Instructions
Write a short reflection about which of the stereotypes discussed in this module means most to you? Which is most similar to your own opinions, which furthest away? Do you recognise yourself in any of them? Are you a mindfulness ninja? Do you fear becoming a zombie? Do you have a view on whether such stereotypes have use or value? Are they useful for you? Write 250-500 words.
How do you relate to the grand preconceptions?
I find the 4 archetype preconceptions of mindfulness really accurate and relatable, When I tell people I meditate, I am guaranteed to get one of the prejudices listed under one of the archetypes back. The jokes like "Do u levitate?" and "Can you tell me what I am thinking?", The moans like "I cant meditate I cant sit in lotus" , those that offer you a joint!! :) those that assume that you are going to run away to Himalayas and warn your mother, those who keep their meditation secret to avoid controversy with religious relatives, I seem to have met them all !!
What about me? What are my prejudices? I have been doing mediation and mindfulness practices for a long time, I think I first came into mediation from the ninja angle. I do believe in super powers and magic and I believe in Yoda from star wars ;) Okay, I don't actually believe it, But I am curious and I want to find out, so What drew me in was the curiosity towards the esoteric and magical. Also the spiritual, the need for calm, the need for more control over emotions and drama, this can relate to the monk and also to the ninja. For me meditation and mindfulness are inseparable from spirituality. I am from India, the birth place of Buddhism and yoga. As I see it, these practices were developed by the yogis and by Buddha to find out about the nature of reality, to find enlightenment, and Not to reduce stress or to make us happy. So may be I am more monk than a ninja at this point in my life. My main driver is curiosity and goal is probably enlightenment. lofty eh ;)
I find that I do not have any negative preconception about mindfulness at all, I do not fear being mindless or being irresponsible like the hippie at all. I have a lot of respect for knowledge from all cultures, especially Indian and Buddhist, unlike the scientist archetype who views all non European knowledge suspiciously. I am very scientific and I find the cultivation of curiosity and experimentation with the self a scientific pursuit, Why does the scientist archetype only trust peer reviewed papers and not his own experiences and experiments? He would have been mindful 40 years earlier if he didn't wait for someone to research on it.
Being still un-enlightened, I find myself ever so slightly annoyed (:-p) by the people who think mindfulness and detachment will make you a zombie, It is exactly the opposite, we are almost zombie now and we need to be aware!
I do encounter a lot of hippie archetype people in the mindfulness and meditation circles, my view of hippie is neutral, neither positive nor negative.That being said, I too am looking for self transformation by mindfulness like all the archetypes
What about me? What are my prejudices? I have been doing mediation and mindfulness practices for a long time, I think I first came into mediation from the ninja angle. I do believe in super powers and magic and I believe in Yoda from star wars ;) Okay, I don't actually believe it, But I am curious and I want to find out, so What drew me in was the curiosity towards the esoteric and magical. Also the spiritual, the need for calm, the need for more control over emotions and drama, this can relate to the monk and also to the ninja. For me meditation and mindfulness are inseparable from spirituality. I am from India, the birth place of Buddhism and yoga. As I see it, these practices were developed by the yogis and by Buddha to find out about the nature of reality, to find enlightenment, and Not to reduce stress or to make us happy. So may be I am more monk than a ninja at this point in my life. My main driver is curiosity and goal is probably enlightenment. lofty eh ;)
I find that I do not have any negative preconception about mindfulness at all, I do not fear being mindless or being irresponsible like the hippie at all. I have a lot of respect for knowledge from all cultures, especially Indian and Buddhist, unlike the scientist archetype who views all non European knowledge suspiciously. I am very scientific and I find the cultivation of curiosity and experimentation with the self a scientific pursuit, Why does the scientist archetype only trust peer reviewed papers and not his own experiences and experiments? He would have been mindful 40 years earlier if he didn't wait for someone to research on it.
Being still un-enlightened, I find myself ever so slightly annoyed (:-p) by the people who think mindfulness and detachment will make you a zombie, It is exactly the opposite, we are almost zombie now and we need to be aware!
I do encounter a lot of hippie archetype people in the mindfulness and meditation circles, my view of hippie is neutral, neither positive nor negative.That being said, I too am looking for self transformation by mindfulness like all the archetypes
Got a comment that this reads more like a blog than an assignment! very perceptive of that reviewer :-)
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