Welcome

[bella]

Voice2balance, I guess you weren't aware that these boards were set up to warn people off organisations considered to be more or less dangerous cults. Many of the posters here are posting specifically because they have had bad experiences with the SES and their affiliated schools, and wanted a forum to talk about it.

That's probably why you're not finding hundreds of posts proclaiming the glory of the SES. As for your "role" here, I imagine that exists in your mind more than anywhere else. I'm a member of the School of Philosophy in Australia, but I wouldn't presume to walk into every thread here and start telling people they're ignorant or their posts are useless. My involvement with the school doesn't define who I am, and to use it as a stick to beat people with - particularly people who post here as an outlet for their frustrations with the school - would be an exercise in futility, as well as supreme rudeness.

[Guest]

I do realise that, but as I see it, the thread is titled "discussions of the SES".

[mgormez]

I do realise that, but as I see it, the thread is titled "discussions of the SES".

Would you feel better if I renamed it to "critical discussion of SES"?

(I don't know if it is possible but I can have a look)

[Guest]

I do realise that, but as I see it, the thread is titled "discussions of the SES".

Would you feel better if I renamed it to "critical discussion of SES"?

(I don't know if it is possible but I can have a look)

Critical could mean 4 things: not pleasing, important, opinionated, and serious. You're only decribing what type of discussion it is. I have no problem with your present title.

[mgormez]

Charter school funding draws criticism

Independent Tribune, Saturday, March 20, 2004
By Charity Cline Mangan

A local county commissioner has asked the state for a review of the
application for the county's first charter school.

...

Carruth has asked for an administrative review to determine the
connections between Carolina International and the Maharishi Institute
and the Vedic philosophy and transcendental meditation.

Other people in the community are also concerned.

Greg and Cindy Picarella of Concord have sent e-mails to state officials
asking them to stop paying for Carolina International School because
they say transcendental meditation and natural law according to
Maharishi masks itself in science but is actually religion-based.

"It is in fact tied to eastern spirituality, derived from Hinduism, and
should not be an offering in a public school, and in no way tied to
curriculum," Greg Picarella said. "We respect people's freedom to
practice whatever religion they choose, however, we did not think the
state was in the business of subsidizing religious schools."

The rest is here
http://www.independenttribune.com/servl ... !frontpage

[the annoyed]

One form of meditation I know of is repeating the 'mantra' in your head.

You can meditate with any mantra you like... for all anyone cares.. make one up! It could be repeating the name of whom you worship many times, or it could simply be repeating the one word which means the most to you.

That is what I call meditation.

Only religious if you make it to be.

[adrasteia (can't sign in)]

My problems with the Ses aren't the fact they favour meditation.
I agree that it is not necessarily a religious activity, it can just be an mental excercise or discipline which can help improve the quality of attention. That's my preferred veiw of it anyway.
I think it is the internal stillness it induces which can lead to it being connected with spirituality.
I posted this before on another site:

On the subject of meditation, I would say that it can be most
beneficial, although I confess, I don't really practice. The way I'd
come at it would be slightly different from the philosophical; seeing
it more as a mental discipline than a way of reaching enlightenment,
although maybe I am just saying the same thing a different way.
I don't know about everyone else, but I often have problems with
getting my thoughts to quieten and stop disturbing me when I need to
concentrate. I think meditation would help me, just give me more
control over my mind and thoughts when I needed to focus in everyday situations, like remembering things I need to do. (I forget things all the time!)
I do think that meditation is taught the wrong way at St. James
however. Children are given the opportunity to recieve the 'gift' as
they are entering the senior school. Too young to understand
meditation in my experience, and see it's beneficial potential, also
perhaps to be aware of it's dangers. But I do not claim to really
understand it myself.
It becomes for most pupils a daily chore, an oddity descended from the SES.
Meditation sessions, a chance to meet with a 'tutor' from SES, will
occur once a term or so. These included readings from scriptures
highlighting the spiritual aspects of meditation. (I feel this
provides a one sided veiw of meditation)
Many pupils will not really discuss their experiences, and will say anything in order to get out as soon as possible. Some are honest and
say they don't meditate, they are usually met with gentle
encouragement if there seems to be 'hope', or a 'well it's always there
if you change your mind' attitude. There is no extreem pressure to meditate therefore, althought it is of course always encouraged.
The meetings are understood to be compulsory although various
evasion techniques are used to get out of attending!

[adrasteia (can't sign in)]

Just to clarify, I do not condemn the Ses for using meditation -obviously being a philosophy school they will take a spiritual slant on it- but I do feel the method in which it is introduced to school children is too spiritualy biased, especially at their age.

[mgormez]

Adrasteia, why do you say you can't log in? I thought I saw you logged in awhile back this afternoon (my time).

[adrasteia (can't sign in)]

Think it's just this computer, I sign in, then when I go to a new page I'm signed out again!
Will try and figure it out if I get a mo.
Cheers anyway, and while I'm here, thankyou so much for putting up this site and doing so much work on it. I think it's a really good thing.

[mgormez]

Think it's just this computer, I sign in, then when I go to a new page I'm signed out again!

Perhaps your browser won't accept cookies? You need to turn that on in your settings.

And thanks for the compliment!

[adrasteia (can't sign in)]

Still not working, so think it must be just the computer!
Thanks for you help anyway

[adrasteia]

Have managed to sign in! Hooray!!!
The new colours are definitely different! Bit more modern and stylish... but will take a little getting used to! So much more white than before!
Glad you've managed to get it up and running!

[mgormez]

Have managed to sign in! Hooray!!!
The new colours are definitely different! Bit more modern and stylish... but will take a little getting used to! So much more white than before!

I know! When the others are here again I'll make it an option for the users to choose which template colours they like. Right now it is fixed to this one.

Glad you've managed to get it up and running!

It was a week of hell but we survived. Nice to see you can login again!

[Guest Mike]

Is this where you say Hi!?

OK...Hi!

Have just found this forum after a someone new added their name to the St Vedast list on Friends Reunited.

Have a lot of memories about St V & SES. Some are good, a lot are bad, not sure I want to go over it all again...not just on an introductory post anyway. Was at St V right from the start (in the lower of the two classes (Mr Farndell's?) that the school started with) right through into 6th Form so about 9 years (that's what you get for murder these days isn't it?)! Things did seem to get better (less bad?) as the years went on, especially after the two schools split & St V continued with the significantly more sane Mr Capper in charge....

Mike Warham
(I've registered with username Mike_W, but it won't let me post straight away)