Quotation: Inner peace leads to world peace.
-- HH the Dalai Lama.
Monograph 16:
Meditation
To meditate means to relax the body, still the mind, and connect
with the inner Spirit. Meditation is the gateway to the Universe. All
of the answers we seek lie within us. They are easiest accessed
through
meditation.
Many
people find that, after a particularly challenging day, meditation is
a wonderful way to turn off stress and enter a completely peaceful,
beautiful place inside themselves, and find the balance between the
spirit, the physical body and the mind.
You have already been given a couple of simple meditations and by now you should have
gained quite a lot of experience with the Hall Of Miracles exercise
that you were given at the beginning of this course.
In this monograph I want to go a bit deeper into the theory and
practice of meditation. Meditation is used by many religious and non—religious
people as a method of stress reduction. It is known to lessen levels
of cortisone, a hormone released in response to stress. The practice has
been shown to enhance recuperation and improve the body's resistance to
disease.
Mystics from time immemorial have recommended
meditation. From the simple injunction of Jesus when he said, "The
kingdom of heaven is within you," to the more structured teaching
of the Yogis and masters of the east.
Meditation can be thought of as a discipline in
which the mind focuses on a single point of reference. Eastern
mystics may focus on Buddha or any of the eastern deities. Metaphysicians and mystics could simply
focus on the "light" within. We Pagans may
focus on the God and Goddess.
In any case it is simply a
means of attaining conscious union with an inner reality. This may be
accomplished through visualisation, repetition of prayers, chanting
mantras, which are sacred sounds going back to prehistory, or by many other
means. The form of the meditation is not so important, but spending at
least 15 minutes a day alone in contemplation is essential for the
well being of the body and the growth of the Soul.
VISUALISATION & IMAGERY
Used correctly, the word “visualisation” refers only to seeing
something in the mind’s eye whereas “imagery” is the process of
imagining through all our five sense—hearing, sight, smell, taste
and touch. In this course we often use these two
interchangeably.
Imagery
has been used to promote healing and happiness since ancient times.
Shamanism is one kind of healing that employs the use of the mind or
imagination, but there are many other forms as well.
We can use imagery to help bring about desired changes in our
attitudes, behaviour, or physiologic reactions. It is used in a wide
variety of therapies and may also be used as a form of meditation. A
number of therapies such as biofeedback, Gestalt therapy,
neuro-linguistic programming and Transcendental Meditation include
imagery in their work.
Imagery can be taught individually or in groups and is often used for
specific purposes, such as bolstering the immune system to attack
cancer cells. It has been shown to affect a number of functions, such
as brain-wave
activity, blood glucose levels, cardiovascular function,
gastrointestinal activity, oxygen supply in tissues.
Levels Of Consciousness
There are several reasons why people meditate. The relaxation process
is beneficial for the physical body. Anger, tension and stress are
melted away as the body relaxes, and deep breathing is used. Many have
been known to regulate their blood pressure. You will already have noticed that, during meditation, you feel
different, more calm and more spiritual. There are very good physiological
reasons for this. The most important has to do with brain wave
activity.
The religious ceremonies of many cultures use the beating of drums,
candle light and flickering firelight to induce trance-like states. This "light and sound' combination is used to heal
the sick, inspire courageous acts, and celebrate joyous occasions.
During meditation we deliberate switch off all external stimuli
and this literally changes our reality. It's this state of altered
consciousness where we enhance our creativity and intuitive powers,
produce significant gains in mental functioning and expand our
potential for learning and growth.
When we meditate several very important things happen. First, we are
turning our attention inwards, letting go of the outside
world and its worries. This is similar to going to sleep, but without losing
consciousness and allows our brains to shift into more stable,
stronger brain frequencies.
Brain Waves
These different frequencies of brain wave activity have specific names
(called alpha and theta by scientists) normally reached during sleep.
This higher energy helps us rejuvenate faster and more easily. The second thing
that happens is that our basic survival mechanism relaxes. This is similar to
what happens when we are almost asleep at night or when we first wake up in the
morning. We feel more relaxed. That is because the survival mechanism,
often called the fight or flight response mechanism, has relaxed.
The brain emits electrical signals
which correspond with our different states, or levels of consciousness.
Researchers recognise four different kinds of
brainwave frequency patterns, measured in cycles per second
(cps). These are:
-
Beta (14-40 cps) our normal waking, conscious state of alertness, focus and concentration.
-
Alpha (8-13 cps) the optimum relaxed but alert meditative state ideal for visualisation and creativity.
-
Theta (4-8 cps) this state of deep meditation is related to intuition, creativity,
sleep and dreaming.
-
Delta (0-4 cps) the deepest stages of sleep, conducive to healing.
Meditation at the
Alpha and Theta levels is extremely beneficial in several ways. Many
successful artists, musicians, and athletes are prolific producers of
Alpha and Theta brainwave patterns. Zen monks, yogis, transcendental
meditators and others have learned through training and discipline to
enter into the Alpha-Theta state of consciousness at will.
MANTRA CHANTING
Mantras are a useful tool to help you to improve on a particular
quality or area of life. To be best utilised,
select one and use it everyday for at lease a month. While
meditating, repeat the mantra to yourself for a selected number of
times - usually a multiple of 7 or for a specified period of time.
Mantra beads are helpful for keeping track of the number of repetitions
that you've done. Do this every day and you will feel when the mantra
has become a part of who you are. You may then find your mantra
repeating itself within your mind without any conscious instigation on
your part.
Outside of meditation, repeat the mantra whenever you have time during
your day. This can be during any idle time or while doing any kind of
repetitive work that doesn't require active thinking - such as when
you're doing the dishes, taking a shower, walking, etc. Put yourself
to sleep at night while repeating your mantra. Wake up with your
mantra. Make it a part of your very essence.
A mantra must connect you with the sacred. It can be in any language.
A simple positive affirmation such as "My thoughts and actions
bring every good thing into my life - so mote it be" is an ideal
one to start with. Another famous one is "Every day, in every
way, I am getting better and better".
Some people like to use the Buddhist mantras. Here is a list of some
useful ones. They are all in Sanskrit - a holy language from India.
Select one that resonates with the area of life or quality that you'd
like to enhance. If you don't know which one to select I would
recommend using Om as your first mantra.
"Om" or "Ohm" is the greatest of all the mantras. In Eastern
traditions it is the representation of the Supreme Being - the All
That Is. The past, present and the future are all included within this
one sound. It is said that meditation on this sacred syllable will
satisfy our every need. it is the representation
of the Supreme Being. The past, present and the future are all
included in this one sound. Meditation on this sacred syllable is said
to satisfy every need and leads to liberation.
"Om Shanti" (ohm shahn-tee) Is a good one for fostering
peace. It literally means "The peace of God".
"Om mani padme hum" (ohm mah-nay pahd-may hoom) is good for opening the
heart chakra, letting in love and developing compassion.
"Shivo ham" (shi-voh-hum) will help to awaken your own spirituality.
"Om tare ture tuttare ture soha"
(ohm ta-ray too-ray
too-t-tar-ray too-ray so-ha) induces a state of fearlessness.
"Om namo bhagavate vasu devaya" (ohm nam-o bhag-a-va-tay va-sue
day-vai- ya) litteraly means "Oh infinite Lord, dweller in the
heart of all beings. Unto you do I turn my consciousness. To see the
God within everyone and everything."
"Ah" (ahh) is a seed mantra for creativity, or manifesting thoughts into the physical
world. Begin by chanting or repeating this mantra, then visualise
whatever it is you'd like to bring into being. See it clearly and then repeat
the mantra again until your visualisation has been penetrated with the
mantra.
"Thiru neela kantam"
(theeru nayla kan tam) is used to remove current
karmic conditions.
"Om Gum Ganapatayei Namaha"
(ohm goom gana-pa-tie-ay na-ma-ha) can help to
remove obstacles that are standing in the way of your progress.
"Om Shrim Mahalakshmiyei Swaha"
(ohm shreem maha-lak-shmee-yay
swa-ha) is a prosperity and wealth attracting mantra.
"Om Sri Rama Jaya Rama, Jaya, Jaya Rama"
(ohm sree ramah jah-yah
ram-ah jah-yah, jah-yah ram-ah) enables one to live a divine life
within a human body. This mantra was used by Mahatma Gandhi for over
60 years.
"Om Sharavana-bhavaya Namaha"
(ohm sha-ra-van-a bha-vai-ya) can be used to brighten and increase the positive effects of everything in your life
PATHWORKING
PATHWORKING, also known as Guided Meditation or Guided Imagery refers to
any of the archetypal guided journeys undertaken in inner-plane travel
It is practiced and taught by a wide variety of conventional and alternative
health care professionals as well as by many religious and occult
schools.
Pathworking seeks to enhance our awareness of our existing unconscious imagery
and help us learn tools to mobilise their innate healing abilities.
In
its simplest form we simply close our eyes and imagine a picture that represents
a part of our development. We are then guided in an imaginary dialogue with the image to explore
and reveal its meaning. Such images can provide information about our
problems, as well as our beliefs, hopes, fears, and
resources.
Guided
imagery frequently employs audiotapes and other methods to help the
meditator imagine specific images, such as a calming or element balancing
situation.
The difference between being told about it and actually working the
path is the vividness with which the path is created within your
imagination. To assist in having this vividness certain aids can be
used to help in the creating of 'specialness'. Scent is one of the
most primitive of the senses and hence very close to the unconscious
mind.
Candlelight is helpful because it is both soft and inspiring. Its
flickering light can stimulate the imagination.
When working alone the pathworking can be recorded on tape. In a group
situation one person can read the words aloud.
CREATIVE VISUALISATION
This subject
was polarised by Shakti Gawain in her 1979 book, "Creative
Visualization". It refers to the use of mental energy to improve health and life
situations through affirmations, exercises, and meditations to make
positive ideas and concepts become a reality.
We will be going into this subject more deeply further on in the
course.
MENTAL REHEARSAL
Imagery can be
used to help prepare for a difficult meeting or situation. It can also
relieve anxiety, pain, and side effects from medical
treatment. It often forms an integral part of natural childbirth training.
The Complete WICCAN Course 
