Great post. I can’t wait to read the subsequent parts.
I proceed from the assumption that regardless of whether the original frameworks are true or false, they do systematically produce similar effects and insights in the minds of the people following them, and that is an observation which needs to be explained.
Any particular reason to believe that? It’s true that when googling for reports of meditators, many results seem consistent with each other. However, there are at least two strong biases at play:
Confirmation bias—because the meditator doesn’t want to admit that they have wasted their investment and did not experience what was supposed to be the result of the practice.
Selection bias—because reports diverging from the common theme don’t get as much attention.
Frequently people experience things which they never expected to happen. E.g. I recall that Scott Alexander had a post (which I failed to find) about how he as a psychiatrist occasionally gets patients who have had mystical experiences because they tried a clinical mindfulness program that was supposed to be just for stress relief. They had no idea that something like this could happen and are now totally freaked out by what’s going on. Then Scott tells them that things will go back to normal if they just stop meditating, which seems to mostly work.
Also, as I noted in another comment, a previous version of the post included the following:
On some occasions, I read a description about some meditative insight. I then imagined that “oh, directly experiencing this must feel like X”, and went looking for something that would feel like X. When I did eventually experience the insight [often while doing some completely different practice], I recognized it from the description but also realized that I had been imagining it entirely wrong. It might have been better if I had never read of it, and just went in blind instead.
At least in my own experience, confirmation bias typically feels more like “aha, I knew it all along” than “huh, I guess I was thinking about this totally wrong before”.
Why would the meditator not want to admit that they wasted their time? Often if people feel they wasted their time watching some stupid movie or TV program they have no issue at all complaining about it. Or if they went on a cruise and didn’t have a good time they are often completely open about the reality of the experience. When I read what you wrote I can’t help but think you have some strong bias against statements people make about meditation. If what you say is true, and people feel like they wasted their time meditating, then why would they continue doing it? Your logic just doesn’t add up.
Great post. I can’t wait to read the subsequent parts.
Any particular reason to believe that? It’s true that when googling for reports of meditators, many results seem consistent with each other. However, there are at least two strong biases at play:
Confirmation bias—because the meditator doesn’t want to admit that they have wasted their investment and did not experience what was supposed to be the result of the practice.
Selection bias—because reports diverging from the common theme don’t get as much attention.
Thanks!
Frequently people experience things which they never expected to happen. E.g. I recall that Scott Alexander had a post (which I failed to find) about how he as a psychiatrist occasionally gets patients who have had mystical experiences because they tried a clinical mindfulness program that was supposed to be just for stress relief. They had no idea that something like this could happen and are now totally freaked out by what’s going on. Then Scott tells them that things will go back to normal if they just stop meditating, which seems to mostly work.
Also, as I noted in another comment, a previous version of the post included the following:
At least in my own experience, confirmation bias typically feels more like “aha, I knew it all along” than “huh, I guess I was thinking about this totally wrong before”.
Why would the meditator not want to admit that they wasted their time? Often if people feel they wasted their time watching some stupid movie or TV program they have no issue at all complaining about it. Or if they went on a cruise and didn’t have a good time they are often completely open about the reality of the experience. When I read what you wrote I can’t help but think you have some strong bias against statements people make about meditation. If what you say is true, and people feel like they wasted their time meditating, then why would they continue doing it? Your logic just doesn’t add up.