Comments for Things I Wish I'd Known Earlier http://www.gpdawson.com/blog A quest for pure reason Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:05:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on Vipassana Meditation Test Drive – The Results by Graham http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/15/vipassana-meditation-test-drive-the-results/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Graham Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:05:14 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=119#comment-43 If you are earnest in what you seek, it will surely come to you. :-) If you are earnest in what you seek, it will surely come to you. :-)

]]> Comment on Vipassana Meditation Test Drive – The Results by Janet http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/15/vipassana-meditation-test-drive-the-results/comment-page-1/#comment-42 Janet Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:03:03 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=119#comment-42 Dear Graham, Thank you for taking your time and writing this. I am going to Vipassana in 5 days, am drawn to it, and still a teeny uncertain as to the outcome. Your experience backs up what I have seen in another who went - and she is still as unperturbed, centered and powerful as you state you are. In fact, she always radiates. Dear Graham,
Thank you for taking your time and writing this.
I am going to Vipassana in 5 days, am drawn to it, and still a teeny uncertain as to the outcome.
Your experience backs up what I have seen in another who went – and she is still as unperturbed, centered and powerful as you state you are. In fact, she always radiates.

]]> Comment on Do We Really Think? by Graham http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/05/15/do-we-really-think/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Graham Thu, 27 May 2010 23:13:02 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=163#comment-28 Hi Matt. Thanks for sharing your further thoughts on this. :-) One thing I am sure about is that the traditional view of a series of continuously moving cog wheels inside your brain as a pictorial representation of "thinking" is well off the mark. A quantum representation would seem much more appropriate to me, ie. jumping instantaneously from one thought/state to the next. Its now more than 100 years since quantum theory revolutionised our ideas about the physical world. Perhaps it is time we updated our ideas about thinking along the same lines?! Hi Matt. Thanks for sharing your further thoughts on this. :-)
One thing I am sure about is that the traditional view of a series of continuously moving cog wheels inside your brain as a pictorial representation of “thinking” is well off the mark. A quantum representation would seem much more appropriate to me, ie. jumping instantaneously from one thought/state to the next. Its now more than 100 years since quantum theory revolutionised our ideas about the physical world. Perhaps it is time we updated our ideas about thinking along the same lines?!

]]> Comment on Do We Really Think? by Meditation Diary | Happiness - Creativity - Spirituality http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/05/15/do-we-really-think/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Meditation Diary | Happiness - Creativity - Spirituality Thu, 27 May 2010 22:50:08 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=163#comment-27 [...] blog, ‘Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier’, by Graham Dawson, on this theme, called ‘Do We Really Think?’ Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d1131').each( function(e) { [...] [...] blog, ‘Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier’, by Graham Dawson, on this theme, called ‘Do We Really Think?’ Bookmark It Hide Sites $$('div.d1131').each( function(e) { [...]

]]> Comment on Do We Really Think? by Matt Andrews http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/05/15/do-we-really-think/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Matt Andrews Thu, 27 May 2010 02:39:28 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=163#comment-26 Fascinating post. To me it really turns on the word "think". The word has strong implications of a kind of completely conscious, completely rational, step-by-step calculation, where "thinking" consists of moving from one small conclusion to the next to the next - something like a mathematical proof/analysis.  In reality, as you so lucidly portray, most thought is nothing like that.  Is it that a large but entirely subconscious process of considering a huge range of options takes place before delivering the finished product to the conscious mind? Or that the process is, perhaps, within the scope of the conscious mind but simply so astonishingly fast that we perceive it to be instantaneous? Or is there some means whereby the mind draws on an "external" resource for inspiration, in sense of the Jungian collective unconscious and parallel ideas in other traditions? Fascinating stuff! Fascinating post. To me it really turns on the word “think”. The word has strong implications of a kind of completely conscious, completely rational, step-by-step calculation, where “thinking” consists of moving from one small conclusion to the next to the next – something like a mathematical proof/analysis.  In reality, as you so lucidly portray, most thought is nothing like that.  Is it that a large but entirely subconscious process of considering a huge range of options takes place before delivering the finished product to the conscious mind? Or that the process is, perhaps, within the scope of the conscious mind but simply so astonishingly fast that we perceive it to be instantaneous? Or is there some means whereby the mind draws on an “external” resource for inspiration, in sense of the Jungian collective unconscious and parallel ideas in other traditions? Fascinating stuff!

]]> Comment on Vipassana Meditation Test Drive – The Results by Graham http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/15/vipassana-meditation-test-drive-the-results/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Graham Mon, 24 May 2010 22:34:30 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=119#comment-25 My recommendation is simply to go with an open mind, and a determination to see it through, whatever your personal challenges may be. If you are not already a regular meditator, it might also be worth trying some sittings, up to an hour long or so, just to get your body a little used to being still. Your enthusiasm guarantees that you will find it rewarding! :-) My recommendation is simply to go with an open mind, and a determination to see it through, whatever your personal challenges may be. If you are not already a regular meditator, it might also be worth trying some sittings, up to an hour long or so, just to get your body a little used to being still. Your enthusiasm guarantees that you will find it rewarding! :-)

]]> Comment on Vipassana Meditation Test Drive – The Results by Nader Husseini http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/15/vipassana-meditation-test-drive-the-results/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Nader Husseini Mon, 24 May 2010 17:09:05 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=119#comment-24 I am going next month to my first 10 day Vipassana retreat. I can't wait! Any advice or insight before I go? Thanks, Nader I am going next month to my first 10 day Vipassana retreat.
I can’t wait!

Any advice or insight before I go?
Thanks,
Nader

]]> Comment on Meditation and Tiredness by Graham http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/11/meditation-and-tiredness/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Graham Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:32:46 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=113#comment-22 Hi - in my case my lost voice was definitely due to illness - laryngitis perhaps - but a funny coincidence of timing. But if you find that your voice returns after you meditate, perhaps your loss of voice is due to accumulating stress in the throat, which mediating frees up again. I do find that my voice becomes strained when I am stressed, so perhaps we have that in common. Hi – in my case my lost voice was definitely due to illness – laryngitis perhaps – but a funny coincidence of timing. But if you find that your voice returns after you meditate, perhaps your loss of voice is due to accumulating stress in the throat, which mediating frees up again. I do find that my voice becomes strained when I am stressed, so perhaps we have that in common.

]]> Comment on Meditation and Tiredness by nooor http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/11/meditation-and-tiredness/comment-page-1/#comment-21 nooor Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:59:46 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=113#comment-21 Hi, I have this week lost my voice as I have been meditating now for 6 years. I feel that my system is changing and since my job requires some talking I noticed that the more I talked to more my voice got lost and when I meditate my voice comes back very normal. It is as if the energy get wasted when I talk and something happens and as if there is no energy to make me talk. I don't know what is it exactly? did you have an explanation of the loss of voice? and how can I avoid it? I have a job and I need to speak but sometimes I am surprised by this lose of voice? noooor Hi, I have this week lost my voice as I have been meditating now for 6 years. I feel that my system is changing and since my job requires some talking I noticed that the more I talked to more my voice got lost and when I meditate my voice comes back very normal. It is as if the energy get wasted when I talk and something happens and as if there is no energy to make me talk. I don’t know what is it exactly? did you have an explanation of the loss of voice? and how can I avoid it? I have a job and I need to speak but sometimes I am surprised by this lose of voice?

noooor

]]> Comment on Ephemerality by Alyssa http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/2010/02/20/ephemerality/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Alyssa Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:33:01 +0000 http://www.gpdawson.com/blog/?p=127#comment-15 thanks so much for your post - you have given me something to ponder, and of course a beautiful picture to look at! thanks so much for your post – you have given me something to ponder, and of course a beautiful picture to look at!

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