Dear friends,
As I read your replies carefully, I find that your focus is on different type of meditations. There are countless types of meditations. That is not so important. What the meditation does is important. The following article will tell you about the meditations around the world and through the ages.
regards
meditation
Dictionary
med·i·ta·tion (mĕd'ĭ-tā'shən)
n.
1.
a. The act or process of meditating.
b. A devotional exercise of or leading to contemplation.
2. A contemplative discourse, usually on a religious or philosophical subject.
med'i·ta'tion·al adj.
Thesaurus
meditation
noun
The act or process of thinking: brainwork, cerebration, cogitation, contemplation, deliberation, excogitation, reflection, rumination, speculation, thought. See thoughts.
WordNet
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun meditation has 2 meanings:
Meaning #1: continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
Synonym: speculation
Meaning #2: contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects)
Wikipedia
meditation
This article is about the practice of meditation. For the writings by Marcus Aurelius, see Meditations.
Meditation usually refers to a state in which the body is consciously relaxed and the mind is allowed to become calm and focused. Several major religions include ritual meditation; however, meditation itself need not be a religious or spiritual activity. Most of the more popular systems of meditation are of Eastern origin, though there exists also various forms of Christian, Jewish and Muslim meditation.
Another form of meditation is more closely akin to prayer and worship, wherein the practitioner turns spiritual thoughts over in the mind and engages the brain in higher thinking processes. The goal in this case is the receipt of spiritual insights and new understanding.
From the point of view of psychology, meditation can induce — or is itself — an altered state of consciousness.
Strategies common to many forms
Cross-legged posture. See also: Lotus Position
Meditation generally involves discounting wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming and focusing the mind; however meditation does not necessarily require effort and can be experienced as "just happening". Physical postures include sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and walking (sometimes along designated floor patterns). Quietness is often desirable, and some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting to help induce a meditative state.
Meditation can be done with the eyes closed (as long as one does not fall asleep), or with the eyes open: focusing the eyes on a certain point of an object or image, and keeping the eyes constantly looking at that point.
Besides the physical factors related to meditation perhaps the most important strategy relates to the very process through which the relevant state of consciousness is achieved. The most common approach is to focus one's full attention on the natural cycle of breathing. As one takes in a breath, one is called to experience that particular inbreath fully, as if nothing else existed in the world at that particular moment in time. Similarly, one follows the outbreath with full awareness. If for any reason the mind should get distracted during this process the key is to acknowledge this shift in attention, slowly pull one's awareness back to the breath, and continue focusing on its natural cycle. Another common approach is to attempt to block all sensory input (visual, auditory, tactile being key) and concentrate on something other than yourself.
Purposes of meditation
The purposes for which people meditate vary almost as widely as practices. It may serve simply as a means of relaxation from a busy daily routine, or even as a means of gaining insight into the nature of reality or of communing with one's God. Many report improved concentration, awareness, self-discipline and equanimity through meditation. The disciplined self-cultivation aspect of meditation plays a central role in Taoism, Sufism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Generally, there are religious meditation, in which one meditates on or in communion with the Divine, and focus meditation, in which one meditates to improve health or mental faculties. The 'divine' need not be any specific deity and may be unknown; 'focus' need not include concentration on any specific item and may include intuitive inner 'quantum leaps'. The two positions often overlap in meditative traditions.
However, see spiritual materialism.
Samadhi
In the samadhi or shamatha, i.e. concentrative, techniques of meditation, the mind is kept closely focused on a particular sensation (e.g. the breath), word, image, sound, person, or idea. This form of meditation is often found in Hindu and Buddhist traditions (especially the Pure Land school), as well as in Christianity (Gregorian chant, for example), Jewish Kabbalah, and in some modern metaphysical schools.
Tae Eul Mantra meditation
Tae Eul Ju is a sacred mantra practiced throughout the world among the Jeung San Do practitioners. This mantra is consisted of twenty three holy sounds.
The cornerstone of this practice is Tae Eul Mantra(太乙呪) meditation. Chanting the Tae Eul Mantra (Tae-eul-ju) allows the practitioner to tap into the healing and enlightening energy coming from the life-giving womb of the universe, awakens the practitioner to the spirit world, and attracts protective energy and spirits that can protect the practitioner from misfortune.
A mantra is a series of sacred sounds. Any mantra chanted with proper breathing, posture of body and mind, and a degree of faith in both the mantra and one's own ability will produce positive effects. Each mantra has its own purpose and power. Some mantras can be translated into simple words, but invariably the deeper meaning can only be understood through regular practice.
Mindful awareness traditions
Vipassana (insight) and anapanasati (observance of breath) are parts of the broader notion of mindful awareness, which is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, which is held to lead to Enlightenment, and expounded upon in the Satipatthana sutra. While in anapanasati meditation the attention is focused on the breath, in vipassana the mind is instead trained to be acutely aware of not only breathing, but all things that one comes to experience.
The concept of vipassana works in believing that the meditator's mind will eventually take note of every physical and mental experience "real-time" or as it happens, the goal being that it will gradually reveal to the practitioner how one's mind unknowingly attaches itself to things that are impermanent in nature. Thus, when such things cease to exist, one experiences suffering from their loss. This in turn can gradually free one's mind from the attachment to the impermanent that is the root of suffering. In other words, in vipassana (insight, or seeing things as they are) meditation, the mind is trained to notice each perception or thought that passes without "stopping" on any one. This is a characteristic form of meditation in Buddhism.
However, in at least some forms of vipassana, notably the Burmese Theravada school as taught by S. N. Goenka, one does not attend to whatever perceptions arise, but purposely moves one's attention over their body part by part, checking for sensations, being aware and equanimous with them, and moving on. This form of meditation has some resemblance with "choiceless awareness" — the kind of meditation that J. Krishnamurti addressed.
Buddhist meditation
The Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. Buddhist methods of meditation include both samatha, and vipassana. While Vipassana consist in seeing the reality, Samatha consist in attaining highly developed stages of concentration by focusing on any object: anapana, mettā bhāvanā, being the more popular of 40 traditional objects (see: Kammathana).
Zen (Chinese : Chan) buddhism refers to Zazen and Koan mediation practices. Tibetan buddhism include more various methods.
Christian meditation
Jesus, according to the New Testament, often left his apostles and the crowds to distance himself in the wilderness areas of Palestine to engage in long periods of prayer, spiritual meditation and fasting wherein he is reported to have communicated with God. The 40 days following his baptism were spent in such a manner, although, as described in the Bible this period was a difficult one of struggle and temptation. Saint Francis would also retreat to the wilderness in isolation for periods of prayer and meditation. Christian traditions have varying approaches to the subject of meditation, they are especially to be found in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, often associated with monastic practices. The meditation of the Jesus prayer is akin to the Hindu mantra meditation. The meditation of the Christian hesychasts is a silent form of meditation centered on the navel, similar to Taoist or Zen meditation focusing on the hara region (hence the term contemplating one's navel).
See also the article Christian meditation.
Osho on meditation
Osho introduced meditation that is very different from whatever is written on the rest of this page. According to him, it is a state beyond mind. It is not concentration! It is not about any spiritual thoughts, it is a state of thoughtlessness. It is something that can just happen, it is a state that one can be in, it is not something that one can do. But he said that it is very difficult for modern man to just sit and be in meditation. So he devised some active meditation techniques which naturally take one into meditation. These techniques allow a person to express whatever is repressed in him. Many of his techniques involve dancing too. But the meditaion technique is not meditation. Meditation technique is just a method which takes one into a state of meditation.
Health applications and clinical studies of meditation
In the recent years there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation (Venkatesh et al., 1997; Peng et al., 1999; Lazar et al., 2000; Carlson 2001). Many concepts of meditation have been applied to clinical settings in order to measure its effect on somatic motor function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory function. Also the hermeneutic and phenomenological aspects of meditation are objects of growing interest. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a method of stress and pain reduction. For example, in an early study in 1972, transcendental meditation was shown to affect the human metabolism by lowering the biochemical byproducts of stress, such as lactate (lactic acid), and by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure and inducing favorable brain waves. (Scientific American 226: 84-90 (1972)) The meditative aspects of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and some forms of yoga have also become increasingly popular as means of healthful stress management in recent years.
As a method of stress reduction, meditation is often used in hospitals in cases of chronic or terminal illness to reduce complications associated with increased stress including a depressed immune system. There is a growing consensus in the medical community that mental factors such as stress significantly contribute to a lack of physical health, and there is a growing movement in mainstream science to fund and do research in this area (e.g. the establishment by the NIH in the U.S. of 5 research centers to research the mind-body aspects of disease.) Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, reported that Zen meditation rewires the circuitry of the brain in his landmark book Zen and the Brain (Austin, 1999). This has been confirmed using sophisticated imaging techniques which examine the electrical activity of the brain.
Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard and several Boston hospitals, reports that meditation induces a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body collectively referred to as the "relaxation response" (Lazar 2003). The relaxation response includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Benson and his team have also done clinical studies at Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains. Among other well-known studies within this particular field of interest we find the research of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts who have done extensive research on the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress (Kabat-Zinn 1985; Davidson 2003).
One of the most important invitations to study the clinical effects of meditation comes from The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has had many dialogues with Western scientists about this subject and it was at the top of the agenda when he visited Massachusetts Institute of Technology in September 2003 for the "Investigating the Mind conference".
Meditation and the Brain
Mindfulness meditation and related techniques are intended to train attention for the sake of provoking insight. Think of it as the opposite of attention deficit disorder. A wider, more flexible attention span makes it easier to be aware of a situation, easier to be objective in emotionally or morally difficult situations, and easier to achieve a state of responsive, creative awareness or "flow".
One theory, presented by Daniel Goleman & Tara Bennett-Goleman, suggests that meditation works because of the relationship between the amygdala, the part of the brain that handles emotions (sometimes referred to as the "emotional brain"), and the neocortex, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which handles reasoning and is also known as the inhibitory centre of the brain.
The neocortex processes information very deeply--so it's smart and flexible, but also very slow. Meanwhile, the amygdala, which is a simpler structure (and older in evolutionary terms), makes rapid guesses about our perceptions, and triggers an appropriate emotional response. These emotional responses are very powerful--often because they are related to our immediate survival needs. In other words, if you're an early human standing on the savannah and a lion jumps out at you, your amygdala will have you running and screaming long before your neocortex can figure out what's happening.
In making snap judgments, our amygdalas are prone to error, seeing danger where there is none. This is particularly true in contemporary society where social conflicts are far more common than encounters with predators. A basically harmless but emotionally charged situation can trigger our amygdala's fight or flight reflexes before we know what's happening, causing conflict, stress, anxiety, and frustration.
Certain kinds of meditation (also, martial arts, yoga, etc.) train attention to watch the entire experience, so it's possible to catch emotional reflexes before they take over--but at the same time without squashing or denying the emotion (which would only cause additional frustration). The trick is that there is very little time to do this (roughly a quarter of a second) before the amygdala takes over and the person is flooded with emotion. But the idea is that a skilled meditator can quickly reframe fear and anger, and mould them into constructive responses and perhaps even good cheer.
The different roles of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex can be easily observed under the influence of various drugs. Alcohol depresses the brain generally, but the complicated prefrontal cortex is more affected than the comparatively simple and robust amygdala, resulting in lowered inhibitions, decreased attention span, and increased influence of emotions over behaviour. Likewise, the controversial drug ritalin has the opposite effect, because it stimulates activity in the prefrontal cortex.
Some other studies of meditation have linked the practice to increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with concentration, planning, meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and with positive affect (good feelings). There are similar studies linking depression and anxiety with decreased activity in the same region, and/or with dominant activity in the right prefrontal cortex. Meditation increases activity in the left prefrontal cortex, and the changes are stable over time--even if you stop meditating for a while, the effect lingers.
Electroencephalographs (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed gamma wave activity that gradually expanded across the brain during meditation. Gamma waves indicate synchrony between sections of the brain. These meditators had 10 to 40 years of training in Buddhist-based mental training. EEGs done on meditators who had received recent training turned up considerably less synchrony.
The experienced meditators also showed increased gamma activity while at rest and not meditating. The results of the study do not make clear whether meditation training creates this activity or if individuals with high gamma activity are attracted to meditation. (Lutz & Davidson, 2004)
Meditation and quantum mechanics
In quantum mechanics when an observer views a system they may collapse the wavefunction of the system , that is reduce the possibility states of the system. This effect is related to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. The Uncollapsing theorem is an unproven conjecture considered to be highly speculative that says a person in a deep meditative state may also be able to uncollapse the quantum wavefunction. The possibility states then increases. This is formalised in the Uncollapsing theorem
Adverse effects of meditation
Predominantly, studies of meditation report positive effects. However, some studies report that meditation may have adverse effects in certain circumstances.
If practiced improperly or too intensely, meditation can lead to considerable psychological and physiological problems, for example, the symptoms of kundalini or shamanic 'illness'. It is not uncommon for teachers of meditation to warn their students about the possible pitfalls of a contemplative path. It is also not uncommon for teachers of meditation to be totally ignorant of the potential negative side-effects and incompetent or ineffective in dealing with them when they do arise.
Since the practice of meditation might include a powerful confrontation with existential questions it is not considered wise to engage in intense meditation techniques without an extended period of psychological preparation. Preferably in contact with a credible teacher or clinician. In the case of Asian contemplative traditions there often exist major challenges connected to the way the particular tradition is to be applied to a Western culture, or a Western mindset. The import of eastern contemplative concepts into popular Western culture has not always been sensitive to, or familiar with the cultural matrix that the meditative concept originated from.
As with any practice, meditation may also be used to avoid facing an ongoing problem or emerging crisis in the meditator's life. In such a case, it may be helpful to apply the mindful attitude from meditation while actively engaging with current problems.
A growing body of clinical literature is now starting to address the phenomenon of meditation-related problems (Lukoff, Lu & Turner, 1998; Perez-De-Albeniz & Holmes, 2000). Several side-effects have been reported, among these we find uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations, mild dissociation and psychosis-like symptoms (Craven, 1989). From a clinical study of twenty-seven long term meditators, Shapiro (1992) reported such adverse effects as depression, relaxation-induced anxiety and panic, paradoxical increases in tension, impaired reality testing, confusion, disorientation and feeling 'spaced out'. The possibility that meditation might trigger strong emotional reactions is also reported by Kutz, Borysenko & Benson (1985). Within the context of therapy, meditation is usually contraindicated when the therapeutic goal is to strengthen ego boundaries, release powerful emotions, or work through complex relational dynamics (Bogart, 1991). The tendency of meditation to disturb object-relations and release unconscious material implies that the beginning meditator should approach the practice with moderation. It usually takes years of dedication to become stable in a contemplative practice, a perspective that is often overlooked by many new religious movements and New Age therapies.
Specific traditions
· Sikhism encourages the divine meditation on God's name, through simran.
· Hinduism's two major meditation traditions evolved with the schools of Yoga and Vedanta, two of the six limbs of Hindu philosophy.
· There are three main branches of Buddhism:
o Theravada or "elders' tradition", established from 500BCE to the time of Christ. Today present mainly in Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. It is the monastic system most closely related to the system set up by the Buddha. Practice involves both samadhi or concentration, and vipassana or insight, as well as the development of metta or loving-kindness.
o Mahayana or "great vehicle" tradition, established from the time of Christ to 700CE. Includes Zen. Today present mainly in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Practice involves various forms of dhyana (Chan or Zen), visualizations, koans, invocation and chanting. Two main branches of Zen Buddhism are Rinzai and Soto.
o Vajrayana or "diamond thunderbolt" tradition established 700-1200CE. This is the Tibetan branch of Buddhism, whose best-known exponent is the Dalai Lama. Concentration is cultivated through highly structured ritual, leading to deep meditative states. Compassionate action is also emphasized.
· There are religious meditations associated with Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
· Taoism has a long history of meditative studies.
· Many martial arts schools teach forms of meditation, especially based on Buddhist or Taoist models.
See also
· Advaita Vedanta
· Buddhist meditation
o Zazen
· Christian meditation
· Hesychasm
· Kinemantra Meditation
· mantra
· mandala
· meditation (alternative medicine)
· MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy)
· New Age
· Passage Meditation
· Psychology of religion
· Qigong
· Samatha
· Silva Method
· Sufism
· Tae Eul Ju Meditation
· Tai Chi Chuan
· Tao Yin
· The Whirling Dervishes
· Transcendental meditation
· Naam
· Kundalini
· Yoga
References
Academic and clinical
· Austin, James (1999) Zen and the Brain, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999, ISBN 0262511096
· Azeemi, Khwaja Shamsuddin (2005) Muraqaba: The Art and Science of Sufi Meditation, Houston: Plato, 2005, ISBN 0975887548
· Bogart G. (1991) The use of meditation in psychotherapy: a review of the literature. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 1991 Jul;45(3):383-412. PubMed abstract PMID 1951788
· Carlson LE, Ursuliak Z, Goodey E, Angen M, Speca M. (2001) The effects of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients: 6-month follow-up. Support Care Cancer. 2001 Mar;9(2):112-23.PubMed abstract PMID 11305069
· Craven JL. (1989) Meditation and psychotherapy. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 1989 Oct;34(7):648-53. PubMed abstract PMID 2680046
· Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, Rosenkranz M, Muller D, Santorelli SF, Urbanowski F, Harrington A, Bonus K, Sheridan JF. (2003) Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):564-70. PubMed abstract PMID 12883106
· Bennett-Goleman, T. (2001) Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart, Harmony Books, ISBN 0-609-60752-9
· Kabat-Zinn J, Lipworth L, Burney R. (1985) The clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain. J Behav Medicine. 1985 Jun;8(2):163-90. PubMed abstract PMID 3897551
· Kutz I, Borysenko JZ, Benson H. (1985) Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation. Am J Psychiatry. 1985 Jan;142(1):1-8. PubMed abstract PMID 3881049
· Lazar, Sara W.; Bush, George; Gollub, Randy L.; Fricchione, Gregory L.; Khalsa, Gurucharan; Benson, Herbert (2000) Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation [Autonomic Nervous System] NeuroReport: Volume 11(7) 15 May 2000 p 1581–1585 PubMed abstract PMID 10841380
· Lukoff, David; Lu Francis G. & Turner, Robert P. (1998) From Spiritual Emergency to Spiritual Problem: The Transpersonal Roots of the New DSM-IV Category. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 38(2), 21-50,
· Perez-De-Albeniz, Alberto & Holmes, Jeremy (2000) Meditation: Concepts, Effects And Uses In Therapy. International Journal of Psychotherapy, March 2000, Vol. 5 Issue 1, p49, 10p
· Peng CK, Mietus JE, Liu Y, Khalsa G, Douglas PS, Benson H, Goldberger AL. (1999) Exaggerated heart rate oscillations during two meditation techniques. Int J Cardiol. 1999 Jul 31;70(2):101–7. PubMed Abstract PMID 10454297
· Shapiro DH Jr. (1992) Adverse effects of meditation: a preliminary investigation of long-term meditators.Int J Psychosom. 1992;39(1-4):62-7. PubMed abstract PMID 1428622
· Venkatesh S, Raju TR, Shivani Y, Tompkins G, Meti BL. (1997) A study of structure of phenomenology of consciousness in meditative and non-meditative states. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1997 Apr;41(2): 149–53. PubMed Abstract PMID 9142560
· Lutz, A. . . . and R.J. Davidson (2004). "Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice (http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0407401101)". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101 (November 16): .
External links
· Articles on meditation ( http://spiritual.com.au <link updated to site home> )
· Active Meditations (http://www.activemeditation.com/)
Research on meditation
· The McGovern Institute at MIT and The Mind & Life Institute present...Investigating the Mind ( <link no longer exists - removed> )
· MIT Technology review - Meditation and the Brain (http://www.technologyreview.com/arti...newton0204.asp)
· Harvard University Gazette - Meditation changes temperatures (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/.../09-tummo.html)
· Harvard University News - His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama visits Harvard ( http://harvard.edu <link updated to site home> )
· E-Sangha Meditation Forum ( http://lioncity.net <link updated to site home> )
· University Of Wisconsin News - The Dalai Lama and scientists unite to study meditation ( http://wisc.edu <link updated to site home> )
· The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation ( http://noetic.org <link updated to site home> ) (subtitle) A Review of Contemporary Research, Michael Murphy and Steven Donovan, Institute of Noetic Sciences, 1999-2004, full text of e-book with extensive searchable bibliography (type * into search box to retrieve entire list of over 1800 citations)
· MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) (http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/csr/mbct.html)
· Vipassana Research Institute (http://www.vri.dhamma.org)
Miscellaneous
· New York Times Article on the increasing use of meditation in hospitals (http://www.nytimes.com/library/natio...editation.html)
· Harvard University Gazette - How not to get hooked ( <link no longer exists - removed> )
· The Meditation Doctor: Solutions to Common Problems in Meditation (http://www.meditationdoctor.org/)
· Medical Observer - Making Sense of Meditation ( http://medicalobserver.com.au <link updated to site home> )
· Spiritual Practices (Training Aid) (http://swami-center.org/en/text/Practices.html) Online book describing practical meditative methods of spiritual self-development.
· Meditative Trainings (http://swami-center.org/en/chpt/ecology/page_36.shtml)
· DailyOM (http://www.dailyom.com/) Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy & fulfilling day. Includes many articles about meditation.
· Wuxi Meditation from Dr Shen Hongxun ( http://buqi.net <link updated to site home> )
· Original translations from Sanskrit; quotes from Ramana Maharshi; the practice of Self-enquiry. (http://acalayoga.blogspot.com/)
· Instructions in Passage Meditation ( http://easwaran.org <link updated to site home> )
· Article about meditation from 40 year practitioner with links to try various styles of meditation (http://meditation.3d.net/)
· Learning to meditate in prison ( <link no longer exists - removed> ) by Ozay Rinpoche
· Healing through Meditation ( <link no longer exists - removed> )
· How to Meditate (http://www.zader.com/treats/how-to-meditate.html) A beginner's guide to meditation.
· A Meditation Primer ( <link no longer exists - removed> ) Clearly describes the fundamental meditation techniques: observation, focus, and vacancy.
· What is Meditation ( <link no longer exists - removed> ) how to meditate and what are the benefits.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations
Translations for: Meditation
Nederlands (Dutch)
meditatie, overpeinzing
Français (French)
méditation, réflexion
Deutsch (German)
n. - Nachdenken, Meditation
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. αυτοσυγκέντρωση, διαλογισμός, στοχασμός, συλλογισμός
Italiano (Italian)
meditazione
Português (Portuguese)
n. - meditação (f)
Русский (Russian)
размышление, созерцание, медитация
Español (Spanish)
n. - meditación
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - meditation, grubbel
中国话 (Simplified Chinese)
n. - 沉思, 冥想
中國話 (Traditional Chinese)
n. - 沈思, 冥想
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 熟考, 瞑想, 瞑想録
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) تأمل, تفكر
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הגות, התבוננות, שקיעה בהרהורים, מחשבה, שרעפים, מדיטציה
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Best of the Web
Some good "meditation" pages on the web:
American Sign Languagecommtechlab.msu.edu
Mentioned In
meditation is mentioned in the following
From India, Delhi
174As I read your replies carefully, I find that your focus is on different type of meditations. There are countless types of meditations. That is not so important. What the meditation does is important. The following article will tell you about the meditations around the world and through the ages.
regards
meditation
Dictionary
med·i·ta·tion (mĕd'ĭ-tā'shən)
n.
1.
a. The act or process of meditating.
b. A devotional exercise of or leading to contemplation.
2. A contemplative discourse, usually on a religious or philosophical subject.
med'i·ta'tion·al adj.
Thesaurus
meditation
noun
The act or process of thinking: brainwork, cerebration, cogitation, contemplation, deliberation, excogitation, reflection, rumination, speculation, thought. See thoughts.
WordNet
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun meditation has 2 meanings:
Meaning #1: continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
Synonym: speculation
Meaning #2: contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects)
Wikipedia
meditation
This article is about the practice of meditation. For the writings by Marcus Aurelius, see Meditations.
Meditation usually refers to a state in which the body is consciously relaxed and the mind is allowed to become calm and focused. Several major religions include ritual meditation; however, meditation itself need not be a religious or spiritual activity. Most of the more popular systems of meditation are of Eastern origin, though there exists also various forms of Christian, Jewish and Muslim meditation.
Another form of meditation is more closely akin to prayer and worship, wherein the practitioner turns spiritual thoughts over in the mind and engages the brain in higher thinking processes. The goal in this case is the receipt of spiritual insights and new understanding.
From the point of view of psychology, meditation can induce — or is itself — an altered state of consciousness.
Strategies common to many forms
Cross-legged posture. See also: Lotus Position
Meditation generally involves discounting wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming and focusing the mind; however meditation does not necessarily require effort and can be experienced as "just happening". Physical postures include sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and walking (sometimes along designated floor patterns). Quietness is often desirable, and some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting to help induce a meditative state.
Meditation can be done with the eyes closed (as long as one does not fall asleep), or with the eyes open: focusing the eyes on a certain point of an object or image, and keeping the eyes constantly looking at that point.
Besides the physical factors related to meditation perhaps the most important strategy relates to the very process through which the relevant state of consciousness is achieved. The most common approach is to focus one's full attention on the natural cycle of breathing. As one takes in a breath, one is called to experience that particular inbreath fully, as if nothing else existed in the world at that particular moment in time. Similarly, one follows the outbreath with full awareness. If for any reason the mind should get distracted during this process the key is to acknowledge this shift in attention, slowly pull one's awareness back to the breath, and continue focusing on its natural cycle. Another common approach is to attempt to block all sensory input (visual, auditory, tactile being key) and concentrate on something other than yourself.
Purposes of meditation
The purposes for which people meditate vary almost as widely as practices. It may serve simply as a means of relaxation from a busy daily routine, or even as a means of gaining insight into the nature of reality or of communing with one's God. Many report improved concentration, awareness, self-discipline and equanimity through meditation. The disciplined self-cultivation aspect of meditation plays a central role in Taoism, Sufism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Generally, there are religious meditation, in which one meditates on or in communion with the Divine, and focus meditation, in which one meditates to improve health or mental faculties. The 'divine' need not be any specific deity and may be unknown; 'focus' need not include concentration on any specific item and may include intuitive inner 'quantum leaps'. The two positions often overlap in meditative traditions.
However, see spiritual materialism.
Samadhi
In the samadhi or shamatha, i.e. concentrative, techniques of meditation, the mind is kept closely focused on a particular sensation (e.g. the breath), word, image, sound, person, or idea. This form of meditation is often found in Hindu and Buddhist traditions (especially the Pure Land school), as well as in Christianity (Gregorian chant, for example), Jewish Kabbalah, and in some modern metaphysical schools.
Tae Eul Mantra meditation
Tae Eul Ju is a sacred mantra practiced throughout the world among the Jeung San Do practitioners. This mantra is consisted of twenty three holy sounds.
The cornerstone of this practice is Tae Eul Mantra(太乙呪) meditation. Chanting the Tae Eul Mantra (Tae-eul-ju) allows the practitioner to tap into the healing and enlightening energy coming from the life-giving womb of the universe, awakens the practitioner to the spirit world, and attracts protective energy and spirits that can protect the practitioner from misfortune.
A mantra is a series of sacred sounds. Any mantra chanted with proper breathing, posture of body and mind, and a degree of faith in both the mantra and one's own ability will produce positive effects. Each mantra has its own purpose and power. Some mantras can be translated into simple words, but invariably the deeper meaning can only be understood through regular practice.
Mindful awareness traditions
Vipassana (insight) and anapanasati (observance of breath) are parts of the broader notion of mindful awareness, which is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, which is held to lead to Enlightenment, and expounded upon in the Satipatthana sutra. While in anapanasati meditation the attention is focused on the breath, in vipassana the mind is instead trained to be acutely aware of not only breathing, but all things that one comes to experience.
The concept of vipassana works in believing that the meditator's mind will eventually take note of every physical and mental experience "real-time" or as it happens, the goal being that it will gradually reveal to the practitioner how one's mind unknowingly attaches itself to things that are impermanent in nature. Thus, when such things cease to exist, one experiences suffering from their loss. This in turn can gradually free one's mind from the attachment to the impermanent that is the root of suffering. In other words, in vipassana (insight, or seeing things as they are) meditation, the mind is trained to notice each perception or thought that passes without "stopping" on any one. This is a characteristic form of meditation in Buddhism.
However, in at least some forms of vipassana, notably the Burmese Theravada school as taught by S. N. Goenka, one does not attend to whatever perceptions arise, but purposely moves one's attention over their body part by part, checking for sensations, being aware and equanimous with them, and moving on. This form of meditation has some resemblance with "choiceless awareness" — the kind of meditation that J. Krishnamurti addressed.
Buddhist meditation
The Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. Buddhist methods of meditation include both samatha, and vipassana. While Vipassana consist in seeing the reality, Samatha consist in attaining highly developed stages of concentration by focusing on any object: anapana, mettā bhāvanā, being the more popular of 40 traditional objects (see: Kammathana).
Zen (Chinese : Chan) buddhism refers to Zazen and Koan mediation practices. Tibetan buddhism include more various methods.
Christian meditation
Jesus, according to the New Testament, often left his apostles and the crowds to distance himself in the wilderness areas of Palestine to engage in long periods of prayer, spiritual meditation and fasting wherein he is reported to have communicated with God. The 40 days following his baptism were spent in such a manner, although, as described in the Bible this period was a difficult one of struggle and temptation. Saint Francis would also retreat to the wilderness in isolation for periods of prayer and meditation. Christian traditions have varying approaches to the subject of meditation, they are especially to be found in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, often associated with monastic practices. The meditation of the Jesus prayer is akin to the Hindu mantra meditation. The meditation of the Christian hesychasts is a silent form of meditation centered on the navel, similar to Taoist or Zen meditation focusing on the hara region (hence the term contemplating one's navel).
See also the article Christian meditation.
Osho on meditation
Osho introduced meditation that is very different from whatever is written on the rest of this page. According to him, it is a state beyond mind. It is not concentration! It is not about any spiritual thoughts, it is a state of thoughtlessness. It is something that can just happen, it is a state that one can be in, it is not something that one can do. But he said that it is very difficult for modern man to just sit and be in meditation. So he devised some active meditation techniques which naturally take one into meditation. These techniques allow a person to express whatever is repressed in him. Many of his techniques involve dancing too. But the meditaion technique is not meditation. Meditation technique is just a method which takes one into a state of meditation.
Health applications and clinical studies of meditation
In the recent years there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological effects of meditation (Venkatesh et al., 1997; Peng et al., 1999; Lazar et al., 2000; Carlson 2001). Many concepts of meditation have been applied to clinical settings in order to measure its effect on somatic motor function as well as cardiovascular and respiratory function. Also the hermeneutic and phenomenological aspects of meditation are objects of growing interest. Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a method of stress and pain reduction. For example, in an early study in 1972, transcendental meditation was shown to affect the human metabolism by lowering the biochemical byproducts of stress, such as lactate (lactic acid), and by decreasing heart rate and blood pressure and inducing favorable brain waves. (Scientific American 226: 84-90 (1972)) The meditative aspects of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and some forms of yoga have also become increasingly popular as means of healthful stress management in recent years.
As a method of stress reduction, meditation is often used in hospitals in cases of chronic or terminal illness to reduce complications associated with increased stress including a depressed immune system. There is a growing consensus in the medical community that mental factors such as stress significantly contribute to a lack of physical health, and there is a growing movement in mainstream science to fund and do research in this area (e.g. the establishment by the NIH in the U.S. of 5 research centers to research the mind-body aspects of disease.) Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, reported that Zen meditation rewires the circuitry of the brain in his landmark book Zen and the Brain (Austin, 1999). This has been confirmed using sophisticated imaging techniques which examine the electrical activity of the brain.
Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard and several Boston hospitals, reports that meditation induces a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body collectively referred to as the "relaxation response" (Lazar 2003). The relaxation response includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Benson and his team have also done clinical studies at Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains. Among other well-known studies within this particular field of interest we find the research of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts who have done extensive research on the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress (Kabat-Zinn 1985; Davidson 2003).
One of the most important invitations to study the clinical effects of meditation comes from The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has had many dialogues with Western scientists about this subject and it was at the top of the agenda when he visited Massachusetts Institute of Technology in September 2003 for the "Investigating the Mind conference".
Meditation and the Brain
Mindfulness meditation and related techniques are intended to train attention for the sake of provoking insight. Think of it as the opposite of attention deficit disorder. A wider, more flexible attention span makes it easier to be aware of a situation, easier to be objective in emotionally or morally difficult situations, and easier to achieve a state of responsive, creative awareness or "flow".
One theory, presented by Daniel Goleman & Tara Bennett-Goleman, suggests that meditation works because of the relationship between the amygdala, the part of the brain that handles emotions (sometimes referred to as the "emotional brain"), and the neocortex, particularly the prefrontal cortex, which handles reasoning and is also known as the inhibitory centre of the brain.
The neocortex processes information very deeply--so it's smart and flexible, but also very slow. Meanwhile, the amygdala, which is a simpler structure (and older in evolutionary terms), makes rapid guesses about our perceptions, and triggers an appropriate emotional response. These emotional responses are very powerful--often because they are related to our immediate survival needs. In other words, if you're an early human standing on the savannah and a lion jumps out at you, your amygdala will have you running and screaming long before your neocortex can figure out what's happening.
In making snap judgments, our amygdalas are prone to error, seeing danger where there is none. This is particularly true in contemporary society where social conflicts are far more common than encounters with predators. A basically harmless but emotionally charged situation can trigger our amygdala's fight or flight reflexes before we know what's happening, causing conflict, stress, anxiety, and frustration.
Certain kinds of meditation (also, martial arts, yoga, etc.) train attention to watch the entire experience, so it's possible to catch emotional reflexes before they take over--but at the same time without squashing or denying the emotion (which would only cause additional frustration). The trick is that there is very little time to do this (roughly a quarter of a second) before the amygdala takes over and the person is flooded with emotion. But the idea is that a skilled meditator can quickly reframe fear and anger, and mould them into constructive responses and perhaps even good cheer.
The different roles of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex can be easily observed under the influence of various drugs. Alcohol depresses the brain generally, but the complicated prefrontal cortex is more affected than the comparatively simple and robust amygdala, resulting in lowered inhibitions, decreased attention span, and increased influence of emotions over behaviour. Likewise, the controversial drug ritalin has the opposite effect, because it stimulates activity in the prefrontal cortex.
Some other studies of meditation have linked the practice to increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex, which is associated with concentration, planning, meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and with positive affect (good feelings). There are similar studies linking depression and anxiety with decreased activity in the same region, and/or with dominant activity in the right prefrontal cortex. Meditation increases activity in the left prefrontal cortex, and the changes are stable over time--even if you stop meditating for a while, the effect lingers.
Electroencephalographs (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed gamma wave activity that gradually expanded across the brain during meditation. Gamma waves indicate synchrony between sections of the brain. These meditators had 10 to 40 years of training in Buddhist-based mental training. EEGs done on meditators who had received recent training turned up considerably less synchrony.
The experienced meditators also showed increased gamma activity while at rest and not meditating. The results of the study do not make clear whether meditation training creates this activity or if individuals with high gamma activity are attracted to meditation. (Lutz & Davidson, 2004)
Meditation and quantum mechanics
In quantum mechanics when an observer views a system they may collapse the wavefunction of the system , that is reduce the possibility states of the system. This effect is related to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. The Uncollapsing theorem is an unproven conjecture considered to be highly speculative that says a person in a deep meditative state may also be able to uncollapse the quantum wavefunction. The possibility states then increases. This is formalised in the Uncollapsing theorem
Adverse effects of meditation
Predominantly, studies of meditation report positive effects. However, some studies report that meditation may have adverse effects in certain circumstances.
If practiced improperly or too intensely, meditation can lead to considerable psychological and physiological problems, for example, the symptoms of kundalini or shamanic 'illness'. It is not uncommon for teachers of meditation to warn their students about the possible pitfalls of a contemplative path. It is also not uncommon for teachers of meditation to be totally ignorant of the potential negative side-effects and incompetent or ineffective in dealing with them when they do arise.
Since the practice of meditation might include a powerful confrontation with existential questions it is not considered wise to engage in intense meditation techniques without an extended period of psychological preparation. Preferably in contact with a credible teacher or clinician. In the case of Asian contemplative traditions there often exist major challenges connected to the way the particular tradition is to be applied to a Western culture, or a Western mindset. The import of eastern contemplative concepts into popular Western culture has not always been sensitive to, or familiar with the cultural matrix that the meditative concept originated from.
As with any practice, meditation may also be used to avoid facing an ongoing problem or emerging crisis in the meditator's life. In such a case, it may be helpful to apply the mindful attitude from meditation while actively engaging with current problems.
A growing body of clinical literature is now starting to address the phenomenon of meditation-related problems (Lukoff, Lu & Turner, 1998; Perez-De-Albeniz & Holmes, 2000). Several side-effects have been reported, among these we find uncomfortable kinaesthetic sensations, mild dissociation and psychosis-like symptoms (Craven, 1989). From a clinical study of twenty-seven long term meditators, Shapiro (1992) reported such adverse effects as depression, relaxation-induced anxiety and panic, paradoxical increases in tension, impaired reality testing, confusion, disorientation and feeling 'spaced out'. The possibility that meditation might trigger strong emotional reactions is also reported by Kutz, Borysenko & Benson (1985). Within the context of therapy, meditation is usually contraindicated when the therapeutic goal is to strengthen ego boundaries, release powerful emotions, or work through complex relational dynamics (Bogart, 1991). The tendency of meditation to disturb object-relations and release unconscious material implies that the beginning meditator should approach the practice with moderation. It usually takes years of dedication to become stable in a contemplative practice, a perspective that is often overlooked by many new religious movements and New Age therapies.
Specific traditions
· Sikhism encourages the divine meditation on God's name, through simran.
· Hinduism's two major meditation traditions evolved with the schools of Yoga and Vedanta, two of the six limbs of Hindu philosophy.
· There are three main branches of Buddhism:
o Theravada or "elders' tradition", established from 500BCE to the time of Christ. Today present mainly in Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka. It is the monastic system most closely related to the system set up by the Buddha. Practice involves both samadhi or concentration, and vipassana or insight, as well as the development of metta or loving-kindness.
o Mahayana or "great vehicle" tradition, established from the time of Christ to 700CE. Includes Zen. Today present mainly in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Practice involves various forms of dhyana (Chan or Zen), visualizations, koans, invocation and chanting. Two main branches of Zen Buddhism are Rinzai and Soto.
o Vajrayana or "diamond thunderbolt" tradition established 700-1200CE. This is the Tibetan branch of Buddhism, whose best-known exponent is the Dalai Lama. Concentration is cultivated through highly structured ritual, leading to deep meditative states. Compassionate action is also emphasized.
· There are religious meditations associated with Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
· Taoism has a long history of meditative studies.
· Many martial arts schools teach forms of meditation, especially based on Buddhist or Taoist models.
See also
· Advaita Vedanta
· Buddhist meditation
o Zazen
· Christian meditation
· Hesychasm
· Kinemantra Meditation
· mantra
· mandala
· meditation (alternative medicine)
· MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy)
· New Age
· Passage Meditation
· Psychology of religion
· Qigong
· Samatha
· Silva Method
· Sufism
· Tae Eul Ju Meditation
· Tai Chi Chuan
· Tao Yin
· The Whirling Dervishes
· Transcendental meditation
· Naam
· Kundalini
· Yoga
References
Academic and clinical
· Austin, James (1999) Zen and the Brain, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999, ISBN 0262511096
· Azeemi, Khwaja Shamsuddin (2005) Muraqaba: The Art and Science of Sufi Meditation, Houston: Plato, 2005, ISBN 0975887548
· Bogart G. (1991) The use of meditation in psychotherapy: a review of the literature. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 1991 Jul;45(3):383-412. PubMed abstract PMID 1951788
· Carlson LE, Ursuliak Z, Goodey E, Angen M, Speca M. (2001) The effects of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients: 6-month follow-up. Support Care Cancer. 2001 Mar;9(2):112-23.PubMed abstract PMID 11305069
· Craven JL. (1989) Meditation and psychotherapy. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 1989 Oct;34(7):648-53. PubMed abstract PMID 2680046
· Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, Rosenkranz M, Muller D, Santorelli SF, Urbanowski F, Harrington A, Bonus K, Sheridan JF. (2003) Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine 2003 Jul-Aug;65(4):564-70. PubMed abstract PMID 12883106
· Bennett-Goleman, T. (2001) Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart, Harmony Books, ISBN 0-609-60752-9
· Kabat-Zinn J, Lipworth L, Burney R. (1985) The clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain. J Behav Medicine. 1985 Jun;8(2):163-90. PubMed abstract PMID 3897551
· Kutz I, Borysenko JZ, Benson H. (1985) Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation. Am J Psychiatry. 1985 Jan;142(1):1-8. PubMed abstract PMID 3881049
· Lazar, Sara W.; Bush, George; Gollub, Randy L.; Fricchione, Gregory L.; Khalsa, Gurucharan; Benson, Herbert (2000) Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response and meditation [Autonomic Nervous System] NeuroReport: Volume 11(7) 15 May 2000 p 1581–1585 PubMed abstract PMID 10841380
· Lukoff, David; Lu Francis G. & Turner, Robert P. (1998) From Spiritual Emergency to Spiritual Problem: The Transpersonal Roots of the New DSM-IV Category. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 38(2), 21-50,
· Perez-De-Albeniz, Alberto & Holmes, Jeremy (2000) Meditation: Concepts, Effects And Uses In Therapy. International Journal of Psychotherapy, March 2000, Vol. 5 Issue 1, p49, 10p
· Peng CK, Mietus JE, Liu Y, Khalsa G, Douglas PS, Benson H, Goldberger AL. (1999) Exaggerated heart rate oscillations during two meditation techniques. Int J Cardiol. 1999 Jul 31;70(2):101–7. PubMed Abstract PMID 10454297
· Shapiro DH Jr. (1992) Adverse effects of meditation: a preliminary investigation of long-term meditators.Int J Psychosom. 1992;39(1-4):62-7. PubMed abstract PMID 1428622
· Venkatesh S, Raju TR, Shivani Y, Tompkins G, Meti BL. (1997) A study of structure of phenomenology of consciousness in meditative and non-meditative states. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1997 Apr;41(2): 149–53. PubMed Abstract PMID 9142560
· Lutz, A. . . . and R.J. Davidson (2004). "Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice (http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0407401101)". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101 (November 16): .
External links
· Articles on meditation ( http://spiritual.com.au <link updated to site home> )
· Active Meditations (http://www.activemeditation.com/)
Research on meditation
· The McGovern Institute at MIT and The Mind & Life Institute present...Investigating the Mind ( <link no longer exists - removed> )
· MIT Technology review - Meditation and the Brain (http://www.technologyreview.com/arti...newton0204.asp)
· Harvard University Gazette - Meditation changes temperatures (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/.../09-tummo.html)
· Harvard University News - His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama visits Harvard ( http://harvard.edu <link updated to site home> )
· E-Sangha Meditation Forum ( http://lioncity.net <link updated to site home> )
· University Of Wisconsin News - The Dalai Lama and scientists unite to study meditation ( http://wisc.edu <link updated to site home> )
· The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation ( http://noetic.org <link updated to site home> ) (subtitle) A Review of Contemporary Research, Michael Murphy and Steven Donovan, Institute of Noetic Sciences, 1999-2004, full text of e-book with extensive searchable bibliography (type * into search box to retrieve entire list of over 1800 citations)
· MBCT (Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) (http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/csr/mbct.html)
· Vipassana Research Institute (http://www.vri.dhamma.org)
Miscellaneous
· New York Times Article on the increasing use of meditation in hospitals (http://www.nytimes.com/library/natio...editation.html)
· Harvard University Gazette - How not to get hooked ( <link no longer exists - removed> )
· The Meditation Doctor: Solutions to Common Problems in Meditation (http://www.meditationdoctor.org/)
· Medical Observer - Making Sense of Meditation ( http://medicalobserver.com.au <link updated to site home> )
· Spiritual Practices (Training Aid) (http://swami-center.org/en/text/Practices.html) Online book describing practical meditative methods of spiritual self-development.
· Meditative Trainings (http://swami-center.org/en/chpt/ecology/page_36.shtml)
· DailyOM (http://www.dailyom.com/) Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy & fulfilling day. Includes many articles about meditation.
· Wuxi Meditation from Dr Shen Hongxun ( http://buqi.net <link updated to site home> )
· Original translations from Sanskrit; quotes from Ramana Maharshi; the practice of Self-enquiry. (http://acalayoga.blogspot.com/)
· Instructions in Passage Meditation ( http://easwaran.org <link updated to site home> )
· Article about meditation from 40 year practitioner with links to try various styles of meditation (http://meditation.3d.net/)
· Learning to meditate in prison ( <link no longer exists - removed> ) by Ozay Rinpoche
· Healing through Meditation ( <link no longer exists - removed> )
· How to Meditate (http://www.zader.com/treats/how-to-meditate.html) A beginner's guide to meditation.
· A Meditation Primer ( <link no longer exists - removed> ) Clearly describes the fundamental meditation techniques: observation, focus, and vacancy.
· What is Meditation ( <link no longer exists - removed> ) how to meditate and what are the benefits.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations
Translations for: Meditation
Nederlands (Dutch)
meditatie, overpeinzing
Français (French)
méditation, réflexion
Deutsch (German)
n. - Nachdenken, Meditation
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. αυτοσυγκέντρωση, διαλογισμός, στοχασμός, συλλογισμός
Italiano (Italian)
meditazione
Português (Portuguese)
n. - meditação (f)
Русский (Russian)
размышление, созерцание, медитация
Español (Spanish)
n. - meditación
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - meditation, grubbel
中国话 (Simplified Chinese)
n. - 沉思, 冥想
中國話 (Traditional Chinese)
n. - 沈思, 冥想
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 熟考, 瞑想, 瞑想録
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) تأمل, تفكر
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הגות, התבוננות, שקיעה בהרהורים, מחשבה, שרעפים, מדיטציה
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Best of the Web
Some good "meditation" pages on the web:
American Sign Languagecommtechlab.msu.edu
Mentioned In
meditation is mentioned in the following
From India, Delhi
Hi Vinisha,
In addition to what Alok has mentioned, i would like to add that sometimes relaxing the body first physically and then mentally through meditation is more easy and comfortable.
You can relax with a lying down posture - lying open on the floor ( on a sheet prefereably) with the back to the floor and the hands slightly away from the body or in "Shavasana" as the posture is called in Yoga, one can totally relax and feel rejuvenated.
I have found it more relaxing to medidate after this relaxing session though most people do it the other way round.
Happy meditating!
June
From India, Bellary
In addition to what Alok has mentioned, i would like to add that sometimes relaxing the body first physically and then mentally through meditation is more easy and comfortable.
You can relax with a lying down posture - lying open on the floor ( on a sheet prefereably) with the back to the floor and the hands slightly away from the body or in "Shavasana" as the posture is called in Yoga, one can totally relax and feel rejuvenated.
I have found it more relaxing to medidate after this relaxing session though most people do it the other way round.
Happy meditating!
June
From India, Bellary
Namaskar.
Like most other seekers now Vinisha has to take decision at four levels.
At level A.
1. Whether meditation is essential in life or
2.Whether medtation is desirable in life or
3. Whether meditation is just a queer pursuit/practice.
At level B.
Which meditation path is to be followed as there are plenty and not one.
Level C.
To which guide to listen and follow. Here itself she finds quite a number of guides.
Level D.
Are thoughts on meditation just trash and obsessions and be abandoned?
regards
From India, Delhi
Like most other seekers now Vinisha has to take decision at four levels.
At level A.
1. Whether meditation is essential in life or
2.Whether medtation is desirable in life or
3. Whether meditation is just a queer pursuit/practice.
At level B.
Which meditation path is to be followed as there are plenty and not one.
Level C.
To which guide to listen and follow. Here itself she finds quite a number of guides.
Level D.
Are thoughts on meditation just trash and obsessions and be abandoned?
regards
From India, Delhi
Good day all,
I agree with Dr. J. We have to determine where meditation is priotised in our lives.
I practice aikido, and to me aikido places me in a meditative plane because of the focus and concentration, including the deep diagphram breathing, the relax and calmness that we put ourselves into when we do aikido. I have decided years ago that aikido is not a path to be walk but I have decided that Aikido is part of who I am.
There are many forms of meditation and we should always be open and discover the meditative form that is comfortable to us. To be there is no type of form that is better than the next. To put meditation into such a context is unneccessary and immature.
Why I stated my commitment to the way of Aikido, is just to share with you how I view meditation, that We ourselve has to determine its priority in our lives. There will be a thousand and one excuses why we cannot practice meditation, but it just need one step to do it.
I just want to share another form of meditation and it can be done anywhere and at anytime. All we have to do is just put our awareness into everything that we do. If you are washing the dishes, try to feel the foam, water, scrub, etc. Try to notice the texture of the items that brushes our skin. Be aware of its existance. Do not forget to breath. Relax. The more you relax (not limp, there is a difference) the more you'll be aware of the items and your surrounding. Try it, it will improve your concentration and awareness. :wink:
Love and Peace.
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
I agree with Dr. J. We have to determine where meditation is priotised in our lives.
I practice aikido, and to me aikido places me in a meditative plane because of the focus and concentration, including the deep diagphram breathing, the relax and calmness that we put ourselves into when we do aikido. I have decided years ago that aikido is not a path to be walk but I have decided that Aikido is part of who I am.
There are many forms of meditation and we should always be open and discover the meditative form that is comfortable to us. To be there is no type of form that is better than the next. To put meditation into such a context is unneccessary and immature.
Why I stated my commitment to the way of Aikido, is just to share with you how I view meditation, that We ourselve has to determine its priority in our lives. There will be a thousand and one excuses why we cannot practice meditation, but it just need one step to do it.
I just want to share another form of meditation and it can be done anywhere and at anytime. All we have to do is just put our awareness into everything that we do. If you are washing the dishes, try to feel the foam, water, scrub, etc. Try to notice the texture of the items that brushes our skin. Be aware of its existance. Do not forget to breath. Relax. The more you relax (not limp, there is a difference) the more you'll be aware of the items and your surrounding. Try it, it will improve your concentration and awareness. :wink:
Love and Peace.
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
Great post. Lots of interaction on the subject of Meditation. I am learning a lot. Special thanks to Dr Ji for all his relevant and useful messages. Thanks Bala
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
Thanks Jogji for welcoming us we r around n keep u disturbing for the detailed information on mediatation and give some feedback as n when.
It's right said the heaven of kranti is offcourse human brain which leads to all evolutions and miniture revolutions.
From India, Delhi
It's right said the heaven of kranti is offcourse human brain which leads to all evolutions and miniture revolutions.
From India, Delhi
Thank you Noel ji for your balanced view. Progress or regress is the law of nature. Nothing is stagnant. Medditation is the only way to keep oneself in the path of progress.
Not only that one is to keep oneself open to others' meditation practices but also one may continuue to aquire because no system is perfect in itself. For example, in India whatever may be the meditation order, closing eyes during meditation is conventional but Brahma kumaris practise open eyed meditation and I consider that there is great deal of wisdom in it. Similarly mindfulness of Buddhism has not only spiritual benefits but also one can be materially gainer. It can help prevent huge material losses which the corporate world yet to realise.
Wish you best of progress in life.
regards
From India, Delhi
Not only that one is to keep oneself open to others' meditation practices but also one may continuue to aquire because no system is perfect in itself. For example, in India whatever may be the meditation order, closing eyes during meditation is conventional but Brahma kumaris practise open eyed meditation and I consider that there is great deal of wisdom in it. Similarly mindfulness of Buddhism has not only spiritual benefits but also one can be materially gainer. It can help prevent huge material losses which the corporate world yet to realise.
Wish you best of progress in life.
regards
From India, Delhi
Namaskar Balaji.
Thank you for your appreciation. Till now we the practitioners of meditation have succeeded in impressing only you. I think still we lack impressive presentation skill to bring a kranti. Can you please find the missing gaps in our communication?
regards
From India, Delhi
Thank you for your appreciation. Till now we the practitioners of meditation have succeeded in impressing only you. I think still we lack impressive presentation skill to bring a kranti. Can you please find the missing gaps in our communication?
regards
From India, Delhi
Namskar umalme ji.
You and others are at liberty to ask any number of questions and I am at liberty to answer any number of questions as I can.
Research not only finds that meditation restructures brain but also rearranges DNA.
You address "Jogji" is ecstatic for me.
regards
From India, Delhi
You and others are at liberty to ask any number of questions and I am at liberty to answer any number of questions as I can.
Research not only finds that meditation restructures brain but also rearranges DNA.
You address "Jogji" is ecstatic for me.
regards
From India, Delhi
Dear DrJ,
I am curious, what is the meaning of heaven of kranti?
Meditation is actually very important in a person's life. I think it is more than meets the eye. After all, how much we really know and understand about our mind and body? Already we have some understanding that meditation helps develop our brain activities, but what else?
I personally believe that we are witnessing a coming of a new age, where the understand of technical science and "natural science" (cant think of a better term too use) will merge and soon we will have evidence that its actually the same.
love and peace
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
I am curious, what is the meaning of heaven of kranti?
Meditation is actually very important in a person's life. I think it is more than meets the eye. After all, how much we really know and understand about our mind and body? Already we have some understanding that meditation helps develop our brain activities, but what else?
I personally believe that we are witnessing a coming of a new age, where the understand of technical science and "natural science" (cant think of a better term too use) will merge and soon we will have evidence that its actually the same.
love and peace
From Malaysia, Johor Bahru
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Heaven-hr_persp ective_199.doc
Mitch Albom - The Five People You Meet in Heaven[1].pdf