Meditation – What is it?
THE meditation it is a form of spiritual concentration achieved by deep relaxation, the removal of each thinking and external stimuli from the consciousness of the subject. The purpose of meditation is to draw knowledge or experiences directly, without the use of sensory organs of man or any source of information. More generally, it is also considered a means of mental relaxation and well-being.
Meditation requires certain conditions in order to be achieved. The first is the undisturbed concentration of our attention on an object. The second is to create a kind of double attention. One leg of it is directed towards the observed object (internal or external), and the other leg is directed towards ourselves, who exercises the process of observation. We don't just notice something, even with focused attention, but we are aware that we are doing it.
This is a key point in the whole process of meditation, namely the creation of an inner "observer". The first stage is relaxation and concentration of the mind. The second stage is the creation of double attention, being aware of oneself as it focuses on the object of its concentration.
The most widespread modern views consider meditation as a kind of relaxation, stress relief, a state where we "envision" pleasant scenes of idyllic landscapes, listening to relaxing music, etc. But in reality we are dealing with a deeply mystical process because we become aware of the fact that we are something more than our common everyday selves. Something that lives within him, observes him and directs him.
The meditator enters a state increased alertness, focused attention and inner silence, which can be experienced at any moment of our daily life, without requiring special conditions of isolation, special body postures, diet, religious beliefs, etc.. It can and should be practiced in the "whirlwind" of our daily obligations, without disturbing them or being disturbed by them. An important key to complete relaxation is breath control, which should be slow and steady.
Next step after physical relaxation and before focusing the mind is its relaxation. The mind relaxes by gently shifting from the "vortex" of negative or stressful thoughts to the conscious creation of thoughts that relate to our spiritual identity and nature: Thoughts such as "I am a peaceful spiritual being" or questions asked with a source of self-interest such as "who am I really? what am i am I only what my physical eyes see?', 'what is peace?', can bring the meditator from the stage of thinking to the stage of inner experience of each thought. The inner experience of virtues such as serenity one could say that it is synonymous with the positive experiences which in turn upgrade a person's character.
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