The topic of Meditation to me, is one of the most absolutely exciting topics in the Consciousness or new age field. Having learned to meditate, myself, when I was 19 years old, in the hey days of 1970, I can say with some experience, \u201cWow\u201d! I\u2019ve recently been invited to create a column on meditation which I am very excited to do.<\/p>\n
Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n
There are a few misunderstandings as to exactly what meditation is so I\u2019ll begin with a brief introduction. Meditation, the ancient art and science of \u201cPurposeful Thinking\u201d, is one of the most significant things that one can do in life. Meditation can be informal, it can be introspection, and it can be simple musings. It can be formal. It can be a technology for enlightenment. Let\u2019s begin by saying \u2018Meditation\u2019, is a soul activity of self-illumination. <\/p>\n
The Benefits of Meditation<\/b><\/p>\n
Meditation has been practiced for literally thousands of years. It has immense and important human value and benefits. To begin with meditation is \u2018thinking\u2019. So, to think, as Descartes said: \u2018Is to Be\u2019. Personally I wrote this article in college saying Descartes got it backwards. Instead of his famous cogito \u201cI think, therefore I am\u201d, I said: \u201cI think he should have said: \u201cI am, therefore I think!\u201d Oh, well, I got an A, though my college professor thought it was a bit presumptuous of me to think I knew more than Descartes.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t have the guts yet, to tell him I\u2019d recently learned to meditate, and the simple truth just occurred to me!<\/p>\n
Meditation, then, the activity of taking time out, and \u2018thinking\u2019 can be Introspective, which has many values; from \u2018think before you leap\u2019, type of results, to profound insight into your trade, work, or life!<\/p>\n
Most creative people say their quiet; reveries are where they get all their ideas, creative notions and \u2018ahas\u2019!<\/p>\n
Have you heard that we use only a small portion of our potential? Even modern science acknowledges that human beings use as little as 10 or 15% of their natural potential. It\u2019s also known that the brain itself is only using 20% of its capacities. They don\u2019t even known what the rest is for!<\/p>\n
In the last 40 years, over 600 scientific studies have been done on meditation. We know, more, today, then at; any time in human history; what the value and benefits are in meditation. Even the government recently awarded a 2 million dollar grant for meditation to study the benefits for reducing stress. This new grant was to see if meditation could help improve the stress of black African Americans.<\/p>\n
I could spend a year trying to describe all the benefits of meditation. Hey, maybe that\u2019s what we sould do! Hehe. For today, I\u2019ll just say the benefits are immense. From simple quieting of the mind, to release of stress, to deep inward Cosmic and Enlightenment experiences, to more creativity, millions of people today meditate for all kinds of reasons.<\/p>\n
I myself, after practicing meditation for a few years, went off to and learned how to teach others \u201cHow to Meditate\u201d. In the following months, please write in regarding those of you who are already meditating and share with all, your experiences and benefits.<\/p>\n
Kinds of Meditation<\/b><\/p>\n
There are a number of general categories or ways of meditating that one can consider. For example, meditation can be simply thinking or introspection. It can be done informally, at different times of the day and night. It can be done at home or on the road. It can be done at work, it can be done while on vacation. Meditation can also be practiced formally. There are gobs and gobs of different meditations that have been introduced to the public in the last 50 years. <\/p>\n
West & East<\/b><\/p>\n
I used to think \u2018meditation\u2019 was a uniquely Eastern practice from the mysterious East. Over the years I discovered that there\u2019s a rich history of study and practice of meditation by many, many people and orders throughout the West for centuries. Though admittedly meditation has gone farthest in the East, still its values and benefits are not privileged to there, alone. <\/p>\n
2 Basic Kinds of Meditation<\/b><\/p>\n
There are basically two kinds of meditation. #1 there\u2019s the activity of turning within and thinking. Thinking or contemplation, introspection, all these activities of the mind have to do with what I like to call: \u201cThinking about thinking!\u201d There\u2019s a great value in thinking and contemplating. We have this prejudice against the man thinking on his navel, so to speak; especially being such an outward and materialistic society, still, meditation now has become widely accepted throughout the Western World.<\/p>\n
Contemplation<\/b><\/p>\n
Heck, even doctors are prescribing meditation to their patients! My sister a number of years ago was visiting her doctor and he recommended that she learn to meditate! She laughed and told me her eyes rolled when he said this, she saying: \u201cOh, no, not you too. My brother\u2019s always trying to get me into meditation.\u201d Well, she started but I sincerely wish she had continued because she now has very advanced Cancer without much prognosis for survival.<\/p>\n
Transcendental<\/b><\/p>\n
The primary other classification of meditation is for mental development. Meditation now has been discovered to literally expand our potential! Even scientific research is showing that meditation continues unfolding one\u2019s innate intelligence or IQ! Previously it had been discovered that 99% of people\u2019s IQ stops growing around the age of 20-23 years of age. Perhaps this is why human beings, traditionally have so many problems in life. Imagine if our potential was to type or play the piano with 10 fingers and we were restricted to just one!<\/p>\n
Looking back now, I think my life before meditation was like living life with only 1 finger! It certainly felt like it!<\/p>\n
So, \u2018transcending\u2019 meditation means \u2018Expansive\u2019 or literally to \u201cgo beyond\u201d. Transcending types of meditation, literally allow the mind to expand and like the MOON, getting bigger and bigger, with each meditation the mind seems brighter, more alert, and more awake!<\/p>\n
This \u2018expansion\u2019 subjectively has been experienced by almost all manners of groups, religious orders, and Philosophies. All report the strange and mysterious quality of other worldliness that comes during meditation. Image, for a moment, that your mind, your heart, your soul is literally only using 10% of its potential. You\u2019re like a huge iceberg, with only a small fraction showing above the surface.<\/p>\n
So, you dive! You dive within. You draw from your depths within, and begin to bring out more of that inner reservoir, which has been previously hidden. There are many kinds of subjective experiences that can be had during the practice, but it\u2019s reported, universally, that the value and benefit of meditation, is not restricted, only to those inner sublime or expanded experiences or states of Being and Consciousness!<\/p>\n
The real value of meditation seems to be for its permanent improvements in our lives, outside, in practical living.<\/p>\n
The Future of Meditation<\/b><\/p>\n
The future of meditation looks very bright. Unlike the 1970\u2019s when I first started teaching and people would say: \u201cRelease of Stress!, no, we Want our employees to be stressed!\u201d It was mind boggling to me at the time, and so I was quite shocked when I had a chance to teach full-time again in the early 90\u2019s in Atlanta . I kind of sheepishly arrived for my appointment with the President of a business there, and was getting to that part where I explained how meditation could get rid of\u2026\u2019oh, do I dare say it: \u201cStress\u201d, and he said: \u201cAhh, yes, release of stress! Yes, we\u2019re all for that!\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought what happened, was I asleep, what happened in these last 20 years? Well, a whole world of growth and appreciation which I\u2019m going to be soooo happy to share with you all over the next few months.<\/p>\n
Again, feel free to write in with any questions, comments and experiences to share. Remember the quality of your thoughts today, is a reflection, or a mirror of your future! You know that old expression?<\/p>\n
As a man thinketh, so shall he become.<\/b><\/p>\n
If you want to improve your life, you have to improve your thoughts! Though of course, that\u2019s been the difficulty in the past; generally thought to be very difficult to improve our thoughts.<\/p>\n
Today, however, we\u2019re on the verge of a great revival of the ancient art and science of meditation, because today it\u2019s now known how to meditate in a natural, effortless and completely successful way!<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
author bio:<\/p>\n
Birth: September 4, 1951 11:17am Kansas City, Missouri<\/p>\n
First Meditation Experienced, Growing up in my family’s Episcopal church in
\nKansas City and Chicago, from 1960-1968.<\/p>\n
First formal meditation practice: AnandaMarga Yoga from Oct. 1970-Sept. 1971<\/p>\n
2nd meditation practice: Transcendental Meditation technquie from Oct. 1972
\nto present day.<\/p>\n
Became a teacher of Transcendental Meditation in May, 1973. (Extensive 7
\n1\/2 month teacher trainging course in Spain and Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Over the next years taught meditation full-time, taught over 1,000
\nindividuals the technique of TM, as well as thousands more in the Science and Art of
\nMeditation or Development of Consciousness.<\/p>\n
Later became interested in Ayurveda, the Indian or Vedic system of natural
\nhealth which emphasizes prevention and strengthening one’s nervous system
\nas the primary ingredient in maintaing health. (See Deepak Chopra, as the World’s most popular proponent of Ayurveda.)<\/p>\n
In 1988, while attending a teacher’s course in Ayurveda, in New Delhi, India,
\nwas first introduced to the Vedic system of Astrology called Jyotish.<\/p>\n
Jyotish, which is Sanskrit for ‘Science of Light’, became then, my latest
\nlove over the next 18 years. Today, I ‘done’ over 10,000 individuals Astrological
\ncharts, have most recently created an international business to develop
\nAstrological programs for every sector of society including; Child Education,
\nParenting, Career Selection, Relationship & Marriage Counseling, Health
\nand Spirituality.<\/p>\n
Recently I’ve created my 3rd generation of Astrology websites called: To reach me feel free to email me at: markkincaid@naturesastrology.com or \nAstrology newsletter: http:\/\/groups.yahoo.com\/group\/NaturesAstrology\/<\/a>\n<\/p>\n
\nNature’s Astrology, which is a combination of what I like to call ‘the best of West
\n& East.www.naturesastrology.com<\/A><\/p>\n
\nat (641) 472-0000.<\/p>\n