Psychology vs Meditation
A psychologist writes that students of meditation
may more easily obtain some realization, of absolute truth,
than actualize religious principles of compassion, sharing, and love
within the relative truths embodied in our relationships.
Despite realization, personal problems frustrate actualization
through stored depths of unresolved emotional and mental problems
that contaminate teachings and practice
particularly in relationships, leading to isolation and alienation.
In fact, even teachers of meditation may fail in compassion and love
when faced with students' real needs in relationships
due to the teachers physical, psychological and emotional problems
inherited from their childhood, parents, and social situations.
Students and teachers may ignore or bypass their personal problems
adhering to religious principles of non-attachment, emptiness, and oneness
dictated by superegos demands, but resulting in ego's guilt and shame
for failing to love, much less to attain the superego's ideals.
Another psychologist wrote that our "real work"
is to deal with our personal problems
through therapy, religion, mediation, or meditation
as appropriate to the individual's needs and stage of life.
see The Integration of Psychology and Meditation
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Basic Buddhist guidelines are listed in my Buddhism in a Nutshell
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