Are Monks Insane?

Monks who spend their entire lives in prayer or meditation are often viewed as paragons of humanity. They’ve reached enlightenment or some higher level of consciousness because they are living completely in the present moment. However, consciousness exists entirely in the past and future-reflecting and projecting. Therefore, to be completely present is to literally be unconscious.

Monks who spend their entire lives in prayer or meditation may be blissfully content, but they are living unconscious lives devoid of any meaning. Meaning in life can only be created through consciousness, and consciousness does not exist in the present moment. Consciousness exists in the imagination: reliving our past and envisioning our future. To cease all mental time travel of this sort-to stop all incoming thoughts-is to detach completely from consciousness.

I meditate and it has helped me enormously. I think mindfulness is the key to seeing reality more clearly and living a happier life. But… One can go too far in meditation and mindfulness, as the most extreme of monks have. I meditate for 10–20 minutes each day, and I can understand those who do more, up to 1–2 hours daily. I even understand going on week or month-long silent meditation retreats. But devoting your entire life to meditation seems insane. Meditation should be a tool to make you more mindful in your thinking, not to make you stop thinking altogether.

Originally published at https://steemit.com on September 4, 2018.