It seems that the truth about meditation is absolutely shrouded in mystery, based on the feedback we typically get from everyday acquaintances upon mentioning that we meditate regularly.
You would think the truth about meditation has to do with flighty cosmonauts wasting time chasing rainbows and unicorns, sitting in silence waiting for something magical to happen, like children waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
Some people even assume that people who meditate are just not very intelligent, or that they are delusional.
In reality, this is far from the truth about meditation.
In fact, our findings clearly show that people who devote themselves to the discipline of regular meditation aren’t New Age flakes or less intelligent than average.
The truth about meditation is that even with only about 15-20 minutes of it each day, you’ll experience one of the great benefits: detaching from what is commonly called “monkey mind.”
A minor example of monkey mind is when you can’t stop the same song lyrics from playing over and over in your head. More accurately, your subconscious won’t let go of those lyrics for whatever reason.
The subconscious mind is commonly underestimated. No doubt those who have attempted regular meditation have experienced the power of the subconscious mind attempting to re-gain control; it will do anything to make you avoid detaching from it (i.e., a good meditative state) such as creating an itch on your scalp, or a sudden fear that you forgot to turn off your oven.
More serious cases of monkey mind can be extremely burdensome. Surely you’ve had the unpleasant experience of your mind racing in circles, persistently worrying about something, not being able to focus, perhaps not being able to sleep, and completely lacking any peace of mind. It’s not only mentally unhealthy, but also bad for your overall physical health.
Just like a dog chasing its tail, with your mind spinning around uncontrollably, you can’t help but go along on the unsettling ride. Your fears abound and it’s impossible to focus.
Or, you may not experience acute mental bouts, but instead regular negative thinking and, or mild anxiety.
Meditation allows you to avoid those toxic episodes. The truth about meditation is that although you can’t stop your mind (particularly your subconscious mind) from thinking negative thoughts, you can detach from it.
Your higher-self (or soul, or God-self, or whatever you want to call it) patiently waits for you to meditate, to come back down to home-base to reconnect with your spirit and leave the horrors of your subconscious mind behind, at least for a while.
An aside, perhaps you believe that your mind moves too fast for meditation, that it’s only for those who think more slowly. This is yet another myth about meditation. People with very fast thinking processes benefit just as much from regular meditation as those who think more methodically. Meditation lends clarity to your thinking and increases your peace of mind.
In addition, regular meditation can also lead to increased self-understanding, greater insight about others and everyday situations, and heightened intuition.
It’s okay to have believed the falsehoods about meditation. But now that you know the truth about meditation, you should act on it.
by Scott Petullo
You would think the truth about meditation has to do with flighty cosmonauts wasting time chasing rainbows and unicorns, sitting in silence waiting for something magical to happen, like children waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
Some people even assume that people who meditate are just not very intelligent, or that they are delusional.
In reality, this is far from the truth about meditation.
In fact, our findings clearly show that people who devote themselves to the discipline of regular meditation aren’t New Age flakes or less intelligent than average.
The truth about meditation is that even with only about 15-20 minutes of it each day, you’ll experience one of the great benefits: detaching from what is commonly called “monkey mind.”
A minor example of monkey mind is when you can’t stop the same song lyrics from playing over and over in your head. More accurately, your subconscious won’t let go of those lyrics for whatever reason.
The subconscious mind is commonly underestimated. No doubt those who have attempted regular meditation have experienced the power of the subconscious mind attempting to re-gain control; it will do anything to make you avoid detaching from it (i.e., a good meditative state) such as creating an itch on your scalp, or a sudden fear that you forgot to turn off your oven.
More serious cases of monkey mind can be extremely burdensome. Surely you’ve had the unpleasant experience of your mind racing in circles, persistently worrying about something, not being able to focus, perhaps not being able to sleep, and completely lacking any peace of mind. It’s not only mentally unhealthy, but also bad for your overall physical health.
Just like a dog chasing its tail, with your mind spinning around uncontrollably, you can’t help but go along on the unsettling ride. Your fears abound and it’s impossible to focus.
Or, you may not experience acute mental bouts, but instead regular negative thinking and, or mild anxiety.
Meditation allows you to avoid those toxic episodes. The truth about meditation is that although you can’t stop your mind (particularly your subconscious mind) from thinking negative thoughts, you can detach from it.
Your higher-self (or soul, or God-self, or whatever you want to call it) patiently waits for you to meditate, to come back down to home-base to reconnect with your spirit and leave the horrors of your subconscious mind behind, at least for a while.
An aside, perhaps you believe that your mind moves too fast for meditation, that it’s only for those who think more slowly. This is yet another myth about meditation. People with very fast thinking processes benefit just as much from regular meditation as those who think more methodically. Meditation lends clarity to your thinking and increases your peace of mind.
In addition, regular meditation can also lead to increased self-understanding, greater insight about others and everyday situations, and heightened intuition.
It’s okay to have believed the falsehoods about meditation. But now that you know the truth about meditation, you should act on it.
by Scott Petullo
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