RE: virus: Faith, Logic and Purpose
Robin Faichney (r.j.faichney@stir.ac.uk)
Sat, 22 Nov 1997 09:06:35 -0000
> From: Wade T.Smith[SMTP:wade_smith@harvard.edu]
>
> > What I'm interested in is control
> >of memes, which means being able *temporarily*
> >to live without them. I see meditation as being
> >primarily practice towards that end, and in fact it
> >already happens for me sometimes, when the
> >mind becomes still, and I'm just aware, without
> >thinking at all.
>
> Having been there as well, although Buddhism is not a necessary
> precursor
> to this state, (neither is TM), yes, it is a perhaps a memeless state-
>
> close to dreams, eh?
>
> ;-)
>
I guess you're probably just trying to wind me up --
if you've been there yourself you'll know this -- but
I'll go for it anyway: don't know whether dreams
are best considered memeless or not, but the
meditative state I'm talking about is very far from
dreamlike -- daydreams are probably the most
common obstacle to achieving it, and it certainly
feels, at least, like being very wide awake. In
fact, normal consciousness, with its constant
flow of inconsequential thoughts and feelings, the
infernal internal monologue, obscuring what's
actually going on around you, is very dreamlike
in comparison.
Robin