Do You Improve As A Meditator ?

[rush]

Hey all,

Given the variety of experiences that people give of their meditation results, why is it some seem to gain more benefits from this habbit than others ? How would you know if your actually progressing, as no one can really tell you if your on the right track ?

 

[Arman]

9 hours ago, rush said:

why is it some seem to gain more benefits from this habbit than others ?

Depends on a variety of variables from physiology, psychological make-up, emotions and energies suspended within the body, dedication, having a lifestyle that facilitates growth, etc. Some may also say it is because of karmic propensities or energetic predisposition. Just think of physical exercise - consider the reasons why two people doing the same practice might achieve different or similar results. Could be because of big weight differences, hormones, even attitude can effect gains despite doing the same amount of time and exertion.

9 hours ago, rush said:

How would you know if your actually progressing, as no one can really tell you if your on the right track ?

Sometimes we can change a tremendous amount but not realize it because we are still focused on what we don't want as opposed to what we have gained, or shed. 

It may be useful to decide ahead of time why it is that you want to meditate, and what gains you hope to achieve. Then you can look at those aspects of your life and be honest about it. Journaling and writing can help. Then over time, you simply start to be aware and note shifts. It is important to occasionally take time to sit with yourself and not necessarily meditate, but reflect and once more look into yourself with honesty. Some shifts will be obvious and undeniable, and others will be subtle. It is easier to notice that you are getting less angry vs being closer to achieving spiritual goals you may have. 

Don't worry about improving as a mediator. A good mediator takes the time to sit. The rest takes care of itself. 

Edited January 13, 2017 by Arman

[Dodo]

18 minutes ago, Arman said:

Depends on a variety of variables from physiology, psychological make-up, emotions and energies suspended within the body, dedication, having a lifestyle that facilitates growth, etc. Some may also say it is because of karmic propensities or energetic predisposition. Just think of physical exercise - consider the reasons why two people doing the same practice might achieve different or similar results. Could be because of big weight differences, hormones, even attitude can effect gains despite doing the same amount of time and exertion.

Sometimes we can change a tremendous amount but not realize it because we are still focused on what we don't want as opposed to what we have gained, or shed. 

It may be useful to decide ahead of time why it is that you want to meditate, and what gains you hope to achieve. Then you can look at those aspects of your life and be honest about it. Journaling and writing can help. Then over time, you simply start to be aware and note shifts. It is important to occasionally take time to sit with yourself and not necessarily meditate, but reflect and once more look into yourself with honesty. Some shifts will be obvious and undeniable, and others will be subtle. It is easier to notice that you are getting less angry vs being closer to achieving spiritual goals you may have. 

Don't worry about improving as a mediator. A good mediator takes the time to sit. The rest takes care of itself. 

Isnt the goal of a meditator always to achieve continuous peace of mind in all experience?

Edited January 13, 2017 by Dodoster

[Arman]

18 minutes ago, Dodoster said:

Isnt the goal if a meditator always to achieve continuous peace of mind in all experience?

No, people may meditate for different reasons. Some meditate for improved energy and vitality, some meditate for health concerns, others want to gain leverage on bad habits. Some meditate because they want to experience out of body experiences, etc. Some are not necessarily seeking peace, but rather insight into the nature of reality and who they are. What you described is a common ideal but it's not a prerequisite nor is it shared by everybody. 

Personally I don't concern myself with achieving continuous peace in all experience. I'm not even convinced I want continuous peace (or maybe I'm I just tell myself that) - but right now I do know that I enjoy its various benefits and that it helps me be more effective and happy in general. 

I think the goal of 'continous peace of mind', as you put it, is an admirable endeavor for some and that it that could keep them motivated. For others, it can be a point of confusion and frustration, especially without proper context because they may practice for years and despite tremendous gains, may be disheartened and feeling like they have hardly put a dent in their pursuit. Sometimes the important of why you choose to meditate is only relevant to the point that it gets you to sit down and do it, because I suspect that regardless of what you specifically aim to achieve, in time the benefits accrue towards all endeavors/goals. 

Edited January 13, 2017 by Arman

[Dodo]

13 minutes ago, Arman said:

No, people may meditate for different reasons. Some meditate for improved energy and vitality, some meditate for health concerns, others want to gain leverage on bad habits. Some meditate because they want to experience out of body experiences, etc. Some are not necessarily seeking peace, but rather insight into the nature of reality and who they are. What you described is a common ideal but it's not a prerequisite nor is it shared by everybody. 

Personally I don't concern myself with achieving continuous peace in all experience. I'm not even convinced I want continuous peace (or maybe I'm I just tell myself that) - but right now I do know that I enjoy its various benefits and that it helps me be more effective and happy in general. 

I think the goal of 'continous peace of mind', as you put it, is an admirable endeavor for some and that it that could keep them motivated. For others, it can be a point of confusion and frustration, especially without proper context because they may practice for years and despite tremendous gains, may be disheartened and feeling like they have hardly put a dent in their pursuit. Sometimes the important of why you choose to meditate is only relevant to the point that it gets you to sit down and do it, because I suspect that regardless of what you specifically aim to achieve, in time the benefits accrue towards all endeavors/goals. 

But the true self is nothing but peace...

[Bob84]

@rush If you meditate to calm the mind the results are quite easy to see. As in calmer mind = result.

[rush]

@Arman The risk with just sitting, is what if you are simply daydreaming away, without actually meditating ?

[Arman]

1 minute ago, rush said:

@Arman The risk with just sitting, is what if you are simply daydreaming away, without actually meditating ?

You could apply the same argument to meditation itself, or any activity. There are risks inherent in anything we do. Exercise willpower. Try, fall, try again. 

[ajasatya]

@rush improving and getting results are ego driven motivations. you get nothing from meditation. it's not for you. do you still want to do it?

don't expect benefits from meditation so you can learn how to live without expectations.

[Martin123]

@rush It depends on what you expect from meditation. 
I focus on therapeutic effects of meditation, and that is what I get from it. I got a few slight tastes of nonduality and acceptance but I see that only as icing on the cake.
Through meditation you pump up your mindfulness skills, you become more present. If there is anything to track progress by, this would be it.
Look for them outside of meditation though, not during sessions.

[Tancrede Pouyat]

I've never - EVER - seen any kind of improvement in meditation skills. There really are no skills to develop. Mystical experiences are NOT the result of meditation. Some people got enlightened having never had any kind of enlightenment experience.

Just because you don't get fancy experiences doesn't mean you're not getting better. If you want mystical experiences, try psychedelics, it's much easier to do so.

The skill ladder more important to climb would be Existential Contemplation (I prefer this name to "Self-Inquiry"), where you actually sit down not to just be there and do nothing, but to actually examine your direct experience (which is, in fact, doing something).

[Aware]

On 13 januari 2017 at 0:58 AM, rush said:

How would you know if your actually progressing

 

Just by how much you made peace with not knowing, not progressing, you've progressed and know it to be so.

[pluto]

For me personally, the more i meditate the less others and everything around me effects me. I can glide through life smoothly uplifting others instead of absorbing their energy when i don't meditate that often. You almost feel like your existing in another place, your at peace, you are more thoughtless yet more mindful before you speak or think and your awareness is in a flow-state. One with the universe.

Meditation for me is simply conscious breathing, the deeper you go the more at peace you feel. It seems.

Edited January 16, 2017 by pluto

[Leo Gura]

If you meditate every day, you should experience a 10x exponential gain every year.

Year 1: 1

Year 2: 10

Year 3: 100

Year 4: 1,000

Year 5: 10,000

Etc.

[Joel3102]

26 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

If you meditate every day, you should experience a 10x exponential gain every year.

Year 1: 1

Year 2: 10

Year 3: 100

Year 4: 1,000

Year 5: 10,000

Etc.

I've been meditating 1-2 hours a day and seeing some results, but I'm still nowhere near where I'd like to be. If I go on a retreat or two, do you breakthrough permanently and maintain your new baseline with like an hour a day?

[Leo Gura]

@Joel3102 Progress is always rocky. Up and down. Expect ego blacklashes after retreats or huge gains in consciousness.

This is a mastery path, so it will look like any other mastery path.

[ansimuz]

I've been meditating for over a year now and I've seen a lot of progress. Anxiety due to my work. Now it has dissapeared completely. Meditation really improves over time.

I started meditation when I found the "Headspace app", then I found by "accident" Leo channel, and watched 2 of his videos each day, they helped me a lot. Then when I watched his videos about enlightment they made click on my mind, I always had a agnostic approach to God and now my life changed. I even took 5-meo-dmt  to see by myself and my meditation boosted like for 100x I could get completely relaxed in 10 seconds when meditating,  unfortunately this boost has been fading.

However I now that I'm in the right track. I stopped wasting my time playing video games and watching entertaining you tube videos and started to do self-inquiry and meditation everyday, its super interesting, peaceful, joyful and rewarding. Everyone should follow this life style.

Thanks Leo for sharing all your knowledge and putting accessible to everyone. 

Edited January 24, 2017 by ansimuz

[RossE]

@Leo Gura Have you experienced this Leo?