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Comment by h1karu | Hacker News Reader

Or you could teach your children something like Zen buddhism or Theravada vipassana meditation so they can learn to slowly and methodologically take their bubble apart and put it back together with each session of sitting practice. This way they don't get whacked over the head with it all at once and run screaming and crying to some form of fundamentalism, an extremist cult, or end up committed to some state institution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipassana

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Here is a observation I have and a question for the HN crowd:

Recently, I think I picked up a lot more articles in the tech circles, on reddit/HN/slashdot etc. that talk about the borders of mental illnesses, the question of the value of the humanities vs. STEM, Buddhism, the meaning of live, and more such fundamental/philosophical topics.

This is purely a gut feeling so far (I didn't do any math on frequencies of posts/submissions or similar), but:

Is this on the increase recently? I do feel some kind of phase transition the last couple of months. I actually posted that at a comment here on HN a while ago, back then I felt it was kind of like a 'collective identity crisis in the west'? Maybe I am just completely projecting my own inner soul searching to the outside world. But I do have the distinct impression that our society is at some kind of inflection point.

If I would try to boil it down to more 'everyday thoughts', I get somewhat of the impression that technology changed society so much that we all collectively begin to realize that we have as many new questions as we gained answers.

No one seems to know what will happen to our now quite-remote-from-the-people-governments, Bitcoin, surveillance, drones, etc.

And I have the impression even most of us are unable to see a clear picture for the future.

If I would look at history, I would expect some kind of mass movement(s?) to form soon.

Is anyone else having similar thoughts?

You're kinda all over the place with your question. I disagree with the idea that you can form any assumptions about what is happening broadly in the tech community based on frequency of certain types of posts appearing on HN, reddit, etc. After all there are many well funded organizations out there with their own agendas who post stuff regularly to try to influence certain demographics, and the tech sector is a particularly high value target I would imagine.

Yes, I know that I am all over the place :D That's why I said its mostly based on 'gut feeling'... I guess I am just trying to figure out what part of my world view is coming from myself and what from others.

What a pleasant coincidence, I have been planning on going to a Vipassana 10-day retreat later this month.

I also happen to have gone to Game Closure's Thursday night parties a few times. They are nice people.

I also am a fan of gwern. I also just started a Kickstarter (since I am homeless) for my game and website which are very closely related to this topic. What a nice group of coincidences. Personally I believe it is because we are all part of a hive, and that we are also in a divine simulation of sorts, but that is all besides the point. I'll plug my Kickstarter in a new topic later this week when I make a nicer video.

Anyway, I believe all religions are correct (including Scientology) and that they function as abstract subconscious metaphors. Is Buddhism not a religion?

I would argue that Zen buddhism is not a religion, and vipassana/samatha meditation practice isn't in any way religious, as in there's nothing you're being asked to believe outside of what you can absolutely confirm for yourself in your moment to moment experience.

My personal interpretation of religion fits that description for the most part, but I think that is different from most.

FWIW Vipassana is one of the best experiences I have had and I'd highly recommend it.

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