What is NOT ecstatic or charismatic meditation?

[jhananda]

To understand what something is, it is sometime wise to understand what it is not. Contemplative traditions that are not ecstatic and charismatic are the mainstream meditation organizations, like TM, Vipassana and Insight meditation organizations, like Goenka, Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock. The reason why we know that they are not ecstatic and charismatic is because their literature does not reflect an understanding of the ecstatic and charismatic, and their actions do not reflect organizations that value ecstatic and charismatic phenomena as it arises in their members.

We could also say that all mainstream religions are not ecstatic and charismatic. In fact all mainstream religions are not even contemplative, so they could not be ecstatic and charismatic, because one must be a rigorous contemplative to become ecstatic and charismatic.

[Michael Hawkins]

It's clear that mainline religion -- and even secret-school subsets of mainline religions -- are nothing but staging grounds for power-hungry manipulators who are only interested in political advantage. Those with attainment are drummed out (or worse) at the first signs of gathering a following, so threatened are the priests that someone will expose their lack of attainment, or their lack of understanding of the original inspiration.

In Christian terms, I see the ongoing repression of the ecstatic as a manifestation of the Reign of Satan. In Buddhism, it's Mara who is the personification of all that is in separation from the divine spark that should be every human's birthright.

Instead, we have meditation traditions that teach "concentration," which leads to worse neurosis than what brought the seeker to meditation in the first place.

Luckily, there's medication for all of that....

[jhananda]

Here, here Michael. Yes, that is the pathetic irony of life, when mainstream religion becomes the "Reign of Satan," and it is abundantly funded by the ignorant masses, who are the heavily medicated victims of the delusional priesthood. We can lead the camel to water, but unfortunately we cannot make it drink, even if it is thirsty.