Anyone have any recommendations for those of us without attention spans?
I've always wanted to mediate, but after a few attempts, I have started to question if it's more possible for some to partake in than others.
I've always wanted to mediate, but after a few attempts, I have started to question if it's more possible for some to partake in than others.
"The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character and will." – William James
Based on my past experiences:
Every time I try, it's gone again so fast that that it's like an endless loop. And that's if I am conscious enough to catch it. Hell, my mind can wander for minutes at a time without me even realizing that I was supposed to be focusing on something else.
Not trying to argue against your recommendations, but I am really trying to dig deeper into the topic to figure out where the disconnect I am facing is.
One point of view is that once your mind no longer wanders, you no longer need concentration meditation. The whole purpose of the exercise is for you to learn to bring your mind back.
Don't worry about your mind wandering, it's normal. When you notice, bring it back. There is no disconnect, you're doing fine.
Only advice I have to you is:
1. Do no take meditation advice from the internet. Or try to battle with your difficulties endlessly alone, with books, or the internet. Internet is full of fools. Deeply into the mediation who just try to be helpful, but have no experience (even if they claims so).
2. Start training in a group where teacher has trained for decades and taught others for a very long time to give you instructions (Happens often in religious Buddhist setting, but if they know what they are doing it does not matter, mindfulness teachers for profit generally don't know shit, they just repeat what they learned in the course).
You could always go on a retreat — you'll have very limited options for distractions. It might sound like an extreme thing to do, and maybe it is, but I did it without much prior practice and got a lot out of it.
They would probably kick me out within 5 minutes of being there. That's what they used to do to me in classrooms when I was in my youth lol.
I'll be honest though, even if a retreat would work, that is honestly far more effort than I would be willing to spend for something that I have no idea if it's even worth the time, effort, and money.
I do appreciate the recommendation though, and since you went through the effort of replying to my request, I will at least look into as to not waste your time.
It's from one book about dzogchen. Rephrasing it: "- Do you practice balancing? - Why would I do that? - So you can stand upright. - Am I not standing upright?" (while the newbie is still crawling)
Is the point that the newbie does not understand what they are failing to achieve? Is the newbie just supposed to know it when they finally achieve whatever the goal is?
Speaking of, what even is the goal? I understand mediation has benefits, and people that can succeed at it are usually never shy to sing its praises. However, I still do not understand what benefits one actually gets from it.
If you want the honest truth, I have only wanted to mediate to fix various aliments in my life -- anxiety, stress, negative emotions, etc. in a healthy manner (assuming it even works for that).
Perhaps it's my impulsive tendencies coming to light again, but I do not actually care about mediation, spiritual journeys, enlightenment, etc.. I just want to find some god damn relief that isn't just another form of copium.
Once they are kept under control, meditation begins. The spiritual part is about the purpose of such interest in meditation.
I have always done this with things like reading, conversations, work, etc.. When distracted I have to refocus myself on whatever I was supposed to be focusing on. Is that some kind of quasi-mediation still or something else?
Same goes with brain, you can train your imagination, focus, mental resilience, happiness via consistent practice.