Friends, suppose you are out and about, taking the dog for a pee, running your errands, etc.
For the past few months you've been seeing signs all over your neighborhood. Signs pasted on phone poles, benches, trees all advertising "Free Meditation" "Dharma", "Enlightenment" various promises of mind mastery.
You get curious - someone keeps putting new fliers up, and each new rash of fliers has different graphics, all attractively done.
Your brain gets an itch - thanks your being descended from many, many generations of curious people. Why not see what these meditation classes are about? Besides, it will be cool to tell your friends about it - you can tell them
what's behind all those fliers on trees and at the laundromat and on the Safeway bulletin board.
Stop.
That's what the publicity campaign is all about. To get you curious. You are
already doing what they want you to do.
Next, consider this. "Free Meditation"
Hello, hello. You may be paying for this meditation classes - and you have not even attended one yet!
How can this be?
If you are an American tax payer, that's how.
If this free meditation class is offered by a religious organization, it is probably tax exempt. Which means you, the tax payer, have been indirectly subsidizing them and ya have not even stepped through the door just yet.
Keep this in mind. By paying taxes, you indirectly subsidize any non profit that offers "free meditation classes" - which means not only have human rights to know what you are getting into, you have taxpayer rights.
Your Rights When You Attend a Meditation Introduction - Free or For Money.
Suppose those publicity fliers advertise that the meditation class is, say
at 8PM on Wednesday night.
Your rights as a human being -- and your additional rights as a taxpayer subsidizing them
The right for that class to begin on time at 8 PM.
The right for that class to end at a reasonable hour so that you and
the others can get home early enough for a sufficient nights sleep - especially on a weeknight.
The right to get up and leave if that class runs past your bed time.
Corboy's opinion is that if the group has the resources to run a publicity campaign, they should have their sh*t together enough to begin the class
at 8PM and end at 9:30PM, at the latest. Ninety minutes is enough time
to convey key concepts.
So, never forget before you investigate a free meditation class that if you are
a tax payer, you've likely already subsidized whoever is giving it. Don't let them disrupt your bedtime.
Sleep The Essential Nutrient
Before you go to the meditation class, take a look at the day and time.
* Is it in the evening, in the middle of your work week?
If you have to work the next day, be aware you have the RIGHT
to have that evening meditation class start on time and end at a reasonable hour - IMO no later than 9:30 PM.
A well run meditation class should give you all you need within an hour and a half and if the instructor has respect for you, that class should start on time and end on time.
Just because a class is free does not mean you lose your right to have it start at the advertised time.
If they run more than 20 minutes late, Corboy advises treating this like a bad
date. Get up and leave.
Why?
* Your time is valuable, especially in the evening and on a weeknight. . After all, you could have spent that time
with friends, or in a class or at home with your family.
Another reason to leave if the class is 20 minutes late - if you are kept awake past your bed time, this screws with your sleep wake cycle and it makes you more suggestible. And -- you risk feeling crappy the next day.
If they will not let you leave, shove past em and get out. They are exploiting your politeness. Don't let this happen to you.
If they say you are going to miss out on something wonderful or you're being
negativistic or ego driven or you're making a big thing out of nothing,
these are the standard ways unethical sales people mess with your head.
Repeat, just because it is advertised as a "free meditation class" does not
excuse the organizer from beginning on time.
Before you go, be aware that if you are are kept up past your bedtime, you
are much more susceptible to trance induction and other influences that undermine critical thinking.
For the past few months you've been seeing signs all over your neighborhood. Signs pasted on phone poles, benches, trees all advertising "Free Meditation" "Dharma", "Enlightenment" various promises of mind mastery.
You get curious - someone keeps putting new fliers up, and each new rash of fliers has different graphics, all attractively done.
Your brain gets an itch - thanks your being descended from many, many generations of curious people. Why not see what these meditation classes are about? Besides, it will be cool to tell your friends about it - you can tell them
what's behind all those fliers on trees and at the laundromat and on the Safeway bulletin board.
Stop.
That's what the publicity campaign is all about. To get you curious. You are
already doing what they want you to do.
Next, consider this. "Free Meditation"
Hello, hello. You may be paying for this meditation classes - and you have not even attended one yet!
How can this be?
If you are an American tax payer, that's how.
If this free meditation class is offered by a religious organization, it is probably tax exempt. Which means you, the tax payer, have been indirectly subsidizing them and ya have not even stepped through the door just yet.
Keep this in mind. By paying taxes, you indirectly subsidize any non profit that offers "free meditation classes" - which means not only have human rights to know what you are getting into, you have taxpayer rights.
Your Rights When You Attend a Meditation Introduction - Free or For Money.
Suppose those publicity fliers advertise that the meditation class is, say
at 8PM on Wednesday night.
Your rights as a human being -- and your additional rights as a taxpayer subsidizing them
The right for that class to begin on time at 8 PM.
The right for that class to end at a reasonable hour so that you and
the others can get home early enough for a sufficient nights sleep - especially on a weeknight.
The right to get up and leave if that class runs past your bed time.
Corboy's opinion is that if the group has the resources to run a publicity campaign, they should have their sh*t together enough to begin the class
at 8PM and end at 9:30PM, at the latest. Ninety minutes is enough time
to convey key concepts.
So, never forget before you investigate a free meditation class that if you are
a tax payer, you've likely already subsidized whoever is giving it. Don't let them disrupt your bedtime.
Sleep The Essential Nutrient
Before you go to the meditation class, take a look at the day and time.
* Is it in the evening, in the middle of your work week?
If you have to work the next day, be aware you have the RIGHT
to have that evening meditation class start on time and end at a reasonable hour - IMO no later than 9:30 PM.
A well run meditation class should give you all you need within an hour and a half and if the instructor has respect for you, that class should start on time and end on time.
Just because a class is free does not mean you lose your right to have it start at the advertised time.
If they run more than 20 minutes late, Corboy advises treating this like a bad
date. Get up and leave.
Why?
* Your time is valuable, especially in the evening and on a weeknight. . After all, you could have spent that time
with friends, or in a class or at home with your family.
Another reason to leave if the class is 20 minutes late - if you are kept awake past your bed time, this screws with your sleep wake cycle and it makes you more suggestible. And -- you risk feeling crappy the next day.
If they will not let you leave, shove past em and get out. They are exploiting your politeness. Don't let this happen to you.
If they say you are going to miss out on something wonderful or you're being
negativistic or ego driven or you're making a big thing out of nothing,
these are the standard ways unethical sales people mess with your head.
Repeat, just because it is advertised as a "free meditation class" does not
excuse the organizer from beginning on time.
Before you go, be aware that if you are are kept up past your bedtime, you
are much more susceptible to trance induction and other influences that undermine critical thinking.