The theistic traditions insist that the basis or the benefits of meditation come from a deity or a person or God. But as we saw in the home page, Lord Tennyson was able to enter into trance like states by repeating his names. And the Theravada buddhists derive meditative benefits even though the Buddha has gone beyond the cycle of existence (and non-existence). So we let us see what is the non-theistic basis of meditation.
At a moment when there is a neutral or a wholesome thought occupying the mind, there is no unwholesome thought at that moment. By holding on to a wholesome or netural thought for a moment, the aspirant has overcome the momentum of karmic forces which impel him to think an unwholesome thought at that moment. Even though this is a 'moment'ary achievment, it is a great step towards understanding and transcending our mind. Because for that moment, he was able to leave behind all unwholesome thoughts and was able to focus on neutral or wholesome thought. This helps the mind to heal itself with wholesome thoughts. Mind is naturally comfortable with wholesome thoughts. So when the unwholesome thoughts are put away, the natural healing happens spontaneously. Do we do anything directly to heal a wound or cut on our body? No, we just keep it 'aseptic' - that is away from disease causing agents, and the body heals itself. Similarly, when we keep the mind from the unwholesome thoughts, even if it be for a moment, it triggers a natural healing process.
For example, in Japa or repetitive chanting we repeatedly come back to the word, leaving behind all the thoughts, slowly the mind learns the art of letting-go of other thoughts. When mind becomes stronger and wholesome, automatically it start blossoming. The sacredness need not lie in the word or the deity associated with the word, but surely the mind which is capable of letting-go any thought is sacred.
First by holding on to a meditation object, we drop all the other thoughts. And then when even this object gets dropped, the conceptual mind is no more, and the intuitive mind shines forth spontaneously. This is the real meditation.