Examples Of Descartes Second Meditation

Examples Of Descartes Second Meditation
Melike KavcД±oДџlu
Zeynep Direk
PHIL– 217
26 February 2016
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––Introduction Part–––
Firstly, we will see in the second meditation of Descartes claims that he certainly had the idea of that there is nothing that is certain in the world. For
him, to find the true knowledge what that should be used is doubting; in his philosophy if he cannot be sure of "something", then this "something" does
not exist. According to Second Meditation which in The Meditations on First Philosophy written by RenГ© Descartes "I suppose that everything I see
is false. I believe none of what my deceitful memory represents ever existed. I have no senses whatever. Body, shapes, extension, movement, and the
place are all chimeras. What then will be true? Perhaps just ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
These could be also a product of the imagination. "I" is not still sure of their certainty. However, if we look at the third meditation, Descartes
proves that the God exists and the God is not a deceiver. In this case, the rule of essence differs for God's essence. God's existence follows that its
own essence. We can paraphrase it like saying that if there is a something which is certain then its essence follows pursue from its own existence.
The essence of God is its perfection which comes from its existence. Therefore, Descartes asserts from that there would be no perfection provided
that God had not existed. This is kind of thinking like, I know there is a God which is perfect; I am able to think "God" and "the perfection"
separately but the reason why there is any perfection is the existence of
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Descartes Second Meditation Essay
With this foundation solidified, Descartes transitions in his second meditation to find this irrefutable certainty. The first meditation has provided the
criteria for truth, that if something is to be considered true, it must rule out any possibility of fallacy, and after this Descartes dives into his pursuit of
something that survives his skeptical test. The second meditation, subtitled "Concerning the Nature of the Human Mind: That It Is Better Known Than
the Body", begins with a quote regarding the previous meditation. "Yesterday's meditation has thrown me into such doubts that I can no longer ignore
them, yet I fail to see how they are to be resolved... Nevertheless I will work my way up and will once again attempt the same path I entered

Exploring the Practices and Types of Meditation
Stated most simply, Meditation is the practice of deep concentration of the mind. The practice involves either altered state of mind or relaxed state of
body. Meditation has been around for thousands of years. Evidence of the practice can be found throughout history in many different religions and
many different places in the world.
In the past decades, the practice has gained new popularity in the world for its physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. Many people have tried
and felt the benefit, then they embrace the practice on daily basis.
In short, meditation is an ancient practice of altering consciousness that can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing.
Because of distorted teachings and different beliefs, there are many, many kinds of different meditation techniques, styles, practices and methods
designed for different purposes and taught by different sects and groups. It is very hard to differentiate all the techniques, styles, practices and methods
because of the vast amount of information that available in this subject. Nevertheless, here are some popular kinds of meditation
The first meditation I would like to mention is called Mindfulness, also called 'Vipassana', comes from the Buddhist tradition because it was "invented"
and taught by the Buddha Gautama himself. In my opinion, mindfulness is the most common form of meditation practiced in this modern world and
the most popular meditation taught in commercial meditation schools because of its

Descartes Second Meditation Analysis
In the first meditation Descartes is seeking to doubt all his beliefs to determine if any of his beliefs are true. Descartes says, "However, I have
noticed that the senses are sometimes deceptive; and it is a mark of prudence never to place complete trust in those who have deceived us once"
(18). He suggested that all our senses can be deceiving most of the time meaning that we should not rely on our senses most of the times. For
example, when wax is heated it becomes a liquid. The wax changed into a different shape and our eyes tells us it something else, but in our mind we
know it is still wax. Our sense deceives us so much that we adapt and learn from the mistakes. We must be able to doubt our own beliefs to gain
knowledge towards the truth. From everything that we learn and corrected from the mistakes will form a belief that we can believe is true. Then we
can have a firm belief of what's true and what's false. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There is one thing that I can be sure of and that is I exist. Descartes says, "I am, I exist" (25) and "Yet I am a true thing and am truly existing; but
what kind of thing? I have said it already: a thinking thing" (27). I have the states of thinking which means I exist. I have knowledge of my existence
only as a thinking thing. I think therefore I exist there is nothing that can make me doubt that I exist. Knowing that this belief cannot be false and will
always be true. No one can prove you wrong when your beliefs is firm and lasting with no

Meditation: An Ancient And Culturally Rich Life
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Like there's not enough hours in the day? Do you ever try your best to concentrate in class or at work, but you just
zone out into space? What if I told you that sitting down, and doing absolutely nothing, once a day, every day for a month would cure you all those
problems? Well, help, not necessarily cure. The ancient art and practice ofmeditation can help you deal with all of those things and give you surprising
results.
Meditation is an ancient, historical, and culturally rich lifestyle, has scientifically proven benefits, relevant to the world today, and everyone should try
it for a month. Today I will show you how meditation can improve your health, make you concentrate and be more productive, and ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
It can improve your health, improve concentration and productivity, and help you sleep better. Meditation is an ancient, historical, and culturally rich
lifestyle, has scientifically proven benefits, relevant to the world today, and everyone should try it for a month. I would like to leave you all with a
famous quote from Budha. "Budha Was once asked "What have you gained from meditation? He replied. Nothing! However. Budha said, Let me tell
you what I lost. Anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, and fear of old age and

Comparing Buddhism, Vipassana Meditation And Beliefs
Meditation is a practice where an individual focuses on calming the mind by concentrating on their breathing. In the Buddhists tradition, meditation is
practiced as a way to be liberated from suffering and to reach enlightenment. This essay will go more into detail about some of the Theravada
meditation practices such as SamДЃdhi, Vipassana, and The Four Immeasurables.
The human mind has three basic functions: to think, feel and crave. The mind consists of thoughts and emotions that are often times unstable and
always fluctuating to the point that there is never truly a peace of mind. Constant desires for satisfaction leaves the mind unable to remain still.
Meditation is often practiced to put an end to cravings, intrusive thoughts, and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The mind often fabricates false ideas and perceptions about the world and people around them, however, by meditating, one gains awareness of one's
thoughts and truly understands the true nature of things by developing wisdom. The development of awareness from insightful meditation is what
makes people capable of removing oneself from ignorance (Swearer 98). Ignorance is the lack of truly knowing or misinterpreting the truth about a
person or situation. What Vipassana meditation does is helps an individual to truly see things for what it is without the mind's false illusions. For
instance, in America, students are constantly pressured by parents to compete and do better than classmates in order to be eligible for medicine.
Students often times will do as their parents say but fail to realize that while it may seem that their parents want what is best for their children, the
parents are actually guiding their children to a path of unhappiness. Pressured choices most often always end up in dissatisfaction. In other words,
students are being pressured to be materialistic individuals and will have set up for themselves a future of unhappiness. In this context, students are
pursuing certain careers because a high paying career will provide more objects that one might think will bring happiness is a choice based on
ignorance. Further, insightful meditation allows an individual to truly understand existence and omit the illusioned idea of the self (Swearer 99).
Often times, those who are driven by material, greed and desires consider themselves superior to others. When people shrink their sense of self, is
when one is truly able to see the world for what it actually is, it is then that people are able to enjoy and appreciate their lives fully. The illusion that the
self is superior to others is eliminated from meditation. Vipassana meditation eliminates unwholesome states of

Descartes Second Meditations On The First Philosophy
In the "Second Meditation," of "Meditations on the First Philosophy," Descartes contends that, even if a "malicious deceiver" was purposefully
attempting to trick him, one thing is "necessarily true". "I am...only a thing that thinks...a thinking thing." From this, Descartes asks, "What else am I?"
His answer is that he is not just a body, or a "...thin vapour which permeates the limbs..." He is something, which is identical with his awareness of
himself yet, what that is, he is not sure. Accordingly, Descartes can only make judgments about the things known to him, because judgment is thinking,
and thus, he knows that he exists. This, for Descartes, is the first thing he can be certain of, that he does exist, as something that thinks.
Thus is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The implication is that objective certainty viz., the idea that we can be certain of "things" via an agreement with our thinking and that of others is
erroneous. As an example, if we are all sitting in a classroom, and the professor points to a water bottle, and asks, "What is this [thing]?" There would
be some concurrence that the object has certain properties. That the water bottle is made out of a metallic material, that the water bottle is cylindrical
in shape, that the water bottle is red in color. These are all properties of the object that we can agree upon, and be certain are true, because of our
concurrence. This objective certainty, from an empirical perspective, has more truth than if I was to think subjectively the water bottle was red and

Karma Thegsum Choling Columbus: Observation Report
For my second site visit I went to a ceremony with Karma Thegsum Choling Columbus (KTC). The ceremony was the Chenrezig Sahana which
contained different prayers and meditation. The ceremony took place in the basement of the Congregation Tifereth Israel's Synagogue because their
old meditation center was burned down. Regardless of that they still have been able to continue all of their regular programs out of the synagogue. In
this paper I will be discussing my experience at the KTC as well as some of the information that I learned about.
The Karma Thegsum Choling (KTC) is a Buddhist meditation center that specializes in Tibetan Buddhism. The KTC offers a long of beginner programs
from meditation lessons to Intro to Buddhism classes. For more intermediate and seasoned practitioners of the Buddhist faith they offer quiet
meditation, Pujas, a Dharma Talk and Chenrezig Sadhana. Most of their programs are free unless it is a certain study or retreat. The KTC runs mostly
on volunteer help, Monthly membership pledges and donations because of that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The main thing that struck me as odd was that no one spoke Tibetan nor did they want to learn it. Although that isn't completely odd but I at least
expected the leader of the ceremony to know how to speak it. I know in other religions most of the leaders know at some words in the origin religion. I
think the main reason why I thought about this that they are performing the entire ceremony in Tibetan. I wonder how the words can carry so much
weight when you aren't saying anything you directly understand. However I wonder if I would have went to their old space if I would have thought the
same thing. Maybe if I was surrounded by all the decorations and very authentic looking center that the language wouldn't be as important. But because
there isn't anything else I grab on to other than the ceremony that really stuck up to

Analysis Of Rene Descartes 's ' The Second Meditation '
During the Second Meditation, Rene Descartes begins to reevaluate everything he once thought to be true, due to our unreliable senses. He
supports this statement by arguing that our senses often deceive us, that there is a separation between the mind and body and that reasoning
should be the method of discovery. We typically use our senses to describe what an object is made up of. For example, if we are investigating a
table, with our senses, we can tell by our vision that the table is there. We can touch the table with our hands to get an idea of what the table feels
like. Descartes evaluates this logic more, only he does not use a table, he uses a piece of wax. From there, he identifies exactly what wax is with
each sense. He comes to a conclusion that the wax is cold and hard, it smells like flowers, it looks yellow, it makes a rapping sound and tastes of
honey. After melting the wax and rechecking all of its physical characteristics, Descartes realizes that everything about the wax has changed. The
wax was now hot and wet, it has a faint smell, and it is a clear color and makes a splashing sound. Although the characteristics of the wax changed
after it was melted, there was no doubt that this was still the very same piece of wax as before it was melted, despite the chemical change. This led
Descartes to believe that our senses can deceive us. There are circumstances, like the wax, where what we think we know to be true is actually false.
The purpose of this experiment

Cataphatic Vs Apatic Meditation Essay
Mediation is a mental exercise used to reach a heightened level of spiritual and mental awareness thru repeating one's mantra and breath. Although the
practice sounds simple in itself and doesn't sound like there would be much room for an expansion and growth as a practice. It has still managed to
grow into an umbrella term with a rich history and a verity of different meditation that people practice some even date back before the Buddhist monks
in early 2500 B.C. People have been practicing meditation for years from the Catholic monasteries, to the Desert Father, and throughout Asia and the
Buddhist. However the branches of meditation that I will be capitalizing on is found mainly in the Christian traditions of meditation and prayer which
can be categorized as two major classifications called Apophatic and Kataphatic (also known as Cataphatic) meditation. These two branches of
meditation are the broadest and can be seen as the two most basic form of meditation, and with a proper understanding of them you can learn to
navigate this broad practice of meditation and find a form that best fits you.
The most commonly used forms of meditation across the board and for me the easiest one to do is kataphatic/cataphatic meditation (same thing
different spelling). Kataphatic meditation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There are many kinds of kapathatic mediation some common ones are centering prayer, cosmic, mindfulness meditation and etc. All these meditations
focus on a single mantra. However some go through entire stories like "The Last Supper" or "The Christmas Story." However it can be particularly
hard if one doesn't know the story one is meditating on well. A very important part of meditation is the breath. When meditating it's important to focus
on ones breathe for not just for breathings sake, but also because for many they make their breath apart of their mantra. For instance, this is a common
kapaphatic meditation I do on a regular

Examples Of Meditation, Prayer And Contemplation
In this section, a detailed analysis and discussion of the findings of my sources will be used as evidence in order to strengthen the argument of the
research hypothesis, which is to what extent does meditation, prayer and contemplation contribute to an individual's physical and psychological
well–being. It would be far better if one's self could achieve holistic well–being, improved peace of mind and relaxation as well as better thought
processing without the need for any form of medical intervention. The scientific evidence of the many sources supports the notion that meditation,
prayer and contemplation improves an individual's mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well–being.
The first source to support the research hypothesis is a scientific journal titled: Meditation for Quality Improvement of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Byrd's study and test results clearly showed favor for the prayer group. The results and scores collected and analyzed clearly showed that the prayer
group had an overall better outcome. The prayer group needed lesser amounts of ventilation, antibiotics, and diuretics. Based on Byrd's study and the
data collected, there seemed to be a positive and beneficial effect on the group of patients that received intercessory prayer (1988:4). According to the
results of Byrd's study, prayer has been shown to promote healing and holistic well–being in others, and so it can be reasoned that prayer has great
potential to affect the physical and psychological well–being of the prayer–beneficiary, as well as for the prayer–giver him/herself.
The third source relates to contemplation and the potential contribution it could make to law students, lawyers, and their clients. The source is a
Harvard Negotiation Law Review. It is a Multidisciplinary Journal on Dispute Resolution, published spring 2002, Volume 7, by Leonard L.

Mindful Yoga Essay
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is a practice that has roots in spiritual Buddhist traditions where it signifies "the cultivation of conscious awareness in the present moment
in an open and non–judgmental manner". Mindfulness–based interventions target psychosocial processes resulting in improved symptomatology
(Carlson et al., 2003 in Campbell, Labelle, Bacon, Faris, and Carlson, 2011).
There are many different mindfulness–based approaches applied for treatment of psychological and physical issues from Buddhist meditations
including Zen meditations and Vipassana to modernly adjusted approaches like mindfulness–based stress reduction, mindfulness based cognitive
therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and acceptance commitment therapy (Chiesa and Malinowski, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The aim was to determine the efficiency of the variables on stress, sleep, anxiety and pain. This intervention showed the significant growth in
mindfulness, especially in the areas of observing and non–reacting. It also demonstrated sleep enhancement and pain reduction in women who started
mindful–yoga in their second trimester (Beddoe, Lee, Weiss, Kennedy and Yang, 2010). The study proved to have more benefits including stabilizing
the cortisol (therefore stress), which rises during the pregnancy resulting in daily stability and stronger circadian rhythmicity. (Beddoe, Yang, Kennedy,
Weiss and Lee, 2009).
Another study showed an efficiency of mindfulness based stress reduction on lowering blood pressure in pregnant women (Poursharifi, Ghahri and
Sahhaf 2015).
An 8–week mindfulness–based cognitive therapy (MBCT) showed to have an influence on pregnant women in terms of lowering measures of
depression, stress and anxiety, which continued being stable after childbirth. MBCT also showed to enhance mindfulness and self–compassion scores,
which help women to manage stressful aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and parenting (Dunn, Hanieh, Roberts, Powrie,

Evidence for Changes in the Body and Brain from...
From personal experience, mindfulness meditation gives me a feeling of obtaining a healthy mind and body from the attention and peace I obtained.
Such feelings resulting from proper practice of mindfulness meditation is not limited to my own testimony though. According to the Satipatthana Sutra,
those who practice such in–and–out breathing become "ardent, aware, and mindful" ("Satipatthana Sutra," Accessed on 2010). However, it is unclear
whether such reported experience is genuine or has effect, or if such mindfulness meditation is similar to a placebo effect.
As psychological field of study advances with its technologies to investigate changes in the mind, using such technology to look at effects of
mindfulness meditation would ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Generally, it has been found by researchers that mediators have decreased sympathetic nervous system activity and increased parasympathetic activity
(Cahn & Polich, 2006; Harrison, Manocha, & Rubia, 2004). Decreased sympathetic nervous activity implies decreased fight and flight mechanisms, and
increased parasympathetic activity implies relaxation and rest mechanisms. One study had mixed results about the effects of mindfulness meditation
and the nervous system, because they found increase in both cardiac parasympathetic and sympathetic activity with their participants who went through
a Mindfulness–Based Stress Reduction Program (Ditto, Eclache, & Goldman, 2006). Yet, this study was limited because its comparison level was a
waitlisted group, and the study also used a within study design in which novel reading and mindfulness training was randomly sequenced. Therefore,
the lack of effect found in the study may have been affect by individual differences and a comparison with an improperly matched group of control
participants. One study looked at cardiovascular changes from practicing mindfulness meditation, with health participants and participants with asthma
conditions practicing Sahaja Yoga Meditation (Rai, Seti, & Singh, 1988, as cited in Rubia, 2009). Sahaja Yoga Meditation is a type of meditation that
promotes to evoke thoughtless awareness on a daily basis. In the two groups of participants, it was found that those practicing Sahaja

A Journal Article Review On The Effect Of Mindfulness...
A Journal Article Review on the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is meditation lets feelings, thoughts, and sensations exists without judgement. It is meditation that does not focus on a single
word, or mantra, one's breathing, or any one single thing (Tarrasch 2015). It is freedom to exist in the present place in time. Mindfulness meditation is
important to study because it may have many positive effects in everyday life. These effects can go beyond just stress relief or a general clamming
experience. "Indeed, perhaps the most signiп¬Ѓcant outcome of mindfulness meditation is the capacity to adopt an ''observing self''" (Tarrasch 2015).
Tarrasch (2015) said that the students used in the study were all female master's students enrolled in a course called "Meditation: Theory, Research, and
Practice" at Tel Aviv University's School of Education. The method used for the study was journal article summaries from these students. The main
body for this paper will provide information of the meditation practices used, explain the method of the experiment, and be a look at the changes
experienced throughout the course. In the discussion, a review of the article will be presented.
In the course many different forms of mindful meditation were used. Many were focusing on one's own breathing and letting thoughts flow freely
without judgement, but other forms used that got significant time were yoga positions and imagining one's own safe place (Tarrasch 2015). As

Five Points Of Yog Yoga Essay
Gi Kim
PED 109–03 YOGA
Carol Ennser
November 3, 2014
Five Points of Yoga For this assignment, I thought I would be helpful for me to know about five points of yoga. Swami Vishnudevananda who was
born in South India came up with five essential principles of doing yoga. The five points of yoga focused on mental, spiritual, and physical health:
proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking and meditation. I think it is important to remind myself about
these five points of yoga when starting a new day. The proper exercise is simply moving our body. If we do not provide natural movement to our
body then a great discomfort will ensue in a mean time. Proper exercise should not make practitioner unpleased, but it has to make practitioner
pleasant and it has to be beneficial to one's body. Yoga exercises are not only for the body, but also a gateway to widen mental and spiritual
condition. Asanas is a yogic physical exercise, which means stable pose. It focuses on the flexibility of the body and the health of the spine. The
exercise also affects organs, glands and hormones. Most often times, sun salutation is practice before the Asanas. Proper breathing and controlling
breathing take important roles in yoga. In yoga, we use the maximum capacity of the lung when we breathe. We inhale deep slowly and exhale slowly
longer and longer than inhale. This process increases energy and clears minds. There are three types

The Causes And Effects Of Stress In College Students
Over the last few years, stress levels have climbed 30 percent amongst all college aged students (Feldt, 2008). Stress is defined as "A state of
psychological and psychological arousal that results when outside demands surpass a person's abilities" (Zajacova, Lynch, & Espenshade, 2005). The
increased pattern of stress is due to more college students determining their success based upon materialistic measures and thinking futuristically
(Zajacova et al., 2005). Unfortunately, a rise in stress can have many adverse health outcomes for most people. Stress suppresses the immune system,
making it more difficult for your body to fight off viruses that lead to a variety of illnesses (Straub, 2014). That being said, My Real Age Test showed
my inability to manage my stress was a large concern and will be the focus of my intervention (Sharecare, 2015).
Identifying with having a Type–A personality has lead me to be driven but constantly stressed to achieve high standards in school, and other areas of
my life. Unfortunately, not without cost, my stress has taken a major toll on my immune system. Over the last three years of college, I have visited the
health center 22 times. My stress has affected my immune system's ability to fight off a variety of viruses from the common cold to pneumonia.
Nonetheless, I want to make a positive change by implementing mindfulness mediation into my daily routine.
Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on awareness of breathing and encouraging

The Benefits Of Meditation
The sad truth is that while most of us are aware of the benefits of meditation, very few of us actually have a regular meditation practice. There are a
lot of obstacles to overcome in order to incorporate meditation into our daily lives. I overcame those obstacles and have been meditating daily for two
years as well as meditating periodically throughout the day! Through meditation I have experienced more peace and joy in my life, I've become less
reactive and less stressed and I have more energy and creativity! And I know you can experience these benefits as well!
But first, I think it's important to define what meditation is? Many of us have misconceptions about meditation. The most common misconception is
that meditation is about getting rid of thought! That would set anyone up for failure! Meditation, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He wouldn't stop either. He wanted my attention. Now to most people, this would be a distraction and a reason to stop meditating. Instead, I opened my
eyes, sat down on the floor with him and petted him while noticing my breath. I incorporated my cat into my meditation. Instead of allowing him to
become a distraction, he became my meditation!
If you are meditating and a distraction happens. Just notice it. Allow it to be. If it's something that needs your attention, tend to whatever needs to be
done, while still observing your breath!
Obstacle #6: Not knowing how to meditate
So many people feel that they don't know how to meditate. We make meditation more complicated than it really is! Again, meditation is about being
present in the moment. It's really about finding what works for you!
Again, you can incorporate meditation into your life without taking time out of your schedule. Your life can become a meditation. It is those moments
throughout the day that we are fully present in the moment that matter. And through meditation, we discover the bliss of being that we

Meditation Analysis
Before I take this class, I know that meditation is just sitting on the floor, close eyes and meditating. Because I did not know how to do it, I didn't
know how difficult it is. The first day of meditation class, I had hard time to follow. We were sitting on the chair instead of floor. I thought
meditation is only sitting on the floor. It was interesting. Probably sitting on the chair is easier than floor; we all used to sitting on the chair. I tried
both at home on the floor, chair and bed. Sitting on the chair was the best. It was comfortable and my body was more relax.
The first meditation in the class was difficult because I had too much thought in my mind. I was trying to focus on my breaths, but after I count three,
so much thoughts ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I am used to make noise my ears with music or TV. If I stay quietly, I feel lonesome. When I don't listen music, I researching online or play game with
my phone. During I do my assignment I turn on a fan in my room because I just need any sound. I just could not stay in the quiet places. I thought it is
good opportunity to calm down and practice stay quietly.
During I am taking meditation class, I did meditation almost everyday. It was easy to sitting on the floor with right pose for ten minutes, but it was
not easy to focus on present moment. I kept judged myself that stop thinking about other things for few days. Finally I found the way to aware of
present moment. When I meditation, I aware of sounds and smell. If I hear the sound of wind and leaves are shaking, I imagine that I am at the
mountain or field. Sometimes I imagine that I am at the snow–clad mountain. I look around. There are many mountains, but other mountains are lower
than the mountain that I am hiking. While I imagine them, I kept aware of present moment.
During we do meditating in the class, we aware of any sensation on part of my body. When Miss Julie said finger, I focused on my finger. When she
said left ear, my ear was sore. I used to get sored once a while, but I never got sore in the

Rene Descartes Second Meditation Essay
RenГ© Descartes, a rationalist philosopher finds uncertainty in almost everything, including his senses, memory, body and the physical world.
Everything besides the fact he himself is a res cogitans (thinking thing). He puts forth this idea in his second meditation of his most famous works,
Meditations On First Philosophy, published in 1641. This analytic style of writing opens by considering any belief that was the slightest bit doubtful, as
false. Descartes felt the need for this "hyperbolic doubt" in order to reach an impartial truth. He then takes you through the thought process that led him
to the one thing that lies beyond all doubt. He finds certainty in the statement Cogito, ergo sum or "I think, therefore I am." FOOTNOTE The first
Meditation in Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy, is based on doubting almost everything he once believed as true. When Descartes found that
beliefs he had were false, he realized all of his beliefs could be threatened. He embraced scepticism and refused to accept anything that it is possible to
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
FOOTNOTE Descartes started his thought process with making an effort of defining himself. He tried using words such as 'man' or 'rational
animal.' The problem with using these terms are you then have to go on to define what man and rational mean. FOOTNOTE In the first meditation,
Descartes casts his soul, its capability and his body into doubt. Descartes wonders if this means he simply does not exist? Although for him to
convince himself that his beliefs are false, he must exist. Even if he is being deceived by a demon or God, he must exist in order to be deceived at
all. There must be an "I" that can doubt, and be

Compare And Contrast Descartes 1st And Second Meditation
Descartes' 1st and 2nd Meditation discusses the idea of skepticism by using the strategy of the method of doubt. Descartes begins by reflecting and
doubting the foundations in which his beliefs are built upon. His argument can be broken down into stages, beginning with the perceptual illusion, and
then proposing the dream argument and finally a deceiving God. In the 2nd Meditation, he reaches the conclusion that the one thing he can be certain
of is his existence, which is where his well–known statement "I think, therefore I am" comes from. A typical interpretation on this topic begins with
thinking that it focuses on the idea of certainty. Descartes' argument suggests that none of our perceptual beliefs are certain. However, Deutsch proposes

Essay on Altered States of Consciousness
Altered States of Consciousness
Consciousness is a state of awareness. This includes a person's feelings, sensations, ideas, and perceptions. There are many different states of
consciousness.
Sleep is a state of altered consciousness, characterized by certain patterns of the brains activity and inactivity. Analtered state of consciousness is when
a person is not completely aware of their surroundings. Some researchers believe that we sleep to clear our minds of useless information. Other people
believe that it is a type of primitive hibernation: we sleep to conserve energy.
There are four stages of sleep. In the first stage (10 min. into sleep), your pulse slows down and your muscles begin to relax. Your breathing... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The hypnotist induces a trance by slowly persuading the participant to relax and lose all interest in external distractions. The participant is not under the
hypnotists control but can be convinced to do things that he or she would not normally do. However, anyone can resist hypnosis by refusing to open
his or her mind to the hypnotist.
Another state of consciousness is meditation. Meditation is the focusing of ones attention to clear the mind and produce relaxation. There are three
major approaches to meditation. The first approach is Transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation involves the repetition of a mantra, usually
a Sanskrit phrase. The participant sits with his or her eyes closed and meditate for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. The second approach, mindfulness
meditation, was developed from a Buddhist tradition. Mindfulness meditation focuses on the present moment. For example, the participant might move
his or her focus throughout the body, from the tip of their toes to the top of their head, and paying very close attention to areas that cause pain. The
third approach is breath meditation. Breath meditation is when a participant focuses his or her respiration–the process of inhaling and exhaling in a
rhythmic pattern. Most people believe that proper breathing can help one self to be stress free. Researchers agree that most people can benefit from
some sort of systematic relaxation

Descartes Second Meditation Analysis
Descartes' second meditation begins by summarising his efforts in the first. Having concluded that: all sensory perceptions are unreliable, experiences
are doubtful and reasoning is also distrusted. Descartes then reviews his intentions of finding his Archimedean point – a piece of indubitable knowledge
that could withstand the hyperbolic doubt and scepticism established in the First Meditation. Descartes identifies this indubitable point, that is immune
to sceptical doubt, as his existence, that "I am, I exist, must be true whenever I think or exert it."(pg.4) This proposition does not derive from sensory
information nor from the external world and is why Descartes believes this to be the first absolutely certain piece of knowledge. Descartes'

Similarities And Differences Between Ballet And Yoga
According to Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies, 8 million people, who are in United States of America, take a ballet class one time at the
minimum past a year in 2002. In addition, the average number of frequency of ballet is 1.7 times in a year (Center for Arts, 1). On the other hand,
according to CISION of January 13, 2016, over 3.6 million people attend a yoga class in 2016. The amounts of student, who want to learn yoga, are
getting growing 20.4 million from 2012 (Yoga, 1). Therefore, there are similar and dissimilar points betweenballet and yoga. Ballet and yoga are
categorized by cardiorespiratory exercise. What is cardiorespiratory exercise? Cardiorespiratory exercise is that people, who do cardiorespiratory
exercise, need to take oxygen when their body generates energy and burn their fat or carbohydrate. Additionally, exercise level is from beginning to
intermediate so they can keep exercise for long time per one time such as, swimming, ballet, and yoga. University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) has
dance performance major and students can take ballet class three times a week. The class starts from nine o'clock to ten twenty–five in the morning.
Even if people are not dance performance major, they can take the class.
Moreover, UCO students can take yoga class at wellness center at UCO. There are two classes a day from Mondays to Thursdays during semester and
the classes are about fifty minutes per a class.
Ballet and yoga have benefits through

Mindfulness Meditation On False Memory
The second stated "long–term meditators would show superior performance to short–term meditators". And the third stated "concentrative meditators
would be more subject to expectancy effects...mindfulness meditators would show superior performance relative to concentrative meditators when the
stimulus was unexpected" (Valentine & Sweet, 1999, p. 63). Using the Wilkins' Counting Test (a measure of sustained focused attention) the control
group was placed in a classroom to perform the test while the meditation groups were tested post meditation sessions in a separate room. The test was
comprised of a series of tones which each group was asked to count (the meditation groups were told there would be three rather than two sets). The
results confirmed the three hypotheses, overall concurring the use of meditation leads to improved concentration with little difference between
concentrative and mindfulness meditation (Valentine & Sweets, 1999). Through the importance of meditation, holding strong positive results with
attention, the working memory, and concentration there was one more study brought up explaining the effects of mindfulness meditation on
false–memory susceptibility. Wilson, Mickes, Stolarz–Fantino, Evrard & Fantino (2014) conducted three experiments on the effect of mindfulness
meditation on false–memory susceptibility predicting that "participants in the mindfulness condition would be especially likely to form false
memories" (Wilson et al., 2014, p. 1567). The first

A Common Problem Today For Adolescent Christians
A common problem today for adolescent Christians is the lack of intimacy with God, and not fully experiencing Christ in their lives. The solution to
this problem can be found in the spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are practices that aid in transforming believers into the image of Christ, and
help them to develop a more intimate relationship with Christ. They help to bring a Christian into the presence of God, and to bring them a "portion of
heaven." According to Isaac Ambrose, an English Puritan minister from the seventeenth century, spiritual disciplines are the vehicles to God. He said:
"...the saints look upon duties (the Word, Sacraments, Prayers, etc.) as bridges to give them a passage to God, as boats to carry them into the bosom of
Christ, as means to bring them into more intimate communion with their heavenly Father, and therefore are they so much taken with them (Schwanda
1)." Ambrose argued that through spiritual disciplines, one could experience an intimate relationship with God. The spiritual disciplines are broken into
three categories, inward, outward, and corporate. From these three categories, the three main focuses are meditation, service, and worship. Through the
application of these three spiritual disciplines, the main goal is to enter a deeper, more intimate relation with Christ and to be shaped into the image of
Christ. The first spiritual discipline is meditation. According to WordNet, "meditation is the continuous and profound

Self-Hypnosis Myths
Myths About Meditation
Meditation is also the same as relaxation
Meditation is not just a matter of thinking of something sweetening and letting your mind befall. Meditation is usually used for operative stress
management, however, meditation is not just a matter of calming down. It is a definite exertion, with techniques and achievement.
Meditation is the same thing as self–hypnosis There are some comparison between meditation and self–hypnosis, they are not the same.
When hypnosis and self–hypnosis are used in treatment, they involve the counselling of a hypnotherapist in order to look into a particular problem,
retract a certain part of the patient past, or address another issue in life.
There are technological methods to meditation
When

Meditation's Benefits On Human Health
Question: A Research Essay on Meditation's Benefits on Human's Health
Meditation has been a prominent aspect in our culture since the beginning of humanity. It originated from prehistoric lands of Asia where it was
cultivated as a part of religious rituals. Nowadays, it is practiced to calm our minds and enhance health, as well as to prevent many diseases. Meditation
is an effective way to overcome fears and recover from alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. Furthermore, meditation has many different types
therefore anybody can find one suitable for them. Through its thoughtfully designed posture we are able to concentrate on our minds letting our
thoughts fade away. This state of thoughtless awareness, known as a meditation, has a positive impact on our physical and mental health.
First of all, meditating regularly can significantly affect our mental health. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a famous spiritual leader states that "meditation helps in
two ways – it prevents stress from entering ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Moreover, meditation has no negative effects on our health making it even more effective and safe for anyone in any condition and at any age. Every
form of meditation is an effective and cheap measure that should be adopted in common medicine – as a cure, or daily life as a way of living, a
lifestyle. Meditation is such a simple, yet peaceful practice accessible for everyone that it should be commonly used in daily lives of many people.
Having such an impressive amount of health benefits, it should be popularized at a higher rate to acknowledge people of its exquisite benefits.
Meditation can help us overcome our worst fears and defects, deal with any type of an addiction and improve our well–being. It is proven that it
improves memory and fight diseases related to a poor condition of our immune system. Therefore, it has a positive impact on our physical and mental

Descartes' Second Meditation
Descartes' Second Meditation
In Descartes' Second Meditation the key philosophical idea of "I think, therefore I am" is introduced and thus begins a new age in western philosophy.
Some of the arguments Descartes provide in order to support his claims are that in order to doubt anything, you must be able to think and if you think,
you exist. Descartes brings up the point that there may be no physical world, along with that thought comes the doubt of anything else being real, which
again concludes that he is thinking which means he is real. Descartes' argument in the second meditation is that in order to think at all, whether it is
doubt of an existence or belief something to be true it requires thought. Descartes makes the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Descartes is dealt with the problem of skepticism and how to overcome it. In order to overcome skepticism, he decides he must enforce it strictly upon
his experiment and therefore attempt to explain around skepticism. Descartes put a heavy belief on the ability to deceive and how empirical thought is
not to be trusted as sense can be

The Philosophies Of The Second Meditation By RenГ© Descartes
The Second Meditation is one of Six Meditations by the French philosopher, RenГ© Descartes meditations were thought to have been a series of
personal meditations from Descartes, with each meditation happening each day for 6 days, and in these Descartes philosophizes with ideas such as the
procedure of methodical doubt, the Cogito, the arguments for God's existence, the functions of the divinity, the independent reality of the material
world, the limits of knowledge and the problem of dreaming. What was different about Modern philosophy and Descartes was how everything was
derived from the 'self', compared to previous philosophies, for example the pre–Socratic philosophers focusing on nature. In this essay I will briefly
explain the first meditation ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Meditation I, Descartes states how it is his philosophy to free himself of all beliefs he possessed since infancy, beliefs he previously took at face
value and did not think to question them. The first lines of the Meditations are;
"It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had from my earliest youth admitted as true, and how doubtful was
everything I had since constructed on this basisНѕ and from that time I was convinced that I must once for all seriously undertake to rid myself of all
the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and commence to build anew from the foundation..."
This, in my belief is a strength of Descartes account. I thought about it in the way of how as a child, I believed in Santa Clause. I simply accepted
it as a child, then as I grew older I slowly questioned it and ultimately denied it in the end. If we do not question our beliefs, how do we not know we
are all going around, believing in something entirely fictional and a complete imaginative figure in our minds? As Descartes says, to mature as people
sometimes we have to leave our old beliefs behind and start

Meditation Techniques Have Been Practiced For Over 5000 Years
Meditation techniques have been practiced for over 5000 years in various cultures and religions all over the world, often tied to a religious or
spiritual belief. They are seen as a way to increase physical health and metal wellbeing, helping an individual to establish calm and serenity, increase
self–awareness and decrease stress (4). Meditation is hard to operationalize or define due to the many different varieties of mediation practices. There
tends to be a general distinction between two main groups of mediation. The first is focused attention, in which an individual constantly monitors and
regulates the quality of their attention on a single abstract or concrete object like a mantra or their own breath and the second is open awareness, where
the meditator becomes aware of everything in their field of attention but does not focus on any single object. Both of these groups of mediation do
share common traits however, leading to the definition of mediation being a concentrated regulatory training regime of emotion and attention, where
nonjudgmental attention to experiences in the present moment is practiced (8). In simpler terms mindfulness and mediation (MM) has been described
as becoming aware and familiar with ones own mental state and thought processes (3). The benefits associated with meditation such as decreases in
stress, anxiety and depression and increases in self–awareness, memory and control of attention, have made it a hot topic in both the psychological and

How Mediation Can Improve Our Awareness
All We Have is the Here and Now
As you read this, are you truly aware of yourself reading? We read the words typed here and there is a voice in our mind that seems to form the
words there as if they exist not only on this paper, but in our head as well. But how often is it that we truly think of this voice, and then to take it a
step farther, how often are we aware of ourselves hearing that voice? If we believe we are the person that is speaking, who is it that is listening?
These are the questions that possess the capability to unlock our potential as conscious beings. So often we go through our days completely unaware
of our own selves. Unaware of our intense connection with the world around us, and everyone we meet. It is in the practice of becoming aware of our
own selves, thoughts, feelings, and life force itself that we can become happier people. Mediation is the tool we can use to improve our awareness and
thus make our lives more meaningful. It has many different benefits that have been explored beyond philosophical discussion, and many scientists have
provided tests and research that shows meditation is able to benefit our brains in numerous ways.
To clarify what I mean I will define meditation. It is the process of turning your attention to a single point of reference; it involves focusing on the
present moment. (Moore et al 2009) Despite there being countless forms of meditation, it falls into the following general categories: practice of
mindfulness,

Health Behavior Analysis
Health behaviors, defined by the course book as, "behaviors undertaken... to enhance or maintain ... health," is an important aspect of healthy living
(pg 39). As a Public Health Policy undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine, the rigorous education I receive often results in high
stress. In previous years to counteract the copious amounts of stress, I would engage in regular relaxation such as unwinding for a few hours at the
beach. Now in the third year of my education, beginning upper division courses required for my major, I found it increasingly difficult to manage the
balance between my workload and the amount of time personally needed to relax. I acknowledged I could no longer spend hours of my week at the
beach when ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I reduced my time back to 10 minutes.
Day six, January 23 I was able to fall into the meditative state meditating for 15 minutes easily.
Sunday, January 24, the seventh and final day of the assignment I increased intervals for the last time to 20 minutes. Although lasting the full 20
minutes feeling drowsy afterwards, I fell into sleep immediately after meditation. Feeling rejuvenated upon awakening from my slumber this is when I
made the conscious decision to implement deep breathing meditation into my daily routine.
Over the course of this assignment, I began to greatly enjoy deep breathing meditation. Continuing my regime of deep breathing meditation, I regularly
practice this style of meditation. Initially choosing this modification for my body, it had positive effects on both body and mind. Centering
concentration on my body, quieted my thoughts allocating my mind time to rest for a period during the day. Pausing my mind to focus on breathing
made me mindful to my breath aiding my body when I became breathless, in need of a deep breath while navigating

Descartes Second Meditation Essay
To gain a better understanding of readings in philosophy one must follow some important steps. Just reading a passage once or twice is not enough as
readings in regards to philosophy can sometimes be overwhelming and complex, for first–time readers to comprehend. Readers need to have good
comprehension skills and a good background in vocabulary. Maria, you stated, "In the second meditation, Descartes hits upon a belief which he cannot
doubt. What is this belief and why is it immune from doubt? Evaluate Descartes's claim about the certainty of this belief." I hope you have a better
understanding of Descartes second meditation after reading this. Descartes opens his First Meditation stating the need "to demolish everything
completely and... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Descartes thinks he finds a belief which he cannot doubt. What is this belief and why is it immune to doubt? Descartes has convinced himself that
"there is nothing in the world; no sky, no earth, no minds, no bodies. The text reads, "does that follow that I don't exist either? No, it does not follow;
for if I convinced myself of something then I certainly existed." The Second Meditation Descartes first interpretation is, "This is the one thing that can't
be separated from me. I am, I exist– that is certain." Descartes view seem to be I think, and since I think then I exist. And since I believe that I exist
then my belief would have to be true. No one can hold that as a false belief. At this point, Descartes is reasonably certain he exists but he is unsure
of what this "I" is. Descartes then briefly touch on the ideas of a soul and what he knew the body to be. The text reads, "It is only when I think I am
certain that I exist." This gives us on what is truly important to Descartes which is the fact that if one think, then they must truly exist. Remember
Descartes refers to himself as a thing think. Like I mention in the First Meditation Descartes takes back what was said. As he is unsure of if he is one
with the body or distinct from

The Second Meditation Essay
The Second Meditation "The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt." ––RenГ© Descartes Le
Discours de la MГ©thode, I In the First Meditation, Descartes invites us to think skeptically. He entices us with familiar occasions of error, such as
how the size of a distant tower can be mistaken. Next, an even more profound reflection on how dreams and reality are indistinguishable provides
suitable justification to abandon all that he previously perceived as being truth. (18, 19) By discarding all familiarity and assumptions, Descartes hopes
to eliminate all possible errors in locating new foundations of knowledge. An inescapable consequence of doubting senses and prior beliefs... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He cannot say that God exists, because there remains the possibility that his thoughts are in fact originating from himself (in which case there would
be no need for God). Since he has abandoned all notions of existence and certainty, which includes his own body and senses, is it possible that he
himself does not exist? To think a thought is bound to existence by definition; one must exist first before having the ability to think. Even if an
all–powerful deceiver made it so that I do not exist, it would generate a contradiction since I cannot think that I exists if I don't. (25) Thinking about
existing requires existence as a prerequisite. Descartes has arrived at his first truly tangible and useful element of truth: that it is necessarily true that
he exists. The next task that Descartes must consider is to define what he is, and in doing so be careful not to make assumptions. He cannot consider
himself to be an animal, since that would require a definition of what an animal is. Such an examination is beyond the discussion. (25) Instead of
making random guesses, Descartes begins to think about what came to mind when he considered what he was. (25, 26) The first thought that occurs to
him is that he has a body – something that by definition has a determinable shape, defined location and that can occupy space. However, if an
all–powerful deceiver is at work, then that which

Descartes Second Meditation Summary
The second Meditation by Descartes has several viable arguments that Melinda can use to persuade Melissa of the existence of souls. Melinda can
benefit from this text by showing that there is substantial proof that Matthews mind does exist, and that it is not necessarily dependent on his body
being intact for it to continue on. Descartes describes this when he writes. "Now it is plain I am not the assemblage of members called the human
body". By this he means that his mind is not bound to each part of his body (Descartes). By using this approach, Melinda can argue that although
Matthew's brain is damaged beyond hope, it is still conceivable that his mind is present. Melinda would also argue that Descartes proves that our mind
exists outside

Examples Of Descartes Second Meditation

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