You're a yogi! or where the madness starts Bashny.Net

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Five conditions for a single bird
First — to the highest point it reaches;
The second — in company she is not suffering, even of the same birds as she;
Third — its beak directed to the sky;
Fourth — she had no particular color;
Fifth — she sings very quietly.

San Juan de La Cruz
"Talk about light and love"

Carlos Castaneda "tales of power"

I'll start with the nagging, I guess.
The concept of "Yoga" for many years, has ceased to be something mysterious, available only to a narrow circle of "initiates" of the esoteric knowledge. On the contrary, yoga practice and yoga became a social phenomenon, firmly entered into the everyday life of many people as engaged in self-improvement and leading a healthy lifestyle or just give their tribute to fashion.

And as in any social phenomenon of our time, there was a lot of discussion on the topic — and what should be a yogi? The main thing that confuses me is the question is the word should. I'd like to ask: who should I? When I had something to owe? Like no one and nothing was taken and not borrowed, just once began the practice of very specific exercises to maintain the health and General physical condition. Practiced it for several years and suddenly, one day, someone says to me: well, you're a yogi, then why are you acting like this? Show emotions, or why you eat meat, but still consume beer? Well, beer is okay, we also sometimes drink, but the meat — it's impossible, it makes us aggressive, likens animals, pollutes the energy channels and degrades the flexibility and all that, but in General texts on yoga it is prohibited, and all yoga is only vegetarians, and raw foodists even better. And it ruins the karma. What about compassion for all living things? And bad emotions to be impossible, and even better to experience. It is impossible to be angry, offended, jealous, etc. Must be completely calm and unemotional or always to smile, to be gentle and affectionate, complacent and always be touched. That's it!
Somehow, nobody comes to stop feeling physical pain, and General physical sensations, but the emotional sphere of a yogi should be castrated. It needs to be what it wants to see around, just have to meet their requirements and expectations, and they will condemn him, cease to communicate with him and deprive the high rank of yoga. Here's the situation. It turns out that I did all this not for himself but for others. For those others that read a lot different books and listening to spiritual teachers, has suddenly taken it upon themselves to judge me for my lifestyle. But my lifestyle has always been so, and none have to do with it until I laid the Mat down and started to wrap it in a variety of sites. It turned out that because of this rug and a couple of compound exercises, I became the object of attention of the radical supporters of yoga and a healthy lifestyle. And even had the nerve to finish the courses yoga teacher and started doing group classes! After all, I thrust the rod, tugging on the bar, running sneakers or just stick to gymnastics — no one would have cared to my menu and behavior in society. And then, of course — Mat bed, legs crossed, then yoga! Then, eat only things that will show, behave like one and don't mind. And the fact that I have higher education in medicine, and, therefore, knowledge of physiology, biochemistry and food hygiene, nobody cares, and indeed all this crap, and would-be doctors did not really know. And no diseases from malnutrition there, and essential amino acids garbage, and in the body they have still produced, despite the fact that essential. And the opinions I have on this account can not be, or rather can, but it should be the same as in the "ancient spiritual tradition". In short, to be like, and if you still stand, you in best look with regret as the black sheep, you're the bastard have the audacity to consume. No output from said I can not do, and not really trying. One thing is clear to me that my life is not a theorem in geometry, and to prove to someone something I do not have, and even more to report.
And I beg you, do not forget that I'm a psychiatrist. Maybe you just scared?
Fanaticism is a sign of suppressed doubt. If a person really believes he is right, he is absolutely calm and can discuss the opposite point of view without a shadow of resentment. /C. G. Jung, "the Tavistock lectures"/

But this story is just beginning.
My yoga practice has gone through several stages, one of which was a disappointment. The frustration that I do. It happened as a sudden and all of a sudden, but I'm well aware that the true causes of the incident have been accumulating for a very long time. This was preceded by frequent reflections on how some bodily exercises can make a person better morally and spiritually? My first conclusions were disappointing:
"and no...". Just "...it does not affect consciousness. Through it you can train and improve cognitive processes, but not moral or social behavior."
But further studies showed that I was wrong. Were wrong in principle, but not the details. I have not been taken into account simple human error. It is known that any, even the most sophisticated practice in unskilled hands can instead use to bring harm. In Tibetan texts on ATI-yoga is referred to a class of students who are compared to "a dirty vessel." If such a vessel pour clean water, then it will inevitably deteriorate. It is the people, whose minds are clouded by unresolved internal conflicts and contradictions that distort the knowledge they receive. Practice yoga they do not bring relief, but only exacerbates existing problems.
But, nevertheless, obvious is the fact that many socially acceptable people have received from yoga practice are undeniable benefits. So what is the mechanism of action of practice on a human being? Good answer, in my opinion, gave one of the best specialists in Hatha-yoga Andrew Sidersky. As an example, let me quote one of his lyrics:
"For many years the quantitative accumulation of understanding from time to time lead to a qualitative change of approach. In the end, have accumulated a certain number of qualitative leaps... the quantity of quality in a new quality? Um... Dialectic... With all its advantages...
But the fun doesn't it... And the fact that all truly effective is so simple and obvious, and so obviously lies on the surface, which is not surprising, why is there still some practical aspects to remain unnoticed... And it would be nice if just me...
It turns out... ATTENTION — then follows a REVELATION!!!
Here it is: literally PHYSICALLY acting by performing gymnastic forms into the mechanisms of neuro-endocrine regulation in your body, it turns out that You can quite easily teach your consciousness to manage all levels of Your human functionality — from organic matter to the thin abstractions... For...
"... this is Hatha yoga, bed steps under the feet of every one who aspires to the heights of Raja yoga". If modern:
"this is exercise, practice which develops the ability to understand themselves and to control the behavior of the mind."
You will be surprised and say, "this is So obvious! And has been known for thousands of years..." Here and I about the same..."
But let's get back to the interrupted story of unaccounted-for human factor.
Over the years of practice combined with normal everyday life, with all its domestic and social problems that befell my disappointment in the practice, belonged to the so-called "yoga at home", i.e. to the product of the "social supermarket", which sells "enlightenment." But this does in no way refers to the original yoga (yoga of the unseen), which is a process of deep integration of our psyche. And to be completely honest with myself, that's the real reason for my disappointment was not in yoga, but the people who practiced (or believed to practice).

Being familiar with this layer of the Russian sannyasins, not only with her, I met so many people from different areas and traditions, saw how they manifest themselves in society, in personal life, at different trainings and seminars and learned about their opinions and views on life. Some of them made me a very strong impression, from someone I could learn useful skills. But I have a good experience of self-inquiry, and so I have something to compare.
I was convinced that a considerable number of practicing "yoga visible", in fact, much stronger suffer from deep internal problems than those who have never any practitioners not engaged in, nor what kind of spirituality did not even care, and just live your normal life. Moreover, most of these "yogis" even nature has become even worse than they were before practice. They began to escalate until the pathology of those personality traits that made them less adapt to society.

It would seem that such a direction as yoga, by its very nature designed to reconcile man with its internal contradictions, to remove restrictions of various kinds, and persuasion, suddenly leads to the opposite result. How did the opposite effect? Upon further careful review, I stated the fact that these pair of yoga (I will call them that), almost without exception, to a greater or lesser extent, suffer from various personality disorders, including psychopathic to change.
And I began to observe.

As has been known since the works of P. B. Gannushkina, a leading symptom of psychopathology is social exclusion. In some milder cases, I have noted a couple of yogis pronounced personality accentuation, which in practice began to deteriorate. But the main trouble was the fact that these same personality and characterological changes, by the subjects started to be interpreted as signs of successful practice and their "spiritual advancement". Sometimes they expressed ideas about the beginning of the process of "cleaning" their consciousness, or more trenchant — thin, so-called energy body, when all that is superfluous and detrimental to their spiritual advancement out of everyday life. While not considered the fact that they continue to live in modern society and all of the available benefits of civilization. Upon further observation I was able to identify a number of characteristic features as predisposing to the development of this psychopathology, and resulting from its aggravation:

1. The depreciation originally available to the General level of education and desire for esoteric and mystical knowledge.
2. The idea of entitlement and exclusivity of the "gray crowd", with a pronounced contempt for the latter.
3. The desire to artificially reduce the emotional sphere in the form of rejection of negative emotions, or a constant desire to only positive emotions and attempts to stop the internal dialogue. The criticality of the failure of the realization of these aspirations is ignored, the criticality disappears. Game Guru, accompanied by psychotic arrogance.
4. Obsessive desire to achieve altered States of consciousness (ASCS) as a criterion of "spiritual advancement".
5. Belonging to a spiritual tradition (always with a dedication).
6. Experimentation with psychedelic drugs in the name of ideas.
7. Rigid adherence to certain rules without which you cannot consider yourself a yogi, by suppressing his real desires, and coercion "adherents" to such actions.
8. A fixity in a certain idea, which over time can become obsessive or overvalued. Most often it is the principle of Ahimsa, non-violence, which is manifested in strict vegetarianism (excluding lifestyle and environmental conditions).
9. Intolerant of dissent as his colleagues and others, with the desire to convert to their "faith" as much as possible the number of supporters that talks about nesamodostatochnosti.
10. Project your expectations on others, and "guru".
11. The desire to conform to a certain ideal image.
12. Self-justification of his own shortcomings and simultaneously tough demands on others.
13. Demonstrative (deviance) behaviors — the outward appearance to show their affiliation to duhovnomu and traditional.
14. The formation of a persistent pattern of magical thinking and magical picture of the world.
15. Pathological arrogance. So, social networking can be to stumble on such statements. As "carrion eaters", "lumpens with beer," "rednecks" and so on. Itself, such persons may call a loud pretentious nicknames — the planet, the sun, the Main Head of the Time, etc. Well, if this is a joke.
16. Intolerance of criticism, harassment of dissenters and their humiliation.

And again I want to quote Andrew Sidorskogo: "We are now faced with a situation that could be observed in the USA in the early nineties. Locationname became those who in life failed to achieve anything anywhere — dropout, losers and romantically minded slackers with a high level of claims for their own uniqueness".
It overestimated their abilities, their talents and skills, his wisdom and insight is at the core in determining the representatives of the paranoid type. Hence their deep conviction that everything they do is always correct, what they think and say is always the truth of that claim — always have the unconditional right.

Therefore, they are never inclined to ask advice, impervious to the most friendly criticism, not convinced, do not listen to objections, not prone to compromise, painfully sensitive and vulnerable. Encountering objections, rejection, neglect, they easily become angry, blame others for inability to understand their wise ideas, to appreciate their achievements, praise them for "justice" and "truth".

Everywhere they see the malice and collusion of the offenders. Become secretive, fearing that any information about them will be used against them. They are "swerdlin", always on the alert, ready to give a decisive rebuff. Other people's sorrows leave them indifferent, but the success and joy of others unbearable for them as if they were taken away from them. They have no sense of humor and are capable only of ridicule, humiliate others. Unusual for them and empathy, and tenderness, and romantic love. They have no true friends, only minions, meekly recognizing their leadership, be about them. They skillfully seek out possible allies among the people the near and dissatisfied with their situation and create although few in number, but fully support their team. Hands often act and speak by the mouth fallen under their influence themselves remain on the sidelines, but clearly directing the actions and statements of its adherents. The latter often hold about yourself with promises, with promises and hints on proximity to high authorities. In the fight with his actual and perceived enemies ready to use shameful methods — anonymous letters and slanderous denunciations, slick protrusion of foreign small missteps, inflating of scandals, a masterful pitting of some others and just blackmail.

"Success in yoga will reach anyone who will be able to overcome his laziness. No matter young or old, sick, weak or even decrepit. Just exercise consistently. For how to succeed? From the books of little use: only one reading of the not achieve success. And dressed up in clothes which are yogis, and all sorts of sacred objects for yourself hung — also will achieve nothing. It was in vain, as idle talk about Unity, about Knowledge, about Power, about other high matters. Only relentless practice — the secret of success. This truth is, doubt can be no. Asanas, and special methods of breathing, and other techniques is Hatha yoga, which is practiced until, until you are a result — Regal state of yoga — the Realization of Unity."
"Hatha Yoga Pradipika"1-66, 1-67, 1-68, 1-69.

It would seem that it can be confusing? Said very clearly and accurately. But life, as usual, is different. And people living in modern society and practicing this ancient doctrine, as a rule, rarely fully understand the content of instruction. And the lower the level of education of these people, the less of this understanding. But a lot of lengthy and wordy arguments about human nature, about the spiritual revelations and truths.

Sometimes the situation is reminiscent of illustrations from psychiatric journals.
As a clinical example, consider a curriculum vitae a teacher of a well-known yoga centre of Moscow. Among several dozen similar to each other brief descriptions "of the way in yoga" it is not quick and is a step-by-step and detailed biography. Moreover, the author with obsessive precision and thoroughness, carefully underlines the exclusiveness and uniqueness of his life path and his key role in the development and popularization of yoga (as much) in Russia and adjacent territories.

From his biography, the author completely excludes the fact, like he never existed that he actively belonged to the "lumpen with beer", which is now burning under the fire of his abuse. He displays, in addition to reduced criticism to self? One of primitive defense mechanisms — projection.

Merit and its many revealing articles about dishonest characters who dared to encroach on traditional yoga, decided to create an Association designed to unite and support the yoga clubs and studios in different directions.
On his personal page in social network he maintains an extensive discussion in which absolutely categorically interfere in the Affairs of one of Moscow's biggest yoga club, expressing inappropriate anger about the cafe menu and requiring the owner an immediate apology for the breach of yoga etiquette, with subsequent correction of this menu. Moreover, in the course of the discussion, it becomes apparent how the initiator incrementally deeper into a state of passion, expressing their extreme intolerance and anger to anyone who does not share his point of view. In his case, the previously declared abandonment of negative emotions, in practice, proved to be untenable.

In addition, our observable is created and published a "black list" of yoga teachers, who "have the audacity" to teach a class at one of the now very popular, they have not received a "proper" endorsement all the way from India, while he spent on this approval a lot of time and effort! Expressed unfounded requirement that anyone wishing to teach this direction must share his fate. And even better — to undergo training on his "plantation" is very expensive, of course. Although the actions listed in the "black list" of persons, from a legal point of view there is nothing wrong. Moreover, it should be said that some of them practice this direction much longer than the author of "black list".

It is interesting to note that such a revealing article and discussion are seasonal in nature, that is most pronounced in autumn and spring periods.
The author cannot be denied the ability to analyze the current situation, however, draws attention to the fact that when his "colleagues" seek to unite; to adhere to the principle of non-interference in the Affairs of others; trying to take into account the current situation in the country, and in accordance with this, to adapt to the new conditions, we are describing the character announce all the new crusade, and begins to fight for the observance of the purity of the tradition, and in fact, encourages all to adopt his own views on things.
Attack affects not only those who should be colleagues. Under aim fire of insults, anonymous, relatively anonymous, of course, letters are those who remember the "Great Guru" of the others whom he now considers human spit and garbage, do not hesitate to call for the destruction. No desire to list all the epithets which he gives "not wanting to improve yourself" — internal ethics can not reproduce here dirty swearing, which occurs in social networks and in private letters.
As a psychiatrist, I understand that this extremism is the desire to destroy the past, to renounce himself — very typical behavior for mentally unstable people. There is neither compassion nor acceptance, nor even the assumption that life is not going to be drawn to attention at his command. And people who remember him are not obliged to applaud his "feat" in cultivation.
As you know, history was already known attempts to create a new pure race. And certainly the concept of "spirituality" is not compatible with the hatred of the people, with a fierce intolerance of their imperfection.
Deserves attention and the appearance of our character. Being a man no longer young, he looks like a hippie teenager. Sloppy appearance (dirty shapeless pants, grime-covered leather jacket and a bandana), while the abundance of metal ornaments on the neck and arms, when you look at that question — and if they are interfering with him to normally carry out daily hygienic procedures? Probably, this mask is designed to distinguish it from the gray crowd and to indicate the category of the "aristocracy of the spirit" and the proponent of ancient traditions. And again I note the absence of criticism — too not like the appearance of our character for true yogis, and had to see more than once. This appearance met me in other places. Therefore, boldly let myself go to a psychiatrist.
All the described manner and demeanor revive in memory the fundamental work of P. B. Gannushkina about psychopathy.

"The most characteristic feature of the paranoid is their tendency to the formation of so-called overvalued ideas, in the power which they then appear; these ideas fill the mind of a paranoid and have a dominant influence on his behavior. The most important overvalued idea paranoid is usually thought of the special significance of his own personality. Accordingly, the main features of the psyche of people with paranoid character are very great selfishness, constant complacency and excessive self-conceit".

"The most characteristic feature of the paranoid is their tendency to form overvalued ideas, in the power which they then find themselves". For example, ideas of entitlement and elitism practiced them referrals or strict and rigid adherence to some rules, without complying with which you can call yourself a yogi.
"These ideas fill the mind of a paranoid and have a dominant influence on his behavior. The most important overvalued idea paranoid is usually thought about the importance of his own personality." (They are credited with creating new movements to any area that they first collected a very big and complete library of books on yoga, first received some kind of certificate and the right to teach, the first organized conference of international significance, etc.).

Accordingly, the main features of the psyche of people with paranoid character are very great selfishness, constant complacency and excessive self-esteem. In daily life this can manifest itself as attempts to interfere in the Affairs of their colleagues, the imposition of harsh critical judgment about their actions (the role of an arbitrator), attempts to expose "dishonest and attach themselves to slippery yoga personalities" that supposedly, in fact, pursuing only materialistic goals.

Following the experience of the great psychiatrist, we learn that "the paranoid — people are extremely narrow and one-sided: all the surrounding reality matters to them and of interest only insofar as it concerns their identities; all that does not have a close, intimate relationship to his "I", it seems the paranoid little worthy of attention, little interest". They reject and ridicule the achievements of modern science, often citing his "rich life experience", but that is typical, as a rule, are themselves poorly educated.

"All of the people with whom they have to come into contact, they are estimates solely on the attitude that they discover his activities, to his words; do not forgive nor indifference or disagreement. Who does not agree with the paranoid who does not like him, at best he is just a stupid man, and in the worst of his personal enemy."
"Paranoids suffer from a lack of critical ability, but the drawback is very unevenly distributed on different judgments. Everything that is not related to his personality, and the paranoid can judge correctly, but anything that affects his attitude toward people, everything that directly affects his personality, is not only false, but always in a certain way."

"In General, thinking paranoid, immature, shallow, and a number of features directly approaching the children: this thinking is not only subjective, but also dramatically affective painted: correct only what you want and like the paranoid".
Any judgment that is contrary to their views, angrily rejected any research, texts and experiments are not consistent with their view of the world declares them as unauthorized.

At the heart of their Rezonansi judgment is always one or the other an error of judgement very paranoid, but unaware to them in the power of his blinding affect, and because of the weakness of his critics.

They are quarrelsome and aggressive. Anyone who is paranoid the clash, who will allow themselves to do so, as he wants it and demands that he becomes his enemy; another reason for hostility is the fact of non-recognition by others talents and excellence paranoid.

In conclusion, come to mind the statement of C. G. Jung from his book "Memories, Dreams, Reflections", which has not lost its relevance today:

"Today, as never before, it becomes apparent that the danger threatening all of us comes not from nature but from man, it is rooted in personality psychology and the psychology of the mass. Mental disorder is a terrible danger. From that, correctly or not functioning in our consciousness. If certain people are about to lose their head, tomorrow will be detonated hydrogen bomb"! Summing up all that is written we can conclude that at the present stage of development of the practice of yoga, it becomes very attractive to people with hidden or obvious psychopathology. Apparently, they are attracted by external esotericist (mystery) which is a very fertile soil for the cultivation of their overvalued ideas about their chosenness and exceptionalism, which also contributes, as their initially low level of education lack of desire to improve, and the inability to be realized in life according to the generally accepted social criteria. A significant role in the development of the disease plays a the fact that take advantage of the appropriate philosophical platform of the Eastern traditions and reinforcing its various spiritual initiations such potential clients psychiatrists feel entitled, how to judge the lifestyle of his colleagues, and is sometimes rude to interfere in it, justifying it by high moral purpose.

Obvious to me is the fact that yoga may not be equally effective and useful for all.
In any case there is a question about the need for proper and correct practices that should be used under the guidance of an experienced specialist. A specialist may be considered only by those who are in sufficient and fully able to deal with their internal problems and have the ability to project them on others without losing the natural human qualities. Very well said about it all the same C. G. Jung in his autobiography, and though his words were addressed to doctors it can be attributed to yoga instructor:
"The therapist needs to understand not only his patient, in the same way, he must understand himself... Just in case, if the doctor is able to cope with their own problems, he can teach this patient... the Treatment gives an effect only when the physician feels are hurt. Only "hurt" heals. If the doctor — "man in armor", he's powerless."

 

Author: Dmitry Belyaev

source: terton.ru

Source: /users/1081