This is the first of a series of essays on meditation we are posting here for those who may find them useful, helpful, or interesting. While not directly related to the stated purposes of P9, meditation can be an important part of the creative process and it can certainly help people to get through times of personal challenge or stress.

 

1
The mind connected to the body is like a powerful steam engine attached to a two-wheel oxcart. It is capable of great things but it is being used only to pull
around a very limited, clumsy vehicle. Whether the mind is a product of the chemical processes of the brain or whether it is an expression of an independent, immortal spirit being, in practical terms it is capable of much more than it is being used for.

 

Meditation is basically putting the physical body in neutral so that it is making
as few demands on the mind as possible. When the mind is no longer overwhelmed with the immediate needs, sensations, and concerns of the  physical body then all of the vast resources of the mind can be
used for other things.

 

Even if meditative states do not access any extraordinary powers, perceptions, or higher supernatural states, that does not mean that they are not worth doing. A person who learns how to read may not always read scientific, historical or technical documents but reading fiction is a worthwhile pursuit too. Sometimes it's good to do something simply for personal enjoyment.

 

The first stage of meditation is relaxing the body. The second stage of meditation is relaxing the everyday mind that is focused on immediate sensations, thoughts, worries, and responsibilities- the wary animal who
is constantly watching its physical environment for signs of danger.
Meditation is not necessarily a religious or spiritual exercise but it can be.
Meditation is not necessarily a focus on higher states of consciousness but it can be.

Meditation is not necessarily a problem-solving exercise but it can be.
Thre is no doing it right in meditation and there is no doing is wrong, but some
meditation experiences are more vivid and impactful than others.
The attempt to define whether a meditative experience is true or real by comparing it to the physical world is missing the whole point of what meditation is about and what it is for.

Meditation is an act of exploration and experimentation. It can be focused on
following a path that others have created but it doesn't have to be
Teaching meditation is teaching how to do it, not what to do with it, like
instruction on how to build a boat but not where to go with it.

 

Meditation 2- Meditation and Letting Go

Technically anything that causes one to change one's attention from commonplace, everyday mental activity can be called meditation but many different things can break the mind's attention from its usual attachments. Very intense sensations such as pain or loud, continuous noise or bright lights can make it impossible to think or to maintain one's usual focus but the mental state from that sort of cause can hardly be defined as a superior state. And of course there are many drugs that affect the mind to its detriment.
It could be argued that even a painful and unpleasant 'altered state of
consciousness' can lead to personal growth and development but in practical terms it is better to change the mind in a constructive way than to take a hammer to it and hope that one can find some use for the leftover fragments.

 

Hopefully one practices meditation with the intention to achieve something more positive than simply change for the sake of change.

This is not to suggest that it is not worthwhile to meditate simply for the
pleasure of it. Deeply meditative states can, in fact, be very pleasant mentally
and physically. But this is not the same as opening the gates of the mind through horror or violence. Driving a nail into your forehead will probably change your mind when it penetrates the brain but is this really the way you want to do it?

Meditation techniques should be safe and enjoyable even if they are not as dramatic or as easy as drugs or violence to the self.

One of the most popular forms of meditation is breathing- counting the breaths or simply being aware of one's own breathing.

 

This has the advantage that is is easy, simple, and always available to anyone. You don't have to concentrate on the flame of a candle, an elaborate image, or an object such as a crystal or a statue or a saint or a god. Your breath is always with you and you can concentrate on it anywhere.
To practice this, simply take a comfortable position in an easy chair or on a mat, lie back, relax, and turn your attention to your own breathing. You can simply be aware of it while trying to let go of any thought, activity, or sensation that is not your breathing, or you can count your breaths as a means of paying more attention to them. Set aside any distracting thought. Don't fight those thoughts, simply let go of them and turn your mind back to your breathing. If your mind wanders, as soon as you realize it let go and return to focusing on your breath.

After a time practicing this will help you to let go at any time of any thought or
mental activity that you don't want. Instead of being helpless in the face of a
negative stream of consciousness such as recalling old memories of fear,
humiliation and other unpleasant events of your past or worries of the present and potential problems of the future, you will be able to let go of  intrusive thoughts and exercise better control over what you think about.
This is a very simple, basic meditation method. Anyone can do it and experience it's effects. It doesn't do everything but it does work.

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