Reading through the posts here, there seems to be a lot of misconceptions about meditation. Hopefully this helps someone. 1) Meditation is nothing mystical, nor does it require any mystical powers. Meditation has different meanings and purposes on different levels. Towards the bottom, it is simply a way to clear your mind. YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS. You are the observer of your thoughts. Your consciousness/soul/spirit is eternal and silent, and that is what you most fundamentally are. At the top purpose of meditation is to quiet your mind enough that your consciousness experiences God, and merges with It. 2) Meditation is about going within, not without. At the most basic levels, you are everything and everything is you. In every developed religion, this idea is very clear, no matter how perverted the religion eventually made it. The deeper into meditation you go, the more you see this world as a dream-like experience. The less attached you are the dream, the more free you are, and the more love you experience 3) There are countless ways of meditating, each with complete validity. Whether you use focused breathing, mantra based meditation, music based meditation, etc. does not matter. They all are simply ways that allow you to quiet your mind enough to experience your soul, and ultimately God. Find what quiets your mind the most effectively, and roll with that. Hopefully this helps a bit, and if anyone has any questions, PM me and I'll try to answer you as best I can. Namaste!
Great description! So true. Meditation is like the rest of life. I'm still experimenting with the ways I meditate. It's like everything else. Routine is good, but don't let yourself get stuck in it and afraid to explore. The same music that calmed me yesterday and helped me to connect, may restrict me today. As I meditate more, I can sense my internal mood and select the best way for that moment.
Something I would like to add: I learned from a yoga teacher that part of what made meditating for me hard was experimenting with too many different types at the same time. My mind wanders too much and I can't focus on whichever focal point I have chosen for very long. He said to pick one type and try it daily for 3 months. That it will get easier and easier for me to focus as time goes on. After 3 months if I am still having problems with the type I choose then to try another technique. That I don't have to keep trying technique after technique hoping one will work immediately, it takes time and practice, immediate results are rare. This has helped a lot and I am getting better at relaxing and clearing my mind for longer periods. Just thought I'd add a little note, but good explanation.
