Seven Myths of Meditation
In the past forty years, meditation has entered the
mainstream of modern Western culture, prescribed by physicians and
practiced by everyone from business executives, artists, and scientists
to students, teachers, military personnel, and – on a promising note –
politicians.
Despite the growing popularity of meditation,
prevailing misconceptions about the practice are a barrier that prevents
many people from trying meditation and receiving its profound benefits
for the body, mind, and spirit. Here are seven of the most common
meditation myths dispelled.
Myth #1: Meditation is difficult.
Truth: This myth is rooted in the image
of meditation as an esoteric practice reserved only for saints, holy
men, and spiritual adepts. In reality, when you receive instruction from
an experienced, knowledgeable teacher, meditation is easy and fun to
learn. The techniques can be as simple as focusing on the breath or
silently repeating a mantra. One reason why meditation may seem
difficult is that we try too hard to concentrate, we’re overly attached
to results, or we’re not sure we are doing it right. In our experience learning meditation from a qualified teacher is
the best way to ensure that the process is enjoyable and you get the
most from your practice. A teacher will help you understand what you’re
experiencing, move past common roadblocks, and create a nourishing daily
practice.
Myth #2: You have to quiet your mind in order to have a successful meditation practice.
Truth: This may be the number one myth
about meditation and is the cause of many people giving up in
frustration. Meditation isn’t about stopping our thoughts or trying to
empty our mind – both of these approaches only create stress and more
noisy internal chatter. We can’t stop or control our thoughts, but we can
decide how much attention to give them. Although we can’t impose quiet
on our mind, through meditation we can find the quiet that already
exists in the space between our thoughts. Sometimes referred to as “the
gap,” this space between thoughts is pure consciousness, pure silence,
and pure peace.
When we meditate, we use an object of attention,
such as our breath, an image, or a mantra, which allows our mind to
relax into this silent stream of awareness. When thoughts arise, as they
inevitably will, we don’t need to judge them or try to push them away.
Instead, we gently return our attention to our object of attention. In
every meditation, there are moments, even if only microseconds, when the
mind dips into the gap and experiences the refreshment of pure
awareness. As you meditate on a regular basis, you will spend more and
more time in this state of expanded awareness and silence.
Be assured that even if it feels like you have been
thinking throughout your entire meditation, you are still receiving the
benefits of your practice. You haven’t failed or wasted your time. When
my friend and doctor David Simon taught meditation, he would often
tell students, “The thought I’m having thoughts may
be the most important thought you have ever thought, because before you
had that thought, you may not have even known you were having thoughts.
You probably thought you were your thoughts.”
Simply noticing that you are having thoughts is a breakthrough because
it begins to shift your internal reference point from ego mind to
witnessing awareness. As you become less identified with your thoughts
and stories, you experience greater peace and open to new possibilities.
Myth #3: It takes years of dedicated practice to receive any benefits from meditation.
Truth: The benefits of meditation are
both immediate and long-term. You can begin to experience benefits the
first time you sit down to meditate and in the first few days of daily
practice. Many scientific studies provide evidence that meditation has
profound effects on the mind-body physiology within just weeks of
practice. For example, a landmark study led by Harvard University and
Massachusetts General Hospital found that as little as eight weeks of
meditation not only helped people experience decreased anxiety and
greater feelings of calm; it also produced growth in the areas of the
brain associated with memory, empathy, sense of self, and stress
regulation.
We commonly hear from new
meditators who are able to sleep soundly for the first time in years
after just a few days of daily meditation practice. Other common
benefits of meditation include improved concentration, decreased blood
pressure, reduced stress and anxiety, and enhanced immune function.
Myth #4: Meditation is escapism.
Truth: The real purpose of meditation
isn’t to tune out and get away from it all but to tune in and get in
touch with your true Self – that eternal aspect of yourself that goes
beyond all the ever-changing, external circumstances of your life. In
meditation you dive below the mind’s churning surface, which tends to be
filled with repetitive thoughts about the past and worries about the
future, into the still point of pure consciousness. In this state of
transcendent awareness, you let go of all the stories you’ve been
telling yourself about who you are, what is limiting you, and where you
fall short – and you experience the truth that your deepest Self is
infinite and unbounded.
As you practice on a regular basis, you cleanse the
windows of perception and your clarity expands. While some people do try
to use meditation as a form of escape – as a way to bypass unresolved
emotional issues – this approach runs counter to all of the wisdom
teachings about meditation and mindfulness. In fact, there are a
variety of meditation techniques specifically developed to identify,
mobilize and release stored emotional toxicity. If you are coping with
emotional upset or trauma, I recommend that you work with a therapist
who can help you safely explore and heal the pain of the past, allowing
you to return to your natural state of wholeness and love.
Myth #5: I don’t have enough time to meditate.
Truth: There are busy, productive
executives who have not missed a meditation in twenty-five years, and if
you make meditation a priority, you will do it. If you feel like your
schedule is too full, remember that even just a few minutes
of meditation is better than none. We encourage you not to talk yourself
out of meditating just because it’s a bit late or you feel too sleepy.
In life’s paradoxical way, when we spend time meditating
on a regular basis, we actually have more time. When we meditate, we dip
in and out of the timeless, spaceless realm of consciousness … the
state of pure awareness that is the source of everything that manifests
in the universe. Our breathing and heart rate slow down, our blood
pressure lowers, and our body decreases the production of stress
hormones and other chemicals that speed up the aging process and give us
the subjective feeling that we are “running out of time.”
In meditation, we are in a state of restful
alertness that is extremely refreshing for the body and mind. As people
stick with their meditation ritual, they notice that they are able to
accomplish more while doing less. Instead of struggling so hard to
achieve goals, they spend more and more time “in the flow” – aligned
with universal intelligence that orchestrates everything.
Myth #6: Meditation requires spiritual or religious beliefs.
Truth: Meditation is a practice that
takes us beyond the noisy chatter of the mind into stillness and
silence. It doesn’t require a specific spiritual belief, and many people
of many different religions practice meditation without any conflict
with their current religious beliefs. Some meditators have no particular
religious beliefs or are atheist or agnostic. They meditate in order to
experience inner quiet and the numerous physical and mental health
benefits of the practice – including lowered blood pressure, stress
reduction, and restful sleep. The original reason that I started
meditating was to help myself stop smoking. Meditation helps us to
enrich our lives. It enables us to enjoy whatever we do in our lives
more fully and happily – whether that is playing sports, taking care of
our children, or advancing in our career.
Myth #7: I’m supposed to have transcendent experiences in meditation.
Truth: Some people are disappointed when
they don’t experience visions, see colors, levitate, hear a choir of
angels, or glimpse enlightenment when they meditate. Although we can
have a variety of wonderful experiences when we meditate, including
feelings of bliss and oneness, these aren’t the purpose of the practice.
The real benefits of meditation are what happens in the other hours of
the day when we’re going about our daily lives. When we emerge from our
meditation session, we carry some of the stillness and silence of our
practice with us, allowing us to be more creative, compassionate,
centered, and loving to ourselves and everyone we encounter.
As you begin or continue your meditation journey, here are some other guidelines that may help you on your way:
- Have no expectations. Sometimes the mind is too active to settle down. Sometimes it settles down immediately. Sometimes it goes quiet, but the person doesn’t notice. Anything can happen.
- Be easy with yourself. Meditation isn’t about getting it right or wrong. It’s about letting your mind find its true nature.
- Don’t stick with meditation techniques that aren’t leading to inner silence. Find a technique that resonates with you. There are many kinds of mantra meditation, including the Primordial Sound Meditation practice . Or simply follow the in and out of your breathing, not paying attention to your thoughts at all. The mind wants to find its source in silence. Give it a chance by letting go.
- Make sure you are alone in a quiet place to meditate. Unplug the phone. Make sure no one is going to disturb you.
- Really be there. If your attention is somewhere else, thinking about your next appointment, errand or meal, of course you won’t find silence. To meditate, your intention must be clear and free of other obligations.
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