🚀 go-pugleaf

Before you all go thronging off to Maharishi Iowa University in search of
your Cosmic Consciousness through Transcendental Meditation, you should all
know the flip side as well.
 
   Psychotherapists, particularly those who are sensitive to their patients,
notice a considerably "thinned-out aura" coming from those patients who are
chronic meditators.  Those therapists who think the whole aura thing is a bunch
of sheep's piddle tend to notice their meditative patients as being more
"spacey" and less "in contact."
   TM, like hypnosis, is a means of getting into the so-called "alpha state,"
where most of the brainwaves lie in the alpha (6-12 Hz) frequency range.  The
right hemisphere of the brain operates most effectively at these alpha
wavelengths.  This allows a person who would otherwise be a left-brain zombie
to tap into that other half of himself, realize his creative potential, et
cetera.
   But on the other side of the coin, the left brain hemisphere operates
primarily at beta ( > alpha) frequencies.  While in alpha state, the left
side of the brain is effectively "tuned out," or even turned off.  Without
the reasoning power of the (larger) left hemisphere to filter incoming
information, the meditator/hypnotized person becomes extremely susceptible
to suggestion.  This is why hypnosis works so well.
   In the case of a chronic (read: daily) meditator, the left brain will begin
to have problems coming back on.  Some of the liveliness and sharpness-of-wit,
as well as hard motivation, will begin to disappear.  A healthy person needs
BOTH sides of his or her brain operating at full capacity; it's not a "good
right brain versus evil left brain" kind of a deal.
   One final word.  The T.M. people have this whole mystical thing about giving
you your "mantra," which they will usually charge you rather steeply for.
Since a mantra is just something that has no specific meaning (to you) which
you repeat over and over, I would think that any old syllable would do.
 
   Well, that's my two cents' worth.  Have a nice day.
-- 
Jeff Boeing (which is not my real name)   |   ...!uunet!stb.uucp!tracer
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DISCLAIMER: YES!  Everything I write ABSOLUTELY reflects the opinions of my
employers DOWN TO THE LAST LETTER!  Nyaah!