Is meditation possible for Aspies?

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I use to meditate but I don't have much time anymore. I think I need it more now then I did in high school, though. At night i jump around a lot and that helps relieve my stress.

But I do agree... I relieve more stress by actively doing something. That focus on doing something can be just as good as any meditation.

Oh, but I did have some success with meditation when I took tai chi.

My meditation is incessantly going over and over to-do lists in my head or obsessing on some problem I have or quoting bible verses over and over. My brain won't stop by thinking! I mean, if I conciously try to "empty my mind" that requires effort and it just doesn't work. I'm still thinking. The best way for my mind to calm down is to be outside in nature, listening to the wind and just "sensing" the environment. In fact, this is the only time that my mind is truly at rest.

I completely agree. For me, it's utterly impossible to just empty my head of all thoughts. Even when I try to do it, I still end up thinking about emptying out all thoughts, so a thought still remains. Eventually, more thoughts start pouring in, and the next thing I know, I'm back to square one.

Having ADD as well as AS I can't concentrate to do many things. Meditation is one of them. Besides, I'm not much into "alternative therapies" and such, so I've never really tried.

I think this may be what you're *supposed* to realise when meditating. That it is nigh on impossible to stop the thoughts.

What happens is that some over-imaginative dude who can white-lie even to themselves and not realise, says they had some sort of "mystical experience". The next dude or dudette, not wanting to feel left out, says they found "perfect stillness" too. I sometimes wonder if, in reality, the meditation teachers are weeding out the gullible.

I tried meditation for a while..
It is incredibly difficult, mainly because it's not what most people think it is. The popular view seems to be that you're supposed to picture a desert island or some such thing. The actual aim is to empty your mind, which is damn near impossible 'cos as soon as you think you've done that, you're thinking again, which is defeating the point!
I did find it helpful though, even if I can't quite get there, the very process of sitting with my eyes closed and slowing my breathing right down really helps clear my mind a little. I am someone who thinks far too much generally and should probably begin trying to meditate again, haven't done it for ages...

I agree that relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and peaceful thoughts or visualizations are somewhat helpful; at least for a temporary, quick fix. But I don't consider these techniques the same as meditation.

maybe meditation can help with intelligence, not a boost or anything, just a way to communicate with your sub-concious mind.

I meditate alot. It's fun and relaxing. =^^= I need to listen to music to do it though. ^^U

I think meditation is the only way I can covercome the need of finding someone to love in order to be happy. Because needing love is the worst thing that has happend to me in all my life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation

Meditation can be difficult for some with certain kinds of neurological challenges which involve the concept of sustained attention.

For example,

Some of those with ADHD Inattentive find it difficult to meditate.
Some of those with Petit mal/absence/complex partial/TLE and so on find it difficult (at times) to meditate.

That's my understanding.

http://www.neurologychannel.com/

Used to go to Metta Bhavana meditation with the FWBO (Friends of the Western Buddhist Order). There is nothing wrong with Metta Bhavana, but there's a lot wrong with the FWBO. I stopped going to the Buddhist centre because the FWBO is a cult, but I still kept up Metta Bhavana for a while. You concentrate on breath whilst sat in the same position as the one in zen (the way the Japanese sit for tea ceremonies on a zafu) after that you try to feel compassion for yourself, a loved one, an acquaintance and then for someone you dislike. The body visualisation and relaxation stuff they tell you to do really works. I stopped doing it because the FWBO association puts me off a bit - I find it hard to do in earnest.

Then I went to a zen dojo for a while, where I stared at a wall for an hour at a time. You don't do anything else. There's no reason to do it. You simply do it for its own sake. There is a very specific posture you're encouraged to be in, but that's also done for its own sake. You concentrate on being in the moment of just sitting on a zafu in the right position. Don't try to think, but don't try not to think.
It's not about relaxation, happiness, health, or anything. If pushed, I describe it as boring your own mind into submission. You don't want to just sit there, staring at a wall, but the ego has no choice other than to shut up and let be. It teaches you to stop thinking so much and stop expecting instant results from things. It's really liberating to think less.

I still do zazen at home, but I haven't been to the dojo in a year. It's really quite far away. I would go back. I'd feel awkward about reappearing. You have to do chanting and walking processions after the meditation and it's all very regimented and Japanese. I get lots of it wrong because of my dyspraxia - you need to know left from right and do lots of quite complex movements. The act of shikantaza 'just sitting' has its merits, though.

Last edited by puddingmouse on 13 Sep 2010, 6:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ADHD makes it hard to concentrate. Meditation can help improve concentration, and it does. The goal of concentration meditation is both to concentrate, and to improve concentration. If you have s**t concentration skills, it's the right thing to do.

I can get very relaxed with some music---but I am not sure if it is actually meditation or not. I used to relax a lot with new age music like Ray Lynch's Deep Breakfast, etc. Sometimes during the day I will go upstairs and lay down in bed and relax and think of my projects.

The popularized idea of "meditation" is complete and utter nonsense sold by fake "gurus" to people who feel they lack purpose or understanding in some way. Clearing your mind and thinking of absolutely nothing is not "meditation", meditation is thoughtfully focusing on a goal and carrying it out. (Think of the meaning of the term "pre-meditated action")

If you try hard enough you can definitely focus on a goal, think it over carefully at every step of the way, and bring it through to completion. However, sitting around trying to think of nothing just because some pseudo-spiritualist con-artist told you it will bring you inner peace, is not going to work for someone with AS any more than it will work for an NT. Any perceived benefit is merely a placebo effect brought on by the feeling that you're doing something that's going to "help" in some vague and undefined way.

Practice real meditation, get on with your life and use the power of thought to concentrate on a way to make something happen for yourself, formulate a plan and the rewards of successfully carrying it through to its conclusion will bring you a metric ton of peace. Don't pretentiously sit around filling your head with nothing and get sucked into one of the infinite number of spiritual/religious scams which NTs use to guide their lost little sheep for fun and profit. Get real!

Also, I'm not going to argue with any silly hippies who have their head in the clouds, and have their minds completely closed to the idea that maybe what they're doing is pointless, so don't bother replying. I have things to do. Sit around wasting your own time and brain power, not mine.