Posts by poppers

57

Mouthy needs a hug

by carla in

jw
friends

hi grace,.

i'm sorry about your family not being around (seeloubelles christmas plann thread) so i thought we could give you hugs here!

not the same but..... a merry christmas to you!

Westboro Baptists to Picket Sandy Hook - This is why I hate religion

by cantleave in

jw
friends

http://www.examiner.com/article/westboro-church-plans-to-picket-at-sandy-hook-elementary-school-praising-god.

Well said, Low-Key. However, I do think they believe what they are saying. They have taken their fundamentalist beliefs and their knowledge of how to exploit the law to make money. They are not stupid.

61

Westboro Baptists to Picket Sandy Hook - This is why I hate religion

by cantleave in

jw
friends

http://www.examiner.com/article/westboro-church-plans-to-picket-at-sandy-hook-elementary-school-praising-god.

poppers

I might get some flack saying this, but if someone were to gun down Fred Phelps and his flock at this event, I wouldnt lose any sleep over it. Planet would be better off without him and his.

I don't think any rational person would mourn their demise. They have a strategy of seeking confrontation in order to provoke responses that will result in lawsuits. That's how they earn their money. It's a family of lawyers, and they use every legal angle to their advantage.

19

Meditation, your thoughts?

by besunny in

jw
friends

hi everyone,the last couple of weeks i have been reading about meditation and have tried several times.one of the times i did a native american guided meditation and actually had a unusual experience, seeing a wolf and a man dressed in victorian clothing,of course i had my eyes closed but this was different then a dream,it wasn't scary or anything,i hope nobody thinks i'm nuts,,i was just wondering if anyone else has experience with this,,being a witness most of my life i have been checking out other forms of spirituality,and meditation has been around for thousands of years and seems beneficial to those that do it....thank you for your thoughts.

poppers

And do NOT get discouraged. I thought that I couldn't meditate, and I had tried several times over the course of several years... when I finally got excellent (and simple!) instructions and saw just how easy it really is for anyone to do. It seems that everyone just starting thinks, "I can't do this! I can't stop thinking!" but when you allow the thoughts to pass through with no recognition and return to the breath... you are doing it right.

Good follow up comment, BabaYaga. I'll also add this: don't expect any particular experience to happen, and don't resist whatever happens. Each meditation session is perfect in whatever way it transpires.

19

Meditation, your thoughts?

by besunny in

jw
friends

hi everyone,the last couple of weeks i have been reading about meditation and have tried several times.one of the times i did a native american guided meditation and actually had a unusual experience, seeing a wolf and a man dressed in victorian clothing,of course i had my eyes closed but this was different then a dream,it wasn't scary or anything,i hope nobody thinks i'm nuts,,i was just wondering if anyone else has experience with this,,being a witness most of my life i have been checking out other forms of spirituality,and meditation has been around for thousands of years and seems beneficial to those that do it....thank you for your thoughts.

poppers

One of the biggest challenges is not to get discouraged when thoughts come. Having thoughts is perfectly normal during meditation, so don't try to get rid of them. Trying to get rid of thoughts is a recipe for frustration and failure. Instead, simply let them come and go without putting any importance on them. Your focus during meditation is simply being aware of the breath - feel it come in and go out again without trying to manipulate it in any way, and just pay gentle attention to its length, and then resting whenever there is a pause in the breath. Return again and again to breath awareness whenever you realize you've become lost in thoughts again. The same goes for being distracted by physical sensations and emotions; when you notice that has happened return attention to the breath.

19

Meditation, your thoughts?

by besunny in

jw
friends

hi everyone,the last couple of weeks i have been reading about meditation and have tried several times.one of the times i did a native american guided meditation and actually had a unusual experience, seeing a wolf and a man dressed in victorian clothing,of course i had my eyes closed but this was different then a dream,it wasn't scary or anything,i hope nobody thinks i'm nuts,,i was just wondering if anyone else has experience with this,,being a witness most of my life i have been checking out other forms of spirituality,and meditation has been around for thousands of years and seems beneficial to those that do it....thank you for your thoughts.

poppers

I've been meditating for nearly 40 years. There are many many kinds of meditation, but in my opinion the simpler the techniqe the better. Here's what I wrote recently on another board:

"The less complicated your technique is the better. Sit comfortably with eyes closed and put attention on your breath. Just notice the inhale and exhale without trying to manipulate it in any way. Pay close attention to the changes in the flow of the breath without trying to manipulate it in any way. Since your meditation focus is the breath dismiss as unimportant any thoughts that come.

"You may notice breath getting very very subtle and even to seemingly stop. Before that happens you may notice a short pause at the end of the inhale or the exhale - these pauses may get longer and longer over time, and then you may notice thought stream stops completely - just rest within this silence when that happens. When you find yourself caught up in thought stream simply return attention to the breath again. Never judge yourself during your meditation - just take it as it comes. Start with maybe 10 or 15 minutes at a time and then increase your time when you get accustomed to sitting still."

37