There is a reason why solitary confinement is such a brutal punishment.
Humans are social beings, tribal and hierarchical by nature, directionally animated by story, symbols, and paradigms.
In my experience, knowing that this collectively is a base nature, and still cultivating an individual core, is the essence of a positive spiritual life.
And the only way to do this is to traverse the expanse between solo and social time, learning and growing from each moment the best we can.
interesting… I often hear people getting super scared by MRI, never went through this, so I cannot speak confidently, but I guess this is in fact a great opportunity to meditate
Unexpected read (and very good). I, too, sometimes feel ashamed for how I think of myself as superior just because I discovered someting new 'yesterday'. And about the part about not being dependent on context to create - I was just wondering, as a 'new writer', how do you guys do it, cause I keep being triggered by so many things out of my control. I thought I needed some kind of meditative ritual where I can enter willingly into that state. But what happens when the phone calls? (just a figure of speech for any external stimuli).
I would say writing early in the morning helps a ton because this is the time when few interruptions occur. I also love the morning light; it feels more mystical, with a different kind of energy. Also, you have to believe that this is a fundamental human duty you want to perform… Writing is not a choice in my case, but rather nature, instinct
Wonderful piece! I had an interesting experience at a meditation retreat of 10 days in a vow of silence. It ended up being far easier than I’d ever imagined. Any yet still, at around day 8.5 I found myself consumed by overwhelming anxiety. Anxiety is a generic term but it was just full body and mind overwhelm. The only thought I was left with was this sort of existential thought/threat of “you’re about to die.” It was the only thing my body was circling around. I’ve since realized that this stress was always living with me and I needed to cultivate a conscious relationship to it. After a lot of work, I’m now in a place where I feel comfortable and relaxed everywhere. That fear is real and is worth acknowledging, not as a moral failure, but as a reality of being with a body that intrinsically understands the difficulty of surviving.
"I used to romanticize silence, mainly because—one revelation of my retreat—I’ve never truly experienced it." - was in the same situation. I realized somewhere along the way that maybe I wasn't even an "introvert" at all, I was just surrounded by people I didn't like. Makes me wonder if there's such a thing as "introvert" at all, there is a time and place for being alone, but after a while I've literally began to lose some points of sanity
There is a reason why solitary confinement is such a brutal punishment.
Humans are social beings, tribal and hierarchical by nature, directionally animated by story, symbols, and paradigms.
In my experience, knowing that this collectively is a base nature, and still cultivating an individual core, is the essence of a positive spiritual life.
And the only way to do this is to traverse the expanse between solo and social time, learning and growing from each moment the best we can.
Such a great insight and comment, well done, never thought about it this way
Fantastic piece. True self-mastery and self-examination is only possible in the middle of the fight, the distractions, the noise, the human.
appreciate you Sam, exactly… only by entering the citadel
I’ve tried to meditate for a while now. Finding the perfect music, the perfect spot, the perfect time. And it worked, sometimes.
But my best meditation session was during a 1.5 h MRI, just after I discovered I am claustrophobic.
Meditation in the noise, in my inner battle with my preservation instincts was the deepest and most relaxing experience I’ve had.
And that is the ultimate test. Can I keep myself still while the winds are blowing, the boat gets crushed by the waves and everyone screams around me?
interesting… I often hear people getting super scared by MRI, never went through this, so I cannot speak confidently, but I guess this is in fact a great opportunity to meditate
Unexpected read (and very good). I, too, sometimes feel ashamed for how I think of myself as superior just because I discovered someting new 'yesterday'. And about the part about not being dependent on context to create - I was just wondering, as a 'new writer', how do you guys do it, cause I keep being triggered by so many things out of my control. I thought I needed some kind of meditative ritual where I can enter willingly into that state. But what happens when the phone calls? (just a figure of speech for any external stimuli).
I would say writing early in the morning helps a ton because this is the time when few interruptions occur. I also love the morning light; it feels more mystical, with a different kind of energy. Also, you have to believe that this is a fundamental human duty you want to perform… Writing is not a choice in my case, but rather nature, instinct
Thank you for the insight!
Wonderful piece! I had an interesting experience at a meditation retreat of 10 days in a vow of silence. It ended up being far easier than I’d ever imagined. Any yet still, at around day 8.5 I found myself consumed by overwhelming anxiety. Anxiety is a generic term but it was just full body and mind overwhelm. The only thought I was left with was this sort of existential thought/threat of “you’re about to die.” It was the only thing my body was circling around. I’ve since realized that this stress was always living with me and I needed to cultivate a conscious relationship to it. After a lot of work, I’m now in a place where I feel comfortable and relaxed everywhere. That fear is real and is worth acknowledging, not as a moral failure, but as a reality of being with a body that intrinsically understands the difficulty of surviving.
10 days? That’s an achievement! Could you elaborate on why exactly you felt so much anxiety, and why by the end of it?
"I used to romanticize silence, mainly because—one revelation of my retreat—I’ve never truly experienced it." - was in the same situation. I realized somewhere along the way that maybe I wasn't even an "introvert" at all, I was just surrounded by people I didn't like. Makes me wonder if there's such a thing as "introvert" at all, there is a time and place for being alone, but after a while I've literally began to lose some points of sanity
Indeed, this is another realization: I’m not really an introvert
@viziandrei writes "silence is deafening. Solitude is scary."
This excerpt is from my poem "The Quiet" about silence.
The quiet is not the absence of sound, as if
the absence of sound were even possible.
Perhaps in space, but here on earth
there is always noise,
if not from without, then it comes from within.
Quiet is broken, alarms are sounded,
punctuating stillness with active beats
bubbling up from below, percolating through the respite
impossible to maintain. The quiet is ephemeral, lasting
only as long as cherry blossoms in spring.
One moment is blissful serenity only to be caught up
in a blizzard of petals strewn haphazard by an uncaring wind.
https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Poems-Endurance-Jonathan-Wilson/dp/B0H138NZDN