Meditation (Vipassana)

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Recently I started doing meditation on a regular (daily) schedule. I use a Buddhist technique called Vipassana Meditation, a form of "insight meditation." The body is motionless and the eyes are closed. The mind's concentration is focused on the air moving in and out of the nose. Thoughts arise from the subconscious but the meditator does not "get involved" and simply notes that the though occures and allows it to fade away. The idea is that destructive thought processes can eventually be broken down because they are not having an emotional impact. You could say these processes feed on attention. Give them no attention and they starve.

I have found this meditating to be helpful. It has aliviated some depression and seems to be increasing my awareness (mindfulness) in general. It is, at very least, a good exercise for the mind.

I am writing this post to find out more about meditation in relation to AS. I would like to see if there are any ways in which AS might have some effect on meditation. Would AS make it more difficult, or easier? The ability to focus the mind certainly helps with meditation. Who has some stories, advice, or opinions to share?

I posted on meditation as well as lucid dreaming if you would like to perform a search on those. Perhaps you will find insight?

My father was AS, I am AS and my son has AS.

My son discovered martial arts and was a kung fu "master" before he was 20.
Then he discovered meditation, Vipassnana meditation.

He loved it. At this very moment he is in Thailand doing more meditation courses and thinking of becoming a monk.

Is this a good thing? I don't know. Does it make him feel better? Yes. Is that good? I don't know.

With meditation you withdraw into yourself and see the outer world as "illusion" to be rejected and ignored.

How perfect for an Aspie! Is that good? I don't know.

It is either the perfect path or the biggest escape and cop out.

Or maybe it is both?

I'm almost certain I used to meditate on my own when I was very young, after a long day when I was in bed, supposed to be sleeping. It would go on all night, or until a close noise, vibration, etc, jolted me out of it. When I heard about meditation for the first time (on tv) and it was described, I understood what it was. I took a workshop with a few family members once, when I was older, meditation was one of the themes. Anyway, the instrutor had the class sit down and she lead us in a meditation, but I couldn't get into it listening to the sound of her voice. Now that I know I'm aspic I realize it was a sensory thing, I couldn't tune out her voice. I don't meditate anymore, it seems I just stopped at some point but I've been considering taking it up, on purpose this time.

Wombat, it sounds like you have some doubts, even though half of the sentences seem positive. As long as nobody's demanding extra monies for your son's sessions, (other than basic operating costs, etc.) then it is a positive thing. . Just make sure it's his decision, and allow for things to be reverted if it turns out that's not his path.. as long everyone's motives are sincere..

I'm not a formal anything, so my opinions are purely from the realms of my experience and readings..

The 'rejecting the outside world and ignoring it' is, in my opinion, more of a meditative technique to get a person to focus and not be distracted by things while _in_ a meditative state, not a pattern of behavior outside of it.

Calming music, or silence, turn off the phone, ideal is a muted chiming bell that goes off after an hour to get you transitioning back to waking.

If external noises distract you, try focusing _on_ them to let your mind settle just on that, and question why it distracts you. Same thing with thoughts..

Vary your approaches each time, settle on one that works for you. When it really 'clicks', there is infinity waiting.

There's no prize, no right way, other than to settle the mind down to a quieter internal dialoge.
And forget what I said, too, that can be a distraction..

Just sit. Or lay down. What Works For You.

Woz is correct about the "rejecting the world" thing.

Meditation in the form I practice is designed to INCREASE mindfullness... quite the opposite of rejecting the outside world.

I have done tai chi for many years, but I've found it is too full of diversity, there are too many informations for me to handle. Now I do chi gong more, where I just stand and focus on my breathing, gives me a lot of strength and my aspiemind calms down.

I have often thought of a buddhist monestary or retreat as a way of living. The idea appeals to me.

I think I might try this Vipassana meditation.

Some times I try not to think at all. I find it amazingly easy. Usually when I'm out and about.
One time I sat waiting for a bus on a quiet sunday afternoon. There was some traffic. It was snowing; big, fluffy snowflakes. I decided to sit and not-think to pass time. At a point I could only see the snow, like I was sitting inside a square, white box. All the cars and the road had vanished. The moment I thought: I can't see the road, the road came back into my field of vision. I spend 20 minutes doing this, the road would disappear and the split second I thought of it it reappeared.

Everything is an illussion.

This might interest you, lowfreq50. (please forgive any spelling errors)

Korinarr - (name modeled after the brothering technique found in Star Trek.)

Korinarr is the technique by which an Aspie is finally purged of all emotions that hinder logic; these hindering emotions are as follows:

*LOVE - compassion, passion, empathy, lust

*ANGER - rage, fury, irretibility, frustration

*FEAR - nervousness, anxiety

*SADNESS - dispair, hopelessness, grief

*HAPPINESS - humor, joy, elation



Purging emotion does not mean never having it again. To empty a glass of water, one has to tip it over and dump it out, just like one must 'dump out' the old emotion and clean the glass.

Korinarr is not for all Aspies: indeed, many will despise its premise and attempt to annhialate its concepts by using emotionally-driven argument: logical argument cannot be held against it, because Korinarr is in fact the paramount to logic. They are one in the same.

Mastered Korinarr means feeling emotions voluntarily, rarely, and never permanently. It means that logic is the only permanent resident in the Aspie's mentality.

* * *

The ritual of Korinarr can last one day to one month, depending on the person in question. The technique centers around focusing all willpower on a visual point --- hold your hands together --- clasp all fingers beside one another, except for your index fingers, which should point straight up and perfectly verticle.

Concentrate (slip into hyperfocus) on the area 2 centimeters above the erect index fingers. Clear your mind like a pure crystal is clear of blemish. If thoughts not pertaining to Korinarr occur, do not hold onto them, and let them go as quickly as they came.

* Continueing to concentrate until the mind is clear enough to not create distraction, begin to visualize a small sphere of red energy; fill the area above the index fingers until the sphere is approximatly the size of a small marble. The sphere should not make direct contact with the index fingers.

* Concentrate on the red sphere of energy. Reach deep inside of your soul (kantra) using conscious effort to bring forth all of the emotions that you have blocked out in your life.

* Pour these emotions inside the sphere; imagine the emotions going from your left chest and head, up your arms, hands, index fingers, and then into the sphere.

* Visualize the sphere begin to pulsate with the energy of your emotions. Let the sphere keep shining brightly; do not discontinue hyperfocus.

* So that it registers with both the conscious and subconscious mind, repeat the following affirmations just above a whisper:

"I am not the sphere's effect."

"I am not the effect of the sphere's contents."

"I am the cause for the sphere."

"I am the cause for the sphere's contents."

"I am not the effect of emotions."

"I am not emotion's slave."

"I am the master. I am the cause."

* Now, let the sphere grow larger, and then in a flash of bright light, make it explode.

* Take a few deep breathes and take a break. Repeat procedure again at a later time.

Emotions afterward, if Korinarr is really acheived, are imperpetual and never held or claimed.

So if someone asks you: "Are you angry?" (or some other question pertaining to your emotional status,) Just say: "I do not believe I am capable of that emotion."

(Live Long and Prosper, my fellow Aspies! Please post feedback.)