Decreasing Oxygen to the Brain!

"Kriya Yoga is Self-Realization Fellowship's flagship meditation technique, which is claimed to speed up the evolution of man's consciousness. One has to p*** through a series of other lesser meditation techniques before they can receive initiation into Kriya. These meditations incorporate thought reform techniques.

One of the early practices that the student is taught is the Hong-Sau meditation technique (in which oxygen deprivation is used), where the student repeats a mind-numbing mantra and is encouraged to decrease their oxygen intake with the ideal state to be obtained being breathlessness. Yogananda dispels the fears of the prac***ioner by claiming that the prana (life force energy) will directly feed the cells of the body, forgoing the need for oxygen.

The Aum Meditation technique is then taught after Hong Sau in which sensory deprivation is used. The eyelids and ears are held tightly sealed with the fingers while chanting a mantra and trying to listen to a mystical vibratory sound.

With all the meditation techniques, the symbol of the cult is visualized constantly and is taught to be considered as the prac***ioner's "Third Eye". This symbol represents the teachings of the cult and keeps the ideology on the prac***ioners' mind while they practice sensory and oxygen derivation techniques that break down one's critical thinking abilities. (rick ross.com)

Ummm, let's see. Decrease oxygen to the brain and get in touch with God - yeah, that will work.

LOL!!!!

Apologette, really, where do you get this stuff???? I can honestly say, all of these techniques do exactly the opposite of what this article claims! They actually oxygenate the body, not deprive it!

Did you read my SCIENTIFIC study on meditation? It's actually very good for your brain.

Evidence Builds That Meditation Strengthens the Brain

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Originally Posted by Libby

LOL!!!!

Apologette, really, where do you get this stuff???? I can honestly say, all of these techniques do exactly the opposite of what this article claims! They actually oxygenate the body, not deprive it!

Did you read my SCIENTIFIC study on meditation? It's actually very good for your brain.

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Here is the link. The posters are familiar with SRF:

http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,6620

Indeed. Just as I thought, another anti-site full of distortions. I practice those meditation techniques, so I know exactly what they are and what they do. There is no "oxygen deprivation" involved. That is just silliness and the kind of distortion I have come to expect from some "Christians" (unfortunately).

There have been studies going on for years on all different kinds of meditation and they are without a doubt very beneficial to those who practice.

From my link, above:

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Evidence Builds That Meditation Strengthens the Brain
ScienceDaily (Mar. 14, 2012) — Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.

Eileen Luders, an ***istant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification ("folding" of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain's neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.

The article appears in the online edition of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of neural tissue. Among other functions, it plays a key role in memory, attention, thought and consciousness. Gyrification or cortical folding is the process by which the surface of the brain undergoes changes to create narrow furrows and folds called sulci and gyri. Their formation may promote and enhance neural processing. Presumably then, the more folding that occurs, the better the brain is at processing information, making decisions, forming memories and so forth.

"Rather than just comparing meditators and non-meditators, we wanted to see if there is a link between the amount of meditation practice and the extent of brain alteration," said Luders.

"That is, correlating the number of years of meditation with the degree of folding."
Of the 49 recruited subjects, the researchers took MRI scans of 23 meditators and compared them to 16 control subjects matched for age, handedness and sex. (Ten participants dropped out.) The scans for the controls were obtained from an existing MRI database, while the meditators were recruited from various meditation venues. The meditators had practiced their craft on average for 20 years using a variety of meditation types -- Samatha, Vip***ana, Zen and more. The researchers applied a well-established and automated whole-brain approach to measure cortical gyrification at thousands of points across the surface of the brain.

They found pronounced group differences (heightened levels of gyrification in active meditation prac***ioners) across a wide swatch of the cortex, including the left precentral gyrus, the left and right anterior dorsal insula, the right fusiform gyrus and the right cuneus.
Perhaps most interesting, though, was the positive correlation between the number of meditation years and the amount of insular gyrification.

"The insula has been suggested to function as a hub for autonomic, affective and cognitive integration," said Luders. "Meditators are known to be masters in introspection and awareness as well as emotional control and self-regulation, so the findings make sense that the longer someone has meditated, the higher the degree of folding in the insula."

While Luders cautions that genetic and other environmental factors could have contributed to the effects the researchers observed, still, "The positive correlation between gyrification and the number of practice years supports the idea that meditation enhances regional gyrification."

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Originally Posted by Libby

Indeed. Just as I thought, another anti-site full of distortions. I practice those meditation techniques, so I know exactly what they are and what they do. There is no "oxygen deprivation" involved. That is just silliness and the kind of distortion I have come to expect from some "Christians" (unfortunately).

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Rick Ross is not a Christian site. It is a secular site. Not everybody is an "anti," as your Mormon pals say.

Anyone who misrepresents someone else's religion can, rightly, be called an "anti", no matter who they are.

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Originally Posted by Libby

Anyone who misrepresents someone else's religion can, rightly, be called an "anti", no matter who they are.

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I'll go with what the people on Rick Ross have to say about the meditation technique. They have no reason to be dishonest. It's elsewhere on the net as well.

http://factnet.org/vbforum/showthrea...ship-SRF/page2

I don't care what you call these people or me. Truth will overcome the deception of cultism in the end. And you have no space for challenging anybody with the deception that SRF worship Jesus. Plainly not true - everything and everybody is god. You might as well say you worship Buddha or Mohammed as well.

Sorry you're in this group, sorry it has to be exposed, but as long as you're going to use this board to preach SRF I will counter that preaching with the truth.

I am sorry that you seem to need to believe these lies. As I said, I practice these techniques, and I know, for myself, what they are and the effect they have on my body.

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Originally Posted by Libby

I am sorry that you seem to need to believe these lies. As I said, I practice these techniques, and I know, for myself, what they are and the effect they have on my body.

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And I'll go with what all the others say.

Strangely, even the posters on this Yogananda site are chatting about decreasing oxygen intake:

http://www.yoganandaji.org/board/showthread.php?p=49990

See post 18 - breathing twice per half minute.

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Originally Posted by Apologette

Strangely, even the posters on this Yogananda site are chatting about decreasing oxygen intake:

http://www.yoganandaji.org/board/showthread.php?p=49990

See post 18 - breathing twice per half minute.

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If you practice the technique properly a slowing of the breath (and the heart) will occur naturally, but that does not equate to "oxygen deprivation", as you and your friends are describing it. Basically, you just really don't know what you're talking about.

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Originally Posted by Libby

If you practice the technique properly a slowing of the breath (and the heart) will occur naturally, but that does not equate to "oxygen deprivation", as you and your friends are describing it. Basically, you just really don't know what you're talking about.

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Oh, so now suddenly I'm right about decreasing oxygen to the brain. Found out, weren't you Libby?

Ha!

No, actually, you are dead wrong, since the techniques actually oxygenate the body, not decrease it.

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Originally Posted by Libby

No, actually, you are dead wrong, since the techniques actually oxygenate the body, not decrease it.

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Says who? Yogananda? Come on, if you take two breaths in a 30 second period you are taking in less oxygen, I don't care what your guru has told you.

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Originally Posted by Apologette

Says who? Yogananda? Come on, if you take two breaths in a 30 second period you are taking in less oxygen, I don't care what your guru has told you.

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I have never slowed my breathing to that extent. As I said, the slowing of breath and heart beat come naturally, while practicing these techniques. One does not take in less oxygen, but more. I know this from experience and practice, not because someone told me so.

this topic is silly......

The whole idea is silly....

I find not the slightest problem with the time that any person spends in quiet prayer and meditation....

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Originally Posted by alanmolstad

this topic is silly......

The whole idea is silly....

I find not the slightest problem with the time that any person spends in quiet prayer and meditation....

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Just don't hold your breath alan. :D

Blessings my friend...Dmarie

I agree, it is silly.

Apologette is mistaking a natural slowing of breath and heart rate (which is VERY good for the body - it gives all of your organs a rest - similar to what happens when you sleep) to some kind of "oxygen deprivation". Would anyone claim that sleeping deprives your body of oxygen??

Not only does meditation rest the body, but the technique of kriya actually does greatly oxygenate the body, before the actual meditation, which is also very beneficial.

Research has show, without a doubt, that meditation is highly beneficial to the body and the brain. It can keep your brain from atrophying, due to aging, and helps maintain good brain function, in all areas of the brain (memory & cognitive)..

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Originally Posted by Libby

Research has show, without a doubt, that meditation is highly beneficial......

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...I would go so far as to say that time spent in prayer or private meditation is sometimes useful...sometimes helpful....sometimes a benefit.

too much of a good thing is always a bad thing....

and I dont think that a person should decide to meditate with a goal of being "better" in any way....because that will undercut the whole thing and it all becomes moot at that point.

meditate because you want to...everything else is just nice frosting on the cake....

The primary goal or purpose, of meditation, is to connect with God. Everything else, as you said, is frosting on the cake.

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Originally Posted by alanmolstad

this topic is silly......

The whole idea is silly....

I find not the slightest problem with the time that any person spends in quiet prayer and meditation....

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I do, since (in SRF) it is claimed to be a method for "realizing" you are "god."
Of course, people have every right to engage in meditation, or decreasing oxygen intake, but don't call it Christian, because it isn't.

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Originally Posted by Apologette

I do, since (in SRF) it is claimed to be a method for "realizing" you are "god."
Of course, people have every right to engage in meditation, or decreasing oxygen intake, but don't call it Christian, because it isn't.

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No, it is not a method to realize "you" (your personal ego) is god, but rather a method of realization and communication with God who resides within. You do believe in the indwelling Holy Spirit, yes? Well, it is very similar to that.

And, AGAIN, there is NO oxygen deprivation involved. That is a falsehood.

Further, it is a form of Christianity, as we do worship and revere Jesus Christ.. and I do consider myself a Christian (heterodox, not orthodox).

if you are holding your breath, for any reason, you are also cutting off Ox to your head and therefore your mind.

And.....when you do cut off important stuff to your head you can expect this to make you feel lightheaded....even way better than normal.
(consider how David Carradine died)