
Meditation FAQ

Last-modified: 1 Dec 1994
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The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for  alt.meditation is posted at the
beginning of each month. This document may be disseminated freely for
non-commercial use as long as it is retained unmodified in its entirety,
including this message. Suggestions concerning the content of this document
may be forwarded to jeffjc@cs.mcgill.ca.

Contents

1.0   Charter
1.1   Comment on the faq
1.2   Internet Resources: FTP and World-Wide-Web

2.0   What is meditation?
2.1   How is meditation different from relaxation, thinking, concentration or
self-hypnosis?
2.2   What are the different meditation techniques?
2.3   Which is right for me?
2.4   What are the abc's of meditation?

3.0   Is there any religious implication or affiliation with meditation?
3.1   Does meditation have any ethical implications?

4.0   What is the best time of day to meditate?
4.1   Why do some people use music while meditating?
4.2   Should I meditate with my eyes open or with my eyes closed?
4.3   What are the physiological effects of meditation?
4.4   When I meditate I experience physical pain in my body. What should I do?
4.5   How long should I meditate?
4.6   Do I need a teacher?

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1.0  Charter
The general charter of the group is something like:

General discussion of meditation
alt.meditation is a place for discussion of the various techniques of
meditation and their relation to both physiological changes associated with
practice and the more subjective ideas regarding self-awareness and
self-understanding.

1.1  Comment on the faq
This faq is intended to give a broad overview of the main points associated
with meditation. It is not intended to be a "book" and does not cover
everything in detail. More detailed discussion is left for the newsgroup.

1.2  Internet Resources: FTP and World-Wide-Web

FTP - Archives of alt.meditation
Anonymous ftp to: sunsite.unc.edu
/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/discussion-groups/newsgroups/
alt.meditation

FTP - Book Suggestions
Anonymous ftp to: sunsite.unc.edu
/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/meditation

WWW - General
http://www.protree.com/Spirit/Yoga/Overview.html

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2.0   What is meditation?

The basic idea generally associated with why people meditate is that during our
day we are constantly subjected to sensory input and our minds are always
active in the process of thinking. We read the newspaper, study books, write
reports, engage in conversation, solve problems, etc etc.  Typically, as we do
these normal activities we engage in a constant mental commentary, sort of an
inner "The Drama of Me."  Usually people aren't fully aware of all the mental
thought activity that we are constantly engaged in.

Meditation allows all this activity to settle down, and often results in the
mind becoming more peaceful, calm and focused. In essence, meditation allows
the awareness to become 'rejuvenated'.

Meditation can be considered a technique, or practice. It usually involves
concentrating on an object, such as a flower, a candle, a sound or word, or the
breath. Over time, the number of random thoughts occuring diminishes. More
importantly, your attachment to these thoughts, and your identification with
them, progressively become less. The meditator may get caught up in a thought
pattern, but once he/she becomes aware of this, attention is gently brought
back to the object of concentration. Meditation can also be objectless, for
example consisting of just sitting.

Experiences during meditation probably vary significantly from one individual
to another, or at least if different techniques are involved. Relaxation,
increased awareness, mental focus and clarity, and a sense of peace are the
most common by-products of meditation. While much has been written about the
benefits of meditation, the best attitude is not to have any expectations when
practicing. Having a sense of expectation of (positive) results is likely to
create unnecessary strain in the practice.

As well, since meditation involves becoming more aware and more sensitive to
what is within you, facing unpleasant parts of oneself may well be part of
meditation. Regardless of the experience, the meditator should try to be aware
of the experience and of any attachment to it.

Failure to experience silence, peace of mind, mental clarity, bliss, or other
promoted benefit of meditation is not in itself a sign of incorrect practice or
that one can't concentrate properly or concentrate enough to be good at
meditation. Whether one experiences peace or bliss is not what is important.
What is generally considered important in meditation is that one is regular
with their meditation -every day- and that one make a reasonable effort, but
not strain, to remain with the object of concentration during the practice.
With regular practice one inevitably acquires an increased understanding of and
proficiency with the particular meditation technique.

Some people use the formal concentrative meditation as a preliminary step to
practicing a mindfulness meditation during the day where one tries to maintain
a calm but increased awareness of one's thoughts and actions during the day.

For some people, meditation is primarily a spiritual practice, and in some
cases the meditation practice may be closely tied to the practice of a religion
such as, for example, Hinduism or Buddhism.

2.1   How is meditation different from relaxation, thinking, concentration or
self-hypnosis?

Relaxation: Relaxation is a common by-product of meditation. Relaxation itself
can assume many forms, such as taking a hot bath or reclining in the Lazy-boy
and watching tv, etc. Meditation is an active process where the meditator
remains fully aware of what the awareness is doing. It also attempts to
transcend the thought process whereas many forms of relaxation still engage the
thought process. Meditation allows the body to relax and can offset the effects
of stress both mentally and physically to a potentially much greater degree
than passive relaxation.

Thinking: Thoughts generally consume energy in the process of their formation.
Constant thought-activity, especially of random nature, can tire the mind and
even bring on headache. Meditation attempts to transcend this crude level of
thought activity. Through regular practice one becomes aware that they are not
their thoughts but that there is an awareness that exists independent of
thought. Descartes ("I think, therefore I am") obviously was not a regular
meditator!

Concentration: Meditation begins with concentration, but after an initial
period of concentration, thought activity decreases and keeping the awareness
focused becomes more spontaneous. At this point the person may or may not
continue to employ the object of concentration.

Self-hypnosis: Self-hypnosis, like meditation, involves at least an initial
period of concentration on an object. However in hypnosis one does not try to
maintain an awareness of the here-and-now, or to stay conscious of the process.
Instead one essentially enters a sort of semi-conscious trance.

2.2   What are the different meditation techniques?

Meditation involves concentrating on something to take our attention beyond the
random thought activity that is usually going on in our heads. This can involve
a solid object or picture, a mantra, breath, or guided visualization.

Typical objects employed include a candle flame or a flower. Some people use
pictures, such as a mandala - a highly colored symmetric painting - or a
picture of a spiritual teacher in a high meditative state. Mantras are sounds
which have a flowing, meditative quality and may be repeated out loud or
inwardly. The breath is also a common focal point. Finally, guided
visualization is also considered by some to be a form of meditation. A guided
visualization can help to bring one into a meditative state; also,
visualization may be used once a meditative state has been reached to produce
various results.

2.3   Which is right for me?

There is no "right" meditation technique for everybody. Some techniques work
better for certain people while other techniques work better for other people.
The important thing is to find what works for you.

2.4   What are the abc's of meditation?

There are a few recommended guidelines for meditation:

+ It should be done every day, preferably at the same time + It should
preferably be done before a meal rather than after a meal
+ A spot should be set aside for meditation, which should be a quiet place and
used for nothing but meditation
+ One should sit with the spine straight and vertical (a chair is ok to use)

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3.0   Is there any religious implication or affiliation with meditation?

Meditation has been and still is a central practice in eastern religions, for
contacting "God" or one's higher Self. Christianity also has semblances of
meditation, such as the biblical statement "The kingdom of heaven is within
you". Churches have a meditative atmosphere.

Meditation deals with contacting something within us that is peaceful, calm,
rejuvenating, and meaningful. Whether one calls this something "God" or "soul"
or "the inner child" or "theta-wave activity" or "peace" or "silence" is not
important. It is there and anyone can benefit from it regardless of what they
believe.

Most people in the world have already meditated. If you have relaxed looking at
a beautiful sunset, allowing your thoughts to quiet down, this is close to
meditation. If you have been reading a book for awhile, then put it down to
take a break and just sat there quietly and peacefully for a few minutes
without thinking, this is close to meditation.

3.1   Does meditation have any ethical implications?

In many traditions meditation practice is a means for reinforcing ethical
qualities. In these traditions, calmness of mind, peacefulness and happiness
are possible in meditation and in life generally only if they are accompanied
by the observance of ethical norms of behaviour.

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4.0   What is the best time of day to meditate?

While meditation is beneficial at any time, most people who meditate agree that
early morning is the best time to meditate. Part of the reason is that it is
said that in early morning the hustle-and-bustle of the world has not yet begun
and so it is easier to establish a meditative atmosphere. Having an early
morning meditation also lets us carry some of the energy and peace of the
meditation into our daily activities.

Many people also meditate either before dinner or later in the evening. Others
also meditate at noon. A short meditation at these times allows one to throw
off some of the accumulated stress of the work-day and become rejuvenated for
further activity. An important consideration is when your schedule will allow
you to meditate. Having a time of the day set aside for meditation helps in
maintaining regularity.

4.1   Why do some people use music while meditating?

Meditative music (not rock-n-roll !) can help in establishing a meditative
atmosphere. Also, some people find meditation relatively easy but find that the
hard thing is to actually get themselves to sit down and start their
meditation. Music can help make this easier. Some people use music quite often
while others prefer silent meditation and never use it.

4.2   Should I meditate with my eyes open or with my eyes closed?

Different traditions give different answers.  Closing your eyes may contribute
to drowsiness and sleepiness--if that's the case for you then try opening them
a little.  Opening your eyes may be distracting. If that's the case try closing
your eyes or direct your gaze on a blank wall (Zen-style). Or try with the eyes
open halfway or a bit more, the gaze unfocussed and directed downward, but
keeping the head erect with the chin slightly tucked in. Sometimes meditators
experience headaches from focussing on a spot too close to the eyes (perhaps
closer than three feet). Whether focussed or unfocussed, the gaze should be
relaxed in order to prevent eyestrain or headache.

Experiment and see what works for you and then stick with your choice of
technique. If you are using a candle, flower, or other visual object in your
meditation then here the technique itself requires your eyes to be at least
partly open.

4.3   What are the physiological effects of meditation?

The most common physiological effects of meditation are reduced blood pressure,
lower pulse rate, decreased metabolic rate and changes in the concentration of
serum levels of various substances.

4.4   When I meditate I experience physical pain in my body. What should I do?

Sensations (itching/aches/pains/etc.) can arise in the body when meditating for
several reasons.  Sometimes the cause is just an uncomfortable posture--make
sure that your posture is comfortable under normal circumstances.  Other times
the cause is that sensations in the body are more noticable in meditation.  The
body and mind are calmer and you are able to notice more details in your bodily
experience.  It is often interesting to simply observe these sensations in your
body : to use them as the objects of meditation.  Sometimes these sensations
just go away without your having to move or change your posture.  Remember that
a quiet body contributes to a quiet mind.

4.5   How long should I meditate?

When first learning meditation it is usually not possible to meditate for more
than 10-15 minutes. After regular practice for awhile, one becomes able to
meditate for longer periods of time. Many people meditate twice-daily for 20-30
minutes each time, but the right duration and frequency is for each individual
to decide.

4.6   Do I need a teacher?

It is theoretically possible to learn meditation from a book. However most
people who teach and practice meditation agree that a teacher can be an
invaluable aid in learning a meditation technique and making sure it is
practiced correctly. The beginner will usually have several questions which a
teacher will be able to answer. Also, learning with a group of people, eg a
meditation class, allows you to experience the benefit of meditating with a
group of people. Most people find that they have some of their best meditations
while meditating in a group, because there is a collective energy and focus
present.

Various individuals and groups teach meditation. Some charge and some do not.
Many different techniques are taught, some more spiritual in nature and others
mainly concerned with stress-reduction and gaining a little peace of mind. As
always, the important thing is finding what works for you.

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