Mental Discipline in the WW: A Comparison (long) (was:Snape the Zen Master...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 130196

>>Nora:
<snip>
>A Zen master gives a student something that's very productive to
think about and go on.<
<snip>

>>Lupinlore:
>I actually discussed this very subject recently with a Buddhist 
monk I know.  
<snip>
>He said of the whole Occlumency scene that he found it all very 
silly.  The two instructions Snape gave, "Clear your mind" 
and "Master yourself" were essentially worthless.  The first (once 
again in his belief) takes years to learn how to do effectively, and 
the second takes ten thousand lifetimes.<
<snip>

Betsy Hp:
Honestly, I think we're looking in the wrong direction if we compare 
Occlumency with Zen or the ilk.  I remember reading a review that 
compared the magic of the Harry Potter world to the magic of the 
imagination.  I think that's a more proper direction to look.  
Because from the very beginning we are told that the magic of the WW 
works because the wizard or witch *believes* it will work.

Remember what Molly first tells Harry when he's trying to get onto 
Platform 9 3/4 :

"All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between 
platforms nine and ten.  Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash 
into it, that's very important.  Best do it at a bit of a run if 
you're nervous." (SS paperback p.93)

She specifically tells Harry that it's "very important" that he not 
believe he's going to crash into the barrier.  Harry even closes his 
eyes so he won't see himself crash.  Now, there may be some Zen-like 
aspects to the idea that believing something allows you to do it (I 
know nothing about Zen), but I don't think that was the thrust of 
JKR's vision regarding the magic of the WW.  In order to enter the 
WW Harry has to *believe* in magic, otherwise the magic doesn't 
work.  I think this idea is more in line with Peter Pan's lessons in 
flying than in any real world meditation techniques.

So I think that best way to measure the efficacy of Snape's methods 
for teaching Occlumency is to compare them with Lupin's methods for 
teaching the Patronus. That way we're staying within the world JKR 
has created and the rules she has given us.

If we take a look at the instructions Lupin gave Harry for the 
Patronus lessons we'll see that Lupin doesn't give Harry any good 
advice as far as *how* to produce the mental state that allows one 
to conjure a Patronus.  The first direction comes after Harry asks 
how to conjure a Patronus.

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, 
with all your might, on a single, very happy memory." (PoA 
scholastic hardback p.237)

After Harry tries and fails, Lupin gives more advice.

"You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to 
concentrate on.... That one doesn't seem to have been strong 
enough...." (ibid p.239)

Again Harry fails, and Lupin gives further instruction:

"Ready?" [...] "Concentrating hard?  All right -- go!"  (ibid p.241)

In the end, Harry doesn't produce a really strong Patronus against 
the boggart dementor.  He does produce something against the Draco!
Dementor, but Lupin quickly tells him that it only worked *because* 
he wasn't going up against a real dementor [ibid p.263]. Which holds 
true.  Harry fails when he first goes up against real dementors. 
[ibid p.383]  The only reason Harry *does* finally produce a 
Patronus is because of the paradox of time travel.

"I knew I could do it this time," said Harry, "because I'd already 
done it.... Does that make sense?" (ibid p.412)

Now lets compare Lupin's lessons with Snape's.  There are some 
obvious differences in that whereas before Harry was the eager 
student and Lupin the reluctant teacher, Harry is now quite a 
reluctant student.  (I'm hard pressed to figure out Snape's mindset 
here.  He says he's not that eager to teach Harry, but he certainly 
doesn't try and talk Harry out of learning, as Lupin does several 
times.)

Here's Snape's first actual instructions:

"You may use your wand to attempt to disarm me, or defend yourself 
in any other way you can think of," said Snape
[...]
"I am about to attempt to break into your mind," said Snape 
softly.  "We are going to see how well you resist.  I have been told 
that you have shown aptitude at resisting the Imperius Curse.... You 
will find that similar powers are needed for this.... Brace 
yourself, now.... Legilimens!"  (OotP scholastic hardback p.534)

Harry fails in his first attempt and Snape gives further instruction.

"You let me get in too far.  You lost control."
[...]
"You managed to stop me eventually, though you wasted time and 
energy shouting.  You must remain focused.  Repel me with your brain 
and you will not need to resort to your wand." (ibid p.535)

Harry asks for more instruction on (I assume) repelling Snape with 
his brain.

"Now, I want you to close your eyes."
[...]
"Clear your mind, Potter," said Snape's cold voice.  "Let go of all 
emotion...."
[...]
"You're not doing it, Potter.... You will need more discipline than 
this.... Focus now...."
[...]
"Let's go again... on the count of three... one -- two -- three -- 
Legilimens!" (ibid)

Already, in the very first lesson, Snape appears to be giving more 
instruction than Lupin did, at least as far as the mental discipline 
required.  Snape refers back to a type of magic Harry has already 
mastered, and he talks Harry through clearing his mind.  Whereas 
Lupin's advice really came down to "like that only happier!"

The lesson continues for a bit and Snape is very unhappy with 
Harry's inability to empty himself of emotion.  Then there's the 
minor breakdown when Harry realizes that his dreams have been taking 
place at the DoM and Snape realizes (maybe the first to do so) that 
Harry has been receiving dreams from Voldemort.  But the interesting 
thing, to me anyway, is that Snape gives Harry a homework assignment 
working on the very thing Harry has said he's having a hard time 
with... emptying himself of emotion.

"You are to rid your mind of all emotion every night before sleep -- 
empty it, make it blank and calm, you understand?"
[...]
"And be warned, Potter... I shall know if you have not practiced..." 
(ibid p.538)

I find this interesting because though Harry never produces a strong 
Patronus with Lupin because, as per Lupin, his happy thought isn't 
happy enough, Lupin doesn't assign any kind of homework to Harry at 
all.  If Lupin, who we all agree is a great teacher, *doesn't* 
assign homework, I think it reflects well on Snape that he *does* 
assign Harry homework.  Snape has identified where Harry is the 
weakest and he attempts to have Harry exercise this one area so that 
he becomes stronger.  The problem isn't Snape's instructions, it's 
Harry's lack of discipline.

I've read *tons* of posts that talk about how hard it is to empty 
your mind, but isn't it just as hard, or nearly as hard, to think of 
a happy thought when you're in the midst of a clinical depression 
(which is essentially the affect dementors have on people)? And not 
just a happy thought, but a truly *powerful* happy thought?  For 
that matter, how hard must it be to be faced by your absolute worst 
fear and figure out someway to make it silly?  And yet that sort of 
mental discipline is expected of third years in JKR's world.

In fact the kind of mental discipline that can make a brick wall 
just go away is expected of children younger than eleven (Ginny gets 
through the barrier and I believe she's only ten at the time).  Of 
course, JKR isn't really expecting the rules of her world to 
translate to ours.  (I don't recommend anyone close their eyes and 
run at a brick wall.)  Just as the rules of Peter Pan's world don't 
translate to ours, either.  (Ditto to jumping off the barn roof 
while thinking gleefully of mermaids.)

But working *within the rules of JKR's world* I think Snape, though 
asking a lot of Harry, was not asking the impossible.  And I imagine 
that if Harry is ever to learn Occlumency we will find him sitting 
in his bed every evening focusing on emptying his mind of all 
emotion.  And I expect Harry will manage it, too.  (With a pinch of 
fairy dust, of course. <g>)

Betsy Hp