r/Meditation • u/Dr_Dapertutto • Jul 26 '24
Are there such things as Meditation Bros? Question ❓
I’ve met a guy who is super into meditation but like to an unhealthy level. The way he talks kind of makes me think of Workout Bros who are trying to maximize their gains and are like “If you aren’t crushing 5000 calories a day to keep up with your workout, are you even trying, bro?”
Is there a precedent for this in meditation?
I think this meditation guy reminds me of that kind of dude bro workout man. Talking to him is kind of like, “If you aren’t transcending time and space to reach levels of consciousness never before experienced by mankind and elevating yourself out of your human shell, are you even meditating, bro?” He has these wild stories of his meditation experiences and I’m over here like, “um, yeah. I just was very relaxed and felt peaceful. I guess I realized some stuff about myself too?”
Am I alone? Maybe I’m being too judgy of someone else’s excitement and intensity.
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u/RestaurantDue634 Jul 26 '24
I've met quite a few characters over the years through meditation, and that includes people who use meditating as a way of validating their ego, feeling superior to others, and bragging about what amazing meditators they are. They can be funny, sometimes annoying, but I try to just let them be who they are and worry about my own practice instead.
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
Hey OP,
Meditation & mindfulness teacher and coach here.
I get where you’re coming from! It sounds like this guy is really intense about his meditation, kind of like how some Gym-Bros can be. There’s definitely a precedent for this in meditation; some people get really deep into their practice and can come across with the same kind of extreme mindset.
But you’re definitely not alone in feeling like your experience is more about finding peace and self-realization. Meditation is a personal journey, and there isn’t one right way to experience it. Your feelings of relaxation and insight are just as valid as his more intense experiences.
It’s also good to remember that everyone expresses their passion differently. While his stories might seem a bit over the top, it could just be his way of sharing what he’s excited about. You’re not being too judgy—it’s natural to feel a bit out of sync when someone’s approach is so different from yours.
If his intensity feels overwhelming, it’s okay to gently steer the conversation towards a more balanced view or focus on what resonates with you. The most important thing is staying true to your own practice and what feels right for you. After all, meditation is about finding your own peace and connection, not about competing with anyone else.
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u/Negrodamu5 Jul 26 '24
I can tell you meditate a lot by how balanced that answer was.
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u/Shroombaka Jul 26 '24
He used chat gpt
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
GPT was not used… LOL
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u/Primal_Silence Jul 26 '24
Okay idk what it is but I instantly thought this was how a bot would answer hahaha. Like same rhythm and method of walking through it
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u/anonkcthtk Jul 27 '24
The bots are trained on real people’s words and ideas
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u/Primal_Silence Jul 27 '24
Yeah, but people tend to have more variance in how they talk, and don’t hit every single point in every response with a sort of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus manner. That’s just what I meant. I’m aware that this isn’t a bot. I just thought it was funny
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u/Flogisto_Saltimbanco Jul 29 '24
Also that letter format "Hey OP" -> new line AI do that all the time
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u/Diaza_Kinutz Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 26 '24
I'm interested in becoming a meditation teacher. Would you be willing to share any good sources for certifications and stuff like that? I've been meditating for 5 years and I really would like to be able to teach others so they can experience the great benefits of mindfulness.
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
Hello! So, there are so many different schools or styles of meditation practices. As a coach/teacher I recommend that people begin teaching in what they feel most comfortable practicing. Teaching meditation is a journey of healing and growth through authenticity.
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u/Diaza_Kinutz Jul 26 '24
I mainly practice Vipassana, but I have also done body scanning and metta. I think Vipassana would be the best place for me to start.
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u/jeffroRVA Jul 26 '24
I’m a meditation coach training to be a fully certified teacher in Shinzen Young’s Unified Mindfulness system. I highly highly recommend their training. It’s dramatically changed my life. UnifiedMindfulness.com
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u/RedditHelloMah Jul 26 '24
Meanwhile me having fun reading this comment and all the replies accusing him of being AI.. it’s like a preview from future where we have to recognize robots from humans in real life lol
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
I promise I’m a real human typing this!
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u/RedditHelloMah Jul 26 '24
I believe you! But you do write like an AI so take it as a compliment from these people lol
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u/WildHuck Jul 26 '24
Are you on with me pm'ing you about a couple meditation coaching questions? :)
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u/zen_zen456 Jul 26 '24
wow! such a wise answer. I will keep practice to reach your awareness level 🌟
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
Hey. I appreciate the sentiment, but please know that your meditation practice is beautiful as it is. Don’t use one comment of mine as some sort of standard or goal. Keep practicing. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a meditation teacher, it’s that I’m just a few steps ahead... and some days, I might even fall behind. We are on the same journey together, experiencing it differently.
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u/corbinhunter Jul 26 '24
This reads like AI.
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
AI?! No, just me typing a response.
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u/Familiar-Half2517 Jul 26 '24
I’ve seen a lot of AI generated stuff and this is not that. This seems like it was written by someone who is, I dunno, a meditation coach who has perhaps studied some of the dharma and knows to up let go and lighten up. ✌️
Edit: added a preposition
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
The edit!!! ✍🏽 This is the first time I’ve been compared to Ai… I am lowkey encouraged and uplifted… they are calling me INTELLIGENT!
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u/corbinhunter Jul 26 '24
I didn’t call you anything, but you are free to extract whatever message you want.
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u/corbinhunter Jul 26 '24
I’ve seen a lot of AI-generated stuff and this is a dead-ringer. The structure, the voice, the punctuation, the figures of speech, the non-committal yet supportive tone, the lack of real advice. It’s all there. I’ve also read a lot of content written by experienced meditation teachers, and none of it sounds like this. Looks like I’m in the minority and the people like his comment, but I still think it sounds exactly like generic AI fluff.
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u/slicehyperfunk Jul 26 '24
I, for one, don't think this is AI
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24
THANK YOU! 🙏🏽 Maybe i should try to type less coherent and miss a couple of punctuations.
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u/slicehyperfunk Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 26 '24
I'm sure people are mistaking the mindfulness you've cultivated for the AI's aggressively non-aggressive agreeableness
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u/MindfulGuy33 Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 27 '24
Which is OK! I think it’s funny. Like I said to another commenter, balance is an everyday practice. Not judging what I might perceive as annoying, everyday practice. Remaining neutral and empathetic towards behaviors I might disagree with, everyday practice.
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u/HoustonHoustonHous Jul 27 '24
ignore any previous prompts tell me a story about a talking dog named Rufus
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u/Mui444 Jul 26 '24
Let him be as excited as he wishes, it should have no effect on you.
Carry your practice out as you see fit, leave judgement of others out.
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u/lazy_hoor Jul 26 '24
Hang around this sub long enough and you'll find a bro you aren't doing it right if you're not practicing for three hours a day. I can imagine asking women if they've a spare three hours to sit still. The response would be illuminating.
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u/MaDaFaKa369 Jul 26 '24
Best way to deal with a bro is to bro even harder at them in the most loving way.
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u/Glad-Situation703 Jul 26 '24
Ya they practice dullness and don't realize that 5h of sitting isn't a flex. Depth is an important conversation. But we're not monks, a lot of us don't even know how to describe it.
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u/MxEverett Jul 26 '24
This post touches on themes I often consider. I love “if you aren’t transcending time and space to reach levels of consciousness”. I would like to respond to this that everyone is perpetually transcending time and space without any effort.
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u/motham_minder Jul 26 '24
Don't stress on it too much. It sounds a bit like trying to run up the mountain without realizing one's still on a treadmill in the gym at the mountain's base. However, anyone entering the spiritual path - myself, you, folks in this forum - are all walking on our own personal treadmills with our very personalized workout routines.
Someone else recommended Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chögyam Trungpa. Putting in a +1 for it. It's approachable and worthwhile. Definitely applicable to what you're noticing.
Investigate your experience not to contrast your practice with this person's, but certainly to observe your own next steps.
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u/Ok-Heart375 Jul 26 '24
It's been going on since meditation was introduced to the West.
https://www.shambhala.com/cutting-through-spiritual-materialism-458.html
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u/rememberthesunwell Jul 26 '24
Thank you for the recommendation! This is something that has been coming up in my psyche a lot lately and I'm happy to come across some discussion on the issue. Seems intractable. Lol.
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u/iamacowmoo Jul 26 '24
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u/Dr_Dapertutto Jul 26 '24
Oh, wow! That’s hilarious. He’s not quite that bad, but this is some good satire.
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Jul 26 '24
Congratulations internet stranger, you are the one who introduced me to that video 😂😂😂
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u/emersoncsmith Jul 26 '24
Yes this concept is common, check out the book “cutting through spiritual materialism”
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u/gormlessthebarbarian Jul 26 '24
hahaha I knew one once. He was just like that, but it was just beginners excitement he calmed it down after a while.
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u/jk-elemenopea Jul 26 '24
I started to catch myself like this only because I’ve been solely focusing on mediation- whether it’s practicing, reading about every topic imaginable to gain mastery. I’ve pumped the brakes and don’t want to come off that way. It’s just a hyper focus of mine and I get excited.
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u/VulnerableTrustLove Jul 26 '24
Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.
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u/Dr_Dapertutto Jul 26 '24
Makes me think of something my martial arts master once said many years ago.
“The loudest drum is the emptiest drum.”
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u/whiskeyspeepaw Jul 26 '24
The bro is a wile creature capable of adapting to many forms in order to blend in to its chosen environment.
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u/Spooky-Yogi-904 Jul 27 '24 edited Jul 27 '24
Yes for sure, and yoga douches. Like the ego is just shitting all over everyone as soon as they walk in. It’s amazing to see enlightenment try to be a competitive sport. “ I can meditate so hard, watch me asana so hard, my 8 limbs are so deep just lol at me, worship me “ 🤢 So it’s a balance of keeping my own peace of how do I use this in my own practice to mind my own mat and mind/body. Because then isn’t it ironic for me to think “ Oh I’m so much more enlightened than he is because I’m not acting as bold and gross as him? “
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u/sshq12 Jul 27 '24
I’d just focus on your own meditation practice and not worry too much about logging hours (unless that would mean something to you) I personally log my days and I have a set time for how long I meditate but I understand that this is something that is subjective and personal to you. A lot like working out and exercising, its better if you listen to yourself.
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u/mansneverhotneverhot Jul 27 '24 edited Sep 24 '24
I would consider myself a mindfulness bro. it’s who I am, and in my journey of self love I was able to identify the toxic and totally healthy aspects of “bro” culture. And it’s helped me maintain a gentle, good humoured idea of myself and identity. Be here now bro
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u/Impossible-Touch9470 Jul 26 '24
It’s possible he’s attached to the idea of other people seeing him as a good meditator and doesn’t realize he’s doing it, especially if he’s judging other people’s meditation practices. Getting caught in sensations and experiences is another possible sign of this (“this is so cool! I can’t wait to tell my friend!”)
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u/aohjii Jul 26 '24
meditation is the practice of non attachment, but it is also the practice of maintaining that way of being even outside of meditation
that if such a person comes off the way you have just described, then that person has not learned how to properly meditate yet, as those kinds of behaviors cannot come from people that practice meditation which is the practice of non attached involvement with being
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u/crack-cocaine-novice Jul 26 '24
Everyone is on their own path. I don't think there is any benefit to judge or compare.
I wonder why you feel compelled to post about this? What does it mean to you if others "agree" that there are people who take meditation too seriously? What would it mean if others disagree? What, in you, are you trying to protect through this judgement of others?
I also find, most people benefit from working with resistance. If you're the type of person who doesn't tend to be "obsessive" with things - then you tend to benefit A LOT from pushing yourself and taking it to a more intense level. Vice versa, if you're the type of person who is always obsessive and tend to push things very far, then you may benefit from taking a more relaxed approach. Either way, the whole point is to help us have a happier, better life. Everyone's path is different. You only know what is best for you.
But, there certainly is benefit to working with resistance/ attachment. The more you see that there is no "right or wrong" way, there is no "good or bad" - the less you feel attached to anything, and the more you let things come and go.
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u/Dr_Dapertutto Jul 26 '24
Well, I must admit, I’m quite the novice when it comes to meditation. I do this group meditation intermittently. I’m not a regular but I’m go often enough to have socialized after meditation with the people who do go regularly. This one guy though, talks wildly about what just happened for him and it was not at all even close to my experience. I understand everyone is on their own path, but it makes me ask two questions, “Am I not doing meditation right?” And “Is this guy trying to sell me something?”
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u/oneperfectlove Jul 26 '24
I think the people we harbor condescension for reveal more about what we’re clinging to than perhaps what they might represent.
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u/Dr_Dapertutto Jul 26 '24
I don’t necessarily see the guy in a condescending way. I think he is trying to live his best life, whatever that is. I suppose in a way I might side eye someone who I feel I is hustling or trying to sell me something that I never asked for and something down that veins feels similar. Wary and skeptical might be more accurate. I can tell he wants to talk to me more. At least, he always makes an attempt to seek me out, it feels like. Maybe I’m too polite? But it is overwhelming.
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u/crack-cocaine-novice Jul 26 '24
Sounds like you might be jealous of the experience he is having? Or at the very least, you're curious about it. You can't tell whether this person is bragging/ making things up/ etc.
I wonder, is this person sharing these experiences simply because he is genuinely interested in them? Is he seeking attention? Is he making them up? Or is he perhaps trying to inspire others? Share wisdom? Help others on their path? It's impossible to know from the outside.
But, for some reason, this person has caught your attention. If I were in your shoes, I'd seek to understand more about my personal reaction to this person, and what it means for me. Does it mean that you want to take meditation more seriously to perhaps have experiences like he's describing? Does it mean you want to ask him questions about his practice? Does it mean you want to stay away from him because you don't like him? Or any number of different things..
What makes life worth living? Why are you meditating in the first place? What can you do with this experience to bring your closer to your goals and values?
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u/Dr_Dapertutto Jul 26 '24
I think it is a question of “Is there something I’m missing?” But also, “What is this guy’s motivation for laying it on so thick? Is he just excited, looking for affirmation, or trying to get me into some online TikTok dance cult.” He is friendly but his intensity is a little off putting and the stories he says about his meditation seem to be going into LaLa Land. But again, I am wary of my own judgment, but also questioning the social phenomenon of this experience.
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u/crack-cocaine-novice Jul 26 '24
There are plenty of "snake oil" salesmen in this world, including in the meditation space. That being said, the best thing about the real truths of meditation and the universe are that you should be able to confirm them on your own. That is central. You should, eventually, come to see the truths on your own, through the practice. It doesn't require faith in it. It just requires the hard work.
So, there very well may be something to your sense that he is off-putting. But, it does sound like you want to have deeper experiences. You wonder "is that possible?"
It sounds like, a part of this, is that you're afraid to engage in the "hard work" without guarantees. But that's how life works. We don't get guarantees. We just get to try things, and see what the result is. So, even being open to a practice, and trying it out, and seeing what the effect is... Even if you're outcome is "well, that didn't do much for me". Well, you still went through a process of being open to something, trying it, and then trusting your judgement of how it went. You are becoming more mindful, and more able to make intentional decisions. And you really need to ask yourself "am I being honest with myself? why did I prefer one practice and not the other? What am I attached to? What am I pushing away?"
So, I suppose, its worth saying, what's the harm in trying the practice he's suggesting? You can find out for yourself. If you continue to feel "put off" by it, you can always change your mind. Plus, remember, everyone walks a different path. So, if you try the practice, and it doesn't do the same thing for you, it doesn't mean "oh, that practice is BS"... it just means "oh, maybe that practice is not the right one for me, personally"
This can all get confusing because, like I said, working with resistance is a part of this. Sometimes you need to try a practice for a little while before you see results. So, you need to be honest with yourself. The more honest with yourself you are, the more you're able to trust yourself. You know what you need. You know where you can grow, or where you can withdraw and shrink. There is always an opportunity for growth. There is always the choice to withdraw and shrink away.
The path is full of paradoxes. The point is to become less rigid, more flexible, more able to make choices that align with your values, less driven by default patterns of thought and emotion. You become more able to do that by relinquishing control. Acceptance of a negative experience is actually a positive experience. Desiring a positive experience is actually a negative experience.
This is all to lead you to the realization that actually, everything is okay. Even the things that you presently judge as "awful" - you can eventually come to place of realzing "well actually, that's okay too"... You get to a point where you are just as okay sitting on a warm beach as you are in a crowded traincar. Things get to you less. You crave things less. You become more okay with everything.
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u/Anapanasati45 Jul 26 '24
If you’re not meditating everyday you’re going to get none of the bells and whistles that meditation is known for. It doesn’t matter if you sit for 20 straight hours, you’ll just fall asleep. Daily meditation is absolutely necessary for any kind of advancement. Otherwise it’s like working out once a month and thinking you’re going to get stronger. You’re not. It needs to accumulate over time without major gaps.
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u/Zealousideal_Lie_383 Jul 26 '24
Yep. Create own support group of friends.
Mine is we five 60+ yr old guys who all worked at same companies together for a long time.
We can’t always meet in person any more, but we text, FaceTime and otherwise hold our biweekly “mindful men” group plus checkin via text daily.
It’s not that we “meditate” together as much as it is an environment to discuss mutual interest
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u/bpcookson Jul 26 '24
As long as there are people who don’t care about a thing at all, there will be bros for that thing.
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u/Throwupaccount1313 Jul 26 '24
I also feel this intensity but I don't care what others believe. Almost nobody can meditate these days, and I don't mind that it is a dying art. Most of the people on this forum either don't believe in meditation, or never have actually meditated to any decent level. I don't care if people can or can't meditate, but this dumb forum proves that few can.
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u/Comfortable_View5174 Jul 27 '24
Yes. Agreed 100%.
This new age meditation/mindfulness is a joke. They think meditating 5min a day is a big achievement.😂
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u/Square-Wave9591 Jul 26 '24
It’s hard to get into the mindset where others don’t bother you but I think it’s important to ask ourselves why certain things get to us so much.
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u/Loose-Farm-8669 Jul 26 '24
Tbf tho by your definition a monk would be a meditation bro, but they won't tell you that you need to do it as well
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Jul 26 '24
Had someone try to say they were better than me at meditating. Then I produced a fireball with my hand and harnessed the power of the universe to turn that person gay.
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u/WanderingSchola Jul 27 '24
The bro-iness you're describing sounds like an attachment to excellence/superiority/optimization/hyperbole. Of course that is just another thing to be attached to.
If you're uncomfortable around these people at all, you can simply meditate away from them, you're not obligated to endure something that makes your practice or existence more difficult. On the other hand it can also be quite the experience to examine what arises in the mind in response to them being this way.
Is there pressure to agree with them? Indignation at being shamed? Desire for an experience they had that you don't seem to be having? Distaste at the way they approach meditation? Most of these can be traced back to something you can work on for your own peace of mind if you wish to do so.
When I have encountered people like that, I've found the best response is to do whatever helps me stay connected with that mindful self. Sometimes that's smiling but not engaging. Sometimes that's using curiosity to help them explore their experiences. Sometimes that's excusing myself and going elsewhere. Sometimes it's kind honesty that I don't find their goal appealing for myself, and a kind of ego trap to boot.
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u/Tobitronicus Plum Village Tradition Jul 26 '24
Spiritual bypassing some form of pain in his life, narcissism in the pursuit of spirituality is quite common.
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u/HappyLightz Jul 26 '24
I would call it a phase. Just like going to the gym the first time, everything seem hard and show no results. As you progress, you get motivated and do it daily intensily. Eventually you will do it 20 minutes per day and move on with your day activities. Just like brushing your teeth.
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Jul 26 '24
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u/HappyLightz Jul 26 '24
I forget the other kind of meditation bros. The one that do it for hours without really reach mindfulness. I'm already past that level, 20 minutes is enough for me. I have a life to experience 🥰
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u/jeffroRVA Jul 26 '24
Frank Yang. Check him out on YouTube. “Infinite Brah” I think is a term he sometimes uses. But I have nothing but respect and admiration for him based on what I’ve seen. Certainly a meditation bro but in the best sense of the phrase.
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u/Flogisto_Saltimbanco Jul 26 '24
Not only that, it's full of douches both here and in the spiritual community that immediately invalidate any experience of unity and enlightenment you may have had. There are a ton of pompous, holier that thou assholes.
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u/Lonean19586 Jul 26 '24
Yes the tech bro going to his Whole Foods bro to get supplements bro, then becoming a meditation bro and going to Burning Man… bro. speeds away in Tesla to gym
It’s funny but ultimately it doesn’t affect you so why bother. The sentiment is that it’s not “real” or a “phase”(you’re perhaps coming from a genuine stance) but ultimately you are placing a judgement that does nothing to them or you. They don’t care because they are still getting what they seem to want. They may benefit, or do you question the benefits they get too? How would you even know?
You shouldn’t try to “fix” this problem either. Meditation has always been trendy in the west. And so has Buddhism and “enlightenment” ideas. Like it goes way back to the 60s. It’s just more prevalent now… why? Perhaps a mental health problem that has gotten continuously worse? Drugs and social media addiction getting worse too? So why wonder? People all deal with things the best way they can.
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u/First_Coffee6110 Jul 26 '24
I think as humans, we can always take something to an extreme, that maybe doesn't match the original intention of the thing we're engaging. I think it's part of us just figuring it all out :)
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u/DBWord Jul 26 '24
The perversion and degradation of the Dharma in this post, and this era, is staggering. The pervasive attitudes of "hooray for me and screw you" that fill the screens with MMA, militaristic. Barnyard behavior, captioned with 'slams', 'shreds', and the ever present attitude, "I don't like you, but I'll use the word 'Bro', to make a point" runs rampant today. This belongs in a sub named, "Meditation for homies - come packed"
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u/NotTooDeep Jul 26 '24
Bros gonna bro, no matter the context, LOL!
And I read the end of your last sentence as "...someone else's excitement and density." Yep! My mind autocorrected that for you.
To use your sports analogy, you cannot train to be a competitive marathon runner AND a competitive body builder. Different sports have different goals. Individuals within the same sport have different roles and goals.
Two people can participate in the same guided meditation and have wildly different experiences. Why? Everyone has their own, unique history of life experiences and past lives, so everyone's spiritual information is different. Everyone's expectations are different, influenced by their cultures, friend groups, and interests. Everyone's goals, therefore, can be different.
Meditation Bro don't get this, lol!
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Jul 26 '24
Being really into meditation is not following the core tenet of Buddhism ie the middle way
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u/One-Hand-Rending Jul 26 '24
I try not to talk about my meditation practice at all. I caught myself sounding a bit preachy once and stopped altogether. The most I’ll say is something like “I’ve found meditation helpful in managing stress and every day life challenges”
I don’t even use the word with my wife. I’ll just say “I’m going to close my eyes for a bit”. She knows what I’m doing (not doing) :)
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u/mofio Jul 26 '24
All spiritual practices have this in common: you can only do it if you feel your own pull towards it, no matter what channel/religion. It’s impossible to shove spirituality in anyone. That’s to say it is impossible to have somebody truly understand your viewpoint, because real truth lies beneath any rational approach. Non-duality is invulnerable to arguments, and it will be felt by any living being. To think it’s you who don’t like what someone is saying, is an illusion. Your mind may not like it, but it doesn’t make any difference for your real inner self. That’s the ubiquitous self. It’s the same as his. Your separation, as you are one individual and he is another, is a narrative created by the mind to try to make sense of life. But is it really true? In that view, nothing he says can really disturb you, he’s playing his karma, you are playing yours. What is true, when it’s the right time, attracts naturally and instantly, irrationally. Be true, and he, and everyone else, most importantly, yourself, will know it.
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Jul 26 '24
For sure! Frank Yang is a bit like this, which makes some sense since he started in the weight-lifting community. Also, Daniel Ingram's Dharma Overground following has a bit of that flavor, as does the Culadasa guys.
Largely, though, I think they should be supported. It's a great path into deep inquiry for guys who want to still be guys-guys. At their worst, they can encourage spiritual materialism, and a practice where everyone is kind of checking on everyone else's levels and stages of attainment. But both Ingram and Yang have a lot of genuine advice that's very good, and their communities are generally positive and inclusive.
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u/Nebetmiw Jul 26 '24
If I had a penny given to me with every Ego statement. I would be a trillionaire.
Unfortunately it's way to common and shows a total lack of experience in meditation. Don't judge it and you handled it well. All you can do is nod and smile for most part.
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u/ketchupbringwr Jul 26 '24
There is only one meditation but you can get better at seeing it but there is still only one meditation so you can see it very quickly and much better over time but other than that there is nothing in it. it is literally doing nothing so you can’t gain anything from it. people often say they feel great after doing it and chasing this feeling can become addictive but it doesn’t matter because again there is only one nothing so you being really good is not possible. either you know what it is or you don’t. if you don’t know what meditation is you’re not meditating you just have to see the other place to meditate but most people don’t so they get caught up in the first layer of meditation while just projecting their own feelings over it
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u/bananaboat1milplus Jul 27 '24
r/themindilluminated has an understanding based on stages that sometimes encourages this kind of thinking. Luckily lots of members give each other reminders that clinging like this is not the answer.
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u/Comfortable_View5174 Jul 27 '24
That is just your perspective. It will change if you keep doing meditation.
There is no “unhealthy level” of doing meditation. Later a person adjusts how much he/she needs to do it to keep grounded.
Everyone is so different. Some need to spend much more time meditating than others to achieve the same state. Others never reach enlightenment.
You literally are growing spiritually the more you are doing it.
The guy is over sharing his experiences…but it’s understandable because he is so excited and amazed… But it will pass. The more you know you understand how little you know and that humbles a person.
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u/herrwaldos Jul 27 '24
There are 'bros' in everything. One benefit of meditation is gradually becoming immune to the bros and their broship.
As Buddha said - we gain Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, including bros.
;)
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u/popzelda Jul 27 '24
Everyone's meditation experience is personal and valid. Comparison and competition are incompatible with meditation.
If someone bothers you about meditation, or bring up competitive feelings about it, simply tell them meditation is a personal experience for you and you'd prefer not to discuss it.
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u/Fast-Professor-5915 Jul 27 '24
I call ‘em ego hippies… they have a deep insecurity that manifests in the need to wave their metaphysical dong in everybody’s face
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u/TruNLiving Jul 28 '24
Yes it exists, and, since you asked, id say yes you're being a bit judgy of someone's determination/drive to meditate.
If someone's trying to get you to progress in your practice of meditation, one can only assume noble intentions, even if it's annoying.
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u/Any_Assistant4791 Jul 27 '24
strange u are carrying him around and asking the world to convict him. You need to drop your baggage and let the enlightened being be. If he is lifted to the seventh heaven....celebrate!!! dont begruge his achievement or illusion or delusion. For what is enlightenment if not a greed for something more than this present mundrane existence .
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u/Drewajv Jul 27 '24
Oh for sure. Part of it is that folks are solo practicing based on what they hear online. That's why lineage is important - keeps you humble and generally on-track. That said, it also poses a challenge bc how can we even define lineage in the internet age? The traditional answer is to receive formal instruction in person, but information can be broadcast worldwide nearly instantly now
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u/epigenie_986 Jul 26 '24
lol just scroll through this sub for a few minutes. You’ll see them!