(Part 2) Best products from r/Meditation

My pleasure!

Yes, I certainly couldn’t meditate immediately after waking - that’s a definite invitation for “Sleep: Round Two!” :D

I like to journal ahead of time because it gets my mind going, and sets a positive outlook on my day. I don’t really have a set type of journaling though. I write about experiences, moods, dreams, concepts, goals, etc. It’s more of a “stream of consciousness” journal style. Whatever pops up. I also am working on presentations and writing a (non-fiction) book; so I work on that as well.

I am switching this slightly though; I’ll be writing/working on the book & presentations in the morning for an hour (because that’s when I feel most creative), then meditating. I’ll move my journaling to the evening because it doesn’t require creativity, and I think the brain dump will help me sleep better.

As far as recommendations for journaling, I would say to start with something easy and pre-formatted if you are looking to build a habit. Like a daily journal to build regularity. A gratitude journal - like The Five Minute Journal is a great way to start. I’ve bought these as gifts for my wife and various friends, and everyone has said they have been a very positive change.

I like what Happiness Researcher, Shawn Achor says about gratitude journaling & practices; by taking a few minutes each day to write down/remember specific instances to be grateful of, we rewire our brains to monitor for positive experiences throughout our day, like an app on our smartphones that run in the background. This in turn makes each day more positive and rewarding.

For me, I seem to stick with routines better if I simply schedule the task ahead of time. I have no issue on weekday mornings getting everything done in my routine. Ironically - I have more difficulty meditating on the weekends, even though I really enjoy sitting for longer periods and I have a lot more time available. On the weekends, there are a lot more distractions and I have had more difficulty setting a routine because, well, it’s the weekend. :D

Any way - there’s another novelette for you:D

Feel free to ask more questions - I’m happy to help. I wish you the best.

Don't worry I got a million answers.

First 3 months were spent with frustration for lack of results, and not doing it properly. The following 3 months were spent finding my groove, staying consistent, and staying consistent. I'm quoting myself from /r/ADHD months back, at the challenges I faced during my learning process but here is what I said basically:

Have you ever heard of Om Mani Padme Hum?

It can't be translated into a simple phrase or sentence because it varies in English. But the general phrase is:

>"Behold! The jewel in the lotus!"

When meditating, I repeat this mantra over and over again, but overtime I progressively slow down between each word till my brain completely goes quiet. It's a great technique to use if you have a lot of racing thoughts, distractions, especially in your case the eye movement. I'm just fascinated with the entire history of meditation and its origins which has led me to understanding and appreciating this mantra. I know it sounds like hippy bullshit and even I was skeptical of course, but you don't have to believe in the Buddhist philosophy behind the mantra to gain its benefits. In fact, it doesn't matter what the words in the mantra even are. You can recite the recipe for sushi if you want. It's the repetition:

rice fish wasabi rice fish wasabi.

All you're doing is repeating the same tone repeatedly and over time your brain gets tired to the point where you notice your thoughts begin to slow down. You follow up with this by pausing momentarily between the words, a few seconds and maybe up to a minute between the words. The ultimate goal of course is utter and complete silence in your brain, which may take years to accomplish And yes, this process is slow. I've been meditating for a little over a year and it's been a long and arduous process because naturally I'm not consistent with meditation and sticking with it, but I have definitely noticed insight and introspection within myself. I notice I'm patient with individuals and I'm significantly calmer. And dare I say, I'm even happy sometimes. All I'm doing is literally sitting fucking still for 10 minutes a day thinking about jack shit.

I can only speak from my experience, so take this anecdotally. But meditation is perhaps the best thing for my adhd brain. It calms my thoughts, gives me clarity, and most importantly it tackles of the other co-morbid issues that plague my life. But you have to remember, your brain is just like any other muscle, you don't go to the gym one week and expect to get muscular; it takes discipline, consistency, and time to accomplish. But don't take my word for it, studies are already showing how meditation:

• increases brain matter,
  
  
• treats anxiety and depression,
  
  
• And because I love creativity there's a great TED talk discussing how meditating actually improves that as well.
  
  
• Look up Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now. It's even on audio book whch is what I used, and trust me the audio version is way better for ADHD'ers who hate reading. I might have to listen up on it again to refresh my memory, but I highly recommend that if you want to truly learn more.
  
  I highly encourage for you to learn as much as you can before you get started. I was extremely dismissive and cynical at meditation in the beginning, but it wasn't until after I exhausted every option I had left from therapy and medication, before I decided that I'd give it a shot. Cuz hey, what else did I have to lose.
  
  
  

You'll want to explore concentration practices. I recommend Leigh Brasington's recent book called "Right Concentration", which offers clear and practical instructions for accessing altered states of consciousness called the "jhanas."

Separately, you might be interested in the Fire Kasina experiment that Daniel Ingram and several fellow practitioners undertook. They have audio logs on the site documenting their experiences working with a fire kasina on retreat. All of those practicing were already fairly advanced meditators, but they all had interesting experiences with what could be conceptualized as open- and closed-eye photo-realistic visual hallucinations (that they could largely control) and euphoric states.

With strong concentration, you can certainly develop altered states of consciousness. However, here's the caution: As you recognize, altered states of consciousness are not really the goal of a practice intended to free you from suffering. Those states are natural outgrowths/side effects of developing strong concentration, which is in turn useful in developing and supporting a practice designed to see reality clearly as it is -- insight or wisdom-based practices.

So, developing concentration for the side effects really is a side show. It's not the point. It's a distraction. And even as profoundly interesting and blissful as these states can be, they are not ultimately satisfactory. They are potentially unstable, impermanent, and at times, despite advanced practice, difficult to access.

All that said, you develop extremely profound insight when you're able to see the true nature of these extremely profound altered states of consciousness. Detecting the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selfless nature of a state of pure and boundless bliss and love leaves a very strong impression on the mind. So, just don't ignore wisdom-based or insight-based practices. Even as you pursue and explore these states, understand that realization and wisdom is where the gold is, not fleeting states of consciousness, no matter how profound.

This is a tough question to answer. I was lucky and my practice evolved naturally from more basic meditation to advanced methods without planning it that way. Looking back I would say this was a huge advantage.

I started in college doing simple mantra meditation. One word, repeated calmly with the breath. This is like TM. TM tells you that their mantra is sacred and you need to lick their buttholes and pay their car payments and then they give you a super special exotic Sanskrit mantra or something. Bullshit. You can pick any word you want. In my opinion it's better to pick a word with broad spiritual meaning as opposed to something more specific - use "God" instead of "peace," for example. When I started out I was meditating with a Benedictine monk named Fr. Laurence Freeman and he gave us the Aramaic word (actually, I guess it's a "term") "Maranatha" which means "come, Lord." I did that 20 minutes each morning and evening for a full academic year (at the Georgetown University John Main Center for Meditation as one of the founding scholars-in-residence, mind you [clears throat, pats self on back]). The regularity of those sessions coupled with the support of the group gave me a nice foundation in my practice. I would suggest finding a group if possible but it's not necessary. A $10-$20 "suggested" donation in a little basket by the door is customary. Anything else (aside from the cost of room and board on a retreat) should raise your eyebrows. I would also like to add that although I wasn't a Christian at the time I had no problem using a mantra attributed to Christ. I never thought much about the meaning of the mantra, to be honest. It's all about focusing the mind. You could use a nonsense word like "feminism" and it would work just fine (just kidding, don't do that). Here are Fr. Laurence's books: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=laurence+freeman

I was and suppose still am a Buddhist and got pretty deep into it. If you're serious about meditation I would suggest sticking to Buddhist meditation because it is far superior to all other systems. Some might argue this point but they would be wrong. I eventually discovered "concentration" or "jhanas" meditation, although most people simple call it "following the breath." All you do is pay attention to your breathing. If you get distracted internally you simply return to the breath. Now, traditionally there are a couple of ways of doing this. Either focus on the rise and fall of the abdomen or the breath as it passes that little divot just under your nose called the "anapanasati" spot. This is what I did and although it sounds weird it works great.

I went on my first retreat at this point with the authors of the book that introduced me to the method. It was incredible. The experience was quite honestly like visiting Heaven. 2 weeks in silence in the forest meditating all day, every day, until my mind was just a glowing ball of joy and wisdom. 10/10 highly recommend. Here is the book I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X

Eventually I discovered Dzogchen meditation and it had very dramatic effects. Two great books to check out are "Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" and "Flight of the Garuda."

usually on the one to ten scale i only register emotions that are like, at a 1, and then at a 7, and everything in between is just like ???? but now even after just a few weeks i am much more aware of them. i can feel my anger the second it begins and feel it rise inch by inch when i start getting really frustrated by something. the other day i pushed myself a little too far with it but i wanted to see how long i could stay with it and i did, and that was a pretty eye opening experience. that was a week or two ago, and now myself even more patient before the anger begins to develop

another one after just a few weeks is a significant decrease in anxieties. i'm usually always at like a 5 by default whenever i leave the house, even on simple shopping trips, but that has all dissipated now. i remember when i used to go into the grocery store, and over to the left immediately after going inside you see all the checkout lanes and 9382 people checking out. this used to frazzle me SO badly, i would freeze up and use all my willpower to not so much as glance in that direction, and i'd keep my eyes down and grab my little basket and scurry off into the store as quickly as i could. and now? i feel nothing. it's very liberating. i could stand there for ages and no one would look in my general direction. what was i so afraid of before? most of my anxiety before wasn't even conscious, i wasn't actively thinking about what ~other ppl~ would think; i just felt primally, viscerally anxious... and that's gone. anyway, this is just one example, i'm sure there are others but this is a big one that stands out.

another positive that is coming into my life: i can listen to music again. like, LISTEN (not just hearing music that is there). i've been so clouded for so long that i forgot what it was like. i've always loved music and would always play some regardless, and some things would get through my anxiety and connect to me, but when i can actually concentrate on it it is a different world. i havent been able to Listen in so long. sometimes it feels as if i'm just now truly hearing something for the first time even though i've had it for months/years, and suddenly there's just a connection that wasn't there before

i feel like i'm a lot more present in general and have an easier time letting go of things. i almost got in a car accident a few weeks ago when my brain was sleepy and foggy and the roads were rainy and slick, and i feel like that kind of thing would have really f'd me up for the rest of the day in the past, but after it happened i was just a little shaky for a minute or two and then the event melted away, i was back to normal, perfectly fine.

 

as far as my practice goes, i only started about a month ago. i started with 15mins/day mantra meditation, then after a couple of weeks i started doing it a couple times of day, at least one 15-20min session if i can get it, and the other is 10 or 15 later at night. i've been using the 1giantmind app and am currently on day 13 or 14 of their "30 day challenge" and will stick to mantra meditation for the duration of that, but i have recently become interested in in zen so i might start dipping into those practices afterwards. i've always been interested in meditation and tried it on and off but this is the first time i've been this consistent in all my life.

i also do a very basic yoga noob routine here and there, and i'm also trying to practice every day mindfulness and going along with this eight week program book, currently on week two, and i think it's helping as well (i'm enjoying it, anyway).

 

this post did not look that long in the text box, whoops

> I feel like I get a slight head change when I do it.

That feeling of getting a 'head change' will increase as your bran/mind gets this skill of meditating developed.

The effect can be quite pronounced.

> I do feel as though I have more mental energy and focus after doing this (placebo maybe?).

It's not at all a placebo effect. It comes from the fact that you have made your mind more efficient. Imagine a river that runs silently, so deep and quiet that it doesn't seem to move at all. Then imagine a whitewater stream that is chaotic and wild. Which has more power?

By harmonizing the flow of your mental energy, you stop it being wasted in chaotic patterns, which leaves you much more calm, rested, and energized.


>Eventually if I lose focus with reading will meditating for 10-15 minutes help bring the focus back?

Yes, although taking a light walk and breathing deeply with fresh oxygenated air will help as well.

Also, the meditation breaks will refresh and recharge you as well. After a while you could be surprised with what even a 5 minute meditation can do for you.

Part of what is going on when you are losing focus is that there is an internal conversation happening in your bran about the reading material that eventually takes over and takes you off track. You will find after a few months of continued practice that this conversation will start diminishing leaving you with a focus that will help you retain and remember the material much more efficiently.

>Very pleased with the results I've seen thus far. If you have anything you have read that you found especially helpful in your journey I'd love to have it.

What really got me going in meditation was a set of home-study lessons from an Indian yogi named Paramahansa Yogananda who came to America in the 1930s to teach meditation and internal yoga methods for achieving bliss to westerners.

He wrote the book Autobiography of a Yogi and while It deals with spiritual things, i figured that 'this guy could teach me how to meditate'. So I sent off for the home-study series of lessons he wrote in the science of internal yoga and meditation, and it actually ended up delivering in the promise he made of learning how to get in touch with inner peace and joy.

So that's how I ended up getting so excited about meditation -- essentially using Paramahansa's techiques of meditation I ended up learning to have spiritual experiences on demand. Which is pretty cool. The techniques themselves deal with the breath and so on, and the idea is that when the mind gets quiet enough then you can directly experience the inner bliss that is at the core of your being. What worked for me since I was extremely skeptical is that you can prove everything for yourself by direct experience.

I know you are basically looking for non-spiritual techniques / outlook on meditation, but since you asked, this is the stuff that's been inspiring me, teaching me, and thinking that meditation is the best thing ever.

Thoreau: Walden, although non-fiction, may be the closest.

Ram Dass: How Can I Help, also non-fiction, has stories that are perhaps what you are looking for.

Ken Wilber One Taste. Wilber's meditative "journal" for a year. It's one of my 5 top books ever.

Ken Wilber: Grace and Grit. "Here is a deeply moving account of a couple's struggle with cancer and their journey to spiritual healing."

In another area are Carlos Castenedas books, which came out as non-fiction but there have been arguments they are fiction, and I don't know or mind either way. They are based on shamanistic drug use, but I believe it all is possible without drugs.

The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

I have not read (Lila) Kate Wheeler's works, but I have heard of them. I've not read them mostly because if I can't get them at the library, I am too cheap to buy them.

Not Where I Started From

Nixon Under the Bodhi Tree is a collection of works and the authors there might lead you to more of their works.

I did read Bangkok Tatoo which has some Buddhist meditation themes in it, but it wasn't really to my liking.

The Four Agreements is said to be like Carlos Casteneda's books, but I have not read it.

Bottom line, I've read a lot, and I can't find any matches in my memory for Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. If I think of any I'll add it as an edit.

If you find anything interesting, please pm me, no matter how far in the future it is!

---

Edit: as per the reply below, I've added here if anyone has "saved" this post:

I thought of two more, these actually should be higher on my earlier list:

The Life of Milarepa : "The Life of Milarepa is the most beloved story of the Tibetan people amd one of the greatest source books for the contemplative life in all world literature. This biography, a true folk tale from a culture now in crisis, can be read on several levels.... "

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which was the start of all books titled, "Zen and the Art of ____." "One of the most important and influential books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better."

Every morning and evening I do the '5-minute journal' routine. I open up Google Drive, copy paste the format, and do the exercise. You can start with this right away :-). This takes about 5 minutes on each end.

I also use momentum to further nudge positivity and inspiration into my life. This free Google chrome extension serves me a nice quote, a gorgeous vista, and a focus of my own choosing with each new tab I open.

The format for the 5-minute journal:

After waking up

I'm grateful for:

• (3 items; e.g. house, food, friends, family, job, transportation, cup of coffee, another day, anything really)
  
  What would make today amazing:
  
  
• (doing this and this job, enjoying time with X, fulfilling this goal, eating, working out, etc..)
  
  (And I add these two to the original '5-minute journal' routine)
  
  Metta
  
  
• (wishing love, wellness and freedom to 3 or more people)
  
  Intention
  
  
• (a specific intention I keep for that day like gratitude, mindful eating, smiling, etc.)
  
  Before going to bed
  
  Amazing things that happened today
  
  
• (3 or more things that made today special/awesome/cherishable)
  
  (I added these two to the original '5-minute journal' routine)
  
  Intention
  
  
• (reflection on how you're intention fared)
  
  Insights and lessons learned
  
  
• (a reflection on insights of the day. I typically always have 1-2 important insights I like to consolidate. Unfortunately this doesn't lead to immediate internalization but it is a step towards that ;-)..)

>He told me that he has never felt more calm and happy. [...] He says he is having an insight that no one else can possibly imagine because he says it scares them.

I've experienced just that. He will most likely come out of it. Like kirkirus said, just give him time to sort things out and he'll become more responsive.

Whatever he's thinking about, tell him that he is most likely not alone. Human beings in all cultures have spent months contemplating in isolation, and a lot of them have used psychedelic substances.

I would actually be very interested in hearing what your friend has to say. But well! Let him rest, and make sure to tell him you love him! Best of luck.

---
Also, The End of Your World by Adyashanti may be useful to him, or even to you! And perhaps this television series by Alan Watts for a different cultural context.

I really relate to that 'lost at sea' feeling (and I also think sports is 'rubbish,' generally). I think a great work-around to this is finding structured but doable meditation 'plans' that guide you through the process in a way that will bring benefits.

Many people seem to be doing this with success through the HeadSpace App, but if you want an offline guide, maybe you can try 'Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.'

Eight weeks may sound like a while, but the amount of time each day isn't much and the payoffs start quickly when you stick to it. Eight weeks seems to be the rule of thumb for neuroscientists who are looking for the hard evidence of changes in the grey matter, but subjectively, people report benefits earlier. In other words, you can surely get something after eight weeks but will probably get there earlier, if you follow one of these guided plans.

Some people don't like plans, but a structure like that can really help alleviate the 'lost at sea' feeling and it helps put us in touch with the details little by little so we can remember it each lesson, instead of reading on our own and forgetting to re-read later on.

Yes, classical yoga was designed to bring a person beyond the ego (so are basically all meditation systems and even religions for that matter!

So classical yoga has a great introduction in the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.

It does not deal with the ego so much as it sets out the background of classical yoga. Paramahansa has lessons for the techniques to take one to soul consciousness beyond ego consciousness. The great thing about this path is that you can easily meet the monks and nuns who have used the techniques to go beyond ego consciousness, and so you can get in-person first-hand guidance from them.

Also, Michael Singer's book The Untethered Soul is an amazing book, and very clearly describes the process of going beyond the ego in daily life.

I would start with Michael Singer's book if you are more intellectually inclined, and the first one if you are more spiritually inclined.

In this context the soul is the "real you" as opposed to the ego or the acquired identity that masquerades as you and creates your problems and difficulties.

Her books recommended elsewhere in this thread, yes. But the other is the excellent Practicing the Jhanas by Snyder and Rasmussen. If you just read through the relevant bits, it's probably 80 pages. Who can sit still and read 80 pages these days though? Maybe if the book came with a 9v shocker? ;)

Well, Shaila Catherine did spend quite a bit of time with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, and her book "Wisdom Wide and Deep" (which the venerable one wrote the foreword to) is a very good explication of that style of Visuddhimagga practice (it is a commentary on a commentary, as it were, so just know that :)

I don't discount other folks' experience with deeper states in that style of practice. I just hope people can agree that there is a range of experience to be had with Samadhi and Jhana (again, see Shankman's book). If not, then we just disagree, no biggie. May we all know "samma samadhi" and may it be of service in our liberation.

yes, it's really hard to start. I couldn't for ages. I have started several months ago only because this book broke things down for me ..

http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Bliss-Beyond-Meditators-Handbook/dp/0861712757/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347690331&sr=8-1&keywords=happiness+bliss+and+beyond

Ajahn Brahm is a no nonsense English monk living in Australia. search for his podcasts, videos, etc. he breaks meditation down into a number of stages and there are TWO important very foundational ones you need to master BEFORE you attempt to focus on breath. he explains the hindrances you will encounter and goes into depth about the deeper stages of meditation which I find very motivating because I want to experience what he describes.

going straight for breath is way too hard .. at least it was for me. after a few months I'm noticing profound changes in my quality of life, how I feel about myself and others, etc. and am very excited to keep digging deeper.

check out that book, highly recommended. good luck my friend!

You're welcome, glad it helped.

http://www.amazon.ca/Practicing-Jhanas-Traditional-Concentration-Meditation/dp/159030733X

I would grab a book like this. These are Pa Auk Sayadaw's students. He teaches in the tradition of the Visuddhimagga - http://www.abhidhamma.org/visuddhimagga-1.htm, which is a classic meditation manual, very comprehensive, this is a free copy.

Leigh Brasington has alot of stuff out there, but then again he couldn't hit Jhana on a Pa Auk retreat, so I tend to shy away from him, as he teaches also to nurture these jhana factors, which is opposite to what the Sayadaw as well as the Visuddhimagga teaches.

Concentration practice is very much about focusing on on one point, cultivating the factors. However, concentration is not the end of practice, there is the insight side, the Sayadaw teaches traditionally, so he starts with concentration, then the sublime abidings and then elemental and vipassana.

I too had a pre-disposition for concentration and after starting sitting (2 weeks in), I obtained full Jhana Absorption, which was profound, just using mindfulness in plain English-
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php, this is mainly about mindfulness.

In the end the importance is the technique and keeping with it. Ajahn Chah said insight leads to concentration, concentration leads to insight, so whichever path you pick, stick with it. Part of the process of cultivating concentration is subduing the hinderances, which in itself can be quite insightful and freeing.

I was in the same boat as you when I got started and I found that using a good guided meditation app provided a solid starting foundation.

I have personal experience with Ten Percent Happier and Waking Up. Both are fantastic but should not be relied on for too long; it should only take a few months to form your own practice based on the techniques you’ll learn.

I’m at the point where I’m getting comfortable with my own daily practice after using each of those apps for a few months. One widely recommended book which I might look at soon is The Mind Illuminated. Another book I discovered recently, Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, is written by respected meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein, who also narrates the intro guided meditations for Ten Percent Happier.

Edit: Waking up has a companion book that discusses what consciousness is and how to avoid the faith-based dogma that is often associated with meditation.

These two are good for all levels: A book on the Tao, A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie. For using journaling to support meditation: Quiet Mind, Open Heart. Lots of thought provoking questions, as well as meditation practices.

For people who have practiced a while: The End of Your World: Uncensored Straight Talk on the Nature of Enlightenment. It can really help give direction beyond basics.

My favorite books about buddhism and meditation are:

[zen training] (https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Training-Philosophy-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590302834/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=zen+training&qid=1565793019&s=gateway&sr=8-1) ,
nothing special
, everyday zen - love and work , [the path to bodhidharma] (https://www.amazon.com/Path-Bodhidharma-Teachings-Library-Enlightenment/dp/0804832161/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+path+to+bodhidharma&qid=1565793271&s=gateway&sr=8-1) , and this one is a free e-book : [the 7th world of chan buddhism] (https://zbohy.zatma.org/common/downloads/SeventhWorldOfChanBuddhism.pdf)

Also, if you're interested in buddhism, visiting a temple if there is one near you and learning there provided you find it worthwhile is another way to learn and practice buddhism.

• Focused and Fearless. A Meditator's Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity by Shaila Catherine. Beginning to Intermediate.
  
• Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond. A Meditator's Handbook. by Ajahn Brahm. All Levels.
  
• The Attention Revolution. Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind by B. Alan Wallace. All Levels.
  
• The Open-Focus Brain. Harnessing the Power of Attention to Heal Mind and Body. by Les Fehmi. Beginner.
  
• Emptiness Dancing. by Adyashanti. Intermediate.
  
• The End of Your World: Uncensored Straight Talk on the Nature of Enlightenment by Adyashanti. Intermediate/Advanced.

There is not really such a thing as 'ego death', just the quieting of the egoic mind.

Most people have no conception of who they really are, so they assume that they are the egoic mind that just keeps chattering away at them like a neurotic roommate, essentially driving them crazy with all it's fears and worries and thoughts and desires.

When that mind is calmed down and quiet, for however long, then that egoic mind has been transcended until you return to the noisy world of thoughts and ideas.

The ego cannot 'die' because otherwise there would be no way for 'you' to interact with the everyday world anymore -- any time you have a sense of 'self' that relates to others or other things, you are referring to your ego.

It is the stresses of the egoic mind that hides your essential nature of bliss and love from yourself, the way the clouds hide the sun.

So when a person's level of perception rises above the egoic mind, then they can perceive their own essential inner 'sun' of peace and joy and love while still using their egoic mind as a vehicle to interact with the world.

However when you go beyond the egoic mind in meditation and are freed of all it's stresses and worries and thoughts and desires, it's quite a blissful place to be.

If you wish to learn more about the ego, the book The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer is an excellent place to start.

Edit: Here is a video of Oprah interviewing Michael Singer about the ego.

I read a book called The Mindful Path Through Shyness and it helped me a lot with these issues. It goes into mindfulness meditation, which helped me to see thoughts as just thoughts, not to take them too seriously, and not to fight them. It also talks about compassion/loving kindness. Turns out cultivating compassion for others, and especially for yourself, is really helpful for social anxiety and low self esteem and happiness in general.

Meditation won't cure you in a few days or even weeks, so be patient. Meditation alone isn't enough either. You need be responsible for your improvement and take courageous action. Improving yourself will be challenging - but the more you meditate, the easier it will be.

> Is there anything that helped you lot in particular - a book, guide, app etc? If so I'd like to know and hopefully I can utilise it too :)

Being a part of 2 different zen buddhist communities was something that helped me, because there they corrected my posture while I meditated.

Of all the books I've read that deal with meditation, the ones that helped me the most were these 4, I meditate following a combination of the instructions found in them:

zen training: https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Training-Philosophy-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590302834/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=zen+training&qid=1556206830&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Nothing special: https://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Special-Charlotte-J-Beck/dp/0062511173/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=living+zen&qid=1556206859&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Everyday zen: https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Zen-Love-Work-Plus/dp/0061285897/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1556206915&refinements=p_27%3ACharlotte+J.+Beck&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Charlotte+J.+Beck

The path to bodhidharma: https://www.amazon.com/Path-Bodhidharma-Teachings-Library-Enlightenment/dp/0804832161/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=GOWQXHET1KHO&keywords=the+path+to+bodhidharma&qid=1556207019&s=books&sprefix=the+path+to+bodhi%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C224&sr=1-1-fkmrnull

If you want free resources, this page has a lot of instructions on how to meditate:http://antaiji.org/en/%E6%96%B0%E6%B8%A9%E6%B3%89%E7%94%BA%E7%A7%BB%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%9A%E4%BD%8F%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%83%A2%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3-l-a-zenmonki-2/

And I created this playlist with some videos on how to meditate that I found interesting: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD8J_naDRjDPiHDCVaGiEiDs3diVfqmW_

I use The Five Minute Journal. In the morning I find that it's useful to start with gratitude and filling out out for a few minutes helps to energize me before my morning mediations

http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic-ebook/dp/B005NJ2T1G

This book may help you train in different kinds of meditation, and the training is long enough to make a difference.

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Classic-Meditations/dp/B0000544SQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395625955&sr=1-6&keywords=shinzen+young

A great little audiobook by the excellent Shinzen Young.

http://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Dummies-Stephan-Bodian-ebook/dp/B008S2N1K8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395626040&sr=1-1&keywords=meditation+for+dummies

Actually a decent book, with the credentials of the Buddhist Stephan Bodian

I have all three and listed in my order of preference.

There are specific meditation techniques that aid in Vipassana. (Note, technically Vipassana is "insight" and it not actually a technique. However, in the West it's used as a general terms for Insight Meditation as opposed to Jhanic/samatha practice.)

Two of the most well known schools/methods are:

Mahasi style noting

U Ba Khin body scanning. (Also known as the Goenka method as Goenka was a student of U Ba Khin.)

Sathipatthana is the term for the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. (Contemplation of the body, sensation, thoughts, dhammas.)

Insight practice differs from concentration practice in that we are directing the mind to observe the 3 Marks of Existence (anicca - impermanence, dukkha - unsatisfactoriness, anatta - non-self) in all phenomena as they arise.

As the process deepens, these marks reveal themselves in everything that arises and passes away. As we understand the marks deeper and deeper, insights arise along the path leading to liberating insight.

This was just an overview of some specific terms that should help you in your investigations. Let me know if you have any questions.

Joseph Goldstein's book is a great primer and practical guide to doing Sathipattana practice. I recommend you read it while you look for a qualified teacher : )

someone else in this post linked to this book that i bought right away http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Bliss-Beyond-Meditators-Handbook/dp/0861712757

i think it's a buddhist book, but it speaks of attaining bliss through deep meditation too. is this the same thing as what yoga is trying to accomplish?

also it's kind of odd that you'd mention Christ. Does believing in jesus really lead to bliss? or is this just because you're a christian?

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World

I'm only partway through it but good so far. I checked it out because it came highly recommended from another thread like this one. Very practical and hands-on, written for Westerners. It's big on the callouts with lots of different meditations.

I highly recommend a book called "Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World." It was a great starting place for me if you're considering taking the plunge (and I think you should!)

https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic/dp/1609618955/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540520886&sr=1-4&keywords=mindfulness

Mindfulnss, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditatior's Handbook by Ajahn Brahm, great for beginners and seasoned practitioners.

https://smile.amazon.de/Mindfulness-Practical-Awakening-Joseph-Goldstein/dp/1622036050/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=goldstein&qid=1566730845&s=gateway&sr=8-2 is an amazing resource. You can start with the free sample.

Maybe read the sidebar of this subreddit, e. g. https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/wiki/faq#wiki_how_do_i_begin.3F

• Getting Right with TAO presented the Tao te Ching in a way that resonated strongly.
  
• Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace) introduced me to mindfulness as a daily practice—as opposed to just something I'd go to when all else failed.
  
• The Third Age of the World: Magic and Science in the 21st Century gives a good origin story for the confusion and apparent brokenness that appears to dominate human civilization right now, as well as a lens through which all religions and mystical traditions can be seen to be talking about essentially the same thing. It goes even further and proposes testable, falsifiable hypotheses for the model it puts forth.

From way down deep in the article:

> ... practical training in mindfulness [that] teaches the basics of meditation.

And you can buy the book:

Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace).

This is his most popular book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583677&sr=8-1&keywords=Power+of+now

One of his most popular videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KopmSpe33Eg

Somewhat. Less about "not thinking" and more about experiencing what is happening in the moment, which may or may not include thoughts in words. I like practicing mindfulness in the shower, personally, as there's plenty of sensations to be with as I complete the task at hand.

Find yourself a book on meditation that appeals to your sensibilities and dive in. I started four years ago with Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.

Have a look at this book, aimed (mainly) at corporate employees. Am half way through it and it's pretty good IMHO

http://www.amazon.com/Search-Inside-Yourself-Unexpected-Achieving/dp/0062116924/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395671253&sr=1-1&keywords=search+inside+yourself

Simple: Read below book, Meditate on it twice a day for atleast 10 mins, ReRead as needed, truly study and take it as homework or your medicine to live. :D GL :D

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427321406&sr=8-1&keywords=power+of+now

> I also think that most beginners need guidance

I don't disagree with the guidance part at all...but, I don't think it needs to come in the form of "guided meditation."

I think people should be taught the proper technique, using the breath or a mantra as a point of focus. Further, I think they should develop an understanding of the mind, and the problems it creates. Some good resources to accomplish this are: Tolle, The Power of Now; Mindfulness in Plain English; and meditationSHIFT (free guide here).

It's written by a layperson. He's trying his best to explain the concept, but you should read some books on the subject.

I recommend The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer.

I use the normal cushion (zafu) to meditate. You can also put 1 or 2 folded blankets on the floor and the zafu on top of the blankets so that your buttocks will be on the zafu and your knees will be on the folded blankets, because they're softer to put your knees on than a hard floor.

Also, you have to make sure the zafu is not too high, and not too low. So if it's too low, you might use a belt around the zafu to make it higher, or use 2 zafus one on top of the other, or even use some large book or books under the zafu to make it high enough.

Also this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Training-Philosophy-Shambhala-Classics/dp/1590302834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517481083&sr=8-1&keywords=zen+training gives detailed instructions on how should be the posture of the body when you meditate, so it might help you too.

the best book on the research on meditation is Altered Traits.

https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation/dp/0399184384

Please do link it, I read some interesting stuff about gamma waves and their relation to meditation, especially long term meditation in this book https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation/dp/0399184384#reader_0399184384

Basically they found that long term mediators experience gamma waves on the regular compared to non-meditators

Hi, I'm one of the newest! So I've been into lucid dreaming for over a decade. Another r/LucidDreaming member commented on one of my posts there talking about his jhana experiences. I've listened to several talks by Ajahn Brahm since then and ordered this book. I log into reddit tonight and y'all are trending.

I would say the timing couldn't have been better. I'm very excited to join in and get started.

Yoga, Thai Chi and Qigong are all different forms of meditation. These are different forms than Vipassana, Shamatha, or Metta. There are a lot of forms of meditation. I would recommend you get out and get instruction. Find a local temple, yoga studio, thai chi/qigong instructors and TRY THEM ALL. Having new experiences (aka living) is never a waste of time.

If you want to read science around meditation read Altered Traits, https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation/dp/0399184384

The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy

Autobiography of a Yogi

The Field,
The Intention Experiment, The Bond

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

A good book by Goldman/Donaldsson: Altered Traits. Also talks about effects on really experienced meditators:
https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation/dp/0399184384

The author of the article, Chade-Meng Tan, who works for Google, also has a book out. I've read it and liked it a lot. I passed it on to my boss after I read it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062116924?pc_redir=1395259554&robot_redir=1

Check out The Power of Now, it's wildly popular and exactly along the lines of what you're describing.

I would highly recommend the book "The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer. Talks about almost the exact same concepts in the video and goes into a lot more depth. Really mind-blowing read

I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1609618955/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450641587&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=mindfulness&dpPl=1&dpID=41V9Ds-LbpL&ref=plSrch

I suffer from anxiety and depression and it's helped me so much. I recommend listening to the audiobook - which can be done in a day - and starting the program the next day. All of the guided meditations are included and are great. The book and meditation are narrated by the author, who's an expert in the field and professor at Oxford. No BS, it's awesome.

> When I think to myself that "I am not my mind", this is the voice that says it. But is this not also thought? Should I not be watching these thoughts as well? I think about this concept frequently when this voice arises, and it usually triggers a loop of frustration where I tell myself to watch my thoughts and then realize that that in itself is a thought that should be watched.

I recently finished a book that helped me deal with that kind of loop. (I'm not exactly a "pro" so I hope none of the veterans cringe at my word use)

Try not to "tell yourself" to watch your thoughts. Just watch them.

When you're concentrating on your breathing, you may at first think "Breathe in... breathe out. Breathe in... breathe out." But you're not breathing because of the thought; your mind breathes fine without telling yourself to. You can be aware of your breath without having the thought of "I am breathing in now".

Also, when you see a person you recognize, you don't have to actively tell yourself, "This is Bob". Your awareness already knows it's Bob; there's no need to think it.

Likewise, you don't need to tell yourself to watch your thoughts in order to watch them. This is how "you aren't your thoughts" finally clicked for me and I realized I could separate myself. Just relax in silence and watch.

search inside yourself

http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0062116924

The scientists are Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson, they have a book, Altered Traits

I think it's about finding a balance. I just read Zen Training by Katsuki Sekida, and he spends an extraordinary amount of time speaking of proper posture and breathing in meditation.

But as the story goes, when asked about meditation, the Buddha said that your mind should be neither too focused, nor too slack.

I'm currently reading The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle, and I'm finding it useful so I thought I'd share with you some of what's helped me. Note, I'm not promoting him or the book, I just personally think his advice has application.

>I would really "work" during meditation, and successfully clear my mind . . . but it was exhausting and stressful

No need to work. Don't evaluate or analyze the thoughts that crop. Just observing the thoughts, without evaluating them, is already being present.

"Don't judge or analyze what you observe. Watch the thought, feel the emotion, observe the reaction." (p. 55)

>I haven't noticed any difference. I don't feel like I'm more centered

Practice with a Karma Yoga mentality. Practice, practice, practice without focusing on "getting there." Like a wave which is part of the ocean, every one of us already is part of Being, so really it's about realizing you're already there.

"Do not be concerned with the fruit of your action - just give attention to the action itself . . . [this] is called Karma Yoga." (p. 68)

>I will think about something for several minutes before remembering to go back to my breath

"To be identified with your mind is to be trapped in time: the compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation . . . acknowledge the present moment and allow it to be." (p. 48)

>I have a lot of trouble experiencing sadness, and thought that was perhaps part of the problem . . . I've tried some "brooding" as an alternative

I wouldn't suggest focusing on brooding because this can lead to focusing on the past and conjuring negative emotions that are out of your present control. However, if a thought crops that tries evoking a certain reaction, feel it and watch yourself feeling it. Don't analyze the feeling, but allow yourself to experience it.

"Allow the emotion to be there without being controlled by it. You no longer are the emotion; you are the watcher, the observing presence." (p. 26)

Finally, don't be hard on yourself about your progress. Self-compassion, not self-beration, is the way to success. When you feel you're not doing it right, just keep at it without being hard on yourself. You are your biggest cheerleader.