Recently just started using lesswrong to supplement meditative practice and I’m having some success with it.
Essentially I see my approach as having two major aspects—firstly meditative practice (zen style shikantaza) in order to increase focus / attention and become less reactionary to external / internal events. I’ve been meditating for approx 10 years, and more intensely in the previous 2 (1-2 hours a day during the week, 3+ hours on weekends). The meditation has reduced the effect of several of my own personality traits and habits.
Secondly study and practice in rationality is to refine / improve the remaining “dominant” thought processes, or provide better outcomes when I do need to think / verbalise through a situation.
Summary of goals is to i) have fewer automatic actions and responses to my own stream of thoughts and ii) rationalise and improve the reactions that do occur such that they result in a positive outcome.
Buddhism itself has several tools and structures to support ii) but I find the language a bit excessive and impenetrable as compared to here.
Recently just started using lesswrong to supplement meditative practice and I’m having some success with it.
Essentially I see my approach as having two major aspects—firstly meditative practice (zen style shikantaza) in order to increase focus / attention and become less reactionary to external / internal events. I’ve been meditating for approx 10 years, and more intensely in the previous 2 (1-2 hours a day during the week, 3+ hours on weekends). The meditation has reduced the effect of several of my own personality traits and habits.
Secondly study and practice in rationality is to refine / improve the remaining “dominant” thought processes, or provide better outcomes when I do need to think / verbalise through a situation.
Summary of goals is to i) have fewer automatic actions and responses to my own stream of thoughts and ii) rationalise and improve the reactions that do occur such that they result in a positive outcome.
Buddhism itself has several tools and structures to support ii) but I find the language a bit excessive and impenetrable as compared to here.