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I've tried meditation at irratic times before. And I have wondered what does a person get out of regular meditation?

If you sit around trying to focus on your breath what is the payoff?

Do you feel oneness with everything?

Do you notice things more?

Do you feel peaceful and relaxed?

I've found in my life that I actually do better with a busy schedule. I had two months where I didn't do much besides going to school, which meant I would put things off, which would make me feel guilty and angsty. And the more I sat around and thought about stuff the more anxious and worried I would get.

Now that I have two jobs, go to school, and am involved in several organizations I feel good about what I'm doing with my life. I have no time to angst over stuff. I just get it done and over with. And the Saturday mornings I spend to sleep in I feel are deserved.

I feel like if I sat down and did nothing I would go nuts.

You get nothing. You realize more of the walls you put up, however. Meditation isn't to attain anything, but to lose what we have created in our minds.

The payoff is that you can watch your mind with total attention and total concentration.
Do it some time. Sit, and count your exhalations.
*inhale* Ok, so this is one, right? *exhale* 1
*inhale* I can do this, it's so easy! *exhale* 2...
*inhale* Phew, this is going to take a long time *exhale* 3
*inhale* I wonder how long we're going to be sitting? I have to go do this and that afterwards, because I did this before and I need to do this tomorrow...

See how quickly we can lose it? Attention, attention, attention.

Sort of. At sesshin, I felt like I was melting away in the productive sits. Other times, I felt like jumping up and screaming. But that's just me.

I noticed that pain is transient. That was quite interesting. I would say that paying attention helps you notice more.

Yes and no.

Find a spare hour. Just one, and sit there. Don't avoid the guilt or angst, let it come, watch it, and let it go.

We're all breed with this fear of not doing things, because we feel unproductive. The fact of the matter is, we're just creating delusions and attachments by making all of this work for ourselves. We lose sight of our true nature in our actions, which will ultimately kill us.

Then nuts you should go.

It's normal. I went to a beginner's weekend sesshin. I'm going to cite this up and down becaue I had such an experience there. I went absolutely crazy, almost hysterical. I didn't know anybody, I was hundreds of miles from home, nobody would talk or make eye contact, and all I had to deal with was my head.

Let me tell you, anxious fear and nervous fear are quite possibly the worst. But I worked through it. If you get afraid, sit. If you get tired, sit. If you feel unproductive, sit. Just sit. Sit until you're not sitting anymore. Sit until sitting isn't even the point.

Just sit.

I agree completely.

sit down, close your eyes and try not to think. That is basically it.

You get tired, bored, anxious, etc. But you just keep on trying not to think. And if you keep on doing it it helps you out some way... I guess.

Im a christain and i know the purpose of it. Its to just relax youre mind, body, and spirit to become as relaxed as the earth around you. Sometimes, i know its weird not being a buhddist, but i find my self turning off the t.v., laying down on the floor, and thinking for a couple of hours. Then i get up and i can get through for the rest of the day.