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Meditation is a catch-all word used loosely to describe a variety of mental-emotional and spiritual exercises. |
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MEDITATION
In this article, I will use the word meditation in a much more narrow sense of the word. I will define meditation as a specific technique for learning to watch the mind and increase awareness. This distinguishes it from the procedures mentioned in the paragraph above. However, some of the above procedures include aspects of what I will call true meditation.
Prayer is an asking process, while meditation is a receiving process. Prayer involves a conscious use of the will while in meditation one is more receptive, using the will only to do the meditation exercise. Religion usually involves an organized body of doctrines and rituals. Meditation contains neither doctrines nor rituals. It is simply an exercise. It is not a religion, although I feel it is the essence of religious practice. The word religion from the latin means to link back. Meditation is a way to link oneself back to oneís source, higher self, real self or creator. Meditation has no doctrines except to recommend increasing awareness, which in turn will lead one to many truths. It is the way to put into practice the injunctions "thy will be done" and "the truth will set you free", and the way to contact "the kingdom of heaven within". Unfortunately, many religions exclude and even shun meditation. Meditation is a way to experience being ëreborn again of spirití spoken of in the bible. This is also sometimes described in religious circles as salvation or the conversion process. Relaxation, visualization, self-hypnosis and concentration exercises involve the use of the will to achieve a particular state or result. They often involve repetition of certain phrases or sounds. The chart below roughly summarizes the differences between concentration and visualization exercises and true meditation.
TRUE OBSERVATION-MEDITATION This type of exercise is used in zen and vipassana meditation systems. I learned an exercise from Roy Masters, a teacher in Oregon, that he says he learned spontaneously as a child and is linked to Judeo-Christian concepts. It a retraining of the mind to watch itself without judgment or condemnation. It is not, in itself, a way to solve problems, but a way to increase awareness. By increasing awareness, one understands oneself and others better. This understanding brings solutions for problems without struggle or effort. The only effort required is to practice the exercise regularly. This meditation is a way to tame the wild beast of the mind. At times it can feel like breaking a wild horse. It is a way of coming home, of being with oneself, of viewing problems without running away. Meditation can be viewed as turning down the volume of a blaring radio, so you can hear the more subtle music within. The goal is not to add any new thoughts or ideas. It is merely to see what is. The underlying premise is that you know the answers. They are just obscured by confusion and misperceptions. This meditation is in fact a removal process. This differs from many exercises that seek to whitewash over negative or undesirable thoughts or emotions. It is a type of positive stressor. It is the stress of truth and awareness. This places a spiritual stress on one that can result in character development. One is not forced to change, but the exercise will show one the truth about many things. If one does not act on the new information, it will be brought up over and over again.
The effect of meditation is a re-shaping of the mind and perception in accordance with the attitudes of the higher or real self. An important concept in connection with this exercise is that one is never really in charge of oneself. The mind and body are heavily influenced and shaped either mainly by worldly forces (temporal forces, the force of the ego self) or by the higher self, soul or real self. This meditation exercise specifically helps to shift the control or major influence from the worldly forces to the higher self. Changes are very positive and occur gently and slowly. It is a transfer of authority toward greater control by the higher self or real self. The soul wants this change. Meditation is anti-hypnosis. Roy Masters is a hypnotist by profession. He realized people did not need hypnosis to cure their problems. They are already hypnotized and needed dehypnosis. Television and especially advertising induce hypnotic suggestions. These only work because the population is already in somewhat of a trance state and are easily influenced. Meditation, by increasing awareness, helps one out of the hypnotic or trance state. Meditation allows one to unfold from within, like a flower in the spring. One begins to develop from the inside out. When one grows physically, one grows from within, but mentally we generally grow from without. That is, oneís education, friends, events and traumas shape the mind. Meditation permits a different kind of development from within. It occurs according to oneís individual divine plan, not by accident or by the effects of others or circumstances of ones life. Meditation allows one to connect with a new energy source. It is often called the higher self, real self, the still small voice within, the holy spirit or god self. This source promotes health and long life. It is also associated with new abilities and powers that are not available when one is connected only to the physical reality. Meditation establishes a close relationship between the physical brain and the soul This meditation also develops the etheric body. This is an energy body that completely surrounds the physical body and is observable by some as part of the aura. Meditation can help its development. It is associated with health and long life. The energy one brings in through the head that causes a light tingling sensation in the hand is an aspect of the etheric body.
HEALING Meditation inhibits the sympathetic nervous system, This rests the adrenal and thyroid glands and assists the activity of the immune system, and the eliminative and digestive organs. Of itself, this is a great health benefit. Meditation also allows a new healing energy to enter the body. This etheric or soul energy flows down from the top of the head and heals the body in unusual ways. It helps reduce the density of the physical body and energizes the body in a new way. Areas of the body that are congested will heat up slightly and then relax as blockages are released and the energy flows on to the next blockage. Often a gurgling in the stomach occurs when blockages are released. It is similar to the effects of acupuncture and acupressure sessions that promote subtle energy flow. Emotional healing occurs as one learns to observe feelings without having to act on them. This reduces emotional stress. Becoming more objective to people and situations also reduces emotional reactions that deplete the bodyís energy. Mental healing occurs for several reasons. Meditation is like a once-a -day mental checkup. Incomplete thought processes will be completed as the mind stops racing out of control. Old mental and emotional traumas are brought to light and resolved in the light. This reduces stress dramatically. Meditation also keeps one in the present moment. This is where all wisdom and healing lie. Fear and anxiety are in the future, while guilt and remorse are in the past. The exercise is very grounding and centering, which reduces stress and assists healing. Meditation is a form of psychotherapy. It gently brings up hidden thoughts and attitudes so they can be examined objectively. It is self psychotherapy that proceeds at oneís own pace and brings up issues in exactly the correct order. By cultivating the ëwitnessí in oneself, it shines the light of truth on every activity, relationship and event in oneís life. This has a powerful healing effect provided one is willing to make needed changes that are best for oneself and best for others as well. Meditation teaches a new focus for oneís life - to become self-aware. It reduces the energy-wasting folly of the ego life. Shifting oneís focus away from time-wasting and unhealthy ego pursuits has a powerful healing effect. Bad habits such a smoking, drinking or eating junk food are easier to eliminate as one sees them for what they really are and how they affect oneself.
Meditation offers much greater clarity about ones life. This can result in new directions, new pursuits, new occupations and relationships that are far more healthful.
This meditation is not a way to directly solve problems, but a way to increase awareness. This will slowly bring new insights that will solve many problems. The principle is ëthe truth will set you free. J. Krishnamurti once said, ìawareness brings its own actionî. A principle used in the science of biofeedback is ìanything you can monitor, you can changeî. Meditation is a form of biofeedback in that one monitors oneís thoughts and other mental activities. As one does this, thinking and feeling habits will change. Confucius said ìif you understand a problem deeply enough, you will have the answerî. Meditation is a way to study yourself ever more deeply. This will bring answers to many problems. Meditation
is like carefully a studying a friend from an objective perspective.
Often it is easier to solve friendís problems, because one is less
involved. The same will occur with oneís own problems as they are seen
more objectively. Common sense will take over in many instances and
help you solve your problem. Meditating in order to solve a problem is not the correct motivation for meditation. One should not ìmeditate on somethingî. However, it is fine to begin with this motivation. Later you can change your motive to just wanting greater awareness, which will in turn bring answers in their own time. In the meantime, if you do not know what to do about a problem, often it is best to just wait. In your helplessness, help will come.
When the head is filled with racing thoughts, one is often unaware of danger and stress until it becomes extreme. As one meditates regularly, one becomes aware of stress sooner and can take faster action. One becomes more like the wild animals who sense danger and react quickly, as by instinct. For example, it allows you to feel tensions in the body each day, so one can change posture, habits or other causes rather than let the tensions build up.
With this meditation, bad habits will tend to drop you. You will no longer be compatible with them. Many such habits simply stem from unawareness. As your awareness grows, you will see the roots of your habits. This meditation allows you to understand yourself without becoming morbid or negatively self-conscious. You will see the process of your thinking and why you smoke or drink or engage in habits or activities that deplete you. As you begin to take more of your cues from the higher self or real self, you will be less often triggered by people or events. Common sense and a spiritual sense take over. Change then becomes much easier. Life becomes simpler.
Meditation cultivates a relationship between the inner self or soul and the outer self. It is a powerful way of loving the real self. By working on this relationship, all other relationships improve because one is in better touch with oneís deepest essence or higher self or God. Marriages begin to work better, children begin to shape up and one relates to people in a more genuine way. As one learns to see oneself more clearly, one sees others with more clarity and discernment. Of course, not all your friends and family will like this. They may have been using your anger against you, manipulating you with praise or blame, flattering you to get what they want or intimidating you with idle threats. You will see all this more clearly and the relationship will change. One becomes less influenced by images and illusions outside as you dissolve the images and illusions inside your head. One becomes less gullible and less vulnerable to other's attempts to deceive and control you. If a couple meditates, it is like adding a neutral third party or mediator to the relationship. This reduces ego fighting and the battle of the wills that often occurs between partners. By loving oneself through meditation, one becomes less dependent on the love of others. Meditation allows you to practice true love. Many people want to be loving, but they don't seem to know how. By connecting to your higher self or real self, one is filled the love of the creator. This can then be shared with others. This love is detached, asks nothing in return, and is therefore more pure and unconditional. One can see what others really need, not what they think they need or what they say they need. It is the quality of compassion and not a bargaining session - if you love me I will love you. By experiencing the real thing, one becomes aware of selfish motives and feelings that one thought were love. These include attachment, identification, projection, lust, ambition, sentimentality, enabling and pride. One will be able to let these go as one sees they are not love at all and are unnecessary and harmful.
True meditation is a marvelous way to "know thyself". It is the impartial study of oneself. As one understands the self better, power and control over the self increases. As you gain control over yourself, you will find yourself more confident and having a certain natural authority over others without having to struggle for it. In a sense, the real Armageddon is fought inside your head. When you have conquered yourself, dealing with the world is much easier. The world situation is no more than a reflection of the struggle that goes on inside each of us. By changing yourself, the spiritual struggle is won and the world will change.
Many times, we wish to help others, but it is not so easy. By learning to love yourself through meditation, you will have a greater understanding of how to love others. You will cease to spread stress, negative thoughts and emotions you didn't even know you had. This alone has a calming and uplifting effect on everyone. You will have a greater sense of perspective and become more compassionate. Compassion is a special kind of love in which you understand more. You will understand better what people need, when to intervene and when to leave people alone.
This meditation causes an honest positiveness. It causes a happiness and positiveness because one is relieved of false ideas, delusions and useless emotions. Oneís perspective comes more and more from the higher self or real self, the real spiritual source of truth and happiness. This occurs slowly as layer after layer of unreality is removed. This is very different from blocking out negative thoughts. The latter type of ìpositive thinkingî usually does not hold up under stress. Awareness, as a result of meditation, is a great source of happiness. Most sources of our happiness are fleeting. Most material things that we think we want are ephemeral, and soon we want something else. Awareness is knowing and understanding about yourself and about the world. You will stop looking for happiness outside yourself, and this relieves a great amount of anxiety. HOW TO MEDITATE The following is a true dual-focus meditation, not visualization, imagery, concentration, self-hypnosis, relaxation or other mental exercise. I it learned from Roy Masters, who approaches meditation from a Judeo-Christian perspective. The exercise embodies the basic principles discussed above and is very effective. It is more difficult than visualization and concentration exercises. The exercise is described more fully on a cassette tape. It is much easier to do from the cassette tape as it keeps one focused. Click here for this tape. Here, however, is the basic procedure: Sit in a straight-backed chair, with your arms loosely at your side. Another way is to lie down and place your hands at your sides. Close your eyes. Become aware of your right hand. Just notice it. Do not concentrate on it or visualize it unless you have to. Just be aware of it and notice it. Do not force anything to happen. It is often easier to be aware of one finger at a time. Move your awareness from finger to finger, but do not move your awareness to the rest of your body. Keep your awareness on your hand. It should start to tingle just a little bit. At the same time, look through the middle of your forehead, as though you were sitting inside your head and looking out. Do not roll your eyes up, just look through the middle of your forehead. Allow energy to flow into the top of the head and down the body to the right hand. Encourage this energy to flow by drawing it down into the body to the right hand. Slowly this flow and the tingling of the right hand will increase. You will probably find you cannot do the exercise for very long without becoming distracted. Thoughts come, songs, things you have to do later that day. Your body may itch, or you may even fall asleep. Just observe the thoughts and feelings without judgment. Bring your attention back to your hand. Bring it back thousands of times if needed. Slowly, your mind will not stray. You are training part of your mind to observe at all times. You may notice results within a week or less, or results may take longer. You may feel calmer, more detached, and you may gain insights. Often the insights will not come while meditating. They may come while you are doing the dishes or driving your car. Each time you meditate, you alter the way you perceive the world. You will see things slightly differently. Some of what you see may not be pleasant. Just watch it all from a neutral place
- Do the exercise as much as you can; at least twice a day. You can do it anytime and anywhere, although I do not recommend doing it while driving, at least not for a while and not on a busy road. - Each time, do the exercise as though it were the first time. It should never become a habit or mechanical. Do it a little deeper each time. - Make it part of your lifestyle. - Be patient. Benefits come in their own time, not when you think they should. - Some days it will be easier to meditate than others. Several years may be required to refocus your mind. Just keep at it. - You must be willing to see the truth, to wake up, to see yourself as you really are. You will see your faults and shortcomings. You will also become aware of many qualities and abilities that you didn't know you had, as you become free of your past and all the false notions that you learned from your environment.
Make meditation part of your daily lifestyle. Set things up so you have the time to do it in peace. Turn off the phone, arrange for someone to watch children. Go to the office early if home is not a suitable place to meditate. Ideally, have a special room and chair that you use just for meditation. Some days wonít be easy. Think of disciplining an unruly child or training a dog that you have not trained for years, and you have suddenly decided to train. Sometimes it will resist a lot. Donít worry about it. Just say, ìOK, weíll do better tomarrow.î If you are an athlete or train at anything, you know that you have good days and bad days. Just take it all in stride. Meditation involves discipline, which comes from the same root as the word ëdiscipleí. It is not about forcing things. It is about gently staying with or following your path and the results will come.
Use gimmicks to help you stay with it.
The best one I have found is to use a cassette tape to help you maintain
your focus and to time your sessions. I learned to do the exercise while
walking slowly, as I had difficulty sitting still. I also learned to
medicate while doing a coffee enema that was part of a physical healing
program I undertook. It was a perfect time to meditate, as I was forced
to lie still for 20 minutes or so while retaining the enema. Any place
you are confined to a chair such as an airplane flight or a quiet
concert can be an excellent place to meditate. Meditate in the bathroom
stall if that is the only peaceful place where you find yourself. HOW TO COPE WITH WHAT COMES UP
The key to success is learning to just
observe whatever comes up during meditation. Be grateful for seeing the
truth, even if it is unpleasant. You do not have to react in any way.
Definitely do not judge yourself or others. If you wallow in your
thoughts or insights, it will keep them around. It is best to view all
thoughts, emotions and insights as you would view clouds in the sky.
Let them come and let them go. HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH MEDITATION Some say that one must meditate oneís whole life. This meditation is a training of the mind to observe itself at all times. Eventually, you will do it everywhere. When this occurs, one no longer needs to sit quietly and practice it in a special way. It will become second nature. This will mean one becomes firmly identified with the higher self or real self identity. Personality integration occurs and one functions at a new level. Signs of this include improved health, much greater self-awareness, unfolding of new talents and abilities and the disappearance of unhealthful habits, attitudes, emotions and relationships. One will feel more ëtogetherí or whole. Meditation has achieved its purpose in you. However, you are not done! You can go deeper, I believe, as life will present new challenges.
I feel meditation is concerned with the main reason we are here. That is, to grow in awareness and wisdom. Many people spend their whole life running, without ever stopping. Meditation represents the willingness to stop every day and to develop the inner self. Most people live the ego lifestyle, going from goal to goal, often trampling on others to achieve their goals. Meditation allows you to grow from the inside. You will find, if you do the exercise regularly, that your outer life, work, relationships, family matters, will change for the better, often in unusual ways. As you meditate, you let go of the blocks that are in the way of your happiness and success. Reference
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