MEEEEE People’s egos get bigger after meditation and yoga, says a new study

[Sanguine]

According to Buddhist teaching, the self is an illusion. The religion preaches a fundamentally selfless worldview, encouraging followers to renounce individual desires and distance themselves from self-concern. To advance this perspective, millions of people around the world practice yoga and meditation.

But a recently published psychological study directly contradicts that approach, finding that contemporary meditation and yoga practices can actually inflate your ego.

In the paper, published online by University of Southampton and due to be published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers note that Buddhism’s teachings that a meditation practice helps overcome the ego conflicts with US psychologist William James’s argument that practicing any skill breeds a sense of self-enhancement (the psychological term for inflated self-regard.)...

https://qz.com/1307380/yoga-and-meditation-boost-your-ego-say-psychology-researchers/

[mountaineer]

I don't doubt it. I've observed a certain smug self-righteousness among some yoga devotees.

[endicom]

I don't doubt it. I've observed a certain smug self-righteousness among some yoga devotees.

"...contemporary meditation and yoga practices can actually inflate your ego."

Contemporarily, these practices are being marketed to the smugly self-righteous. 

[mountaineer]

I tried yoga for a while, hoping it would help my aching back. I ended up just feeling inferior to the women who could twist themselves into pretzels or stand on their heads.

[endicom]

I tried yoga for a while, hoping it would help my aching back. I ended up just feeling inferior to the women who could twist themselves into pretzels or stand on their heads.

I long ago took the basic TM course and found that it works. When I could fit it into my schedule, that is.

But it was a subtle thing. As one guy put it, he realized he'd stopped yelling at his secretary.