The dangers of meditation
mood: 
relaxed
relaxed[20:12] Adelene Dawner: depends on the definition of 'unstable' but that's a conversation that *requires* more depth and specific examples.
[20:13] Threedee Shepherd: unstable: uncertain of the LoR boundaries of Reality, and even if there are any
[20:14] Adelene Dawner: *snerk* fits me, then. ^.^
[20:15] Threedee Shepherd: No, as autie I suggest you *see* and experience them differently.
[20:15] Adelene Dawner: My method relies on the fact that I can see that other people are considering certain things to be categories and boundaries, not that I necessarily see those things myself.
[20:16] Threedee Shepherd: IThey might be part of your *patterns* and what makes the patterns *visible*
[20:17] Threedee Shepherd: by visible I mean signal above the noise
[20:19] Adelene Dawner: I read 'uncertain of' as 'not seeing them as *real*', which is accurate of me. I see that you-all see them as real, and react to *that*. But that may well fit your intended definition.
[20:20] Threedee Shepherd: Well whatever other words I would use to *describe* you, unstable is NOT on the list, sorry ^.^
[20:20] Adelene Dawner: ^^
[20:21] Adelene Dawner: Didn't say I was, *did* say we need a functional definition.
[20:22] Threedee Shepherd: ok, I need a better word.
--
[20:29] Adelene Dawner: as to 'unstable' - there is a functional definition of that that works, but it doesn't more than coincidentally overlap with 'mental illness'
[20:29] Threedee Shepherd: more please...
[20:29] Adelene Dawner: finding words
[20:30] Adelene Dawner: it has to do with the ego... which also needs to be defined, probably... and whether the person creates a functional balance between themselves and others. Kinda.
[20:31] Adelene Dawner: (I see the patterns, but I don't have the right kind of language to put them into words.)
[20:32] Threedee Shepherd: k
[20:33] Adelene Dawner: it also depends on your definition of 'dangerous', which in a functional sense is more about *reaction* to things than it is about what things one experiences.
[20:33] Adelene Dawner: Like today, even...
[20:34] Adelene Dawner: It was not too wise of a thing to be poking at those sounds today, honestly. Auditory processing is one of the things that this wet blanket is getting in the way of. But I wanted to, so I did... and wound up getting backlogged to the point where I was hearing things. :P
[20:34] Adelene Dawner: (just like tones and stuff... phantom zen music)
[20:35] Threedee Shepherd: OK, useful perspective
[20:36] Adelene Dawner: So yeah, I was probably technically halucinating. But it's not *dangerous* because I didn't do anything dangerous in response... just went 'ok, weird...' and went about my business.
[20:37] Adelene Dawner: That's me, though. I'm very used to 'weird' and I just don't panic, at all. Most people aren't, and would panic and try to *explain* it.
[20:38] Adelene Dawner: (I do explain it, kind of... that's what 'backlogged' is, an explanation... but it's a handy placeholder. I'm not sure if my idea of how the system works is accurate, and it doesn't *matter*)
[20:39] Adelene Dawner: It's when those explanations get out of hand that it's a problem, which depends on things like ego and ethics and stuff.
[20:39] Threedee Shepherd: "I just don't panic, at all. Most people aren't, and would panic" exactly !
[20:40] Adelene Dawner: mmhmm ^.^
[20:40] Adelene Dawner: So if someone goes "oh crap, I'm hearing things, I must be going nuts" and gets into a worry loop, the worry loop can break them, all by itself.
[20:40] Adelene Dawner: Among other potential problem reactions.
[20:41] Threedee Shepherd: others take the messaages seriously :)
[20:44] Adelene Dawner: This is also, by the way, part of why the common perceptions of 'crazy people' are a problem. People stereotype themselves, yanno... if someone hears an unreal sound, and thinks "I must be going crazy", and identifies with that idea of "I'm going crazy", they'll head in that direction all by themselves, following the stereotype.
[20:44] Threedee Shepherd: Oh dear, you are too clear about all this :)
[20:44] Adelene Dawner: ^.^
[20:48] Adelene Dawner: And I'm honestly not sure what if anything would be useful to stop someone from panicing like that in the first place... though us talking about our experiences was probably helpful, actually. But as to third-person-perspective warnings? It seems to me like that'd *encourage* the crazy, because it's so very hard to write those warnings without triggering one or another kind of mythology. (And that's what mythology is - explanations.)
[20:49] Threedee Shepherd: mmhmm
[20:50] Adelene Dawner: The thing is, most people need at least some kind of explanation, in order to be able to talk about it if nothing else.
[20:51] Adelene Dawner: Even Pema's 'Being' is that.
[20:51] Adelene Dawner: and my 'patterns'
[20:52] Threedee Shepherd: Also, an unintended result of conscious is the need for a feeling of control, which is what explanation help with
[20:52] Adelene Dawner: yes
Comments