Saturday, April 05, 2008

Meditation

Hi

In the final series of BBC TWO's recently aired programme, Alternative Therapies, professor Kathy Sykes explores MEDITATION

I personally found the complete series interesting but also rather frustrating. I guess that's due to the basic structure of this series being based on a scientific approach to alternative therapies!

Why watch it you may ask? purely to establish whether the general scientific approach to this subject has changed now we have entered the 21st century

I understand the problems conveying any viewpoint, in particular the problems concerned with filming and editing so my comments are made from being aware of the usual constraints imposed on any programme maker, i.e. entertainment value etc. etc.

What I am amazed at is the lack of sound premises used by any scientific professional. Apparantly if any subject is to be studied by a scientist then they have to develop controlled tests, measure the outcome and then produce numerous papers on the results. Scientifically accurate premises I imagine but oh so STUPID!
I am questioning the general methods used today in the 21st century. During Ms Sykes travels in the pursuit of knowledge she met Buddhists monks who practice meditation, met doctors who use this alternative method of relaxation in their treatment programmes, and by the way have measured the results!! and met a community who base their complete lifestyle on Transcendental Meditation. She was actually personally involved in one experiment that measured her physical reaction to a period of meditation and the results were that the meditation period had extreme positive effects on her physical being
Move forward to the summation of the programme and she still has doubts about the whole practice and process involved because she could not find enough written reports to support what she had experienced first hand- come on Kathy - WAKE UP!
If all scientists are as completely closed off as Kathy then no wonder science has not caught up with the millions of human beings who have being practicing alternative therapies of one kind or another since time began. The only method of "testing" that these individuals have used is by THE RESULTS
If alternative practices work then why question them? I realise we are not now living in the "dark ages" and we are all conditioned to live in a perpetual state of extreme gratitude for the "enlightenment period" but why waste precious time and money critically analising systems when we have the choice to use them or not

I imagine the scientific community sleep well at night having duped themselves and the masses into believing that prescription drugs are completely safe and acceptable and of course I'd be a complete idiot to believe that this rigorous system of testing is not required
All I'm saying is that there have been many drugs over time that have been labelled as safe that have later been labelled as dangerous. What one can say about alternative therapies is that they cannot be dangerous!

Further reading : The programme
Check it out and post your comments

8 comments:

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Chandira said...

Scientists like that will never 'get it', and that's ok. That's the small-time scientists.
Look to the Big Time scientists, the quantum physicists, people like Bohr, Heisenberg, etc, that really Understood.
It's now very well known that light is what all this is made of, at a quantum level, and a spiritual level. The sages are in agreement with the physicists.
Try reading Fritjof Capra's 'Tao of Physics', that will cheer you up! :-)

Anonymous said...

You've hit the nail on the head. The scientific community feel that if it can't be tested and repeated, it ain't science. This is the big problem they have with Intelligent Design presenting itself as a scientific theory, rather than a belief.

Elizabet said...

Hi
Thanks for all postings
Chandra, I am aware of the "big time " scientists but my gripe was with our media presenting this concept on national television that reaches the masses?
I would like to see a more intelligent presentation of this discussion including the "big scientists" available for the masses - or is this too much to ask?

Chandira said...

I wish it wasn't too much to ask, but I'm afraid it might be.

Seems the media is always catering to the lowest common denominator, and if you want real info, you have to look for it, and not enough people are inclined to do that.
Such is the human condition. I have found out from my won blog, that if you write about intelligent topics, nobody gives a monkeys, but if you write about Paris Hilton's chihuahua, the comments never stop. ;-)

Elizabet said...

Hi Chandira

I totally agree
I have consciously cut myself off from all advertising, politics and most importantly celebrity culture so even if I wanted to write about celeb pap I wouldn't be able to
Guess I'll have to hope that guys like you drop by from time to time!

Johnny Profane said...

Regarding Transcendental Meditation: Many critics consider Transcendental Meditation a cult founded by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. For an alternative view of the TM Movement, readers may be interested in checking out TM-Free Blog, TranceNet.net, or my counseling site, KnappFamilyCounseling.com/cultsb.html, where individuals recovering from Transcendental Meditation and similar groups will find helpful information.

John M. Knapp, LMSW
http://KnappFamilyCounseling.com/cultsb.html

Elizabet said...

Hi John
Having visited your site I understand that there is a need for your services and a positive purpose to your actions
Just like to comment that as with all matters, individuals should always be mindful of commiting to any practice whatever the context. Balance is the key!

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