Meditation as a remedy against fanaticism

Extreme and violent attitudes come from minds that do not practice meditation.

Every now and then we have for breakfast the discovery, thanks to scientists from the five continents, of new applications of meditation techniques. new applications of Mindfulness and Meditation Mindfulness and Meditation techniques for the improvement of human capacities.

Self-awareness, Flow and Meditation

The boom of meditation has allowed us to know without any doubt that the regular practice of these techniques helps us to concentrate, to develop the capacity of self-awareness, flow and meditation. self-awarenessThe boom of meditation has allowed us to know without any doubt that the regular practice of these techniques helps us to concentrate, to develop the capacity of self-awareness, to enter in a state of Flow to practice sports, to write (those of us who write) and a long etcetera.

In reality, the applications are practically unlimited, since in short, practicing Meditation and Mindfulness allows us to "shine" our intrinsic abilities.We would otherwise remain hidden from consciousness; we would live without knowing that they are within us. Meditate, as the Buddhahelps us to awaken; Mindfulness, as a humanist psychologist would say, serves to help us help ourselves, serves to help us to help ourselves..

A possible recipe against fanaticism

In this sense, I dare to affirm that meditating would also be a wonderful antidote against any kind of fanaticism. a wonderful antidote against any kind of fanaticism.. Whether we are talking about nationalist, religious or sporting fanaticism, the most radical human passions are characterized by the acritical reactivity of the egos of a particular group, animated by a leadership capable of stirring up their passions. Write it down, this is the formula of any fanaticism: explosive egos and leaders skilled in their management. And whether we speak of higher or lower passions, the common characteristic is always that the fanatic individual lacks equanimity.

What is equanimity? As the Real Academia de la Lenguaequanimity is the ability to maintain equality and constancy of mind.. It would be something like watching the river from the shore instead of being dragged by the current. To such a succinct definition let us add that being equanimous also implies being able to temper the reactivity and automatisms of the ego, observing oneself from the outside and being aware of the emotions that affect us at any given moment.

The more equanimous we are, the greater our autonomy will be when it comes to reacting and, by being more aware of the process, we will be able to decide if we prefer to leave the uncritical and sheepish masses, if only to stop being guided by skillful manipulators. Who better to lead one's own life than oneself, don't you think?

The key is not in isolating oneself but in intellectual equanimity.

By this I do not mean that the ideal, the pinnacle of vital development is to become solitary individuals, devoid of signs of identity, far from it. Being fair-minded, one can also be a Barça or Valencia supporter, hold certain political convictions or others, profess one faith or another. The nuance is that being equanimous I will be able to question myself as a person as well as question my beliefs and reactions, adapting and modifying them.adapting and modifying them when I consider it necessary. The same will be true for the convictions that others put to me: I will be able to contemplate them without fear of losing my identity. It will not be necessary to fall into the confrontation of sides.

Well, all of this can be achieved purely and simply by by meditating. In fact, the exercise of meditation could also be called the "practice of equanimity. By repeatedly withdrawing our attention from the mental and emotional back-and-forth that goes on chaotically within us and focusing on the breath (or any other object of attention), we create an insulating barrier between us and our egotistical automatisms. We begin to take control and exercise it.

An equanimous psyche is a balanced psyche.

Also, as has been shown in many of the studies done on these techniques, as we generate equanimity within ourselves, it will also be reflected in our daily lives. will be reflected in our daily lives. What happens inside happens outside.

So, if only to wrest from them the power that politicians or sports and religious leaders have over us, don't tell me it's not worth learning to be more equanimous. Needless to say, it's not in their interest for you to be, they're out of business.