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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Meditation

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  #1  
Old 18-07-2017, 08:31 AM
Adam713 Adam713 is offline
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Describing meditation?

Greetings all,

Just had some thoughts I wanted to share. Ive been practicing meditation for almost 5 years now and I am eternally grateful for continuing the practice for all these years.

One thing I have noticed amongst people who meditate is the continuous romanticizing of the practice. From the bottom of my heart, meditation is the most beautiful thing I have ever done. However, I feel we sometimes do a disservice to the true beauty of the practice when we romanticize it. I often hear people speak of meditation in ways like:

"Meditation is becoming one with the universe"
"Oneness and love"
"Chakras, kundalini awakening, enlightenment"
"No thoughts"


Just to name a few, you get what I am saying. I hear all these beautiful terms to describe the practice. Don't get me wrong, all these things can be experienced in meditation. But I believe we are doing a disservice to pass along the message that this is what meditation is about. We often forget about the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that will inevitably arise during meditation. I believe meditation is not about being meditative 24/7, I believe its about being a witness to WHATEVER is arising within you whether that be blissful or uncomfortable.

When we approach meditation with the intention of some pseudo spiritual motive, I believe we are consciously and subconsciously suppressing what is actually happening within us. A silent mind cannot be described in "spiritual" terms or phrases regardless of how beautiful those terms or phrases may sound.

Just some thoughts, feel free to share your opinion!
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  #2  
Old 18-07-2017, 10:35 AM
Icrics Icrics is offline
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I must agree. Meditation isn't always nice pics and comfortable feelings.

I try to develope myself as much as possible. Depends area, what I want to know or develope, I accept all the images, videos and feelings. Every bad thing developes me. I have developed more when I have experienced dying tests in meditation(I'm not awraid about dying anymore and third eye opened more), I saw my past life hearth attack dying(My body/soul remembered this in this life and after seeing my death, chest pain dissapeared) or encountered aliens or odd looking entities(I was learning to feel love against all the races). There's so many bad things I have seen, but I think I have been ready to see them and understand meanings.

After all I love to meditate. I never know what symbols or tests I get to see, but I truly trust my guides and my higher self, that I manage to deal everything they send me
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  #3  
Old 18-07-2017, 04:54 PM
CrystalSong CrystalSong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam713

One thing I have noticed amongst people who meditate is the continuous romanticizing of the practice. However, I feel we sometimes do a disservice to the true beauty of the practice when we romanticize it. I often hear people speak of meditation in ways like:

"Meditation is becoming one with the universe"
"Oneness and love"
"Chakras, kundalini awakening, enlightenment"
"No thoughts"

We often forget about the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that will inevitably arise during meditation. I believe meditation is not about being meditative 24/7, I believe its about being a witness to WHATEVER is arising within you whether that be blissful or uncomfortable.

When we approach meditation with the intention of some pseudo spiritual motive, I believe we are consciously and subconsciously suppressing what is actually happening within us. A silent mind cannot be described in "spiritual" terms or phrases regardless of how beautiful those terms or phrases may sound.



Your practice works well for SOME people.
Let's look at another view point though.

Take someone who was raised in a family with extreme physical and psychological violence - the mother constantly manipulating emotions, selling her love as a favor of acceptance to the children, a father who would violently strike the child with no warning, perhaps even when it was trying to ask a question or seeking solace.
That person was in such a flight or fight instinct their whole childhood that certain neuropathways never developed, they have a very limited supply or the pathways to carry the chemicals causing happiness and contented ness. They wake each day wary of the world, what persons presumed friendliness is a guise to gain power over them, what proffered hand shake is seconds away from turning into a strike?

If they meditate in the style you suggest they will find a nest of hissing striking venomous vipers inside. "Thanks Mom and Dad."
It serves little purpose to pull each viper out and restudy the pain it gives.
That person would be much better severed to go back into the Oneness, back into Love without strings or power plays, exploring the Divine and healing and basking in that Love. This is where they will find healing, this is where that person will discover they are more than their body and mind - this is where they will find wellness and the vipers within will loose their venom. When they learn they are more than the body/mind vehicle which was so ravaged in their youth they will begin the process of rebirthing into a loving Universal container which is safe.
Your 'romance' is another life line to wellness - so don't dis other forms of meditation. There is no disservice in meditation being offered in this way, it can led to a life of Peace and inner Joy for some.

I don't practice a form of meditation that allows me witness whatever arises. I do that every day when not meditating through being present and witnessing my own thoughts and emotions.
For me this form of meditation is just the Ego studying the Ego and serves me little purpose except to stay in the ego and buying into its stories of separation.

After many years of meditation (though I'm far from being an expert) there's just not much buy-in to my own thoughts anymore- they are too much like a house of monkeys gleefully leaping and swinging about. Thoughts will create emotions, division, self aggrandizing, labeling and separation. So that's of little value to me.
However listening for the emotions in the body and then seeing what the translation of those body emotions are seems more informational about my state of being than studying the monkey house. However it requires subtle abilities and sensitivities to discern which is happening - the body responding to a thought OR the body expressing and the mind responding to the body expressing.

Of far more interest to me currently is No Mind Meditation, which I believe you do not currently value.
For me however it is the path to a brief break away from the vehicle of the mind and body and a merging back into the eternal self and the greater Consciousness Construct and many realms of existence. It is a return to the consciousness I am between lives, that vastness and possibility that lies within being utterly free and unfettered by mental programming and physical constraints of the body. From this boundless expansive state of being I am nourished and get clarity on the best uses of the opportunity of being in a body in the 3rd density, how to make most use of it, how to live Love in a limited context in the 3rd dimension, and also just fly free between the worlds stopping wherever curiosity draws me to explore other worlds, cultures and societies, past lives, futures lives and to being to understand the over all arch and purpose of the transmigration of the soul.

I have no uncomfortable thoughts and feelings arise during meditation unless the mind/ego is still running the show, in which case I have not yet accomplished meditation - according to my own rule set. :)

My own Rule Set. And that is what I would offer to you. What is right for you is right for you, not a blanket statement which condemns all other forms of meditation as disservice and romantic. True beauty is not found in your form only, nor do other forms necessarily come from a 'pseudo spiritual motive'.

Maybe meditate on your current condemnation and judging of other forms of meditation, who does this judging? Who needs to separate, divide and label? Who is this voice speaking? Is it the true you, the eternal you? The little self or the eternal self? Is ego running the meditation?
Does it do service to you to move further into separation, judgment and justifying of your form of meditation while condemning other forms?
I would offer to you that you are exploring ONE form of meditation - no more valuable or of service than any other form and that there are other forms which may suit you more as you come into new understanding of the nature of consciousness.
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  #4  
Old 18-07-2017, 08:25 PM
HereAndNow HereAndNow is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam713
But I believe we are doing a disservice to pass along the message that this is what meditation is about.

Hi Adam,

I think this is little bit like the famous story about the blind men and an elephant. Where they all touched a different part of the elephant - ear, trunk, leg, tail - and each said: "See, this is what an elephant is like".

"Meditation" can mean so many different things to different people. Like when you look around even in this forum, in "meditation" section - there's so many different practices and understandings people talk about ... well, if that's their practice then that's their practice. I also believe in practicing meditation as witnessing ... and just being present with whatever is ... not as talking to angels for example ... but then when I talk about meditation and want to be clear then I have to say that that's the kind of practice I mean when I say "mediation". And, well, even in Buddhism there is for example metta bhavana meditation ... which is not witnessing but consciously cultivating love and kindness.

And, well, of course people have romantic ideas, and very simplified ideas ... but that's just how it is. And especially in the field of spirituality where everything is quite fuzzy and hard-to-define. I personally have become quite allergic to the word "love" in spiritual circles, because in my opinion the more someone talks about love the more likely they are inauthentic people who try to ignore everything unpleasant in life ... believing that by ignoring the "shadow" side of life it will just disappear. In business you cannot ignore what you don't like or what's uncomfortable - you'll just go bankrupt quickly. In spirituality one can ignore anything, or believe anything ... and that's what people do.

But, well, in things spiritual people will always have very different ideas and different understanding ... so the best thing I can do is perhaps just to be clear about my own practice ... and practice patiently

Just some thoughts that came as a response to your post.
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  #5  
Old 18-07-2017, 09:56 PM
iamthat iamthat is offline
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There are many forms of meditation, and no single description can encompass all aspects of meditation.

So yes, meditation is about becoming the witness to all that arises within and all that we experience in our daily lives.

Meditation is also about finding that inner stillness and the quiet mind.

And meditation for those who choose particular practices is all about chakras and awakening kundalini.

And meditation is also about resting in consciousness, which naturally expresses as love.

And meditation is also about resting in our Being, which is naturally one with the universe.

These are not pseudo-spiritual or romantic descriptions of meditation. They are factual descriptions of what we can achieve through meditation. Of course, it requires regular practice and persistence, and there will be many times when meditation is more than just uncomfortable - it can be mental, emotional and physical torment. But this is the burning ground we have to cross.

Just the thoughts of someone who has been meditating for nearly 40 years.

Peace.
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  #6  
Old 19-07-2017, 05:40 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam713
Greetings all,

Just had some thoughts I wanted to share. Ive been practicing meditation for almost 5 years now and I am eternally grateful for continuing the practice for all these years.

One thing I have noticed amongst people who meditate is the continuous romanticizing of the practice. From the bottom of my heart, meditation is the most beautiful thing I have ever done. However, I feel we sometimes do a disservice to the true beauty of the practice when we romanticize it. I often hear people speak of meditation in ways like:

"Meditation is becoming one with the universe"
"Oneness and love"
"Chakras, kundalini awakening, enlightenment"
"No thoughts"


Just to name a few, you get what I am saying. I hear all these beautiful terms to describe the practice. Don't get me wrong, all these things can be experienced in meditation. But I believe we are doing a disservice to pass along the message that this is what meditation is about. We often forget about the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings that will inevitably arise during meditation. I believe meditation is not about being meditative 24/7, I believe its about being a witness to WHATEVER is arising within you whether that be blissful or uncomfortable.

When we approach meditation with the intention of some pseudo spiritual motive, I believe we are consciously and subconsciously suppressing what is actually happening within us. A silent mind cannot be described in "spiritual" terms or phrases regardless of how beautiful those terms or phrases may sound.

Just some thoughts, feel free to share your opinion!

Yes, we do generally find that people undertake meditation of of some desire for 'special experiences' and this causes distraction from awareness of what 'already is'. Being the witness to all arisings is the core of meditation, not because that is the aim of it, but because that's already the nature of things as they are. The basic principle is have ones attention here with 'this', to be with 'what is' just as it happens to be now.

Other exercises which produce special sorts of experience exist are also called 'meditation', and in the new age, just about anything is called 'meditation', but there is a primary difference in all of this between meditation techniques that require volitional input on your part, and the non volitional approach to pure observation.
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  #7  
Old 19-07-2017, 08:45 PM
iamthat iamthat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gem
Yes, we do generally find that people undertake meditation of of some desire for 'special experiences' and this causes distraction from awareness of what 'already is'. Being the witness to all arisings is the core of meditation, not because that is the aim of it, but because that's already the nature of things as they are. The basic principle is have ones attention here with 'this', to be with 'what is' just as it happens to be now.

Other exercises which produce special sorts of experience exist are also called 'meditation', and in the new age, just about anything is called 'meditation', but there is a primary difference in all of this between meditation techniques that require volitional input on your part, and the non volitional approach to pure observation.

The non-volitional approach of pure observation is one type of meditation. The volitional approach is equally valid, and it is not just from some vague desire for special experiences. It is the recognition that meditation is the gateway to higher consciousness. By performing particular practices and learning to focus our attention then we go beyond our present limited awareness.

This approach to meditation is summed up in the last three stages of raja yoga - concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and union (samadhi). Most of us struggle to master concentration, but without this then there is no meditation.

Peace.
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  #8  
Old 19-07-2017, 10:27 PM
CrystalSong CrystalSong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
The non-volitional approach of pure observation is one type of meditation. The volitional approach is equally valid, and it is not just from some vague desire for special experiences. It is the recognition that meditation is the gateway to higher consciousness. By performing particular practices and learning to focus our attention then we go beyond our present limited awareness.

This approach to meditation is summed up in the last three stages of raja yoga - concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and union (samadhi). Most of us struggle to master concentration, but without this then there is no meditation.

Peace.
Thank you Iamthat, I agree with you completely, there truly are many types and purposes for meditating.


20 minutes ago I just finished using meditation for higher purposes. Meditation is a multitude of things, some are self discovery based certainly, and some have nothing to do with 'me' at all but are a stilling of the mind so that information can be received.
Most often I use it as a gateway state - a bridge to higher realms of information and energy access.

After 2 minutes spent reaching Theta Brain Wave state I was able to receive information from a persons Higher Self/Spirit to assist them in healing, see their higher self and study the energy flow inside them in order to make the corrections needed as directed by their Higher Self, and channel additional energies into them.

4 Hours ago I was able to talk with another persons Higher Self and Team and receive diagnostic information and confirmation related to a surgery they'd had previously of which they told me nothing about, per my request. I was able to use medical intuition to go in, correctly identify that an organ had been removed, study the healing rate of it, see where there had been an over-cut and that none of the area needed anything further and was healing fine.
However the associated chakra was in over activity and having problems in over reacting to all stimulus.
I was also able to see fibroids, a cyst, that the kidneys were working extra hard due to the spleen removal and several other minor issues, all of which she confirmed were indeed true.
From there I was able to make the necessary adjustments to help the entire system to work better and prescribe and teach the client some skills to further wellness journey.

All of this is from meditation, stilling the mind and learning to LISTEN. Meditation does not have to be an end point destination - it can be a useful gateway to unseen information useful and beneficial to others and have nothing to do with us at all.

There is much more available too, too much to type. Meditation, for those on the path of recognizing it as a valuable 'launch pad' for other states of awareness, it is an absolute pre-requisite for numerous levels of access and interaction and information. Those finely tuned, can reach Theta Brain wave state in as little as 3 breaths.

I will throw in one last thing, when I meditate even as little as once a day, all skills blow wide open unbidden and this year mediumship has even become a possibility, though I seem to be a little hesitant around it and meditate just the seconds needed to reach the information sought, or to access and channel energy or whtever is needed. I save longer sessions for OBE's or Bi-location but stay just short of allowing higher entities to use my vocal cords. I have no good excuse for not allowing it - just some sort of fear/wariness and being a good at being able to hear what they are saying can't justify them speaking directly through me perhaps. Maybe I have control issues. LOL
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  #9  
Old 20-07-2017, 12:15 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
The non-volitional approach of pure observation is one type of meditation. The volitional approach is equally valid, and it is not just from some vague desire for special experiences. It is the recognition that meditation is the gateway to higher consciousness. By performing particular practices and learning to focus our attention then we go beyond our present limited awareness.

This approach to meditation is summed up in the last three stages of raja yoga - concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and union (samadhi). Most of us struggle to master concentration, but without this then there is no meditation.

Peace.

I'm just pointing out that what is called 'meditation' can be put into two primary categories, volitional exercise and non-volitional observation. That is, making is as you want, or, seeing it as it is.
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  #10  
Old 03-08-2017, 06:01 AM
EnricoGalard EnricoGalard is offline
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Meditation

Meditation has been practiced for centuries and is scientifically proven to reduce stress and heal the mind and body.The truth is, there are thousands and thousands of meditation techniques out there, and most of them are free to learn and easy to do. Though some types of meditation require specific training, the vast majority are totally accessible to every person.
There are many types of meditations:-
  • Mindfulness Meditations
  • Body Meditations
  • Religious" Meditations
  • Sound-Based Meditations
  • Modern Meditations
For more information and detail, just visit this site mindvalleyacademy.com
And Read so many blogs.
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