Everyone keeps talking about meditation and I try to get into meditation like every year. I've read a couple of books. I have a pirated Headspace course on my phone but I don't really vibe with it, it bores me for some reason. I tried a trial of the Sam Harris meditation app that seemed pretty cool, more theoretical and technical, which appealed to my nerdy side, but the trial is only a week and I haven't figured a way to pirate it. Either way I always end of doing it consistently for a couple of weeks or so and fail to form a habit.
What am I doing wrong? What's a good book, program, guided thing or whatever that keeps you going and developing your meditation practice? Maybe the whole meditation thing is overhyped and I shouldn't even bother?
I tried a trial of the Sam Harris meditation app
He's a bigoted cryptofascist that's deep in bed with the ruling class and even his credentials are fabrications conjured up from his parents' money that bought him a foundation to assign himself a doctorate he doesn't actually practice and doesn't ever submit peer-reviewed papers for.
Go with someone, almost anyone else. Please.
As I've said, the trial period I had on his app is over and I haven't figured out how to pirate it, so I'm safe for now.
I never really got much out of guided meditation and it seems like a lot of people who want to teach meditation in the west are suffering from neoliberal brain rot and just want to make you more productive at work and bullshit like that.
If you're into the 'technical' side of things I would advise into looking at writings in the Zen Buddhist tradition, since imo they're one of the tradition that's most invested in meditation and the 'how-to' of it. Personally I've gotten a lot out of this style of meditation but your mileage may vary.
Here's a link I got from google that pretty much summarizes the important parts, but if you want to read something longer form I would recommend The Three Pillars of Zen which you can definitely find on libgen - https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/
You can pretty much ignore all the spiritual / woo-woo aspects of it if that makes you feel more comfortable, either way it's an experiential practice. Lots of Zen teachers will also tell you to throw this stuff out if it feels irrelevant to you, or you can just think of it as metaphors.
For me having a consistent meditation practice is an awesome way to round myself out day to day, and it's a good way to train your brain to get less caught up in the river of pointless thoughts
it bores me
that's kind of, but not, the point. Its like, learning to sit with yourself and centre yourself, and acknowledge and subsequently let go of (or allow the receding of) thoughts and feelings.
Also it's not necessarily for everyone and if you can't bring yourself to get into it (not financially but theoretically) that's fine but youre not likely to get much out of it. I dont do it regularly but I do feel better having done it when I do
Also isn't harris in with the 'intellectual dark web'/peterson crowd
Also isn’t harris in with the ‘intellectual dark web’/peterson crowd
The Harris character is piece of shit for sure, though it probably wouldn't stop him from being a good meditation teacher.
He’s a bigoted cryptofascist that’s deep in bed with the ruling class and even his credentials are fabrications conjured up from his parents’ money that bought him a foundation to assign himself a doctorate he doesn’t actually practice and doesn’t ever submit peer-reviewed papers for.
He probably isn't qualified for much but grift.
"The mind illuminated" (you can pirate it on libgen) might be good for you. It has different stages to work on, where the first is just getting a daily practice started. (the first half of the audibook is on youtube as well)
Try the Healthy Minds app, I found it's part educational/part guided meditations really useful.
