Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Mark L, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 5:19 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 5:19 AM

Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Posts: 90 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
Forum: Dharma Overground Discussion Forum

This is an article about what makes people function under stress and bounce back after stressful conditions. As a meditator, it was fascinating to me. Is this post too far off topic? (i.e. not highly-pragmatic or theoretically relevant)? If it is appropriate, I thought it might spark a bit of interesting discussion.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/184156/output/print

Would meditation allow people to function better under extreme conditions? Does meditation develop what elite forces personnel have a natural talent for? Is this sort of topic in the same universe as meditation? As a meditator how would I eventually react in sudden or extreme situations? Just recently I completely froze when someone started to sway and eventually fainted in front of me. I'd prefer that doesn't happen again. Does this fall under limited-range models of enlightenment?
Mark L, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 5:35 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 5:35 AM

RE: Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Posts: 90 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
And generally, does anything in the article apply to daily life vis a vis meditation?
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John Finley, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 9:20 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 9:20 AM

RE: Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Posts: 11 Join Date: 8/24/09 Recent Posts
Having been a "student" in one of the survival schools, and later working as an instructor in a simulated POW compound I can tell you the training is rigorous, intense and as close to real life as it can possibly be made without serious injury to our troops. The military's philosophy is to train under the same conditions that would be experienced in combat (i.e. exercises that entail long periods with little to no sleep, in all weather conditions, (try 100 + degrees Fahrenheit while breathing through a chemical mask and wearing charcoal-lined overalls!). When you start talking about training elite forces such as SEALS, Rangers, Special Forces, Parajumpers, etc, the stakes are raised considerably higher and they train to a much more rigorous standard than the average troop. The selection and training process for these units is designed to weed out those who don't have the physical or mental make up to perform the required tasks.

The payoff for these extreme tactics is that you get professionals who are able to function well in combat because they've been there, done that, got the t-shirts so to speak. There is no substitute for good training and having unflagging confidence in your team mates because you have trained with them to the point that you know what they will do in any given situation, and you know your own role in supporting them.

I ran into a lot of folks who I suspect probably were doing a contemplative practice of some sort. A very high number are skilled martial artists which employs a lot of meditative/contemplative philosophy.

Does meditation develop the natural talents? I don't think so - it may strengthen and support it, but most of these troops seem to be naturally hard-wired and predisposed for this kind of job.
beta wave, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 10:15 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 10:15 AM

RE: Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Posts: 5 Join Date: 8/30/09 Recent Posts
One piece of the article seems particularly relevant: stress innoculation. For meditation, it would translate as "time spent on the cushion". The more times you experience the destabilizing energies of meditation, the less likely they will throw off your practice.

But unfortunately, the rest of the article really highlights how differently people are wired --- and how trials can be created to find the people wired best for the task at hand. Not really relevant for meditation, since we already are the task at hand! emoticon
Mark L, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 11:21 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 11:21 AM

RE: Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Posts: 90 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
>> how trials can be created to find the people wired best for the task at hand

But, people with extraordinary inborn capacities give us clues about our own potential, what is latent and what might be cultivated. I guess that was one of the points I found interesting, along with whether "stress inoculation" has any parallels to what happens during meditation training.
Mark L, modified 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 11:23 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 4/14/09 11:23 AM

RE: Possibly OT: Elite Military Forces Bounce Back Faster

Posts: 90 Join Date: 8/22/09 Recent Posts
(I need to stop double posting, sorry all.) In terms of sharing this article, I'm not interested in becoming a super-soldier (yeah right), but I am interested in the boundaries and parameters of human potential and in what ways meditation reaches towards those boundaries.

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