One point meditation helps with this. I like the flame and the void visualization from the wheel of time series because I am a nerd, but its based on zen buddhist breath meditation
this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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Ha but what if I have aphantasia and can't imagine imagery?
You might want the more traditional method, this guy explains it pretty well. You aren't trying to silence your thoughts so much as acknowledging them and letting them go.
Repeat a mantra in your head. The mantra could be anything really. You do not need imagery to meditate. Another trick is to look at your hand and try to feel/sense the inside of your hand, focus on that.
I am on the other end of the phantasia spectrum; I have hyperphantasia. This causes problems with meditation because my ADHD gives me intrusive imagery.
The key with meditation is to just keep trying. Mediation is an incredibly useful tool but it is something you have to constantly practice. It is harder for people with ADHD to accomplish consistently but it is entirely possible to learn to do it well. If you practice enough you may learn how to live most of your life while meditating.
Learning how to meditate was the turning point to gaining control of my life and start on the road to a functional life. I am not saying medication (I’m on Vyvanse) and therapy (once a week for me) aren’t equally important or weren’t major contributors to better understanding and living with my condition but learning how to meditate and doing it consistently was when things started to click for me.
I'm with you. I meditate and I have aphantasia. I focus on my breath mostly, but as someone with adhd, my brain goes everywhere. The key is to not scold your brain for losing focus, but instead once you realize, note that you lost focus, and then gently bring your attention back to the breath. Meditation doesn't have to have an end goal or a focus point or imagery or anything, really. I just like to take note of how my body is feeling, what my mind is thinking, emotions that come up, etc.
Find something visual to focus on. Focusing on breathing is another thing.
But, for me, it's mostly just telling my brain no every time it tries to drift.
so what, meditation is just emulating sisyphus forever? that sounds like misery, not enlightenment
My brain starts an argument, then after a couple of tangents, starts focusing on my worries and shit.
Oh that chaos storm doesn't need to be visual to occupy the entire universe.
mf I have more mental illnesses than I can count on my hand and I can do this
I only have 2 and it's damn near impossible for me without a constant supply of cocaine. And I hate cocaine.
I am also completely unable to do regular work but that's besides the point
Not sure if neurotypical or divergent yet but...
Yeah! I have that ability for some reason. I can make my brain silent but it makes me feel weird thinking in images and hunches rather than a monologue. I've always wondered if other people can do it without meditation training. I mean, realistically speaking it should be common enough, right?
So that is not what they mean...
By silent,,they mean nothing. Emptiness. Zero stimuli.
Yes, completely silent, as in nothing, empty, zero thought is happening in the foreground. The images and hunches are secondary and it's the only way I can think in that mode but it feels primal.
The background would be my subconscious deep down. I can't explain it. I know things are happening up there because I'm alive but I'm not conscious of them. I have to conjure the images to put those things into words per se so I can have more complex thoughts.
By comparison, maybe, but in absolute terms absolutely not.
I'm hearing about this for the first time as well. Complete control, huh?
Meditation is awesome!
Which is true, but I have yet to meet anyone with ADHD that could learn how to do it fast enough to learn how to do it.
I figured it out unintentionally, but it took a ton of weed to get there.
There's more than 1 form of meditation. I still use martial arts patterns as a form of meditation. Your entire body is involved. Mind, body, and mood move towards a good, known state.
I can normally never shut up the chattering monkey in my head. Give it something to do, and it's now happy to let the rest of my mind truly relax for a minute or so.
I did: Just keep at it. You will fail, but that's OK, failing is part of learning. Just keep trying regularly. Even just 5 minutes a day will start to make a difference.
This sounds too boring to accomplish. It's not just boring, it's also a repetitive task.
Failing at meditation is itself meditation. It’s great.
I’ve found that instead of trying to “clear my mind”, that picking an image and focusing on just that image helps achieve a similar state. For me, I picture myself sitting in a chair in the middle of a dark, empty room. Whenever I realize my mind is wandering, I go back to concentrating on me sitting in that room.
It’s possible! Lots and lots of practice, but it’s absolutely doable. I recommend progressive muscle relaxation, since it gives you something to focus on more than just “let your mind go blank.”
I haaaaaate progressive muscle relaxation. They made us do it in school when I was little and I have a mental block about it. I've had success with guided meditations on an app called insight timer. I've also had success with the worry box technique. If I decide I'm not going to deal with something till another time it goes into the worry box.
This video was the tool I needed to figure out how meditation is supposed to work. Then it's just a matter of practice afterwards.
My problem has always been that I find breathing too boring to ever manage to focus on it for any length of time.
That's like saying you can't learn to swim because the water is always too cold. Yes it's cold, you just go in the water anyway. It's okay to feel bored. Just be bored and continue.
Does he think people are just switching their brains to 'flow-state'? Did he hear about meditation for the first time? No idea what he's talking about.
Yesh this sounds like a wild misunderstanding of what neurotypicality is actually like...