Comments on: Isolation: The Prisoner and the Yogi

By: jubjubbird

jubjubbird — Sun, 10 May 2009 09:31:38 +0000

I found this thread specifically because I was researching the negative effects of isolation on the mind for a paper. I am currently in a pre-med program studying for psychiatry. Although I wouldn’t claim to be an expert, I have studied the intricacies of the human mind for quite some time now. There are two points I would like to make 1) Long term isolation, whether self imposed or not, can be detrimental. We test what is or is not real against others all the time. The symptoms described in these prisoners are similar to schizophrenia, where what is and is not real becomes hard to distinguish. That being said, those who choose isolation for the purpose of enlightenment have a particular goal in mind. The isolation (as far as I can tell) is a means toward that end. This goal, then, should allow them to endure long term isolation better than those who have it forced upon them, and who arguably are not the most stable people to begin with. 2) How many people, upon realizing that they were losing their grip on reality and suffering from heart-breaking, mind-numbing loneliness, would not give up their isolation and return to a social group. I would argue that those who would seek isolation to the point of functional impairment would in fact probably qualify for a mental disorder before the effects of long term isolation were factored in.

By: Sepiaaahhh

Sepiaaahhh — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:37:43 +0000

Even self-inflicted and religiously oriented isolation can have some negative effects on the human psyche.

Know from experience.

By: sn

sn — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 06:02:16 +0000

Gopi Krishna’s account acknowledges the real possibility of mental breakdown/mental illness. I think this kind of “danger” is fairly well known. For those who avoid these negative outcomes, there appears to be a chance to experience something transcendent.

http://www.ecomall.com/gopikrishna/

By: Nanda Kishore

Nanda Kishore — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:20:36 +0000

MoorNam (#69),

That is such a cop out. Apparently, you are never wrong, which is why you stick to lazy theories and then twist the argument to fit your hypothesis when the flaw is pointed out.

Doctors are 'wired for it'???!!! Ok, I'll buy that!

By: Nanda Kishore

Nanda Kishore — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:14:06 +0000

Intelligent design as an umbrella term is a perfectly valid philosophical idea to have.

Your idea of intelligent design may be different from the theory of "Intelligent Design" that people are concerned about. It's so pointless to discuss and worse, theorize (as opposed to speculate, which is fine) ideas that cannot be examined by their very nature.

By: Nanda Kishore

Nanda Kishore — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:07:21 +0000

The supermax is super f'ed up.

Most sensible comment yet...

By: Sri

Sri — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:11:12 +0000

Abhi, I think you are wrong in comparing a study which forced isolation to a way of life which CHOSE isolation. Even when they are isolated from humans, their movement is not restricted. I think this is key point.

Such isolation romantics are found in west too. Google "Chris McCandles".

By: Mish

Mish — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:25:30 +0000

This is slightly off topic but I am dying to hear comments on this gem forwarded to me by a "friend".

Yoga makes us all christs - Catholic Church warns of dangers of yoga - Catholic Culture

By: half-desi

half-desi — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:42:24 +0000

The supermax is super f'ed up. Of course people are going to go crazy--without doubt.

One exception I've read is the author "From Yale to Jail" when he was thrown in the hole in a US prison decades ago. A mafioso was pulled out before him, going raving mad, but the author had visions of universal love--he was living a pacifist life at the time and had protested something or the other.

By: half-desi

half-desi — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:33:08 +0000

One thing re: "yogis in isolation" is that even the Tibetan hermits we know of know (years in the Himalayas, etc.) are exposed to the natural rhythms of nature. Sun is setting, rising, etc.

I remember going to a "newcomers" question/answer session at a tibetan center. One random visitor (w/o training) said his friend tried meditating in the basement in a dark, small room after reading about some kind of tibetan pracitice in a book. The friend went screaming out of the room after he thought his mother came through the wall in a cadillac.

The lama at the center slapped nearly slapped himself in the forehead. "Americans are crazy. You can't do something like that without proper practices and teachings. There are very specific practices for these types of things."

The supermax is super f'ed up. Of course people are going to go crazy--without doubt.