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Some observations about meditation

Alice-nice-Alice

Having been a repeat mental health system patient Ive been put through their ideas of meditatation, well meant Im sure but quite unsuitable for my autistic hypersensitivity.  The one where  they get you to focus on a part of the body, say for eg the right foot, note it, park it, move on to left foot, and so on. I just cannot do this. When I notice a sensory input I have no way of just switching it off in order to “move on”. Each morning I spend over 60 minutes dealing with internal and external sensory overload, so as to focusing on one area, then stilling it, then noticing another - it is quite impossible.


Another bad one is when the facilitator takes you to their simplistic idea of a peaceful place. If its a beach I notice sand irritation between my toes, the wind hurting my eyes, the bitter taste of salt. then Im often told to picture myself in a wood, well when I do i its all pollen and stinging nettles and bracken and brambles and heck its all hurt and tangle  

Why assume everyone loves nature? Its a cliche, give me urban concrete and cities, motorways, mines, factories and our post-industrial “red wall” northern conurbation any day. Yesterday I was trying to explain why the huge Magnox power station cubes at Heysham are to me beauty with their straight east striiding pylons of four core.  We all have our own personal definitions of beauty and peace  

Anyone here who facilitates meditation please note!



Alice

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  • Having taught meditation myself, I don't think what you're describing is meditation. It's relaxation and some guided imagery, but not I feel meditation which is much more internal and dosen't try to take you to another place. I've done a lot of guided imagery too, some people are very bad at it, they rush, they don't take the time to build a picture involving all the senses, they leave people in a sort of internal no-mans land and even worse they bring people out of a state of deep relaxation to quickly which leaves many feeling really ungrounded.

    Most people do have a love of nature and I can understand that if you don't it will be really difficult. I'm often dubious about the benefits of taking things like meditation and mindfulness out of context, these things have a spiritual background and to my mind shouldn't be just picked up and used wholesale on everyone. There are some people who I would actively advise to avoid meditation, deep relaxation and guided imagery, like if they have a history of schizphrenia, disassociative states  or halucinations, at best you might have trouble bringing them back from wherever you've taken them and at worst you could bring on a full blown psychiatric episode.

    But if I were the person doing your classes or whatever you call them, I would take the time to find out if anyone has any fears, phobias and things they really don't like and try to accomodate them.

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  • Having taught meditation myself, I don't think what you're describing is meditation. It's relaxation and some guided imagery, but not I feel meditation which is much more internal and dosen't try to take you to another place. I've done a lot of guided imagery too, some people are very bad at it, they rush, they don't take the time to build a picture involving all the senses, they leave people in a sort of internal no-mans land and even worse they bring people out of a state of deep relaxation to quickly which leaves many feeling really ungrounded.

    Most people do have a love of nature and I can understand that if you don't it will be really difficult. I'm often dubious about the benefits of taking things like meditation and mindfulness out of context, these things have a spiritual background and to my mind shouldn't be just picked up and used wholesale on everyone. There are some people who I would actively advise to avoid meditation, deep relaxation and guided imagery, like if they have a history of schizphrenia, disassociative states  or halucinations, at best you might have trouble bringing them back from wherever you've taken them and at worst you could bring on a full blown psychiatric episode.

    But if I were the person doing your classes or whatever you call them, I would take the time to find out if anyone has any fears, phobias and things they really don't like and try to accomodate them.

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