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Shane Lynch

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How do you make the realization that you are not your body with out something dramatic happening or slowing seeing it break down?

This would be a very helpful realization I believe, that would help you discover who you really are and help deal with physical ailments and conditions. It seems to happen often for people who are forced to realize this and for those who live a healthy life and have to watch there bodies deteriorate it seems to be a painful realization.

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    Haley Goranson

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    Dec 3 2012: Have you ever heard of a floatation tank? It is also called an isolation tank, or a sensory deprivation tank. I believe this is a tool that could help answer this question.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEjTXX2rHgA

    • Mark Meijer 100+

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      HostAssociate
      Dec 3 2012: It can be very helpful for just relaxing, and it can be very helpful for exploring ones own questions. Just don't confuse the two. If your only intention to go in there is to relax, you're not likely to resolve your questions. You have to become clear about what it is you want, instead of just numbing yourself.
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        Haley Goranson

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        Dec 4 2012: I don't believe it is just helpful for relaxing. That is not many peoples intention "just to relax". It is like meditation. Do you believe meditation is just for pure relaxation? I don't. The tank is like being in a very deep meditation.
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          Colleen Steen 500+

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          Dec 4 2012: Hi Haley,
          I have heard about floatation or isolation tanks before, and just now explored a little more. I think/feel it could be a way to help answer this question, and I also think Mark brings up a good point...intent.

          As I looked at the videos, I learned that it can indeed be a relaxing/meditative experience, and it can also produce stress/distress in some folks, after a period of time? So, it probably depends on the person and his/her intent and comfort zone, whether or not s/he could use this practice to learn more about themselves and the body/mind?

          For me personally, relaxing is very much a part of the meditative state, and I've been doing it for so long, it is not difficult to achieve that state whenever I choose.

        • Mark Meijer 100+

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          HostAssociate
          Dec 4 2012: Yes, like I said, those things can be useful for different purposes, and relaxation is just one of them. My point is (I feel like I'm repeating myself - maybe because I am), that you have to be clear for yourself about what you want out of it.

          If you're just going in there to relax and find peace and quiet and release stress and all that, as many people do, then that's exactly what it will do.

          But that will not help you to realize anything about you and your body. That happens when you take an active interest in exploring those kinds of questions, not when trying to shut it down. Sensory deprivation can certainly be an aid in exploration, but only if you know why you're doing it.

          Somehow that seems to be a very common point of confusion, so I just thought I'd mention it. People spend years and years trying to become calm and quiet in the hopes of learning something, because that's what they've heard, although they're pretty much lost as to what they're supposed to find. And naturally they learn to become calm and quiet, but not much else.

          Like Colleen said, intent plays an important part, perhaps the most important part. If you're chasing after some vague notion of something you've heard someone say, or something, then you'll be chasing after exactly that, and that's exactly what you'll find. A vague notion. You can only get out of it whatever you put into it. This is also true for meditation.
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        Haley Goranson

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        Dec 5 2012: Valid point!
        I agree Colleen it probably does depend on the person.
        You have also definitely cleared things up for me Mark, thank you.

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