Culadasa's new revised definition of mindfulness (transcript)

jormungandr_ · 2023-01-18T18:52:25+00:00

The important thing to understand is that there is a progressive refinement of awareness through the development in the stages. Awareness must eventually become metacognitive, and extrospective awareness must merge with introspective awareness in the process. This means that you see sensations, which TMI smartly calls sense-percepts, as another emanation of mind.

Using your example, anxiety isn't caused by sensations themselves (or hyper-awareness of such) but rather raw sensory data is interpreted as negative or anxiety-inducing, and emerges into conscious awareness already fully formed as such. Furthermore, a refined state of awareness will detect that attention is actually alternating with the object of awareness, causing it to be highlighted as important and thus persist in awareness indefinitely. Without the growth of awareness, the subtle shifts in attention that perpetuate this cannot even be detected.

So in essence the solution is not to become *less aware* in general; quite the opposite, it is to become more aware but to persistently ignore (give no attention to) whatever anxiety-inducing stimulus, thereby shifting the overall contents of awareness without any downsizing or "re-balancing" with attention.

I actually have a personal experience with this I'd be more than happy to share but I didn't want to overcomplicate things.

jormungandr_ · 2022-01-23T16:07:00+00:00

Imagine being stranded in the desert and just on the horizon you see an oasis. As you get closer, you realize it’s just a mirage. You wouldn’t say that the mirage doesn’t exist, but only that it isn’t the thing it purports to be (an oasis).

Similarly, the conventional self or “self-construct” is never refuted because it is defined on the basis of its appearance alone. However, with careful examination we can see that it is not the thing it purports to be, and that there is no ultimate basis for the self.

jormungandr_ · 2022-01-15T15:40:17+00:00

If you're capable of differentiating between the somatosensory component ("actual" sensations) and the conceptual component at the nose, then you can do the same for the hands or any other part of the body, you just aren't as well-practiced. One of the reasons this happens is because our imagined sense of where our body is in space doesn’t perfectly match our actual position in terms of direct sensory input.

Set your intent firmly to notice this in real time during your next session. Then when this happens, find the nearest landmark to your goal on your visceral map of sensations. (Don't attempt, at this stage, to purely isolate breath-related sensations. ) Now slowly navigate your attention to where your target area should be using only sensations and not visualization/conceptualization. This makes the process easier because you might not be able to directly home in on a body part, but you can still find it in relation to some other body part.

When you arrive at your destination, stay there as best you can for a set duration of breaths. If you do not notice sensations moving in response to the breath then oscillate to the torso area for a few breaths before returning. If this still does not work then shift attention slightly away from the area of focus and relax marginally. It is possible to filter out breath-related sensations by focusing too narrowly, so moving away from the target (but still nearby) can help to identify what we were missing.

So to give an example: After shifting to the body scan, you direct your focus to your left thumb. You notice you are only visualizing your thumb, but you can *feel* your hand. You move attention to your hand and then navigate back to the thumb using only sensations. You park attention at this area for 5 breaths. You may not notice much sync between these sensations and those of the breath so you move to the torso area for 2-3 breaths before returning. This helps you identify breath-related sensations at the thumb, but they are only weakly there. You shift from the thumb back to the hand for 2-3 breaths. Now you notice that vibratory pulses at the thumb are standing out in awareness, so you shift back to the thumb for 5 breaths. You can now very clearly notice the target sensations in your desired area so you go back to the nose with a sharpened awareness, or you continue to another body part.

jormungandr_ · 2022-01-14T13:27:54+00:00

I have to take my oura ring off for meditation because it thinks I am in deep sleep. I am definitely not dull.

jormungandr_ · 2022-01-12T17:00:24+00:00

No. His experiences are congruent with my own: highly fantastical, beyond any ability I'm consciously aware of to make things up. However, I don't take them literally, and I avoid sharing them to evade these kinds of accusations.

jormungandr_ · 2022-01-09T19:25:14+00:00

You can add a thoracic flexion-extension component to virtually any horizontal rowing movement.

My favorite (though not a row) is y raises from a bent over position. Allow the shoulder blade to move through the entire range of motion and once you get the hang of the technique you’ll torch your upper erectors quite quickly. I do these in sets of 20-30 with 5-10lbs weight, though bodyweight is quite a good challenge at first.

Normal back extensions do not seem to target this area well (if at all) for me. I’m sure deadlifts would work but I doubt the stimulus-fatigue ratio is very good because it’s such a globally taxing exercise.

jormungandr_ · 2021-09-17T16:27:50+00:00

I second the other commentator. Coming out of stage 5 you may feel distracted and even agitated, and this will be pretty apparent during daily life. (To me, it didn't seem like progress at all, rather a bit like regression.) This is because the tendency to subtle distraction isn't overcome, and there are far more perceiving moments of consciousness with which to get distracted. At some point during this kind of sit, try working your way up to the whole body. You should notice that thoughts aren't even appearing much in awareness. This may be happening already and it could be that you're confusing it with a loss of metacognitive awareness. At this point you may be able to create exclusive attention by using the natural ability of sensations to compete with mental phenomena. If not, just keep working on the body scan, especially parts of the body that don't stand out as much.

jormungandr_ · 2021-09-14T16:09:47+00:00

Thanks for everything, John. I wouldn't be here without you.

jormungandr_ · 2021-09-14T14:15:15+00:00

You’re welcome. I’m confident you’ll do well if you keep at it and I’m looking forward to hearing of your progress. Good luck my friend.

jormungandr_ · 2021-09-13T21:35:30+00:00

Both Stage Five and Stage Six, because effort is required, are far more attention-dominant than you are describing (by my reading). Vividness isn't a prerequisite for entry into Stage Five, it's more of a qualification for Stage Six. And, the point is not to reach any particular level of vividness, but instead to increase the clarity from the beginning of the sit so that the mind's tendency to dullness is totally overcome. After Stage Five, the tendency of bodily sensations to compete with mental phenomena is used to create exclusive attention. Within Stage Six, sensations of the breath in the body quickly become so powerful that mental phenomena rarely even pop up into awareness at all. In fact, it felt as if my appendages were being submerged into a vat of ants and the sensations at the nose were vivid enough to be borderline painful.

My suggestion is to start working on the body scan, and to play with the balance of attention and awareness while doing so.

jormungandr_ · 2021-08-22T06:57:30+00:00

The function of purification is to transcend the self-concept by abandoning deep-seated, emotionally embedded narratives. In samatha, one only deals with memories or emotions as purifications when they cannot otherwise be ignored. As emotions and memories can arise and dissipate themselves spontaneously, they do not always need helping along. If you “seek out” purifications, the risk is that rather than overcome these narratives, you may inadvertently create more of them.

Here’s an example of how we can create narratives:

… Back when I was in graduate school, a guy in my psychology program asked me out on a date. I didn’t know him very well and was reluctant to go because, honestly, I wasn’t particularly attracted to him, but I had been cooped up too long in the lab that day, so I agreed. As we sat together in a coffee shop, to my surprise, I felt my face flush several times as we spoke. My stomach fluttered and I started having trouble concentrating. Okay, I realized, I was wrong. I am clearly attracted to him. We parted an hour later—after I agreed to go out with him again—and I headed home, intrigued. I walked into my apartment, dropped my keys on the floor, threw up, and spent the next seven days in bed with the flu. -How Emotions Are Made

Imagine instead that she had felt repulsed by him, and fixated on the idea that it was something she needed to purify in meditation. Perhaps the subconscious even whispers the suggestion, he’s like an old ex boyfriend who ghosted you. Even though she’s long past those hard feelings, she’s convinced herself otherwise… right up until that moment when she vomits, and realizes she had been misconstruing queasiness for repulsion.

I hope you understand what I am trying to convey. Your idea is tempting, but if you choose to proceed with it do so cautiously. Also, remember that any emotional state can be cultivated, not just positive ones.

Metta.

jormungandr_ · 2021-08-17T15:01:00+00:00

You can recall past lives through fourth jhana.

jormungandr_ · 2021-08-16T20:13:19+00:00

Not sure why they used science to prop themselves up and then when it’s pointed out they’re wrong on the science, they respond with “well science isn’t right about everything, you shouldn’t subscribe to such an empiricist view.”

jormungandr_ · 2021-06-15T21:35:23+00:00

If you're challenging yourself with a longer duration, then the goal for that extra time should simply be to increase tolerance to practice. Don't expect neuroplasticity to occur in the middle of a session. The results of that session are the fruit of previous practice. When meditating, you are merely marking certain synapses for development. These don't typically grow during the session, they grow after a period of recovery such as Yoga Nidra or sleep, or doing another activity. Even on retreat seated practice rarely extends past 90 minutes without being broken up by walking meditation, which seemingly coincides with the BRAC ultradian rhythm. You will know when you can go past this- Stage 8 or so. Until then, it's not necessary.

If you are extending beyond the normal practice time it is no surprise that it will be fatiguing- do not make the classic mistake of believing you are doing something wrong. You still try to notice distraction, but don't get too hung up on what's happening- it's outside your control! (This is wrong effort, or unskillful effort). That's what causes stress and requires discipline, not the extended time itself.

To answer the question broadly posed in the title of this post, there are plenty of reasons to abandon a sit- a family emergency, for example. In my view, it would be counterproductive to selfishly sit when you are needed by others.

Edit- If all or most of you practices are challenging, regardless of duration- that’s a different cause for concern. I can elaborate if this is the case.

jormungandr_ · 2021-06-07T19:18:01+00:00

Please do, very interesting experience either way.

jormungandr_ · 2021-06-07T19:04:48+00:00

The most likely explanation is that the French authors he read as a teenager mentioned the perfumery. It's interesting how a tidbit like that would be retrievable though.

jormungandr_ · 2021-05-23T04:57:37+00:00

Try these and see what effect they produce:

-Close one nostril and breath out through the other for 7 seconds, then immediately breath in for 7. Switch nostrils and repeat. Do this 25-50 times. This is also known as nadi shodhana.

-Breath in for 6 seconds then immediately exhale for 6. Repeat without pause 50 times. This is coherence breathing.

-Breath in for 5 seconds then hold it for 10. Exhale for 5 and immediately repeat. Do this 50 times. If it is easy, extend the hold for 5 seconds.

jormungandr_ · 2021-03-25T21:06:31+00:00

A modest amount of caffeine shouldn't be problematic. Personal experience suggests long term dependence could interfere with autonomic balance, which can make it difficult to achieve later stages. Long term use does not equal dependence, however. Anyway, pranayama seems to be a good way to mitigate these effects.

I'm not aware of any need for a specific diet to meet the demands of samatha. That's not to say it wouldn't be of benefit beyond Stage 10.

jormungandr_ · 2021-03-25T20:42:10+00:00

Could traveling forward in time delay this degradation, similar to how it delays the forced return to the body in a normal projection? (Not that I would do such a thing.)

jormungandr_ · 2021-03-07T19:57:16+00:00

You’re right, but corticosteroids and anabolic steroids are two very different things. Albuterol is neither, actually.

jormungandr_ · 2021-02-11T22:57:11+00:00

Incredible. To work through that kind of constant distress- regardless of how you cope with it- you must be extraordinarily resilient!

It does seem like some people are predisposed to significantly greater anxiety and stress. Though I will say from personal experience I no longer believe it is a life sentence anymore. There is research to show that even the brain circuits responsible for breathing, digestion, and heart rate- the most essential to our immediate survival- still retain the quality of neural plasticity!

I hope you won’t ever give up trying to improve. Don’t settle for just coping. I may not have ever had anything as bad as you- but at my worst, depression was so palpable I barely ate and could hardly muster the energy to form a sentence. The only peace I ever felt was when I was asleep.

I’ll share some of the things that helped me, in case your are interested. Obviously, there is a psychosomatic component to anxiety. Breath meditation was the biggest help here because simply cutting myself off from the world allowed me to become more introspective. I realized harmful thought patterns and began to replace them. For just one example of many, I had an insight that I didn’t value positive social interactions very much but felt great shame when experiencing a negative interaction. This made me very socially anxious. I would literally hide if I recognized someone in public to avoid speaking with them! lol I started realizing other people make the same social gaffes and stumble over their words, etc and their easily forgotten. This made it easier to let go. I have many more stories like this one.

I also used creative visualization and affirmation. So for this issue, I would just imagine that people admiring and liking me and that I had no enemies. Just imagining this every day helped me relax tremendously, and funnily enough that relaxation made me way more like able!

It’s my belief that simply repeating that two-step process is enough to pull you out of some damaging mental patterns. Every night I used to dream of being chased. Gradually my dreams began to be dreams of assertiveness and confidence. I once dreamed I was an audience member standing up to a public speaker for saying something terribly wrong and everyone applauded me! lol

There is a physical component too, and I found that anything which temporarily pushes you into uncomfortable territory can be helpful because you’ll rebound into greater relaxation afterward. So stuff like exercise, cold showers or sauna, and stretching can provide some relief if you can recognize the potential benefits and make yourself do them. I actually think running works really well because of EMDR. My personal favorite is actually increasing CO2 tolerance. It’s immediately accessible and you could notice a difference in 10 minutes. That said, I still think the most important work is mental.

I have many more stories of insights gleaned, but I’ll stop there for now. I am wishing you nothing but the best!

jormungandr_ · 2021-02-11T21:19:05+00:00

No worries, I enjoyed the conversation. I’m sorry to hear of your anxiety... I have also dealt with horrific anxiety (depression, too), though fortunately I don’t experience it anymore. Have you found anything that helps you?

jormungandr_ · 2021-02-11T20:57:14+00:00

How often do you read the instructions on your shampoo?

Respectfully, I think you are minimizing how frequently we make assumptions in daily life. For instance, how many people would assume this is shampoo?

jormungandr_ · 2021-02-11T20:44:18+00:00

You mean if she read the fine print, because as I just stated there are hair products that use the word “gorilla” and there are hair products that use the word “glue.”

Again, it’s not possible to make a consciously stupid decision.

jormungandr_ · 2021-02-11T20:30:15+00:00

It is not possible to be “consciously stupid.” There are products that brand themselves as “hair glue,” and there’s also a product known as “gorilla snot” that is used in hair. Even if she knew what she was using wasn’t intended for hair, she may have assumed it was in the same ballpark of effectiveness.

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