Jed McKenna is wrong about meditation

[r0ckyreed]

I have read 3 of Jed Mckenna's books: Damnedest, Incorrect Enlightenment, and Theory of Everything.  The last book to read of his is Spiritual Warfare.  My impression of what I read from McKenna so far is that he misunderstands the importance of meditation.  

He gives an analogy or an example to highlight how mundane meditation is.  He says something along the lines of "each day you fail to arrive at the truth, you will cut off an ounce of your body.  If you take this exercise seriously, you would drop meditation."  Those aren't his exact words, but I think they capture his idea in that Spiritual Autolysis, taking the First Step, and finding out truth by negating all that is false is all that matters.

I, however, disagree.  In my experience, meditation has not revealed truth to me, but it has helped me gain more control over my mind and emotions.  In other words, meditation has allowed me to think more clearly and not be so sensitive and reactive to life.  Meditation is the ultimate tool for equanimity and being calm in the storm of adversity.  Spiritual Autolysis (SA) is basically contemplation with a journal.  But doing SA alone may get one to truth, but it won't necessarily liberate one from the forces of their mind.  Meditation is mental freedom to me.  When we can sit down and shut up and be with ourselves in stillness no matter what is going on, we have developed ourselves.  I guess Jed McKenna kind of contradicts himself.  He says that meditation is useless, but yet he tell Jolene at the end of Incorrect Enlightenment  for her to observe her feelings.  He says it is easy to observe ourselves when sky's are clear, but it is more difficult to observe our feelings when "clouds are black."  In addition, I interpreted Jed Mckenna's saying of "Sit down, shut up, and ask yourself what is true" as meditation.  In meditation, we sit down and shut up and then we inquire in our meditation after a period of stillness and then sit back into stillness for answers.  So I think Jed McKenna is advocating for meditation without even knowing it while also criticizing meditation.  I think he might just be criticizing meditative traditions and not the quality of mindfulness itself.  

Ultimately my main takeaways from Jed's work is to think for yourself, be your own teacher, learn from others' blunders, and that Enlightenment is not about peace or freedom, but it is about Truth by cutting through Maya's Bullshit Palace of Delusion.  Freedom and peace are not the goals of Enlightenment because Enlightenment is the death of ego, which is something that the ego does not want to do.  The process of SA or the process of waking up is a literal Hell for the ego based off of my understandings of the readings.  But it is important now for me to take action and do the work of meditation and SA.  Just reading book after book and not taking action is being asleep in the dreamstate.  

This is my analysis from what I read from Jed Mckenna's work.  I have not read Book 3: Warfare yet so my analysis is limited as always.

Please let me know your thoughts, especially if you read Jed's books.  

Edited April 19, 2021 by r0ckyreed

[Malekakisioannis]

@r0ckyreed what is pointed at by this "Jed" concept is far more extraordinary than being able to feel more clear minded or in control of your emotions. He is not saying that meditation is worthless in terms of being a happy or decent human being. He is conveying that is worthless in terms of being truth-reavealing.

[r0ckyreed]

1 hour ago, Malekakisioannis said:

@r0ckyreed what is pointed at by this "Jed" concept is far more extraordinary than being able to feel more clear minded or in control of your emotions. He is not saying that meditation is worthless in terms of being a happy or decent human being. He is conveying that is worthless in terms of being truth-reavealing.

Okay thank you! That’s kind of what I got from it. In my own experience, I have gained more insight through contemplation than through meditation. Thank you for clarification!

[SpiritualAwakening]

6 hours ago, r0ckyreed said:

I, however, disagree.  In my experience, meditation has not revealed truth to me, but it has helped me gain more control over my mind and emotions.

How does one expect becoming conscious of that which is time-less, space-less, that which is whole, which is complete, that which is infinite, when one is still struggling trying to understand this physical field and one's own emotions. That's the first step. The idea is not to control one's emotions but to observe them and become conscious of them and the cause so that the suffering attached to the emotion completely vanishes.

6 hours ago, r0ckyreed said:

Enlightenment is not about peace or freedom, but it is about Truth by cutting through Maya's Bullshit Palace of Delusion.  Freedom and peace are not the goals of Enlightenment because Enlightenment is the death of ego, which is something that the ego does not want to do.  The process of SA or the process of waking up is a literal Hell for the ego based off of my understandings of the readings.

One can read and accept all he wants but that will only lead to preconditioned and preconceived ideas, a motive, a concept of one's own conclusion. And that will only lead to prejudices, patterns, mechanisms set by one's own conclusion.

At the end of the day you must admit to yourself that you have absolutely no idea what this all is about and tell yourself that you might be wrong. We DO need to lose ourselves in that silence because that's the only way to completely die to all the preconceived conditioning we've carried throughout this journey since 'birth'. So for your own sake, let go. Just let go of it all. This doesn't mean we need to meditate everyday but we will need to drown in that silence observing whatever comes up to lose this idea of subject and object.

Keep contemplating, keep inquiring! Much love

Edited April 20, 2021 by SpiritualAwakening

[Heart of Space]

Jed McKenna's one claim to fame was being Terence's brother.  The guys thoughts on spirituality aren't very insightful in my humble opinion.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Heart of Space

[Eternity]

I believe there are a multitude of techniques and paths each unique for every person.  Some work better for analytical people and some work better for emotional people.  And then there are different cultures and family situations that are also an influence.  But I also believe what Christ said when he said you can only reach the kingdom of God through him.  He was not speaking about a physical body named Jesus, but the Christ mind which puts you in the same frame of mind as God, i.e. for all intents and purposes you are God once you have reached that level of spiritual development.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Eternity

[Heart of Space]

35 minutes ago, Eternity said:

I believe there are a multitude of techniques and paths each unique for every person.  Some work better for analytical people and some work better for emotional people.  And then there are different cultures and family situations that are also an influence.  But I also believe what Christ said when he said you can only reach the kingdom of God through him.  He was not speaking about a physical body named Jesus, but the Christ mind which puts you in the same frame of mind as God, i.e. for all intents and purposes you are God once you have reached that level of spiritual development.

I've been following a few of your posts and I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of your posts.  You obviously know what you're talking about.  You should definitely stick around a place like this needs great posters like yourself.  ?

[gettoefl]

there are only two possible states in life, meditation and mentation

and one question and one path

how do you move from the latter to the former

you won't do it forever rushing around like a headless chicken

[Nahm]

Meditation is best considered useless. If it’s thought to be of use, expectations are being placed on it, running the risk of the separate self ‘hijacking’ the ‘practice’ for gains, like feeling better, raising intelligence, consciousness, etc. 

[Breakingthewall]

Meditation is the void and in the void is the truth. mystical experiences, psychedelic realizations, etc., are useful to prepare the mind to accept the emptiness without holding hands, but living the emptiness every day, as much as possible, is the goal. is what we are, the rest is false

[r0ckyreed]

On 4/19/2021 at 9:14 PM, SpiritualAwakening said:

At the end of the day you must admit to yourself that you have absolutely no idea what this all is about and tell yourself that you might be wrong. We DO need to lose ourselves in that silence because that's the only way to completely die to all the preconceived conditioning we've carried throughout this journey since 'birth'. So for your own sake, let go. Just let go of it all. This doesn't mean we need to meditate everyday but we will need to drown in that silence observing whatever comes up to lose this idea of subject and object.

Keep contemplating, keep inquiring! Much love

Thank you! You just gave me more inspiration to do meditation! Thank you! Much love indeed!

 

On 4/19/2021 at 9:58 PM, Eternity said:

He was not speaking about a physical body named Jesus, but the Christ mind which puts you in the same frame of mind as God, i.e. for all intents and purposes you are God once you have reached that level of spiritual development.

 Thank you!

And thank you all for your responses! 

On 4/19/2021 at 9:39 PM, Heart of Space said:

Jed McKenna's one claim to fame was being Terence's brother. 

Lol! I thought he was related to Terence at first lol! I initially thought I was reading Terence’s books, but I realized it was Jed’s lol

[The0Self]

On 4/19/2021 at 7:45 PM, Kalo said:

Meditation is child's play. I have experienced shit bro. I've seen shit bro. I've entered stuff bro.

Even Yogis and Mystics and Gurus have to receive the help and grace of another Master to reach the heights of experience.

Meditation is mundane and too weak. 

Perhaps, but psychedelic without advanced meditation skill is child’s play compared to psychedelic with advanced meditation skill — especially self-inquiry/Witness.

And of course it’s even more child’s play without at least a fair amount of contemplation skill.