a program and more
shakti
I have also observed shakti used to heal.
I remember having the flu and attending a spiritual healing center. The healer 'worked on me' and I felt a strong energy, similar to but not exactly the same type of energy I had felt at the Siddha Yoga ashram.
Almost immediately, I began to feel better. This healer had been trained to do 'spiritual healing'. She clearly 'channeled' some energy to me and I felt better. I've had other instances of healing from individuals who channeled energy.
It seems to me that if energy can be used to help can't it be used to hurt?
I find this pretty scary. Terry doesn't say why she wouldn't have gone to the school if she'd thought about it more, but I can imagine stuff happened in the school that was, uh, freaky.Quote
Some of the comments earlier this week reminded me of a time when my fear seemed both relentless and no longer tolerable. One night, on Byron Katie’s website, the line, “Who would you be without your story?” leapt of the screen and smacked me right between the eyes. On the spot, I registered for her nine-day school, even though I knew virtually nothing about it.
The school began one week later, which was fortunate, because if I’d had longer to think about it, I wouldn’t have gone.
And so, once again we have someone using The Work to make money. What a shocker.Quote
Whether you’re stuck without a vision, have a goal you can’t reach, or want to experience greater satisfaction in life, my job is to help you get what you want. My clients are smart, competent people who want to live to their fullest potential. I help them find what they really want and deal with whatever is getting in the way.
I offer one-on-one coaching, small group coaching, telecourses, and mentoring for new coaches. In addition to being a Martha Beck Master Certified Coach, I’m trained in Positive Psychology, the psychology of what goes right in life, The Work of Byron Katie, a process that dismantles limiting beliefs, and HeartMath, a scientifically proven stress reduction technique.
I’m a former trial lawyer who searched everywhere for an answer to this question: how could I create a life of fulfillment, authenticity, and happiness for myself?
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helpme2times
Here is an example, from a blog called "Inner180":
[[url=http://inner180.com/2008/10/12/joy-diet-day-12-who-would-you-be-without-your-story/]Joy Diet Day 12-Who Would You Be Without Your Story?[/url]]
A woman named Terry writes the blog and in her latest entry she says:Quote
Some of the comments earlier this week reminded me of a time when my fear seemed both relentless and no longer tolerable. One night, on Byron Katie’s website, the line, “Who would you be without your story?” leapt of the screen and smacked me right between the eyes. On the spot, I registered for her nine-day school, even though I knew virtually nothing about it.
The school began one week later, which was fortunate, because if I’d had longer to think about it, I wouldn’t have gone.
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corboy
Advice for those quitting:
How many times have you said or heard someone say after a long chant or meditation that they felt "stoned"?
I am not against all chanting and meditation, but believe that if it is to
be used it should be in balance with the other aspects of our lives. Do we
attend to our feelings? Do we attend to our physical needs? Are we using shakti to avoid the painful realities of our life?