Stillness and media ecology

Even porn was so much more crunchy in the days before we had the constantly-updated universe at our mousefinger, as explained by a standup comic whose name escapes me and my Google skills alike: In the old days, you'd have to go to Sears and get their fall catalog, and thumb through maybe hundreds of pages to get to their lingerie section.

Now with the Internet, when you're feeling that same urge, you just log on to Sears.com...

To those who would think I'm being snarky and mean to Rod when I say things like what I'm about to say, please know that I'm typing with compassion and concern when I type the following:

Rod, how many signs do you need before you get the message - move to a small town and start living this Crunch Con life you've been writing about?

Having heard for years that "the Jesus Prayer" was a "central character" in the book/story, I one day tracked down a copy of J. D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey to read. Rather than being an argument for Orthodoxy or Christianity, Salinger uses it to make a point about the universality of the practice in religious traditions, IIRC.

Someone on a Christian Internet forum I used to frequent became convinced (and tried to convince the rest of us) that Paul's exhortation to pray without ceasing meant to pray in tongues 24/7, which this person both attempted to do and attempted to convince us to do, too. He told us about his increasingly successful efforts to pray in tongues more and more hours each day, week after week. He went nuts, and had to be banned from the forum for sending nasty pm's to persons (including moi) who dared to criticize his exegesis and application of Paul's statement. :rolleyes:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

Some people are "wired" to deal with floods of information better than others. More introverted people really need that "down time" to get away from sensory overload (and not just from media - lots of interaction with people IRL can do the same thing to a more introverted person.)

More extroverted people seem to need that constant "background noise" - they get anxious and agitated when they're alone and quiet for too long. It's why people like my husband want the TV on even when they're not watching it.

As far as evolution goes, my understanding is that we evolved for groups of about 20-40 people whom we knew very well. Most people (with the exception of perhaps religious experiences, "vision quests," initations etc.) were probably rarely alone.

I don't think it's the overdose of stimuli which causes unhappiness (except for introverts, as mentioned above - who are about 20% of the population, it's thought.) I think it's the overdose of strangers; that so many people we encounter are unknown to us. It's why people "bond" with TV show characters.

Children, IMO, need to be neurologically "shielded" from too much TV and internet (including those "baby laptops," "baby einstein" type games and programs to "make them smarter," etc.) Some even go so far as to say, don't take young children to malls, big box stores, etc. I think there's wisdom in that as well.

I don't know, Sean. The mixture of plurals and singulars in the Torah when YHWH, through Moses, tells the Israelites what to do - i.e., at one moment Moses will be addressing the Israelites with a plural "you/your" and then he'll switch to the singular "you/your" for no apparent reason (perhaps known and understood to the Hebrew speakers of 1400 B.C., but grammatically peculiar to us today?) may mean that Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, was not always precise and particular when he used singulars and plurals. :^)

Fate intervened about a year ago and unplugged me from my media job. At the time, I was already drawing toward silence at various points during my day because I literally felt like I was "pixel-lating," disappearing like a bad transmission, due to information overload. Another book to read is Open Mind, Open Heart, by Trappist monk Thomas Keating, who takes you through a "course" in centering prayer. I'm still not very good at it, but for the brief period I have managed to completely empty my mind, I am rewarded with renewed focus and -- as you've noted -- quelled nerves. The more you retreat into the silence, the more you see that the way in which we live now is insanity.

Jon Kabat-Zinn (www.umassmed.edu/content.aspx?id=41252) and Herbert Benson (www.mbmi.org) have been studying the positive medical effects of "mindfulness meditation" (Kabat-Zinn) and "the relaxation response" (Benson) for decades. While their studies began with Buddhist and Transcendental Meditation traditions, your allusion to the Orthodox practice of the Jesus Prayer reminds us that Christians, too, have a contemplative and meditative tradition which we ignore to our peril.

How surprising (wink, wink) that medical science has "validated" what major spiritual traditions have known for years: meditative prayer is good for us. Or, put another (teleological) way (in Augustine's words): "You [God] made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee."

Incidentally, I'd be interested to hear Jon E's defense of his implication that the contemplative life is possible only in small towns. I'd claim it's as difficult there as in the city (or anywhere else outside the monastery or convent).

I first learned of the Jesus Prayer while studying Russian in college. An old man told me he would pray it while doing tasks that required no mental effort. He was the picture of tranquility, so I started doing it on occasion. I think it does tend to induce a placid and limpid serenity. I still pray it but I have not yet attained to the Divine and Uncreated Light. This is probably all for the good, since if I did, I would probably be scared out of my wits.

Another prayer which I like is the Domine, non sum dignus, which was used in the old Latin mass and is an adaptation of the Roman centurion's request to Christ to heal his servant. It has a very rhythmic and mellifluous flow in Latin:

Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo et sanabitur anima mea. (Lord, I am not worthy, that Thou enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.)

Then again, a Hindu I worked with used to repeat several Sanskrit mantras with the same goal. Maybe God is agnostic.

I'd like to comment about the rock climbing gym mentioned in Rod's post. I used to do some rock climbing years ago before they had climbing gyms, and it amazes me that the climbing gyms that have developed blast loud music as people are climbing. I found rock climbing to be a sport that requires tremedous concentration - not necessarily peace and quiet, but definitely climbing is very difficult in the midst of loud distractions. For safety purposes, one has to be able to communication with one's climbing partner. Talking back and forth to the partner controlling the rope is essential for safety. Rod - Is this gym so loud that people can hear each other? If so, it might be dangerous. Apart from being able to hear your partner speak, climbing also involves being very aware of you body and mind at the same time. In a climbing gym, one doesn't need this level of concentration because if you fall, you do not fall very far and will not get killed. But most climbing does not take place in the contrived confines of a gym; instead most climbing takes place on large cliffs where if you are not concentrating, you will die. I wonder if climbing gyms give climbers sloppy habits? I think the climbing gym would benefit by getting rid of the music, but I guess the kids probably like the loud music. Rock climbing outdoors is actually a very peaceful and very concentrated activity, and the climbing gyms, while giving a good physical workout, really present a completely different experience.

Yes, as ShaunK pointed out, it's not really debatable any more that some form of meditation is good for us. All the scientific evidence points that way.

It's also scientifically demonstrable that a diet weighted in the direction of fresh fruits and vegetables with minimally processed beans and grains is good for us.

And it's been demonstrated that a sedentary life with few physical challenges but lots of mental stress and anxiety is bad for us, while exercise and fresh air are good for us.

Getting enough sleep is vital to a healthy metabolism, while sleep deprivation is one of the factors in producing metabolic syndrome.

And while this item hasn't been specifically proven by science, there are many indicators that an open, loving heart and a willingness to let go of anger and focus on kindness and gratitude is also very good, not just for individuals but for everyone around them.

In related news, the Washington Post reports that "Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403537.html?hpid=topnews

We KNOW these things. So . . . why don't we put them into practice? I think "original sin" is far too simplistic an answer. You might want to ask yourself who profits by encouraging us to ignore these findings. Who benefits when we live in a constant stew of anger, fear, neediness and hostility? Perhaps we should seek to benefit ourselves and our loved ones instead of the structures and organizations that subtly and not-so-subtly encourage us to remain in bondage.

I laughed when I read this item, because I am currently taking a short break from cleaning up the house for oncoming Christmas visitors. I decided to tidy up the detritus left in my son's room when he ran off to get married (kidding . . . well, sort of) so guests can be more comfortable there, i.e. use the closet. He left a bag of candy on the shelf, and mice got into it. Which meant I had to unpack a whole box of stuff to sort and purify it. I took a bag of trash to the garage and encountered, once again, the fact that Mr. Sig's sense of order is--how can I put this delicately?--not aligned to the same vertical as mine. He has dared to let the clutter from HIS set of shelves overflow into the tidy space I kept clear for MY storage of food items. GRAAARGGGHH . . . I can feel my face morphing into a facsimile of Cuchulain's battle spasm--one eye bulging and bloodshot, plus fearful gnashing of teeth. And I should be doing something entirely different already, to prepare for the arrival of my sister and her husband in just a few hours. It is at such times that the moments I "wasted" this morning in peaceful contemplation reveal how essential they were. Mr. Sig will be very grateful for them when he gets home . .. or would be if he knew how narrow his escape was. Being a naturally peaceful man, he never expects the Spanish Inquisition. ; ) Taking deep breath now . . . .

Re the "Jesus prayer" comment in the post, I've heard that worship (you know, like you do in church or even at home on you own) does something physically good to us. If you want to see even more affects of what negative thoughts or feelings do to us, check out Pastor Henry Wright's book "A More Excellent Way" and prepare to be blown away.

It's really hard -- at least for me -- to force myself to be still and quiet and totally focused on a task. Right now as I write this, I have CNN on at my desk here at the news (the volume is off), and I've got several windows open on my computer. I'm multitasking. I have so many balls in the air at any given moment that I'm constantly working right up to deadline all the time.

The other night I was exhausted, but couldn't get off the Internet. It was so strange -- it was as if I staring at the Palantir, and it had me in its grip. I was highly agitated -- not angry, just nervous -- and I kept jumping from site to site. I caught myself, and thought: this is crazy. I had to make a strong effort to close my laptop down. And it wasn't like there was any real news or anything. I was just surfing.

This morning as I was praying the Jesus Prayer for just 10 minutes or so, it felt like it feels when you've been inside a smoky bar for a long time in the winter, then you step outside for a breath of air, and a cool blast of clean air floods into your lungs. I thought at the end of that prayer time Why on earth don't I do this always? I mean, I *know* how much better I feel when I pray this way, just like I know how much better I feel when I spend 20 minutes a day exercising. But I don't do either because neither involves the constant processing of information with my brain. Both require me to be focused and mentally at rest.

This I find very, very hard to do for any sustained period of time, even though they make me feel great. I don't to overstate the analogy, but I wonder if this is why people who are alcoholics know they feel better when they're not drinking, but they can't seem to resist backsliding into the booze?

Wow, Rod. Thank you for this post, and especially for the link to that article on the "Jesus Prayer." That is one of the most wonderful things I have ever read.
I've prayed like that before, although more along the lines of invoking the Lord's name, "Oh Lord Jesus," and endeavoring to listen to His voice. It can really lead to serenity and peace, although it really does seem to stir up the darkness (within us? outside of us?) which tries to quench it.
For whatever reason, it really is a hard practice to maintain.
Because of this article, I am going to try practicing it again. I hope the inspiration to practice this each morning doesn't die out. I don't have a "spiritual guide" to help me be consistent.
I definitely spend too little time in contemplative prayer, and far too much on the Internet. Yet articles like this one are why I keep spending so much time websurfing. It's not an easy balance to maintain.
End of ramble. Sorry. But thanks again Rod.

Sigaliris: Actually, Emory University in Atlanta has done some research correlating the Tonglen meditation with better health (I forget what biomedical indicators they used). Tonglen is the "compassion" meditation: 1. imagine an experience of beauty or tranquility, 2. imagine a person who might need such a sensation. 3. "send" those feelings to that person
Had a cool conference about 18 months ago where the MD's presented their research to the audience and the Dalai Lama, who attended.

A friend recently finished a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and said that the readjustment to all the inputs of typical daily was bracing. Is there a name for this occurrence? Are there any books to be recommended for learning more about this phenomenon? Thank you.

ShaunK
December 5, 2008 11:11 AM
Incidentally, I'd be interested to hear Jon E's defense of his implication that the contemplative life is possible only in small towns.

I was thinking more of the sensory overload issues that Rod had described affecting his son and himself.

It is much quieter out here in the country.

I just spent a few minutes praying the Jesus Prayer again and again. It felt like a cleansing and refreshing. Of course, then the phone rang.
But I noticed something. The hardest part for me to pray was "a sinner." Have mercy on me, a sinner. I've been a Christian for a long time, have failed too many times to count, have recognized many sins and weaknesses. Yet it is still so hard for me to admit that when all is said and done, I'm just a sinner.
Yet that is a saving grace. Have mercy, Lord.

Leave the CNN volume off on the computer and tune into Ancient Faith Radio while at work. I listen to AFR in the evenings instead of watching tv. I'm not Orthodox but I find it helps calm my mind.

"I suggested that perhaps human beings aren't evolutionarily prepared to be in a modern environment, with so many stimuli bearing in on us constantly."

Oh no don't tell you have fallen for the illuminist's evolution propoganda too...

These pseudo intellectuals always think they are so much smarter than the Holy Fathers of the Church and Christ Himself.

Evolutionism is NOT condoned by the Orthodox Church.

Evolutionism is a heretical religious belief not a scientific theory.