Meditation as a Cognitive Loop

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Hello,

This post is in reference to a thread I was just reading and was initiated by Theurj called "the end of enlightenment?" Sorry if I spelled the name or title incorrectly. The thread had links to other threads in other forums which i did not read all of yet and neither did I read all of the main thread above yet. Neverheless...

I thought I would throw in a possible interpretation of what occurs in meditation when one is directing meditation towards an ultimate goal of non-conceptual awareness. This interpretation may not be anything novel so I apologize beforehand if it doesn't add much to the discussion.

One is given the injunction of meditation by someone (i.e. guru) or something (a text) and one believes at the very least that it is possible to achieve non-conceptual awareness. One could also just come to the conclusion that this non-conceptual awareness is possible on their own. However, if one is learning that this is possible, then this belief could influence the development of non-conceptual awareness. In other words, this belief, that non-conceptual awareness is possible, is central to the development of non-conceptual awareness. Around this belief, one uses confirmation bias to further fortify the construction of non-conceptual awareness. Therefore, what one believed was a deconstruction of conceptions "down" to the nature of non-conceptual mind, that is considered to be the ultimate nature of mind and/or reality, one has actually created a state of mind that is experienced and/or described as the ultimate nature of mind and/or reality (termed "non-conceptual").

Lastly, the creation of non-conceptual awareness is interpreted to be metaphysically true. Remember, all you need is the belief that it is possible for it to occur. But how does that mean it is a metaphysical truth? I would claim that that metaphysical belief is also operating in the one who is meditating. In the end, you have a cognitive loop of meditation. A belief, or more aptly beliefs lead to the results you achieve, but yet you consider those beliefs to be essentially inconsequential in developing non-conceptual awareness. And yet, that is just another belief, which is promulgated by that (guru, text, your own developed belief) which gave you the injunction of meditating towards non-conceptual awareness at the beginning of this meditative journey.

I hope I explained this adequately because it's rather succinct.

Btw kela, I read Ian Hacking's "Rewriting the Soul: Multiple Personality and the Sciences of Memory" at least a few years ago. I couldn't recall if I ever had the chance to mention this to you. It was great.