Based on a paper I published in 2021, this video aims to provide helpful information to those new... more Based on a paper I published in 2021, this video aims to provide helpful information to those new to meditation about what can happen while you are meditating. It also includes a brief mention of the occasional unpleasant experiences that a few people have while meditating and what they can do to mitigate them.
In this article I look at some of the definitions of awakening and enlightenment, and suggest tha... more In this article I look at some of the definitions of awakening and enlightenment, and suggest that they may be drawn together through a deep, unifying experience.
This article extends the previous blog on the ground of all being into the areas of the philosoph... more This article extends the previous blog on the ground of all being into the areas of the philosophy of consciousness and also alternative routes to the same experience. It ends with possible links between this experience and the Buddhist concept of sunyata or emptiness.
Our meditations will sometimes take us to extraordinary places within. In this blog I discuss exp... more Our meditations will sometimes take us to extraordinary places within. In this blog I discuss experiences for which the phrase, ‘ground of all being’, seems appropriate. I include mention of meditations by Adyashanti designed to evoke an experience of this and thoughts on how the experience may be useful to us.
A paper about maps of awakening / enlightenment / liberation / union with God / nirvana, which in... more A paper about maps of awakening / enlightenment / liberation / union with God / nirvana, which includes stages and practices. These are contrasted with the ‘pathless path’
Using the 'do nothing' meditation and Tilopa's 'Six Words' to cultivate a sense of openness, clar... more Using the 'do nothing' meditation and Tilopa's 'Six Words' to cultivate a sense of openness, clarity and freedom from conceptual thinking.
This episode of the blog is quite brief as I am mainly pointing to the work of Dr Steve Taylor an... more This episode of the blog is quite brief as I am mainly pointing to the work of Dr Steve Taylor and his colleagues. I've mentioned their work in a couple of previous blogs as most of it is in the field of spiritual awakening-its triggers, features, effects and more. Their recent work includes the development of a scale, the WAKE-19 (because it has 19 self-reflective questions) to measure the state of wakefulness that results from the kind of awakening experiences described in this blog.
This episode of the blog builds on existing, independent research to generate ideas about possibl... more This episode of the blog builds on existing, independent research to generate ideas about possible connections between a) awakening to a deeper realisation of who we are and b) our consciousness after the process we call death. Although religious traditions and ancient philosophies are among the many sources to have written about such things, I'll be drawing mainly on contemporary sources.
Book Reviews life can give" (123) is given no response, and yet in 2006 the reader will be aware ... more Book Reviews life can give" (123) is given no response, and yet in 2006 the reader will be aware of the clangers of normalizing European ideals and contrasting them favourably with the African "other," and would expect this awareness to be recognised in literary criticism. Despite these reservations this is a worthy text for any scholar of Lawrence. It is clearly written and structured, and is useful in terms of Laurentian ideology. The introduction has a number of typographical errors? unless the author wanted to comment on Lawrence living in the "modem" [sic] world?but the ideological and philosophical contextualisation will make a valuable starting-point for students of D.
An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filt... more An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filtered random visual noise. The masking functions obtained were of the same type as those obtained by masking letters and words with random noise or a pattern mask. That is, the high-frequency mask produced a type A function while the low-frequency mask produced a type B function. This result is discussed in terms of the general applicability of models of visual information processing constructed on the basis of experiments with letter or word stimuli. It is suggested that spatial-frequency concepts may usefully be employed to describe the relevant features of different types of mask.
An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filt... more An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filtered random visual noise. The masking functions obtained were of the same type as those obtained by masking letters and words with random noise or a pattern mask. That is, the high-frequency mask produced a type A function while the low-frequency mask produced a type B function. This result is discussed in terms of the general applicability of models of visual information processing constructed on the basis of experiments with letter or word stimuli. It is suggested that spatial-frequency concepts may usefully be employed to describe the relevant features of different types of mask.
This paper is devoted to a recommendation for a meditation practice that I really appreciate and ... more This paper is devoted to a recommendation for a meditation practice that I really appreciate and that is taught by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, who was trained in both the Tibetan Buddhist and Bon traditions. The meditation itself goes under a variety of names, but is often called something like, ‘Awakening the luminous mind’ or ‘Awakening to inner stillness.’
One of the useful things I got from spending several decades working in the social sciences was s... more One of the useful things I got from spending several decades working in the social sciences was seeing the importance of holding onto theories very lightly and being prepared to let go of one theory in favour of a better one when the data supported it. Although this is a drastic simplification, the process went something like this: You study some aspect of the world that you want to understand better. If there is currently no adequate theory that helps in understanding that aspect of the world then you develop one.
This article addresses the little-studied area of the subjective experience of meditation through... more This article addresses the little-studied area of the subjective experience of meditation through the analysis of the daily meditation diary of an experienced meditator over 2 months during the covid-19 lockdown in England in early 2020. The participant, who began meditating over 40 years ago, practised an open monitoring style of meditation for 90 minutes every day followed by 30-minutes of reflecting and writing notes on the experience. The meditation time included 60 minutes of ambient sounds and 30 minutes of binaural audio. The main and overarching themes in these diaries were identified by thematic analysis. Overarching themes were ‘What is meditation’ and ‘Something feels different! Changes in sensations or feelings while meditating’. One stand-alone theme was identified, ‘Unusual or altered states of consciousness’. The Buddhist concept of jhanas may provide a framework for understanding such experiences. These themes were discussed for the insights they provide into the meditation process.
Studies have shown that mindfulness is positively associated with a number of individual factors ... more Studies have shown that mindfulness is positively associated with a number of individual factors related to well-being, attention and awareness, and life satisfaction. Mindfulness has also been shown to be positively associated with the perceived quality of romantic relationships. However, the factors underlying the connection between mindfulness and relationship quality are not well understood. A study is reported in which the connection between mindfulness and perceived relationship quality was investigated when individual life satisfaction was controlled for. The results suggest that individual life satisfaction partially mediates the association between mindfulness and relationship quality but that other factors also contribute to that association. Possible additional mediating factors and ideas for possible future studies that could throw light on this connection are discussed.
Suicide is not a sin and is no longer a crime, so we should stop saying that people ‘commit’ suic... more Suicide is not a sin and is no longer a crime, so we should stop saying that people ‘commit’ suicide. We now live in a time when we seek to understand people who experience suicidal ideation, behaviours and attempts, and to treat them with compassion rather than condemn them. Part of this is to use appropriate, non-stigmatising terminology when referring to suicide.
Based on a paper I published in 2021, this video aims to provide helpful information to those new... more Based on a paper I published in 2021, this video aims to provide helpful information to those new to meditation about what can happen while you are meditating. It also includes a brief mention of the occasional unpleasant experiences that a few people have while meditating and what they can do to mitigate them.
In this article I look at some of the definitions of awakening and enlightenment, and suggest tha... more In this article I look at some of the definitions of awakening and enlightenment, and suggest that they may be drawn together through a deep, unifying experience.
This article extends the previous blog on the ground of all being into the areas of the philosoph... more This article extends the previous blog on the ground of all being into the areas of the philosophy of consciousness and also alternative routes to the same experience. It ends with possible links between this experience and the Buddhist concept of sunyata or emptiness.
Our meditations will sometimes take us to extraordinary places within. In this blog I discuss exp... more Our meditations will sometimes take us to extraordinary places within. In this blog I discuss experiences for which the phrase, ‘ground of all being’, seems appropriate. I include mention of meditations by Adyashanti designed to evoke an experience of this and thoughts on how the experience may be useful to us.
A paper about maps of awakening / enlightenment / liberation / union with God / nirvana, which in... more A paper about maps of awakening / enlightenment / liberation / union with God / nirvana, which includes stages and practices. These are contrasted with the ‘pathless path’
Using the 'do nothing' meditation and Tilopa's 'Six Words' to cultivate a sense of openness, clar... more Using the 'do nothing' meditation and Tilopa's 'Six Words' to cultivate a sense of openness, clarity and freedom from conceptual thinking.
This episode of the blog is quite brief as I am mainly pointing to the work of Dr Steve Taylor an... more This episode of the blog is quite brief as I am mainly pointing to the work of Dr Steve Taylor and his colleagues. I've mentioned their work in a couple of previous blogs as most of it is in the field of spiritual awakening-its triggers, features, effects and more. Their recent work includes the development of a scale, the WAKE-19 (because it has 19 self-reflective questions) to measure the state of wakefulness that results from the kind of awakening experiences described in this blog.
This episode of the blog builds on existing, independent research to generate ideas about possibl... more This episode of the blog builds on existing, independent research to generate ideas about possible connections between a) awakening to a deeper realisation of who we are and b) our consciousness after the process we call death. Although religious traditions and ancient philosophies are among the many sources to have written about such things, I'll be drawing mainly on contemporary sources.
Book Reviews life can give" (123) is given no response, and yet in 2006 the reader will be aware ... more Book Reviews life can give" (123) is given no response, and yet in 2006 the reader will be aware of the clangers of normalizing European ideals and contrasting them favourably with the African "other," and would expect this awareness to be recognised in literary criticism. Despite these reservations this is a worthy text for any scholar of Lawrence. It is clearly written and structured, and is useful in terms of Laurentian ideology. The introduction has a number of typographical errors? unless the author wanted to comment on Lawrence living in the "modem" [sic] world?but the ideological and philosophical contextualisation will make a valuable starting-point for students of D.
An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filt... more An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filtered random visual noise. The masking functions obtained were of the same type as those obtained by masking letters and words with random noise or a pattern mask. That is, the high-frequency mask produced a type A function while the low-frequency mask produced a type B function. This result is discussed in terms of the general applicability of models of visual information processing constructed on the basis of experiments with letter or word stimuli. It is suggested that spatial-frequency concepts may usefully be employed to describe the relevant features of different types of mask.
An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filt... more An experiment is described in which photographs of everyday objects were masked by frequency-filtered random visual noise. The masking functions obtained were of the same type as those obtained by masking letters and words with random noise or a pattern mask. That is, the high-frequency mask produced a type A function while the low-frequency mask produced a type B function. This result is discussed in terms of the general applicability of models of visual information processing constructed on the basis of experiments with letter or word stimuli. It is suggested that spatial-frequency concepts may usefully be employed to describe the relevant features of different types of mask.
This paper is devoted to a recommendation for a meditation practice that I really appreciate and ... more This paper is devoted to a recommendation for a meditation practice that I really appreciate and that is taught by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, who was trained in both the Tibetan Buddhist and Bon traditions. The meditation itself goes under a variety of names, but is often called something like, ‘Awakening the luminous mind’ or ‘Awakening to inner stillness.’
One of the useful things I got from spending several decades working in the social sciences was s... more One of the useful things I got from spending several decades working in the social sciences was seeing the importance of holding onto theories very lightly and being prepared to let go of one theory in favour of a better one when the data supported it. Although this is a drastic simplification, the process went something like this: You study some aspect of the world that you want to understand better. If there is currently no adequate theory that helps in understanding that aspect of the world then you develop one.
This article addresses the little-studied area of the subjective experience of meditation through... more This article addresses the little-studied area of the subjective experience of meditation through the analysis of the daily meditation diary of an experienced meditator over 2 months during the covid-19 lockdown in England in early 2020. The participant, who began meditating over 40 years ago, practised an open monitoring style of meditation for 90 minutes every day followed by 30-minutes of reflecting and writing notes on the experience. The meditation time included 60 minutes of ambient sounds and 30 minutes of binaural audio. The main and overarching themes in these diaries were identified by thematic analysis. Overarching themes were ‘What is meditation’ and ‘Something feels different! Changes in sensations or feelings while meditating’. One stand-alone theme was identified, ‘Unusual or altered states of consciousness’. The Buddhist concept of jhanas may provide a framework for understanding such experiences. These themes were discussed for the insights they provide into the meditation process.
Studies have shown that mindfulness is positively associated with a number of individual factors ... more Studies have shown that mindfulness is positively associated with a number of individual factors related to well-being, attention and awareness, and life satisfaction. Mindfulness has also been shown to be positively associated with the perceived quality of romantic relationships. However, the factors underlying the connection between mindfulness and relationship quality are not well understood. A study is reported in which the connection between mindfulness and perceived relationship quality was investigated when individual life satisfaction was controlled for. The results suggest that individual life satisfaction partially mediates the association between mindfulness and relationship quality but that other factors also contribute to that association. Possible additional mediating factors and ideas for possible future studies that could throw light on this connection are discussed.
Suicide is not a sin and is no longer a crime, so we should stop saying that people ‘commit’ suic... more Suicide is not a sin and is no longer a crime, so we should stop saying that people ‘commit’ suicide. We now live in a time when we seek to understand people who experience suicidal ideation, behaviours and attempts, and to treat them with compassion rather than condemn them. Part of this is to use appropriate, non-stigmatising terminology when referring to suicide.
A word from the editors
The papers collected here were presented at the 7th conference of the In... more A word from the editors
The papers collected here were presented at the 7th conference of the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) at ZEGG, Belzig, Germany from the 25th to 27th June 2001. They have not been through a selection or review process. Presenters who asked for their papers to be included here have been included, as long as they were on the theme of the conference. The content of papers represent the views of the authors themselves and not of ICSA, ZEGG, nor the conference sponsors.
We have attempted to retain the original formatting of the authors, wherever possible, although translations between word processing applications, platforms and media have resulted in occasional lapses from this intent.
The decision to produce an eBook of the proceedings was motivated by a desire to make them available to the widest possible audience at the lowest possible price and also to minimise the cost to ICSA. This means that they have been produced by academics rather than book publishers. Whether this is repeated for future conferences depends on how satisfying readers and authors find the outcome.
This conference was the first held by ICSA within an intentional community. Comments by both participants and presenters at the end of the conference were almost all positive. We hope that some of this feeling comes through the collection of papers that follow.
Peter Forster and Graham Meltzer
A word from the editor
The papers collected here were presented at the eighth conference of the ... more A word from the editor
The papers collected here were presented at the eighth conference of the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) at Amana Colonies, Iowa, USA from the 28th to 30th June 2004. ICSA is an organization of scholars, community members and others with an interest in communities. The papers presented at the conference reflect this mix – they have a variety of styles and content, from academic articles to personal essays on community life. This is one of the strengths of ICSA.
The papers have been through a simple selection process: Those presenters who asked for their papers to be included here have been included, as long as they were on the theme of the conference. The content of papers represent the views of the authors themselves and not of ICSA, Amana Colonies, nor the conference sponsors.
The papers have also been through a simple editing process. Rather than impose an academic style on authors, the papers have been edited to use the same font and line spacing. Otherwise, the style used by the author has been retained, including the spelling conventions used in their country of origin.
The decision to produce an electronic book (eBook) of the proceedings was motivated by a desire to make them available to the widest possible audience at the lowest possible price. It is a format that worked well for the seventh conference proceedings. We welcome feedback on how this works for current readers.
Peter Forster
In the blog I wrote on 7 th February 2023, 'What can happen when you meditate,' I made a brief me... more In the blog I wrote on 7 th February 2023, 'What can happen when you meditate,' I made a brief mention of the altered states of consciousness that are known in some branches of Buddhism and Hinduism by the Pali word, 'jhanas', or 'dhyanas' in Sanskrit. As these have sometimes been considered as steps towards awakening I thought they were worth more emphasis here.
One of the useful things I got from spending several decades working in the social sciences was s... more One of the useful things I got from spending several decades working in the social sciences was seeing the importance of holding onto theories very lightly and being prepared to let go of one theory in favour of a better one when the data supported it. Although this is a drastic simplification, the process went something like this: • You study some aspect of the world that you want to understand better. • If there is currently no adequate theory that helps in understanding that aspect of the world then you develop one.
Includes sections on:
Types of Intentional Community , including Kibbutzim, Cohousing schemes an... more Includes sections on:
Types of Intentional Community , including Kibbutzim, Cohousing schemes and Eco- Villages, and who lives in them
Varieties of experience - the advantages and disadvantages of living in ICs
What is a 'successful' community - how can we evaluate them?
Leadership and authority - Gurus and anarchists Intimate relationships - Variations on the 'nuclear family' Is there a communal personality type?
How to build communities and is it worth the effort?
There is also an Appendix on the subject of Virtual Communities, which consists of an interview with Howard Rheingold.
Environmental psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that studies the interactions b... more Environmental psychology is a relatively new branch of psychology that studies the interactions between humans and their environments from a psychological perspective. This brief overview of some main themes and theories is intended to introduce newcomers to this exciting and important field. Ideas introduced here include the effects of environments on perception, on health and well-being and on crime and aggression.
Research into the sensuous practices which constitute the phenomenological foundations of sportin... more Research into the sensuous practices which constitute the phenomenological foundations of sporting experience has been relatively underdeveloped. This paper seeks to address this state of affairs by portraying the sensory activity involved in doing scuba diving. Drawing on the work of Bourdieu and Crossley and using data from interviews with an expert scuba diving instructor, the paper details a spectrum of sensuous activity encompassing moving, touching, listening and hearing in the underwater environment. The paper concludes with a call for the development of sensory studies across the spectrum of sporting activity so as to provide a more adequate foundational link to theorising about sport.
International Communal Studies Association, 2016 conference, 2016
The authors of this study investigated (a) the relationship between feeling connected to nature a... more The authors of this study investigated (a) the relationship between feeling connected to nature and pro-environmental behaviours; and (b) the relationship between environmental values and environmental behaviours. Seventy-six students completed an online survey that measured connectedness to nature, egoistic, altruistic and biospheric values, and pro-environmental behaviours.
This study suggests that finding ways to increase community feelings of connectedness to nature, and developing altruistic and biospheric values may lead to increased pro-environmental behaviours in the short term and positively address climate change issues in the longer term.
This workshop will introduce you to the core ideas of mindfulness and the benefits of a regular m... more This workshop will introduce you to the core ideas of mindfulness and the benefits of a regular mindfulness practice. It will also include a simple mindfulness practice.
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Videos by Peter Forster
Here is a link to the original paper:
https://www.academia.edu/45550595/The_Inner_Life_of_An_Experienced_Meditator_From_Shopping_Lists_to_Awakening
Papers by Peter Forster
Here is a link to the original paper:
https://www.academia.edu/45550595/The_Inner_Life_of_An_Experienced_Meditator_From_Shopping_Lists_to_Awakening
The papers collected here were presented at the 7th conference of the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) at ZEGG, Belzig, Germany from the 25th to 27th June 2001. They have not been through a selection or review process. Presenters who asked for their papers to be included here have been included, as long as they were on the theme of the conference. The content of papers represent the views of the authors themselves and not of ICSA, ZEGG, nor the conference sponsors.
We have attempted to retain the original formatting of the authors, wherever possible, although translations between word processing applications, platforms and media have resulted in occasional lapses from this intent.
The decision to produce an eBook of the proceedings was motivated by a desire to make them available to the widest possible audience at the lowest possible price and also to minimise the cost to ICSA. This means that they have been produced by academics rather than book publishers. Whether this is repeated for future conferences depends on how satisfying readers and authors find the outcome.
This conference was the first held by ICSA within an intentional community. Comments by both participants and presenters at the end of the conference were almost all positive. We hope that some of this feeling comes through the collection of papers that follow.
Peter Forster and Graham Meltzer
The papers collected here were presented at the eighth conference of the International Communal Studies Association (ICSA) at Amana Colonies, Iowa, USA from the 28th to 30th June 2004. ICSA is an organization of scholars, community members and others with an interest in communities. The papers presented at the conference reflect this mix – they have a variety of styles and content, from academic articles to personal essays on community life. This is one of the strengths of ICSA.
The papers have been through a simple selection process: Those presenters who asked for their papers to be included here have been included, as long as they were on the theme of the conference. The content of papers represent the views of the authors themselves and not of ICSA, Amana Colonies, nor the conference sponsors.
The papers have also been through a simple editing process. Rather than impose an academic style on authors, the papers have been edited to use the same font and line spacing. Otherwise, the style used by the author has been retained, including the spelling conventions used in their country of origin.
The decision to produce an electronic book (eBook) of the proceedings was motivated by a desire to make them available to the widest possible audience at the lowest possible price. It is a format that worked well for the seventh conference proceedings. We welcome feedback on how this works for current readers.
Peter Forster
Types of Intentional Community , including Kibbutzim, Cohousing schemes and Eco- Villages, and who lives in them
Varieties of experience - the advantages and disadvantages of living in ICs
What is a 'successful' community - how can we evaluate them?
Leadership and authority - Gurus and anarchists Intimate relationships - Variations on the 'nuclear family' Is there a communal personality type?
How to build communities and is it worth the effort?
There is also an Appendix on the subject of Virtual Communities, which consists of an interview with Howard Rheingold.
This study suggests that finding ways to increase community feelings of connectedness to nature, and developing altruistic and biospheric values may lead to increased pro-environmental behaviours in the short term and positively address climate change issues in the longer term.