Can long periods of deep meditation cause brain damge?

[rockyysdt]

18 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Just dont let your ego trouble you with diving deep,and deeper in to philsophy, religion or life teachings, just for the feeling of understanding. 

 

Life is what it is, and you cant really fight it by understanding the "true meaning of life"

 

For bad habits, quit one add a new one 😉 Just make sure the new habit is better than the one you replaced

I do tend to analyze and maybe over analyze.

Although it can be a fine line.

 

Part of analyzing is to better evaluate what we eat, select, and choose in our life.

Much of what we are exposed to has vested interests in its promotion.

[rockyysdt]

23 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Just dont let your ego trouble you with diving deep,and deeper in to philsophy, religion or life teachings, just for the feeling of understanding. 

 

Life is what it is, and you cant really fight it by understanding the "true meaning of life"

 

For bad habits, quit one add a new one 😉 Just make sure the new habit is better than the one you replaced

I do tend to analyze and maybe over analyze.

Although it can be a fine line.

 

Part of analyzing is to better evaluate what we eat, select, and choose in our life.

Much of what we are exposed to has vested interests in its promotion.

[Hummin]

11 minutes ago, rockyysdt said:

I do tend to analyze and maybe over analyze.

Although it can be a fine line.

 

Part of analyzing is to better evaluate what we eat, select, and choose in our life.

Much of what we are exposed to has vested interests in its promotion.

Maybe better said, trying to find a meaning thats was not there in the beginning! People have a tendency to create a meaning out of nothing, just for the ego sake. 

 

If Buddha came today, or Jesus, they both would be outrageous and angry to learn and see what people have done in their name! Not to mention how complex their meaning have become, and also huge businesses in their names misleading and  exploiting poor people in their names, and and often protects the more wealthy. 

[rockyysdt]

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Maybe better said, trying to find a meaning thats was not there in the beginning! People have a tendency to create a meaning out of nothing, just for the ego sake. 

 

If Buddha came today, or Jesus, they both would be outrageous and angry to learn and see what people have done in their name! Not to mention how complex their meaning have become, and also huge businesses in their names misleading and  exploiting poor people in their names, and and often protects the more wealthy. 

Yes, the people are ruled by greed, aversion, and delusion.

 

Most are only in many things for themselves.

Even those who assist or ingratiate with others, sometimes it can be for acceptance which is also "something in it for themselves".

 

Even many who embark on Buddhist practice, when you analyze it, they are seeking the reward.

 

Life can be a fine line to traverse.

 

 

[oldscool]

45 minutes ago, rockyysdt said:

If Buddha came today, or Jesus, they both would be outrageous and angry to learn and see what people have done in their name!

 

Or compassionate and forgiving?

 

47 minutes ago, rockyysdt said:

Even many who embark on Buddhist practice, when you analyze it, they are seeking the reward.

 

It's a fundamental principle that Buddha's teachings are passed on freely. And they are in Thai monasteries even for long term stays the food is free - payment is discretionary at the end of the retreat, at least in the one I attended.

 

Sadhguru, who I mentioned above has numerous free guided practices on his website/app. And you can volunteer for very long stays of 6 months plus sometimes, all free. Other courses are paid but it's a small fee.

 

The mindfulness health industry, particularly in the west, is pretty far removed from the idea of spiritual growth. It's an industry that needs to turn a profit to survive I guess.

[Brucenkhamen]

I don't see how meditation could cause brain damage, meditation is a mental activity and the brain is a physical organ.  Could software damage hardware?  maybe if it switched off the cooling fan I guess but otherwise I think its a good analogy.

 

While mediation should result in not getting entangled or distracted by thought its purpose isn't  the end of thought.  Thinking subsides in the 2nd jhana but the mind is still active I'd expect, just in a non verbal way.

 

Meditation, particularly mindfulness, is an active use of the mind.  When done right it should be a good way to keep the mind and brain active, even when relatively quiet it takes effort to keep the mind from going all over the place so I don't think you should expect it to result in an inactive atrophied mind or brain.

[VincentRJ]

On 6/2/2024 at 8:28 AM, Brucenkhamen said:

I don't see how meditation could cause brain damage, meditation is a mental activity and the brain is a physical organ.  Could software damage hardware?  maybe if it switched off the cooling fan I guess but otherwise I think its a good analogy.

 

While mediation should result in not getting entangled or distracted by thought its purpose isn't  the end of thought.  Thinking subsides in the 2nd jhana but the mind is still active I'd expect, just in a non verbal way.

 

Meditation, particularly mindfulness, is an active use of the mind.  When done right it should be a good way to keep the mind and brain active, even when relatively quiet it takes effort to keep the mind from going all over the place so I don't think you should expect it to result in an inactive atrophied mind or brain.

I agree. Dementia, Alzheimer's, and disorders in general, are caused by a combination of genetic conditions and a unhealthy life-style. We can't do much, or perhaps anything, to change our genetic condition, but we can change our lifestyle, if we have the self-control to do so.

 

Regular physical exercise and a healthy diet are a major part of the solution, but also, meditation, mind control, and regular deep breathing exercises should remove the negative effects of anxiety and stress.

 

The following article addresses these negative effects of mental stress.
https://www.nib.com.au/the-checkup/effects-of-stress#:~:text=The physical effects of stress&text=They can include trouble concentrating,flare-ups at stressful times

 

"On the surface, the signs of stress can include an increase in heart and breathing rates, dilated pupils and tensed muscles.  Under the skin, the signs can take a little longer to notice, especially when your stress is chronic. They can include trouble concentrating for long periods of time, weight fluctuations, stomach upsets, mood changes, struggle with sleep or feeling constantly restless.  Some people also notice skin breakouts or even eczema flare-ups at stressful times."

 

"These reactions are all down to what’s going on in our body when we become stressed. Essentially, our body kicks off the same chain of events as when we are faced with danger. More specifically, the team at the Mayo Clinic explain that stress sets off an alarm in your brain which triggers a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol."

Edited June 5 by VincentRJ