Is meditation for real?

Question

Is it bunkum, or are there any benefits? How do you do it? How does it feel?

Answer 1

Meditation brings harmony to the physical, vital and mental. On the physical side, it removes many ailments through a change in the chemistry of the body.

In deep meditation, one is likely to smell uncommon fragrance, sees fantastic figures, colours, and lights and hears unheard sounds as well as sees waves of light out of which sound begins to flow. When one gets fully established in meditation, one awakes in the higher consciousness which transcends space-time continuum as also causal relationship.

Anchoring on the Infinity known as shakti, facilitates elevation to higher consciousness. She is to be meditated upon since she is the source and final resort of Creation.

Our body is the the house of Consciousness along with head as the treasure-chest of it. Nerves hundred and one get branched into seventy two thousand. Each one of the branches is as subtle as a part of hair divided lengthwise into a thousand. These according to Yoga have a fluid of several colours flowing through them. The fluid is the bearer of sensations, motor reactions as well as memories. The nerve extending from the pelvic centre to the top of the head, and called susumna, is the most important amongst them, since it is the bearer of higher consciousness having withdrawn attention from sensations carried by other nerves.

It is imperative for the student of Yoga to meditate on and awaken the consciousness borne by the susumna nerve having withdrawn attention from the functions of other nerves. This course of meditation spans from the pelvic centre up to the saharara through intense focussing on each cakra coming in the way successively.

Vedic seers seem to have meditated particularly from the heart plexus up to the sahasrara as is evident from their frequent use of hrida manisha on crucial epistemological points.

One whose meditation is directed exclusively to the sahasrara deserves to get immortalised. He has thus managed to exclude from the perspective of his consciousness, everything except for the Consciousness itself. This final state of meditation is indicated by the term samadhi since here the agent, object and act of meditation all the three factors involved in any instance of cognition get merged in the Consciousness.

Sahasrara is the treasure chest of the Divine safeguarded by the physical, vital, and mental sheaths are meant for safeguarding this divine sheath.

Directing the consciousness involved in the functioning of the brain to the heart results in the access to the sheath known as vijnanamaya. It is seer Atharvan who is said to have discovered how this meditative unification of heart and mind leads to the experience of bliss of Consciousness – ananda.

The five sheaths, namely, physical, vital, mental, supremely conscious and blessed are placed in an order gross to subtle as also from the outer to the inner. Sheaths from the subtle to the gross are distinct stages in the course of manifestation of consciousness on the universal scale.

The course of manifestation was retraced through deep meditation by Sage Bhrigu, the son of Varuna..

Asanas are a great help in the penetration of the physical.

Pranasandhana, likewise, is meant specifically for the penetration and transcendence of the vital. So does pratyahara in regard to the mental.

Vijnanamaya, on the other hand, is penetrated through reflective awareness of the witnessing consciousness. It opens the gate of the citadel of consciousness and bliss, know as anandamaya and forming the point of culmination of the yogic sadhana, the consciousness at this level is all-inclusive Consciousness.

The state of all-comprehending blessedness is known as Bhuman as unfolded by sage Sanatkumara to the divine sage Narada (see Upanishad).

It is also the golden sheath bathed in light as envisioned by seer Narayana.

Answer 2

Meditation to benefit the body and mind is of no great value. Sleeping can do many of the same things. However, if you are interested in spiritual advancement for achieving Self-realization and God consciousness, then meditation can be helpful if you know what you are doing. Many people think meditation is meant to focus on something impersonal or void. This is nonsense. This kind of meditation won't give you any practical benefit. The purpose of meditation is to always think of the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. But to concentrate on His form you must first of all know what His form looks like and that is described very vividly in the Vedas, particularly in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

However, in this age when the atmosphere is particularly chaotic and full of disturbances, it is extremely difficult to engage in the silent meditation that you are probably familiar with. Therefore, the recommended process for making rapid spiritual advancement at this time is the chanting and hearing of the holy names of the Lord. The sound vibration of the Lord's names is completely transcendental and it can quickly cleanse the consciousness of all material contamination. With a purified consciousness, you can understand your spiritual nature and your relationship with the Supreme Lord. This is the purpose of meditation and all spiritual processes.

I would recommend a thorough study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam to help you on your way. Both can read on-line at the link below. Good luck!

Answer 3

I know, but you obviously don't. Some people have no conception of reality or any idea on how to do research without putting down other people, ideas or concepts. Some people don't read any History either. If you read more than the funnies and the news you would know that meditation is a calming of the mind and body and it has been investigated and in use for thousands of years.

Answer 4

It is real in that it has a name. And, the name refers to an activity, and that activity is also real. As to results of the activity, that is up to the individual engaged in the activity.

The value has to do largely with the purpose one meditates. If it is to achieve some external advantage, the experience will probably be disappointing.

If it is to still the MIND, which is advantageous, then it can be effective, but it also takes a long time to achieve.

How do you do it? Simply close your eyes, while sitting comfortably, and concentrate on something which to you has meaning. This is your mantra, and you repeat it over and over. To demonstrate its ability to relax one, the beginner in meditation will unlikely be able to sit for a few minutes before he/she falls asleep.

The actual purpose of meditation is to raise the attention aspect of your consciousness from out of your body, up to the eye center in your forehead. The consciousness is played out into the entire body [this is the animating energy of the body] and this is not easy to withdraw. For most, again depending upon what they hope to achieve, it can take a life time or so.

Benefit can be obtain in a relatively short period of time, but this benefit is of limited usefulness. The primary block to meditation is ones fear of the unknown. Most cease meditation just as soon as the attention aspect of their Apapsyche [Operational Energy of the Soul] is about ready to shift out of thinking, and into experiencing a bit of nothing. In other words, just as they are about to achieve some real benefit, as in tapping Peace within themselves, they become frightened and cease the practice. Of course most do not realize the actual reason they cease. This is the essential reason one ought to have a teacher, or guide in ones practice.
Peace

Answer 5

There are benefits; it is relaxing for the body and mind.

How do you do it? That's like asking how to breathe! Just sit still, in a good posture, make sure you're comfortable, and try to clear your mind of everything. It's really not hard, and there's really not a right or wrong way to do it.

People try to make it complicated and holy. All they do is distort it.

Answer 6

Yes.
Several benefits!
It's complicated.
Awesome.

Answer 7

As with anything, in this physical reality -
It is what you make it . . .
You 'meditate' every nite when you lay down to 'fall asleep' -
without this 'activity' you would never sleep. . .

Answer 8

I think meditation is great, and helps with stress and flexiblity.

Answer 9

Yes, it is for real.