What is meditation?

[blazeofglory]

Meditation to me is not just a religious ritual, and while it can be part of that it compasses a great many things.in point of fact.

To meditate is indeed to be more introspective and of course to take an inward course, to be more within.

Through meditation I try to link myself with the universe, of which I am a fragment. May be I am not a fragment, I am a whole. Everyone is a whole unto himself or herselsef.

God, man, the universe, all are complete in themsleves, for they are separate entities, independent and autonomous.

By virtue of the fact that man possesses boundless energies or that man himslef is a great source of energies, man must be independent or his exsitence must be independent of every other force, natural or supernatural.

Man is everything, indeed a great energy source, a great force or power unto himself, and the one and only weakness is unawareness, for he fails to recognize himself.

God is a term man created, and of course man existed prior to the use of this term. God maybe an embodiment of the potentials of man.

Man dies not manhood. We live through others. All of us, no matter we are divided along national borders, or racial, linguistic, economic or political or idelogical lines, are one being, an integral whole, organically connected.

All of us are threaded . We already are perfect, liberated, and not Godly but all we need is realization of this fact.

These are my reflections, and if you across with different ideas or views, they are too part of me, a convulsion or quiver within me.

[jon1jt]

Meditation is that moment you pass gas without realizing you did so. :p

[Etienne]

I'm not sure about linking with the universe, but physiologically and mentally speaking it is a very rewarding activity. I should consult some psychology students friends about it, but, for example when one is put in an isolation box (no sound, floating in salted water, so minimal sensation in general), one has hallucinations. Great practitioners of meditation claim to have "visions", and my guess is that through concentration (or complete lack of?) one gets to isolate himself from sensations and gets in more direct contact with his "brain". Without stimulus, the brain would then produce slightly chaotic emissions (then you spiritual aficionados can call that link with the universe or contact with God or whatever you wish to), as it cannot stop working (which I believe could be the same thing with dreams?) and there we'd have the cause.

But again this is absolutely uneducated ramblings, although it could make sense...

[jon1jt]

I'm not sure about linking with the universe, but physiologically and mentally speaking it is a very rewarding activity. I should consult some psychology students friends about it, but, for example when one is put in an isolation box (no sound, floating in salted water, so minimal sensation in general), one has hallucinations. Great practitioners of meditation claim to have "visions", and my guess is that through


The only reason they're having visions is because they ate those funny mushrooms. :p

[Etienne]

The only reason they're having visions is because they ate those funny mushrooms. :p

They never gave me visions, personally, and I'd say visions are the exception and they are nothing major, merely visual distortions. But maybe it was salvia, now that is quite something...

[jon1jt]

They never gave me visions, personally, and I'd say visions are the exception and they are nothing major, merely visual distortions. But maybe it was salvia, now that is quite something...

Then we need to move to the next vision-inducing product. And for some unknown reason, I could swear that you and I read paragraphs of Kant aloud in a bar. :p

[Homyrrh]

Apologies; I've yet to digest the entire post. HOWEVER, I would just like to briefly comment on your first thought on said subject of meditation, specifically that pertinent to religion.

With legitimate experience, I can say that meditation has never been wholly embraced by Western religion. Now I mention faith within the confines of this heisphere because it is both what I am familiar with and what you may have referred to.

Just to be brief, Christianity has a considerable number of sects that will embrace one and condemn the other, Many will impose a distinct differentiation upon this act and prayer, and others consider them synonymous on both a verbal and spiritual level.

All personal thoughts aside, it's just a "reminder" of sorts to be specific. Because, as we know, prayer is an entirely different, if not broader, subject, is it not?

[Etienne]

Then we need to move to the next vision-inducing product. And for some unknown reason, I could swear that you and I read paragraphs of Kant aloud in a bar. :p

Ow, psychedelics and bars are one of the worst combination one could imagine (except maybe weapons or wild animals) :lol: And maybe Spinoza or Leibniz would be more proper to a psychedelic trip :D