Bulletpoint Consciousness - An Introduction (ch26 to 27)

What is known about the effect of meditation and mindfulness? CH.26

    Meditation can be summarized as: (1) not thinking, but (2) having attention. Meditation often goes hand in hand with a special body posture. The goal is to make the body alert and relaxed. There are two methods for practicing meditation, namely (1) open methods and (2) concentration methods.

    Open meditation means that you are aware of everything that happens around you, but that you do not react to it. Mindfulness meditation is a form of open meditation that is derived from Buddhism and is defined as actively maximizing the breathing and clarity of consciousness 'or' giving attention in a certain way with the aim of living in the here and now without judgments'.

    Concentration mediation is about focusing attention on one thing without being distracted. Sometimes special techniques are used to adjust the speed of breathing or to exert influence on whether breathing is more out of the abdomen or more out of the chest.

   Transcendental meditation is seen as an effective method to relax and reduce stress. For this reason, meditation is sometimes prescribed by doctors to reduce high blood pressure.

What visions are there on 'awakening'? CH.27

    Buddha taught his followers that all things that exist are relative and dependent on each other and that these things arise from what came before these things. This vision can be seen as an early statement of the scientific principle of cause and effect. Buddha denied the possibility of being aware without involved perceptions, actions and sensations.

    In Buddhism, 'samsara' stands for a continuous circle of birth and death. This has to do with the origins of suffering.

    There are various similarities between Buddhism and psychotherapy. They both have the goal to transform the individual. However, the difference between the two lies in the fact that psychotherapy aims to create a coherent self, while Buddhism aims to transcend a sense of self.

    'Awakening' is described as the end point of a long spiritual journey. Buddhism states that our experiences are illusions. An illusion is not something that does not exist, but something that is something other than what it seems.

    Buddhism is based on 'annatta', which means 'no self'. This does not mean that the self does not exist, but that it is conditioned and temporary as everything else. In Buddhism, 'karma' is also an important concept. Buddha states that karma is about free will and voluntary actions.