As someone who doesn't meditate and would like to get a better idea of what you're offering the first thing I looked for is a video of what it would be like and couldn't find one.
Hey! You're so right and we are working on making a demo available on the website - but in the meantime, let me just share one we have in our system -- here ya go:
I'm not familiar with meditation; I hear it's all the rage but I don't understand the benefits. It is said to "reduce stress", but stress is mostly the result of external stimuli. It's a symptom, like fever. If you treat the symptom without addressing the cause, what good is it?
Meditation sounds like a post-religion religion, but at least there was the promise of silence. Now we have loud meditation?
To me this video is quite terrifying; it reminds me of some kind of megachurch experience, a place where a guy like Kenneth Copeland wouldn't look out of place (see the intensity firing up around 21:22 and then dropping off at 23:24).
> It is said to "reduce stress", but stress is mostly the result of external stimuli. It's a symptom, like fever. If you treat the symptom without addressing the cause, what good is it?
As a long time meditator I agree with you, this is a very insightful comment. Unfortunately many of the things sold as "meditation" in the west are totally divorced from their original intent and are repackaged as stress reduction or performance enhancing instead. I find that trend quite dangerous.
Meditation (dhyana) is multifaceted and has many different traditions, but the major forms all tend to be about mind training in order to help the practitioner have some sort of realization about the nature of self. What that self is is where traditions diverge.
So yes you'd be correct in saying that stress is a symptom and focusing solely on these sorts of things is treating a symptom. You can certainly become addicted to these stress-reducing activities and end up not fundamentally altering the root cause. You see it in these western health spaces a lot, the people that come in and take intense daily yoga classes and keep crashing into depression once the endorphin highs go away since they're not focusing on treating the fundamental issues.
The path of meditation is hugely beneficial though and is not just about symptom treating in traditional lineages.
> stress is mostly the result of external stimuli.
This is a common misconception when the concept of biological stress is applied to humans. It stems from the correct observation that an increase in external stressors usually increases stress.
If you are interested in the science, two helpful models to conceptualise stress are Lazarus' stress model [1] and the jobs-demands-resources model [2].
Stress is the result of a lack of resources to deal with demands (stressors), not stressors themselves! As an example, most of us will never be air traffic controllers, simply because we would not be able to deal with the demands.
This is not to say the most effective way to treat stress isn't to remove the stressor. It's simply another avenue that can be pursued in parallel, and sometimes the only one available, in particular when stressors are internal (think negative thoughts, phobias, mental health).
I love that you are digging even deeper on the problem! We say it is to “reduce stress”, but that is because that’s a simplified catchall that many people can relate to. You are totally right that stress a symptom. The real underlying cause is lack of awareness and peace within one's own self - the ability to separate from feelings of stress or overwhelm and not let them define you, but look at them more objectively and no longer have upsetting things ruin your day for example. The music has very strong BEATS, which give the mind something EVEN more concrete to focus on (the beat, the breathing pattern, and the teachers voice all serve as the object of attention, like a mantra) - so even though its loud, it does in fact make it easier to cultivate focus for people who find traditional objects of focus (e.g. "following the feeling of the breath") hard to anchor attention on. For anyone who finds silent meditation effective, we are so happy for them and they don't really need our new approach. What we are trying to do is create a new experience that resonates with people who are more drawn to upbeat styles so we can help more people unlock more peace and happiness.
You are terrifying and I am not being snarky. If you have done your market research on the perception of terms like “meditation” for exercise moms, you will choose the correct path.
The issue is the use of the word “meditation”. It's just an “umbrella term”. There are literally dozens of techniques that use the word “meditation” to describe them. The variation is astounding, and some have very little in common from a purely external point of view.
Absolutely true! We actually have waived a bit on if we call ourself meditation or not. Ultimately we are currently using it since it helps "context set" for people - but would love to hear any other idea if you have them!
Absolutely - as I shared above - stress is totally a symptom! Check out my comment above about what the underling causes are. And youre so right that the added HEALTH benefits of reducing stress (like a fever) are huge as well. Here is a doc we have that summarizes how cortisol and stress impact the body: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k6QyxX7_btMWUExto_KfESBm...
That's totally fair. The music style in this early stage is geared at people who enjoy this kind of popular music. In the future we will be expanding to have different styles of music as well. But certainly, we aren't trying to replace traditional meditation - so for anyone who is more aligned with more traditional meditation music and less verbal guidance - I honestly think there are some amazing resources already out there. Our hope is that we can provide a new style that resonates for people who the more traditional sounds and guidance levels don't click for. Very much appreciate your honest feedback!
Same. I was interested based on the promises and descriptions; then I watched the demo on docsend and immediately realized WOW is this not for me. I wanted to strangle the instructor within 30 seconds of hearing their voice.
:) thank you for sharing!! certainly there isn't a one size fits all solution for really anything in our world - but we are so glad that Chorus is helpful for you!!
