Does meditation increase intellectual abilities?

[AstralProjectee]

Now I suppose only certain kinds of meditation would be able to do this. Or perhaps a combination. Any thoughts are welcome as to this.

Most importantly does meditation increase the ability to think abstractly and have more comprehension. As these are on the high end of the intelligence scale. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Peace!

[psychoslice]

No, in fact it may empty all of the knowledge that you have accumulated, it may leave you with your true individual intelligence, your inner knowing that cannot be intellectualized, the less you know the easier it is.

[AstralProjectee]

Are you talking about that meditation increases existential intelligence and not intellectual intelligence psychoslice?

[Miss Hepburn]

I swear it makes me dumber!
Been meditating since the early 70s - and I noticed it early on!

I figured it was because I kind of didn't care so much for this material world - so I retained less- just didn't care! Maybe less ego, I don't know.

I certainly appear dumber to others...ha!

Nice thread, good topic.

Oh, and I have always been able to think in the abstract.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by AstralProjectee

Are you talking about that meditation increases existential intelligence and not intellectual intelligence psychoslice?

It can increase inner intelligence, and what you are within is what you will be in the outer, so I suppose existentially, yes. There isn't really anything wrong with intellectualism, but when one is wanting to know their true Nature, then yes, intellectualism can get in the way, we seem so full of all we think we know when in the mind of intellectualism.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by AstralProjectee

Now I suppose only certain kinds of meditation would be able to do this. Or perhaps a combination. Any thoughts are welcome as to this.

Most importantly does meditation increase the ability to think abstractly and have more comprehension. As these are on the high end of the intelligence scale. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Peace!

Generally if one fixes attention on something like their breath, they notice mind wanders away and they return it to the intended object. With practice the attention span increases.

When the attention span becomes quite long the mind enters silent 'observation mode' as opposed to 'thinking of stuff', and practice improves the keeness of mind's perceptive ability.

As the focus is held longer concentration becomes more intensified as you notice more detail in the object such as very subtle breath movement.

attention span, concentration and perceptive ability are improved.

Perhaps it can if I it helps you become more awake. If for example you are working on a difficult problem focusing obsessively on that problem sometimes doesn't yield any insight. It's when you forget about it, go away and relax that the solution appears. Meditation can help with that.

But the fundamental purpose of meditation is not for mundane purposes, including intellectual ones. It's fundamental purpose is to increase awareness so the nature of the mind can be realized directly. For worldly goals we need to rely on things other than meditation, although it can help with them.

[AstralProjectee]

We think we can all say for certain that attention, perception, vividness, and creativity increases with meditation. If that is the case I would also think that other things also increase. I know Transcendental meditation taught in schools has helped kids stay on edge mentally. For both the gifted kids and the challenged kids. There is studies on this too.

I'm pretty sure hormones are major players in our intelligence on a physical level. You know in taoism you can increase hormone out put by upgrading your bodies endocrine system. If that is the case I would also think that would benefit the brain and body to put them into peak performance. It may be possible that that is the only real way to go from the basic benefits of meditation to something more beneficial to the whole body including mind. I'm just theorizing right now anyway.

Peace!

[Xan]

There are side benefits of meditation, such as clearer thinking and learning, unmuddled by the rambling mind; reducing stress, which increases physical and emotional well-being and balance; and so on. I've seen these in myself and others.

It's important to remember that in true meditation these are not the goal but side effects... the essential aim being coming to know and live as our true self.


Xan

[AstralProjectee]

OK so I think I have another theory that will shed some light on this topic, that is how one can use meditation for the intellect.

So there are two main types of meditation, which are external and internal.

Definitions.
External meditation: A meditation that focuses on external things either outside of the mind or on the mind it self. In external meditation the brain does not slow down too much. In this meditation you can have different kind of thoughts depending on the kind of meditation. Some course and some subtle.

Internal meditation: A meditation that does not focus on anything external including the mind. In this meditation the mind is slowed down to almost stopping. In this mind you have no thoughts.

So the theory is that, I would think that if someone mainly does internal meditation without external, that one could be missing a way for them to develop the intellect. I know Tarthang Tulku has presented some external exercises in the past. He has people do exercises like seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, even smelling meditation. For instance he would have someone do something like this, to fully bring all of there attention to seeing and to see in different ways. Like being able to see everything all at once while also being able to see everything separately all at once. Now I realize that this does not work your memory but I suppose one could make a meditation on memory. As memory has a lot to do with the intellect.

Any more thoughts on this? Doesn't that theory make good sense? Or am I missing something.

Peace!