This was an interesting post. I've considered doing a vipassana myself, but have never had the time to commit to such an enterprise... and like you've found, I have an aversion to cultish behaviour.
I'd just like to say, as a Buddhist myself (and a scientist, ex-science educator and current medical student) that the behaviour you experienced is not true to what I would consider the essence of Buddhism itself. The thing that drew me to Buddhism over a decade ago was a very simple tenet: ehipassiko. The Buddha himself said to question everything, even what he himself said, and to discard anything that did not hold with your own perceptions of the world. It's this little Pali word, ehipassiko, that allows me to not be conflicted in my beliefs.
I hope your view of meditation and Buddhism isn't tainted by this experience.
I'll be honest. My first thought: "Wait, you shouldn't be online & posting yet. Something's wrong, were you kicked out? No it doesn't seem like you to be forcibly removed. Neither does it seem like you to quit something early without a reason. Was there an accident?"
The pseudoscience would have annoyed me as well, especially when it was billed as being so much otherwise. I always get nervous when people claim something as a fact without any verifiable proof. Good to hear you stuck to your guns though & got out of there.
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I'd just like to say, as a Buddhist myself (and a scientist, ex-science educator and current medical student) that the behaviour you experienced is not true to what I would consider the essence of Buddhism itself. The thing that drew me to Buddhism over a decade ago was a very simple tenet: ehipassiko. The Buddha himself said to question everything, even what he himself said, and to discard anything that did not hold with your own perceptions of the world. It's this little Pali word, ehipassiko, that allows me to not be conflicted in my beliefs.
I hope your view of meditation and Buddhism isn't tainted by this experience.
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The pseudoscience would have annoyed me as well, especially when it was billed as being so much otherwise. I always get nervous when people claim something as a fact without any verifiable proof. Good to hear you stuck to your guns though & got out of there.
Also, welcome to a February of no zany ideas! :D
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I know that I should get together with others and strengthen my own spirituality, but I hate having to filter everything through my bullshite meter.
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