logoalt Hacker News

IncreasePostsyesterday at 6:02 PM5 repliesview on HN

What do meditation people do with their great powers of attention? Besides for naval gazing of course.


Replies

saulpwyesterday at 7:34 PM

Insight under concentration is a mechanism for durable neural rewiring.

Ever notice how some people don't get 'stuck' in their negative habits and brain loops? Like they can just let them go. If they get feedback from the world they can take it seriously and act on it, instead of digging in their heels and getting resentful. Being able to do this reliably and under stress in the wide variety of life circumstances, and getting closer and closer to doing it in real-time, is the goal.

nemo1618yesterday at 7:29 PM

Sufficiently-developed concentration gives you access to the jhanas, which are extremely blissful states of consciousness. Having reliable access to high valence reduces your need to seek pleasure in less wholesome things (drugs, food, twitter, etc.)

Sufficiently-developed attention gives you insight into how your brain is constructing what you perceive as reality, leading to a reduction in ego, permanent reduction in baseline suffering, and a pervading sense of unity with the rest of the universe.

asveikauyesterday at 6:16 PM

I think it can help you relax. A lot of meditation involves focus on breathing, can keep your heart rate down, etc., and I think that may be good for general health.

But I don't think it should be confounded with medical advice or treated as causal to neurodiversity or called mandatory. Probably why that person is getting downvoted.

DANmodeyesterday at 6:25 PM

What do all the jungle civilizations and any possible intelligent extraterrestrial life do?

Stay away from us to their own benefit, of course.

analog8374yesterday at 6:11 PM

They study it, thus gaining a better understanding of it.

They become more familiar with it, thus replacing habit with intelligence.

This leads to increased power and freedom, among other things.

show 1 reply