Is there any Christian that do meditation?

Question

Thank you all for your wonderful answers.

Answer 1

Meditation is the centralization of your consciousness through relaxation, breathing, and focusing techniques. It exists independently from religion, although it does have practices in many religions, including Christianity. For example, prayer.

Answer 2

Absolutely! My spiritual bent is toward the east, but I don't see why Christians couldn't or shouldn't meditate. Meditation is wonderful for all of the holistic benefits that it provides. It calms the mind, soothes the emotions and nerves, rests and rejuvenates the body, and clears the mind so that you can think on a higher level than you might ordinarily think.

I've seen books on Christian visualizations- I don't recall titles- but I know the books are out there, if that's what you're looking for. Or ask around in your church to see about getting a small home-meditating group together.

Good luck.

Answer 3

In Catholicism we do have meditation but it follows a slighlty different format from crossing your legs and focusing on something abstract. What it is is a short series of prayers - usually three repetitions of the Our Father, Hail Mary and then Glory Be, and then a spiritual reading from the Bible or from a book by an eminent Catholic writer. Finally some quiet time to think about what has been read and then a closing prayer.

As a commited Catholic, I sometimes focus on the Holy Spirit and ask God to fill me with the HS, particularly in moments of spiritual weakness. The key difference I think is that secular meditation is about "you" and "your relationship" with "the Universe" . Christian meditation is about refocusing your attention on the Almighty and getting a spiritual recharge.

Answer 4

A selfless observation is meditation. It can be to a bird flying in the sky. Every human being meditates by knowingly or unknowingly. Meditation is not a structure. It can be prayers, hangout, just observing etc. As far as the act is not touched with selfishness or any motive, it is meditation. Those who learns meditation to get rid of stress comes back to stress the moment they are out of sitting meditation. Meditation can be observing your mind, breathing, bodily feelings etc in an impersonal way or not as "self". Meditation is not as all of us know as sitting with eyes closed in a particular posture. There is walking meditation, sitting meditation, jumping meditation, swimming meditation etc. Mediation is nothing but a spontaneous alignment with whatever you do at present.

Answer 5

PS 48:9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.

Joshua 8:1 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

There are several other references. Mediation clears your mind and helps you concentrate and understand... to gain a deeper understanding of the heart of God.

Answer 6

Maybe not the Indian meditation, but the Christian meditation, based in the Bible.

Answer 7

"Meditation" this word can take you many places depending on what plate you 1st received it on; however let me express meditation from the view of absolute followers of whole righteousness. For those of us who are Christian by relationship with our God, and not by religion here is where we sit. Meditation for us is done moving about or sitting in one place. We can do this listening to music that reflect renewal, or in prayer, or in prayer with music. In fact meditation for us is suited perfect for a life "LIVED OUT." We meditate by thinking over decisions made, and those that are about to be made. We even enjoy the gift to day dream which helps keep us free to hope, and do what others say can't be done towards reconciliation on earth among all men. Our meditation consist of study whereby we study on how and when to "Be Still" in the tossing cares of everyday living. We "heart study" on how we treat others, and the proper way to see all men even as God do. Meditation for us is our endless time in the presence of our God who keeps us resting in fresh provision while the world screams "High Alert!!!."[smile]

Answer 8

Oh sure! Everyone in my family has done it at some point. From my hippie parents to my grandparents who went to seminary together. My grandmother became a Reverend of Religious Science or Scienceof Mind and would do something called a "treatment" which is focusing and channelling your mind/body/energy to achieve whatever goal it is you wish to affect.

But basically when I think of serious prayer I think of meditation as a means to higher consciousness or trying to clear the mind to attain a more pristine state to commune with God. Not the "hey God, I know we haven't talked in a while but could you help me with XYZ?" But the fasting and meditation to cleanse and be prepared to be closer to God, just like Jesus did.

Answer 9

Meditation is not an Eastern invention, or Western, it is a spontaneous act of communing with the divine, the rest is just a practise session preparing for the actual thing.

Answer 10

Mediation as prayer is encouraged by the Catholic Church.

For Catholics meditation is a quest to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.

One way this is done is by reading scripture, asking God to give you understanding of it, and then pondering it in your heart.

With love in Christ.