The slight problem I have with the idea of meditation is that people who have been very successful don't seem to practise it. I don't know many buddhist monks who have run a 5 grand credit card loan up into a multi-million dollar fortune. And many great traders, if not most, do not seem to practise meditation. In other words, meditation at best seems to be completely unnecessary for trading success.
I think that is more to do with priorities, if making money is your focus you probably aren't hugging too many trees... but there is no doubting it aids focus, health and discipline which are all good for trading
Buddhist monks aren't good at trading becuase they have no need to trade and would likely see it as pointless. One of the most successful traders I know meditates daily. He's a guy who has has been consistent for seven years and had $500,000 months.
How do you know what the great traders do or don't do? PTJ worked with Tony Robbins for a while. He never talked about it (though Tony Robbins did). Stevie Cohen hired a performance coach for his traders. Why wouldn't they consider meditation, just to see what it can do? Bill Gross does a couple hours of yoga each day... Bruce Kovner plays the piano each night at midnight... other hobbies like hunting and fishing can have a meditative, contemplative aspect too. Lots of ways to skin a cat (or clear the mind). I'd bet there's a fair share of zen practitioners up there also. Who are they going to tell? Three purely pragmatic connections between meditation and trading are enhanced self-control, enhanced concentration stamina, and deeper knowledge of the self. Strip out all the mystical claptrap, and you're left with a useful training regimen for the mind.
Thats the 2nd person thats said mystical claptrap... strip away the mystical and all you are left with is a pointless, meaningless existence
Maybe that's true for you. To suggest it is true for everyone is just foolishness. To me there is nothing more breathtaking or awe-inspiring than reality itself... and thus I find no need to dress it up.
You misappropriate the term. Feelings of beauty and awe are not automatically 'mystical.' Objective understanding of reality, born of clear insight and coherent thought, is not 'mystical' either... at least as the dictionary defines it. mys·ti·cal (mst-kl) adj. 1. Of or having a spiritual reality or import not apparent to the intelligence or senses. 2. Of, relating to, or stemming from direct communion with ultimate reality or God: a mystical religion. 3. Enigmatic; obscure: mystical theories about the securities market. 4. Of or relating to mystic rites or practices. 5. Unintelligible; cryptic.
Heh heh... ahhh the deluded acolytes of science... the high priests in white lab coats sell you empirical data and you all delude yourselves that it's sooo different to religion... you aren't taking what they say on faith are you? no of course not, because everything can be tested and proven right?... well sure if you can take the observer out of the equation and ignore Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.... heh heh... oh dear but seriously, how good has today been... god just asked me for a loan... da bum