Posted on 01/20/2013 5:36:15 AM PST by Candor7
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) -- The U.S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.
Marine Corps officials say they will build a curriculum that would integrate mindfulness-based techniques into their training if they see positive results from a pilot project. Mindfulness is a Buddhist-inspired concept that emphasizes active attention on the moment to keep the mind in the present.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
http://www.zenko.org
or here:
http://www.shambhala.org
Ping!
The Few, The Zen, The Marines.
The US Marines Could get a far better training here:
or here:
ROFLMAO. Semper Om AH Hum Fidelis!
“...concept that emphasizes active attention on the moment to keep the mind in the present.”
“There is nothing more exhilarating than to be shot at without result.” - Winston Churchill
That worked for me.
ABC - Anything But Christianity.
Gradual, step by step erosion, setting up for a change of oath, from the Constitution to some federation that includes America.
The Navy already is forced to call itself “a global force for good”.
This oath change will happen within a few years without a shot being fired, between propaganda and attrition, unless people within the military resist these efforts bigtime.
Russia is already new world order. China as well - their oath is to the Communist Party, not the country, citizens or any founding document.
The only thing preventing new world order is America.
I concur with the assessment of Anything But Christianity. I would dare say that there would be some unintended (?) spiritual consequences.
Scene: MCRD Parris Island, middle of summer, 97 degrees, 100% RH
(Fade in)
Recruits sitting on cushions, cross legged, eyes closed, hands on knees, palms upraised with index finger and thumbs touching ...
DI, standing over recruits whispers:
“That’s it, Ladies ... Feel the Zen.”
(Fade out)
better... stronger... faster
Hell just make them watch the movie Tribes with Jan Michael Vincent.
These new techniques are being tried in order to prevent PTS. They can be used after a trauma to control your reaction and keep the brain from making physiological mistakes due to stress. If not prepared the brain reacts to triggers after stress overload (constant fear) in unnatural ways depleting its natural resources-recovery is possible with the right holistic health plan, but diagnoses is time consuming, not something the VA can afford AND those meds that only treat symptoms pushed by the DR lobby are NOT part of the treatment. This is preventive psych maintenance to prepare the whole Marine.
Meditation is one part of the training and if the Marine so desires can meditate on Biblical truths as warrior King David did as long as we have freedom of religion which we all know is under attack.
Very good book is “Surviving the Shadows.” I was also surprised to read elsewhere that shrinks (a few) are taking into consideration that most humans believe they have a soul.
When I get stressed I go to the future and imagine what it will be like after the Messiah returns and rules with an iron rod bringing peace to the whole earth. He doesn’t do it alone. He brings His troops with Him.
“Hell just make them watch the movie Tribes with Jan Michael Vincent.”
I was thinking of the same thing. Back then it was highly offensive that someone would even try to bring meditation into boot camp. Now the Corp is actually using it as a training tool.
Oh, how things change.
This will fail miserably, because it, in several variations, has been tried before.
The bottom line is that only a small number of people are naturally superb warrior types. They will be superb whether they learn boxing, or kung fu, or judo, or with weapons, etc. They will always be better. One of them is worth 100 not-warriors who have been extensively trained and practiced. Because you just cannot train somebody to be a superb warrior. Which they will never, ever, admit, not in a thousand years.
However, in a modern army, while they *try* to make everybody an infantryman, the truth of the matter is that for every fighter, there will be 15 or more combat support and combat service support soldiers, and even combat soldiers that do not fight people directly, if they can avoid it, like artillerymen. Who kill far more of the enemy than do infantrymen, by the way.
And something that truly aggravates and frustrates the military is that just because somebody looks good and is physically fit, does not mean they are good or even average at their job, whatever it is.
On the extreme this means that they pitch out large numbers of competent, even talented people, because they do not “look good”. Because heaven knows, you can’t be a good supply, maintenance, bureaucrat, accountant or electronics specialist if you cannot run 2 miles and keep your weight down to civilian height weight standards. And for heavens’ sake, you can’t smoke or drink, either.
So what about “Marine mindfulness?” It’s just not going to happen, because these exercises are skills of the mind and the body that a limited number of persons are able to do. For everyone else, it is a waste of time.
Typically, the type of person the Marines recruit and are happy with are not the type of person who can excel at these other skills.
“The bottom line is that only a small number of people are naturally superb warrior types. “
Good post.
Fact is that before the 20th century (really before WWII)estimates are that only about 15% or so of troops were willing to fire a shot in anger. (Your point about artillery killing way more than infantry is well taken).
In WWII they came up with training that broke down and reconditioned troops so that a much higher percentage would shoot the enemy, in the 60% or more range.
The natural warrior types can handle killing people, that’s probably the 15% or so of all troops that are in that category. They can go thru the horrors of war and not get PTSD. But it appears that the non-warrior types that are conditioned to overcome their natural instincts against killing another human being are more susceptible to PTSD.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.