381 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
381 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!MathWorks.Com!panix!zip.eecs.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!nntp.cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!quartz.ucs.ualberta.ca!tribune.usask.ca!canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca!newsflash.concordia.ca!sifon!homer.cs.mcgill.ca!jeffjc
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From: jeffjc@cs.mcgill.ca (Jeffrey CHANCE)
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Newsgroups: alt.meditation,alt.answers,news.answers
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Subject: Meditation FAQ
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Followup-To: alt.meditation
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Date: 3 May 1994 21:54:36 GMT
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Organization: SOCS, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Lines: 366
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Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu
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Distribution: world
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Message-ID: <2q6h6s$b1f@homer.cs.mcgill.ca>
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NNTP-Posting-Host: binkley
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Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu alt.meditation:2554 alt.answers:2710 news.answers:19127
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Archive-name: meditation-faq
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Last-modified: 3 May 1994
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/\ /\ meditation-faq /\
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/ \/\ /\/ \ /\ /\ /\ / \ /\ /\
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/\ / \/ \ / \/ \ __/ \/\ /\/ \ /\ / \
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/ \ ----------------- /________\ --------____/ \/
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The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for alt.meditation is
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posted at the beginning of each month. Comments and suggestions
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are welcome, please send e-mail to jeffjc@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca
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CONTENTS
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1.0 Charter
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1.1 Comment on the faq
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1.2 Other Meditation Resources on Internet
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2.0 What is meditation?
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2.1 How is meditation different from relaxation, thinking,
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concentration or self-hypnosis?
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2.2 What are the different meditation techniques?
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2.3 Which is right for me?
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2.4 What are the abc's of meditation?
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3.0 Is there any religious implication or affiliation
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with meditation?
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3.1 Does meditation have any ethical implications?
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4.0 What is the best time of day to meditate?
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4.1 Why do some people use music while meditating?
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4.2 Should I meditate with my eyes open or with my eyes closed?
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4.3 What are the physiological effects of meditation?
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4.4 When I meditate I experience physical pain in my body. What
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should I do?
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4.5 How long should I meditate?
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4.6 Do I need a teacher?
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1.0 Charter
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The general charter of the group is something like:
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General discussion of meditation
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alt.meditation is a place for discussion of the various
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techniques of meditation and their relation to both physiological
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changes associated with practice and the more subjective ideas
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regarding self-awareness and self-understanding.
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1.1 Comment on the faq
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This faq is intended to give a broad overview of the main points
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associated with meditation. It is not intended to be a "book"
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and does not cover everything in detail. More detailed discussion
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is left for the newsgroup.
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1.2 Other Meditation Resources on Internet
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Files related to meditation, such as book suggestions, guided
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meditations and archives of alt.meditation are available by
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anonymous ftp to sunsite.unc.edu in the directories
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/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/discussion-groups/newsgroups
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/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/general/meditation
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More detailed information on specific meditation traditions or
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other aspects of meditation is also posted periodically to this
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newsgroup, or is available by posting a request. These include:
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Adinatha: Information on the Hindu Natha-Siddha tradition
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Scientific Research on Meditation
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------------------------------
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2.0 What is meditation?
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The basic idea generally associated with why people meditate
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is that during our day we are constantly subjected to sensory
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input and our minds are always active in the process of thinking.
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We read the newspaper, study books, write reports, engage in
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conversation, solve problems, etc etc. Typically, as we do these
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normal activities we engage in a constant mental commentary, sort
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of an inner "The Drama of Me." Usually people aren't fully
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aware of all the mental thought activity that we are
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constantly engaged in.
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Meditation allows all this activity to settle down, and often
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results in the mind becoming more peaceful, calm and focused. In
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essence, meditation allows the awareness to become 'rejuvenated'.
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Meditation can be considered a technique, or practice. It usually
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involves concentrating on an object, such as a flower, a candle, a
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sound or word, or the breath. Over time, the number of random
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thoughts occuring diminishes. More importantly, your attachment to
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these thoughts, and your identification with them, progressively
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become less. The meditator may get caught up in a thought pattern,
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but once he/she becomes aware of this, attention is gently brought
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back to the object of concentration. Meditation can also be
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objectless, for example consisting of just sitting.
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Experiences during meditation probably vary significantly from
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one individual to another, or at least if different techniques
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are involved. Relaxation, increased awareness, mental focus and
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clarity, and a sense of peace are the most common biproducts of
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meditation. While much has been written about the benefits of
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meditation, the best attitude is not to have any expectations
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when practicing. Having a sense of expectation of (positive)
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results is likely to create unnecessary strain in the practice.
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As well, since meditation involves becoming more aware and
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more sensitive to what is within you, facing unpleasant parts
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of oneself may well be part of meditation. Regardless of the
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experience, the meditator should try to be aware of the
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experience and of any attachment to it.
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Failure to experience silence, peace of mind, mental clarity,
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bliss, or other promoted benefit of meditation is not in itself
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a sign of incorrect practice or that one can't concentrate
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properly or concentrate enough to be good at meditation.
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Whether one experiences peace or bliss is not what is important.
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What is generally considered important in meditation is that one
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is regular with their meditation -every day- and that one make
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a reasonable effort, but not strain, to remain with the object
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of concentration during the practice. With regular practice
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one inevitably acquires an increased understanding of and
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proficiency with the particular meditation technique.
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Some people use the formal concentrative meditation as a
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preliminary step to practicing a mindfulness meditation during
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the day where one tries to maintain a calm but increased awareness
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of one's thoughts and actions during the day.
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For some people, meditation is primarily a spiritual practice, and
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in some cases the meditation practice may be closely tied to the
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practice of a religion such as, for example, Hinduism or Buddhism.
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2.1 How is meditation different from relaxation, thinking,
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concentration or self-hypnosis?
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Relaxation: Relaxation is a common biproduct of
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meditation. Relaxation itself can assume many
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forms, such as taking a hot bath or reclining in the
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Lazy-boy and watching tv, etc. Meditation is an active
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process where the meditator remains fully aware of
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what the awareness is doing. It also attempts to transcend
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the thought process whereas many forms of relaxation still
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engage the thought process. Meditation allows the
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body to relax and can offset the effects of stress
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both mentally and physically to a potentially much
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greater degree than passive relaxation.
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Thinking: Thoughts generally consume energy in the process
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of their formation. Constant thought-activity, especially
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of random nature, can tire the mind and even bring on
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headache. Meditation attempts to transcend this crude
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level of thought activity. Through regular practice one
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becomes aware that they are not their thoughts but that
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there is an awareness that exists independent of thought.
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Descartes ("I think, therefore I am") obviously was not
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a regular meditator!
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Concentration: Meditation begins with concentration, but after
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an initial period of concentration, thought activity decreases
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and keeping the awareness focused becomes more spontaneous.
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At this point the person may or may not continue to employ
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the object of concentration.
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Self-hypnosis: Self-hypnosis, like meditation, involves at
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least an initial period of concentration on an object. However
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in hypnosis one does not try to maintain an awareness of the
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here-and-now, or to stay conscious of the process. Instead
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one essentially enters a sort of semi-conscious trance.
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2.2 What are the different meditation techniques?
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Meditation involves concentrating on something to take
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our attention beyond the random thought activity that
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is usually going on in our heads. This can involve a
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solid object or picture, a mantra, breath, or guided
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visualization.
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Typical objects employed include a candle flame or a
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flower. Some people use pictures, such as a mandala - a
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highly colored symmetric painting - or a picture of a
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spiritual teacher in a high meditative state. Mantras
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are sounds which have a flowing, meditative quality
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and may be repeated out loud or inwardly. The breath
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is also a common focal point. Finally, guided visualization
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is also considered by some to be a form of meditation.
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A guided visualization can help to bring one into a
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meditative state; also, visualization may be used once
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a meditative state has been reached to produce various
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results.
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2.3 Which is right for me?
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There is no "right" meditation technique for everybody.
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Some techniques work better for certain people while other
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techniques work better for other people. The important
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thing is to find what works for you.
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2.4 What are the abc's of meditation?
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There are a few recommended guidelines for meditation:
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+ It should be done every day, preferably at the same time
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+ It should preferably be done before a meal rather than
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after a meal
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+ A spot should be set aside for meditation, which should
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be a quiet place and used for nothing but meditation
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+ One should sit with the spine straight and vertical
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(a chair is ok to use)
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------------------------------
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3.0 Is there any religious implication or affiliation
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with meditation?
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Meditation has been and still is a central practice in
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eastern religions, for contacting "God" or one's higher
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Self. Christianity also has semblances of meditation,
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such as the biblical statement "The kingdom of heaven
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is within you". Churches have a meditative atmosphere.
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Meditation deals with contacting something within us
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that is peaceful, calm, rejuvenating, and meaningful.
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Whether one calls this something "God" or "soul" or
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"the inner child" or "theta-wave activity" or "peace"
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or "silence" is not important. It is there and anyone
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can benefit from it regardless of what they believe.
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Most people in the world have already meditated. If
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you have relaxed looking at a beautiful sunset, allowing
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your thoughts to quiet down, this is close to meditation.
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If you have been reading a book for awhile, then put it
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down to take a break and just sat there quietly and
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peacefully for a few minutes without thinking, this is
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close to meditation.
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3.1 Does meditation have any ethical implications?
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In many traditions meditation practice is a means for
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reinforcing ethical qualities. In these traditions, calmness of mind,
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peacefulness and happiness are possible in meditation and in life
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generally only if they are accompanied by the observance of ethical
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norms of behaviour.
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------------------------------
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4.0 What is the best time of day to meditate?
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While meditation is beneficial at any time, most people
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who meditate agree that early morning is the best time
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to meditate. Part of the reason is that it is said that
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in early morning the hustle-and-bustle of the world has
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not yet begun and so it is easier to establish a
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meditative atmosphere. Having an early morning meditation
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also lets us carry some of the energy and peace of the
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meditation into our daily activities.
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Many people also meditate either before dinner or later
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in the evening. Others also meditate at noon. A short meditation
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at these times allows one to throw off some of the
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accumulated stress of the work-day and become rejuvenated for
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further activity. An important consideration is when your
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schedule will allow you to meditate. Having a time of the day
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set aside for meditation helps in maintaining regularity.
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4.1 Why do some people use music while meditating?
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Meditative music (not rock-n-roll !) can help in establishing
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a meditative atmosphere. Also, some people find meditation
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relatively easy but find that the hard thing is to actually
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get themselves to sit down and start their meditation. Music
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can help make this easier. Some people use music quite often
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while others prefer silent meditation and never use it.
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4.2 Should I meditate with my eyes open or with my eyes closed?
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Different traditions give different answers. Closing your eyes
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may contribute to drowsiness and sleepiness--if that's the case for
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you then try opening them a little. Opening your eyes may be
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distracting. If that's the case try closing your eyes or focus your
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gaze on a blank wall (Zen-style). Experiment and see what works for
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you and then stick with your choice of technique.
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4.3 What are the physiological effects of meditation?
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The most common physiological effects of meditation are
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reduced blood pressure, lower pulse rate, decreased
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metabolic rate and changes in the concentration of serum
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levels of various substances.
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4.4 When I meditate I experience physical pain in my body. What
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should I do?
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Sensations (itching/aches/pains) can arise in the body when
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meditating for several reasons. Sometimes the cause is just an
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uncomfortable posture--make sure that your posture is comfortable
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under normal circumstances. Other times the cause is that sensations
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in the body are more noticable in meditation. The body and mind are
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calmer and you are able to notice more details in your bodily
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experience. It is often interesting to simply observe these sensations
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in your body : to use them as the objects of meditation. Sometimes
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these sensations just go away without your having to move or change
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your posture. Remember that a quiet body contributes to a quiet mind.
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4.5 How long should I meditate?
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When first learning meditation it is usually not possible
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to meditate for more than 10-15 minutes. After regular
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practice for awhile, one becomes able to meditate for
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longer periods of time. Many people meditate twice-daily
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for 20-30 minutes each time, but the right duration and
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frequency is for each individual to decide.
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4.6 Do I need a teacher?
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It is theoretically possible to learn meditation from a
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book. However most people who teach and practice meditation
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agree that a teacher can be an invaluable aid in learning
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a meditation technique and making sure it is practiced
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correctly. The beginner will usually have several questions
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which a teacher will be able to answer. Also, learning with
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a group of people, eg a meditation class, allows you to
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experience the benefit of meditating with a group of people.
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Most people find that they have some of their best meditations
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while meditating in a group, because there is a collective
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energy and focus present.
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Various individuals and groups teach meditation. Some charge
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and some do not. Many different techniques are taught, some
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more spiritual in nature and others mainly concerned with
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stress-reduction and gaining a little peace of mind. As
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always, the important thing is finding what works for you.
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------------------------------
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