But I wasn’t talking about praying, meditating, and making stuff up as ways of avoiding the task, but as ways of performing it. As such, they don’t work.
I am suggesting the task they perform has two levels. The first is a surface structure, defined by whatever religious or creative purpose the performer thinks they serve. In my opinion, the medium of this level is completely arbitrary. It does not matter what you pray to, or if you meditate or pray, or play baseball for that matter. The importance of such actions comes from their deep structure, which develops beneficial cognitive, emotional, or physical habits.
Prayer is in many cultures a means of cultivating patience and concentration. The idea, which has been verified by the field of psychology, is that patience, concentration, reverence, toleration, empathy, sympathy, anxiety, serenity, these and many other cognitive dispositions are not the result of a personality type, but rather the result of intentional development.
Within the last several decades there has been a revolution within the field of psychology as to what action is. Previously cognitive actions were not thought of as actions, and therefore not believed to be things that you develop. It was believed that some people where just born kinder, more stressed, more sympathetic, etc, that there were cognitive types. We know now is that this is not true. While it is true that everyone probably is born with a different degree of competency in these various cognitive actions (just as some people are probably born slightly better at running, jumping, or other more physical actions), more important than innate talent is the amount of work someone puts into a capacity. Someone born with a below average disposition for running can work hard and become relatively fast. In the same way, while there are some biological grounds and limitations, for the majority of people, the total level of capacity they are able to achieve in some action is determined by the amount of work they devote to improving that action.
If you work out your tolerance muscles, you will become able to exhibit greater degrees of tolerance. If you work out your concentration muscle, you will be able to concentrate to greater degrees. How do you work out tolerance or concentration muscles? By engaging in tasks that require concentration or tolerance. So, does praying 5 times a day to some God have an impact on reality? Well if you mean in the sense that a “God” listens to and acts on your prayers, No. But if you mean in the sense that the commitment to keeping a schedule and concentration on one thing 5 times, then yes it does. It impacts the reality of your cognition and consciousness.
So returning to what I was saying about suspending action. You interpreted it as “avoiding a task” but I would suggest that suspending action here has deeper meaning. It is not avoiding a task, but developing competencies in caution, accepting a locus of control, limitations, and acceptance.
There are more uses in meditation than just active reflection of thought. In fact, most meditation discourages thought. The purpose is to clear your mind, suggesting that there is a benefit in reducing intentionality to some degree.
Now, let me be clear that what I am advocating here is very much a value based position. I am saying there is a benefit in exercising the acceptance of limitations to some degree , a benefit in caution to some degree, etc. I would be interested to know do you disagree?
That is a lot of words, but it seems to me that all you are saying is that meditation (misspelled as “mediation” throughout) can serve certain useful purposes. So will a spade.
BTW, slowing a drum rhythm down for a beginner to hear how it goes is more difficult than playing it to speed.
I am suggesting the task they perform has two levels. The first is a surface structure, defined by whatever religious or creative purpose the performer thinks they serve. In my opinion, the medium of this level is completely arbitrary. It does not matter what you pray to, or if you meditate or pray, or play baseball for that matter. The importance of such actions comes from their deep structure, which develops beneficial cognitive, emotional, or physical habits.
Prayer is in many cultures a means of cultivating patience and concentration. The idea, which has been verified by the field of psychology, is that patience, concentration, reverence, toleration, empathy, sympathy, anxiety, serenity, these and many other cognitive dispositions are not the result of a personality type, but rather the result of intentional development.
Within the last several decades there has been a revolution within the field of psychology as to what action is. Previously cognitive actions were not thought of as actions, and therefore not believed to be things that you develop. It was believed that some people where just born kinder, more stressed, more sympathetic, etc, that there were cognitive types. We know now is that this is not true. While it is true that everyone probably is born with a different degree of competency in these various cognitive actions (just as some people are probably born slightly better at running, jumping, or other more physical actions), more important than innate talent is the amount of work someone puts into a capacity. Someone born with a below average disposition for running can work hard and become relatively fast. In the same way, while there are some biological grounds and limitations, for the majority of people, the total level of capacity they are able to achieve in some action is determined by the amount of work they devote to improving that action. If you work out your tolerance muscles, you will become able to exhibit greater degrees of tolerance. If you work out your concentration muscle, you will be able to concentrate to greater degrees. How do you work out tolerance or concentration muscles? By engaging in tasks that require concentration or tolerance. So, does praying 5 times a day to some God have an impact on reality? Well if you mean in the sense that a “God” listens to and acts on your prayers, No. But if you mean in the sense that the commitment to keeping a schedule and concentration on one thing 5 times, then yes it does. It impacts the reality of your cognition and consciousness.
So returning to what I was saying about suspending action. You interpreted it as “avoiding a task” but I would suggest that suspending action here has deeper meaning. It is not avoiding a task, but developing competencies in caution, accepting a locus of control, limitations, and acceptance. There are more uses in meditation than just active reflection of thought. In fact, most meditation discourages thought. The purpose is to clear your mind, suggesting that there is a benefit in reducing intentionality to some degree. Now, let me be clear that what I am advocating here is very much a value based position. I am saying there is a benefit in exercising the acceptance of limitations to some degree , a benefit in caution to some degree, etc. I would be interested to know do you disagree?
That is a lot of words, but it seems to me that all you are saying is that meditation (misspelled as “mediation” throughout) can serve certain useful purposes. So will a spade.
BTW, slowing a drum rhythm down for a beginner to hear how it goes is more difficult than playing it to speed.
Along with religion, praying, and making stuff up. Meditating (thanks for the correction) was just an example.
Oh, I also don’t get the spade comment either. I mean I agree a spade has useful purposes but what is the point of saying so here?
Not exactly sure what you are trying to express here. Do you mind further explanation?