Meditation is our connection to the spiritual world.
For thousands of years, humankind has practiced the art of meditation. In earlier times, religion and meditation were inexorably joined and all the major world religions incorporated meditating as a means to connect with the One; a means to silence the physical world and experience the spiritual world; and a means to transcend the seen world and to reside within the unseen world.
A deeply, devoted state of thinking
And it was the monks, priests, and mendicants who mainly followed a meditative life within the confines of their monasteries and caves, thus, it appears that the conduit to the spiritual realm all too often excluded the general populace. Nowadays, there is no longer a barrier which prevents us from accessing and practicing this time honored tradition. While meditation and religious practices are still tightly entwined, most people out of the realm of organized religions who practice meditation are in reality practicing discursive thinking – a deep, devoted state of thinking.
Our mental state changes our physical body
Whether it’s achieving spiritual ecstasy or attaining physical enjoyment from regular meditation (or discursive thinking), the scientific community as a whole identifies that a change of mental state results in a change of physical state. A body of research indicates a litany of ills including anxiety, stress, pain, and depression are substantially reduced or completely eliminated by regular meditation sessions.
Our happiness increases with our meditation sessions
There is also evidence to support the lowering of blood pressure levels, improving sleeping patterns, strengthening immunity systems, and increasing general overall happiness. In fact, a number of studies have discovered that your overall Happiness Index number may increase by as much as 20% from regular meditation sessions.
Create a stronger connection between the Source and your Self
New Age scientists have hypothesized that habitually meditating creates a stronger connection between the practitioner and the Source which in turn releases blockages of energy which are at the heart of the many problems which we suffer from in this modern age.
You can have a healthier brain
Even though we have an extensive list of benefits from regular meditation, researchers have recently discovered other reasons to make this a regular routine in our busy and hectic lives. As we age, we naturally have a thinning of our frontal cortex. One study finds that regular meditation slows down the process and it also helps thicken this area of the brain when practiced over long periods of time. After years of being committed to this sacred act, we end up with a healthier brain.
Meditate to rewire your brain and increase awareness
A wide number of studies also discover that regular meditation sessions rewire our brain. It seems that the rewiring of the brain results in an increased awareness and focus upon the present moment. Most of us spend a great deal of our time, scientists estimate as high as 50% of the time wandering from idea to idea, hence, there is little focus.
A lack of focus can attract negative energy
As our thoughts race around in our minds, we most often than not are attracted to the negative aspects of our life; the bill that is owing, the car that needs fixing, the tooth that needs drilling. So, our lack of focus results in obsessing upon the negative which then places us in a negative state which then attracts more negativity to our lives.
Quiet the white noise
However, a wide range of studies have found that when we meditate, we quiet the white noise of the outside world and become less judgmental in our worldview. This change then manifests as a more relaxed attitude that is not obsessing upon the broken this or the unpaid that. It appears that the brain is able to respond to self-monitoring and retain and maintain focus and block-out worldly interference.
Science not speculation
This is not just speculation. A recent study discovered that meditating monks and praying nuns activated the areas of the brain that dealt with concentration and focus while they also deactivated the areas of the brain that controlled responses to worldly stimuli. Over time, the ability to control your focus upon the inner world and not upon the outer world is a direct result of the rewiring of the brain which is directly influenced by meditation.
Focus upon the purposeful not the superfluous
Meditation is more than just a few umm’s while sitting cross-legged on the floor with sweet smelling incense burning and exotic music playing in the background. Meditation results in significant health benefits that help us to live a long and productive life. It is our ability to control our thoughts and focus upon the meaningful things in life and not the superfluous which bring about true happiness and good health.
What is my place in the universe?