Bizarro is brought to you today by Munch Racing.
I skipped posting this cartoon in the correct chronological sequence because I’m not sure of its merit. So many spoofs (I love that word, don’t know why) of Munch’s “Scream” have been done so I felt like this idea was a little trite. Still, with the use of the texting shorthand, (OMG means “Oh My God,” for those of you who have just awakened from a 40-year coma and are reading this while looking at a computer for the first time in your life), it is current and lots of people like that kind of stuff. This morning, I received a comment from a reader who wanted to see it on the blog so it could be shown to a friend, so here it is. I am nothing if not accommodating to my precious blog readers.
This next cartoon was the brainchild of a friend of mine from my previous life back in Texas. It immediately made me chuckle because I hate contest shows and love meditation. Thanks, Keith.
I started mediating about a year ago at the suggestions of a friend of mine and a therapist I was seeing (professionally) at the time. I had ignored the topic for years because I mistakenly thought that it was another hocus-pocus, spiritual thing of some sort, like speaking in tongues. In truth, there is tons of science behind it showing it to be a terrific brain exercise which achieves all kinds of benefits: reduced stress, better concentration, higher I.Q., less anxiety, the list goes on and on.
Meditation can be a bit elusive at first but incredibly simple once you get it. You don’t even have to sit in a funny way. If done properly, you will experience unusual things that many people associate with spirituality. Scientists will tell you that these things are simply normal functions for a brain entering a state of meditation, which is relaxation and hyper-awareness simultaneously. Like the stars you see when you stand up too fast and get a head rush, they aren’t spirits, they’re just manifestations of what your brain is going through. (With mediation, you don’t get head rushes, I’m just using that as an example.) Still, many people insist they are connecting to some kind of universal force or whatever, which is fine if you’re into it, so whether you believe in hocus-pocus or not, there are a lot of benefits to daily meditation and I highly recommend it. If you’re interested in reading more about it, the book that got me started was “Wherever You Go, There You Are,” by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Out of curiosity, I also took a course in Transcendental Meditation, but it is expensive so I don’t recommend it. The info they give is so incredibly simple that I’m certain you can find it on the web for free (even though they make you sign a form saying you will never reveal what you learned). If you really like ritual and hocus-pocus, you might benefit from their course, which they drag out over several days and really drill into your head. (In a friendly way, no intimidation involved.) I, on the other hand, am only interested in the science of it and do not believe in the magic of a specific mantra, so I could have been taught what they have to offer in minutes. Just my opinion, I’m not an expert. I was, however, able to use what TM taught me to improve my meditations, and have been experiencing the benefits for almost a year. That’s my mixed review, take it for what it is worth.
Bizarro products that you need if you want to be happy can be found here.
This blog post came at a good time, I am considering taking a course in mindfulness meditation at the local rec center. For $60 bucks I think it should be worth it. Thanks!
Totally worth it. Enjoy.
*g* Young Frankenstein :-)
Oh yeah, I meditate daily. Usually at the end of the day when I can pour a big martini and sit in my favorite chair. If a cigar is available, then all the better. I can get positively spiritual for about 30 minutes just sipping away on that drink.
Mind you, I don’t drink it for the alcohol. It just helps me get my mind right.
Thanks for blogging. I read and obey.
Wanna quiet your mind…wanna not let old shit bother you…wanna just release… mantras come in handy for that, as you may have discovered. I don’t know about the cumulative effect, but I know they’re a lovely snort in a moment of need.
I think mantras are a very useful tool and use them myself. To clarify what I meant in the post, the TM folks tend to treat the mantra like a magic word: you can never change it and you can never tell anyone else what it is. It doesn’t cease to work if you change it or tell someone what it is. That’s just superstitious silliness, in my opinion.
Dan, re your comment on telling people your mantra, I’ve heard it said that a mantra is like a cipher…and that held secret it remains psychologically more powerful. I’ve always felt there was something to that.
That’s what they say, but I think that gives the mantra some kind of magical powers that it cannot logically possess. Obviously, if you’re the kind of person who believes the power of your mantra is in its secrecy, then you should keep it to yourself. I’m just not that guy.
Most large US cities have a Shambhala Meditation Center. On Open House night (check their web site), you can receive free meditation instruction with no obligation or tripping. What you are taught is genuine Tibetan mindfulness meditation (shamatha) as has been taught for over a thousand years. No vow of secrecy needed :-)
Good stuff!
So you think you can meditate. Love it!!!! Combines the most outwardly focused activity with the most internally focused one.
ha ha that meditation show would be really boring for the viewers is my guess. great cartoon!
Oh cool! Thanks for posting a photo of us! I’m the man with the hat and the moustache on the right in the front row. Now you know.
In the Munch comic — your coloring looks different. Were you trying something new (or am I hallucinating)?
Regarding meditation, the use of a specific mantra always baffled me. When in high school (California, mid-70′s), we actually had an assembly at which some TM people spoke (kind of like an infomercial). The “magic mantra” seemed suspect to me at the time, so I really cracked up later when I read Tom Robbin’s Still Life with Woodpecker, in which Bernard says his mantra is “Yum”. If the topic of mantras ever comes up, I still say that mine is “Yum”.
On the coloring, I was just trying to imitate the colors of the painting. I haven’t read “Still Life with Woodpecker” but “yum” is a terrific mantra!
Thanks Dan. My wife had the same comment about the triteness (OMG “Scream”
). I guess I have a weird sense of humor (as you do also too). – Roger
Dan,
Thanks for this blog and the book recommendation. A meditation discipline is something that I have wanted to incorporate into my life for a few years now, but I tend to feel that with a job, a relationship, 5 boys, and an old dog to take care of, I just don’t know where to work it into my day. When I have tried it, I find my mind wandering, anxious about what I should be doing instead of meditating! Is this something you do as a couple, with A? Or is it a solitary practice?
Namaste!
CHNW does it, too, but we don’t do it “together,” per se. It is hard to find time to do it, I know what you mean, but just like many things, if you force yourself at first, you find you have the time. The wandering mind thing is very common, especially at first. I’d recommend reading a book about it and inching toward it that way.
Not sure if meditating would be the right thing for me… but let me sit awhile and think about it.
Actually my old man would freak if he found out that I was meditating since it is a “proven” tool of the de-vil. Done – modification found. (still poking dad with stick after 44 years)
Great work as always Dan. I’ll check out the meditation book and hopefully arrive at a different position clearly stress free and hyper-awareness simultaneously.
Hope your doing well, it’s been years.
Casey, Deana, Grant, and Ella
Pingback: Mr Beloved and Our Heroine visit the psychologist | Caity Makes ...
Dear Dan,
Yep – love the Munch and the meditation cartoon! (I have shamelessly copied the images but linked back to your blog – I hope it’s ok, if not, I will take the images down…) Mindfulness is helping me, but I will always need pharmaceutical intervention as well – and that’s ok.
Love your work, been a fan for ages, but rarely comment…
Dan,
I totally agree with hating contest shows, but So You Think You Can Dance is so much more than standard reality television! My girlfriend (a life-long dancer) swears by the show so I started watching it with her. Aside from promoting artistic expression through the physical act of dance, the show results in more dancers being able to make a living doing what they love, is supported by many legends of dance, and brings more exposure to/supports a whole slew of world class choreographers. While it’s far from perfect, it definitely doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with other standard contest shows.
…that’s not to say the comic isn’t great, though. Just wanted to defend the show a bit! My girlfriend is going to get a big kick out of it. I particularly appreciate how you mimicked their style. Keep up the great work!
I bought Wherever You Go years and years ago, then went out and bought one for my daughter and a friend. It’s been sitting on a dusty bookshelf for a couple of years now, so time to brush it off! Thanks for the reminder.
Pingback: so you think you can meditate « the invisible zen library
Pingback: Shambhala SunSpace » A Bizarro moment on Shambhala SunSpace
Pingback: Savaka Sangha | Blog | A Bizarro moment on Shambhala SunSpace
Pingback: theworsthorse.com: the Buddhist sub- and pop-culture site | “Home of the Dharma-Burger” » Blog Archive » More funny from Bizarro