The first step in going about the writing of this article - How to Meditate - would be, of course, to give a general description of meditation itself - not only to serve as an introduction to this writing, but to make familiar the concept of meditation to those who do not know what it is, or perhaps make the concept clearer to those who possess only a partial understanding of it. What is meditation? We will begin to answer this question by presenting what could perhaps be considered to be the overall common conception on what meditation is. The classic view of meditation is of a half-naked bearded man in his thirties or forties, sitting on the floor, legs crossed, eyes closed, hands resting on knees, his mind engaged in what we would believe to be some sort of mystical, esoteric trance. First of all, we have no reason to believe that this man is not meditating. What we must realize, however, is that one need not exist under such circumstances in order to meditate. Let this open closed doors in the minds of those who held such a belief.
I feel that meditation's most basic, fundamental, core meaning can be expressed in a few simple words: meditation is focus. Meditation is attention. Meditation is concentration. What meditation does, simply, is offer ways in which these goals can be achieved. Let us explore the classic meditation techniques used to achieve these goals. First of all, it should be stated, in order to meditate one need not sit cross-legged on the floor. One may simply sit in a chair (for which many special meditation 'sitting cushions' have been designed), or perhaps stretch back in a reclining chair, or, if one has the will power to resist falling asleep during the meditation, even relax lied down on a bed. All of these options are equally acceptable for meditation, and the issue of posture is in essence a matter of the individual's personal choice. Once one has assumed his desired posture, the real meditation begins. At the very beginning of one's meditation, one should clarify in his mind the beginning and ending of meditation: focus. Attention. Concentration. How are these goals achieved?
Yoga offers 3 "tools" for doing this, each equally effective. The first tool we will discuss is what is called contemplation upon an object. The object can be a physical object that the meditator observes, or can even be an object that lies in the mind of the meditator. The second tool we will discuss is what is called awareness of breathing. As the meditator inhales and exhales, he applies the sound and feeling of each breath by exhibiting a full awareness - in utmost detail - of each inhalation and exhalation. The third tool we will discuss is what is called chanting of a mantra. A "mantra" is a word or phrase - decided upon by the meditator - that is repeated over and over throughout the entire meditation. Almost all mantras are of a religious nature. Of what value, you may ask, would this repetitious act be? Repeating a mantra over and over has an effect on the meditator because he is repeating the same vocal patterns over and over - as opposed to just speaking random, nonrepeating words. It is this aspect of what is spoken that makes all the difference. Indeed, these 3 tools succeed in achieving the goals of meditation - focus, attention, concentration - which is obviously why they are vital aspects of yoga. Having been introduced to the general concept of meditation, we can now proceed to become educated as to what meditation actually is.
Meditation is "conscious sleep". This may seem like an odd term at first, but as you continue to read on you will gain a clearer understanding of just what it actually means. "Conscious sleep" is a new type of rest (as opposed to the rest we receive from "unconcious" sleep). To understand this, we must realize, first of all, that man is capable of 4 states of being. Each state, in turn, plays its own unique role. To understand these 4 states of being, we must humbly acknowledge a process we are without a doubt very familiar with: the process of thinking. Each of the 4 states of being relates to the process of thinking in its own way. What are the 4 states of being? The 4 states of being are full alert wakefulness, meditation, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. In half of the states the individual is unconscious. In the other half, the individual is conscious. In half of the states the individual is thinking, and in the other half not thinking. Each of the 4 states, furthermore, can be accurately categorized by a specific brainwave frequency range. Each brainwave frequency range, in turn, is measured in hertz by means of a system of measurement known as cycles per second (cps). Each brainwave frequency range, furthermore, is assigned its own term, as the means of categorizing the ranges. The 2 tables displayed below present these figures in an organized, readable fashion.
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Take note, if you will, that by observing the table containing the brainwave frequency ranges of the 4 states of being, you can plainly see that meditation is just as much a scientific as a religious phenomenon. On that subject, let us consider the scientific term "self-hypnosis". The concept of "self-hypnosis", take note, can be considered to be the scientific version of meditation in the sense that both take place in the "alpha" brainwave frequency range. "Self-hypnosis", like meditation, is something "done" to the "self". Once the "self" has been acted upon, in turn, the real work begins. Let us further discuss the content of the above tables. As you can see in the table on the left, 3 of the states of being are in blue boxes, and one state is in a yellow box. What could these colors mean? The blue boxes represent the color of a dark room - a place that we will interpret as implying self-ignorance. The yellow box - that of meditation - represents the color of a fully-lighted room - a place that we will interpret as implying self-realization. Most people spend their whole lives in the 3 dark rooms - never to enter the light of the illuminated room. Some have spent brief, isolated periods in the room of light. Man's ultimate mental goal is to become familiar with what we will call the "fourth room" and to spend as much time in it as possible.
What more can we learn from the leftmost table? When one is awake, he is conscious and thinking. You are without doubt conscious and thinking as you read this right now. What of the realm of sleep? Sleep is, quite clearly, an unconscious experience. When asleep, you are, ideally, unaware of the external world around you. What of thought and sleep? There is, first of all, dreamless sleep and dreaming sleep. In dreamless sleep, you are not thinking. In dreaming sleep, evidently, you are thinking: the dreams themselves are the thoughts. What lies before us as of now is to analyze the anatomy of the fourth room: what does it mean to be conscious and not thinking? How, one may reason, can one be conscious, and at the same time not be thinking? Could a concept more unorthodox, more alien, exist? Let us address this through further discussion.
What are the purposes of all of the four "rooms"? Being awake has the purpose of allowing one to go about all daily activities. Being asleep has the purpose of providing rest from those daily activities. Let us continue. As science has told us, we all have a subconscious mind. This part of our mind is active when we are asleep. The times during which the subconscious mind is active during sleep, it so happens, is when we are dreaming. Dreams, as science has also told us, being of the subconscious mind, serve a special purpose for us when we are in the unconsciousness of sleep. This special purpose, it would happen, is to provide rest for the subconscious mind. What better way to release and unwind the tensions of daily activity, do you suppose, than to work them out during sleep? Given these figures concerning the "rooms" covered so far, only one possible role is left that the "fourth room" could assume. Meditation - being conscious and not thinking - has the purpose of providing rest for the conscious mind. What better way to provide rest for a thinking conscious mind, can you figure, than the cessation of its thoughts? The designated purpose of the "fourth room", then, is that of conscious bliss.
The "fourth room", to continue, is the room of self-realization. The other 3 "rooms" are the rooms of self-ignorance. In order to live life in the first three rooms, first of all, man need not put forth any effort. In a very real sense, to live life solely in the first three rooms is almost a completely involuntary experience. Unlike the other three, however, entering the "fourth room" requires voluntary effort. Earlier in this writing were briefly described the 3 classic meditation techniques - contemplation upon object, awareness of breathing, and chanting of mantra. These are all but "tools", take note, to help us achieve the true goals of meditation: focus, attention, concentration. We have now come to the point at which we can ask the question that may have been in the back of your mind althroughout this writing - the question concerning meditation that truly matters: upon what is it, exactly, that the focus, attention, and concentration we've been informed of are actually considered to be fixed?
The answer is not a concept we are unfamiliar with: these goals of meditation are fixed upon the common purpose of the cessation of all cognitive thought. As stated, what better way to provide rest for a thinking conscious mind, than the cessation of its thoughts? Given the 3 classic meditation "tools" that have been described, it now appears appropriate to the moment to mention that I, in fact, have devised a "tool" of my own. Of course like all meditation "tools", it requires voluntary effort. What I find about the meditation technique that I have devised that is most appealing, however, is how easy it is to understand and put into action. I feel, furthermore, that this method is more suitable to the "beginner" at meditation than the 3 classic tools mentioned. And many a beginner there is. The method, as stated, is simple in nature, and is described in a clear, step by step fashion.
What is the best analogy we could possibly use to describe a conscious mind devoid of thought (as well as why that would be desirable)? Picture a game taking place in a football stadium. There is the cheering of the crowd, and then the football game itself. Cheering, of course, is the natural and normal thing to do (which it is), yet cheering distracts the crowd from the actual game - which happens to be what truly matters. Put this into consideration. In the same way, if the mind stops its "cheering", then it can more effectively - and more thoroughly - focus upon, give attention toward, and concentrate upon the real "game". What, then, does the cheering represent? The cheering, of course, represents the mind's cognitive thought processes. But what of the game? What does it represent? The game represents knowledge of one's true nature.
How does a conscious mind's cessation of thought, then, actually bring about knowledge of one's true nature? Return to the football game analogy. Imagine an entire football game, from the flip of the coin to the final horn blow, in which no cheering whatsoever occurred. Think of how CLEAR the game would be! Every pass, catch, and tackle would be perceived in PERFECT CLARITY! There would, simply, be no distraction from the game. Therefore, when the mind is emptied of thought, it sees things for what they truly are. In seeing things for what they truly are, one's true nature shines forth - the fruit of a mind quieted. Exactly what, then, does this sublime experience make possible? Presented below is a list of such benefits:
Let us now begin to be informed, if we will, of the meditation technique of my own making. It is highly recommended that you write down the key concepts presented here so that you will have them to refer to later. If possible and if desired, send the material to a printer connected to your computer. Let us continue. This particular meditation is done, take note, lying down. However, you may inquire, wouldn't that end up in the meditator falling asleep? Read on, and you will see in detail how this is handled. What you will need: a bed, 4 pillows, and an audio cassette player. In addition, you are to have at hand, of course, music on tape to play in the audio cassette player. The type of music on the tape you choose, however, is of major importance. There are 2 requirements for the content of the music: that it be soft and that it be quiet. Louder, rougher music would be with great certainty incompatible with this meditation technique. In preparation for the meditation, sit on your bed, and put the tape in the cassette player. Be certain that you are not hungry, anxious, or drowsy, as this will interfere with your ability to meditate. Lie down on your back. Stack 2 of the pillows behind your head. Place one of the pillows under your knees. The final pillow is to be placed on top of the chest, with arms on top, one hand holding the wrist of the other. Next, turn on the cassette player. Lie back down, with pillow on top of chest as described, and close your eyes. The meditation, to inform you, is to last the length of the side the tape is on. Make sure that you are comfortable, and that all of your muscles are completely relaxed. Let go of all conflicts, forget your daily cares, and do not allow yourself to feel pressured by worries concerning time.
Now that I'm lying down, you may wonder, with my eyes closed listening to relaxing music, what is to keep me from falling asleep? The answer may surprise you. Rather than the act of falling asleep being an obstacle to the meditation as one would believe, it is rather integrated into the meditation as an active aspect of it! How, then, does this system work? It is by means of a method that may seem strange at first but will make better sense as you learn more about it: you are to consciously, willfully BLOCK OUT the sound of the music being played, from your mental field of perception. Put simply, don't let the music get from your EAR to your BRAIN. A way to help do this as effectively as possible is to put your thoughts in the very BACKGROUND of your awareness. This, of course, will take voluntary effort. What is the purpose, you may ask, of "blocking out" the sound of the music? It brings about the focus, attention, and concentration that are the goals of meditation. As you continue to "block out" the sound of the music, an interesting thing begins to happen: your mind is emptied of thought! This is the beginning and end of meditation. What, you may ask, if I feel myself beginning to "dose off"? It means that YOU'RE NOT BLOCKING! Maintain your focus, attention, and concentration, and BLOCK HARDER. The possibility of "dosing off", ironically, is what keeps you AWARE of the meditation.
Wait a minute, you may propose, all this seems too stressful to be meditation! First of all, clear your mind of this conception. Be sure to be certain that all "blocking" is PURELY MENTAL - there is to be no physical tightening of muscles whatsoever. Make sure, with this in mind, that you are always completely comfortable, and that all of your muscles are fully relaxed. In fact, if you ever sense a tense muscle, consciously relax it. In addition: even though by definition you are blocking the music from your MIND, your EAR still "hears" it, so to speak, so, by all means, ENJOY the music, and make it an active participant in the meditation. Part of the reason soothing music was chosen for this technique is that it promotes relaxation - something no meditation should be without. Let us continue. Is it possible, then, that difficulties can arise in attempting this meditation technique? Let it by all means be understood that this entire meditation technique may in fact take lots of practice in order to be mastered. This is without doubt true of any systemized activity. Mastery of a systemized activity such as this meditation technique, take note, does not pop up completed at day one, but is a learned skill. Put this deeply into consideration. Daily application of this technique - the suggested time of day being during the quiet of early morning when you are the least drowsy (though you may find yourself in a more suitable mood at other times of the day), will without doubt yield results within time. How, finally, do I know when this meditation technique is beginning to "work"? Here are a few signs to look for:
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