Hi Saijanai,

I am not going to take the time to respond to your extended comment. But thank you for your passion for the subject of TM.

I did not say that all meditation practices were the same. I said that each of the 4-5 major practices have some overlapping benefit, but that mostly they have differing benefit, and that a good meditation practice is to engage in many types of practice to get the benefits from each.

Separately, causality is a very strong burden of proof when looking at very small structures in the brain, here I am referring to neurons. Even the sonar study you discuss has researchers subjectively choosing sizes of areas in which to examine effect. You claimed causality at the neuronal level. We just don't have the ability to see that happening across the entirety of the brain at this time. It was to that I objected.

I also object to the idea that the thing you are attempting to maximize in meditation - "as close to nature as possible" - should be the mental model or goal for everyone. In consider meditation to be too good a tool to so narrowly define its benefits. Different meditation types have differing benefits. Period.

Might I suggest that you spend some time with other traditions before so starkly drawing lines around the subject?

Yours, in gratitude,

Jason