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Photograph by: Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun

Instead of being buffeted about by harsh events, many meditators in Canada and the U.S. try to "detach" from their feelings and impulses, thinking that will liberate them from suffering.

A recent Vancouver Sun poll conducted by the Mustel Group found one out of three British Columbians, roughly 1.4 million people, have practised meditation. That doesn't include many more who practise prayer in a contemplative way.

I believe meditation and contemplation are generally positive responses to North America's culture of busyness.

Can meditation even feed into the North American consumer society's predilection toward narcissism, which sees individuals cultivating an inflated sense of their own importance?

The potential dark side of meditation is something of which to be aware.

To read more, visit: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Meditation+often+mask+downside/1874171/story.html

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Douglas Todd's blog has been cited as an "Editor's Selection" by the New York Times. It can be found at www.vancouversun.com/thesearch

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