I used to practice meditation and yoga. I found both were very beneficial for health and spirituality. But religion convinced me that if you practice these things, you are opening up your mind and body to the Devil. Sounds pretty crazy but I believed it.
Now I want to resume my meditation practice. And meditation should help with sz because it increases gray matter in the brain and sz reduces your gray matter. But I’ve heard some say meditation makes sz worse. And I’ve heard testimonies of people saying meditation will make you hear and see spirits if you practice it too much. And religion says emptying your mind leaves it open to demonic influences.
I also want to practice yoga again. It relieved my anxiety and made me strong and flexible with less pain. But religion says yoga is Hinduism and is worship of Hindu gods and if you practice it you will become possessed by Hindu demons.
Religion has convinced me of some pretty crazy ideas and I just want to practice yoga and meditation for their health benefits. Religion has messed me up.
I am going to take this post down pretty soon because I know it will get taken down for discussion of religion. Every time religion is even mentioned my posts get taken down. It is so annoying. Don’t think that should be a rule. It’s like there’s no freedom of speech here, anything that could be offensive to anyone gets taken down.
@Skatchatoon, I struggled with these same issues regarding religion, and meditation and yoga for many years. I finally came to terms with it when the priests that I consulted gave me the okay to practice both meditation, for the health of my mind, and yoga, for the health of my body. They just gave me the warning to stay away from the religious sides of these practices. In other words, Hinduism.
With sz onset i gave up the notion of religious beliefs for fear of flirting with some kind of religious delusion. I think to give up all religion and face sz as a scientific notion really helps. You can then identify the DSM V criteria and see it as doctors see it.
The notion of all of the symptoms written down and comparison allows insight. What to look for and look out for indicates mental illness and acceptance of it,
Meditation doesn’t have to be religious at all. It is merely the emptying of the mind. It will help you mentally with no strings attached. As with yoga, exercise will help you. Stretching helps muscle tone and flexibility.
The attachments you apply personally are yours to give, and in turn the attachments you give this meaning to you can take away. Look at it purely scientifically and you can practice to your heart’s content.
At a later date, religion could be applied when you are stable.
Ok I guess I can’t take it down. I know people will flag it though. Whatever. I’ve had a number of posts flagged for talking about religion. Am I going to get banned or something?
It’s my understanding that talking about religion is ok as long as you don’t push it on others or make it sound your beliefs are the only beliefs that matter. Stuff like that.
I will try to look at it more scientifically. I’m actually not super religious at the moment anymore. I was just a few months ago. After going through that though, it’s hard to not look at it at all through the eyes of religion.
I’m a quiet person IRL. But I feel like quiet people have the most chatter in their minds. It is very difficult to quiet the constant chatter in my mind.
The beginning of meditation I picked up on a yoga class slowed my thougts. Nothing else has done that! And it was simple - not uncomfortable in any way
