Can someone give me a "meditation-for-dummies" explanation of what meditation is? (I am trying it)

In My Humble Opinion
1

It’s one of those words that seems to mean 10 different things in 10 different contexts. But when people talk a lot about meditation these days, what exactly is it, in dumbed-down form?

Apparently, from the little I can tell, it means sitting (or lying down, or anywhere) in a quiet place without being disturbed, and…either thinking about something specific, or not thinking about anything. And breathing slowly.

This will be a challenge for me since I have ADHD and struggle to focus on anything longer than twenty seconds. But…is that what it actually involves? People tout all kinds of big benefits from meditation but, unlike “jog 3 miles a day and you’ll have a healthy body,” I’m struggling to even grasp what the task/activity itself is.

Any simplify-it-so-Velocity-can-understand explanation or sharing of anecdotes would be appreciated.

2

Yes. LOL

Here is a very interesting link.

What is meditation?

3

Actually, jogging for many people is a form of meditation. It clears the mind by concentrating on the rhythm of breathing and bodily movement, thus bringing the world into clearer focus in relation to ones self.

4

I can confirm this, though I prefer trail running where you really need to concentrate on the action, else you will fall.

It is a lovely thing to “not think” - I mean, you are thinking but only on the relatively mundane need for survival, as well as the rhythm of breathing*. I have fairly severe depression, and that comes with a bunch of unpleasant inner thoughts. Running means I get to take a break off that.

* Well, that rhythm, and the psychedelic trance music that I like to run with.(youtube link) - slower music suits my pace rather than the high BPM I would dance to.

5

Netflix has a really great series called Guide to Meditation (or something like that). I thought it was really well done. And a must see for anyone looking to get into meditation.

They also came out with another series Sleep with meditation. Which was good, but the first one was better in my opinion.

6

Taoism talks about “making the mind like a mirror”. Our minds are typically a cacophony of discordant thoughts, like a choppy, wavy lake during a stormy, windy day. Meditation seeks to calm all those thoughts, like a lake that becomes so calm that it reflects its surroundings, like a mirror.

7

Before COVID, my gf was training to run a marathon (cancelled due to COVID). She would run on the treadmill every day. Because she would “zone out”, she had to set an alarm on her phone so she knew when to stop.

8

Perhaps we should not continue the “jogging” hijack.

Basically the point of meditation is to clear the mind and not think.

There are multiple ways to achieve that, I have never had success with pure “sitting meditation”, nor, in my many efforts to calm my mind through attempting meditation when in insomnia.

Sitting meditation seems particularly hard for me; the discipline to stop my mind wandering is pretty much beyond me, but that is where training comes in. If the OP cannot attempt the various exercise-based versions of meditation (I also hike mountains) then sitting meditation is a very worthy goal.

9

I would disagree with this. Meditation, as I’ve been taught to practice it, is very much about thinking. Just not wayward or idle thinking.

10

On this, like many life lessons and woodworking methods, Ron Swanson is the ultimate authority:

Stranger

11

We can blame Descartes for effing up the concept of meditation for westerners. What he should have said is I am aware of thinking, therefore I am (or even, I am aware, therefore I am). So “you” are not the body or even that which thinks, but rather, that which is aware of the body and aware of thoughts. Meditation is the development or cultivation of intentional self-awareness. This awareness may either be directed to parts of one’s body (e.g. breathing), or the awareness may be directed to controlling one’s thoughts; either by suppressing thoughts ie. ‘clearing one’s mind’, or consciously directing one’s thoughts to a very specific thought pattern.

12

I have tried meditation with modest results. It can be a helpful tool, but some of the claims made for it seem excessive.

One idea is that the half your brain is so perpetually active that it needs to be silenced to hear the other half. This can be accomplished through years of study, but drugs might work quicker. ;). This idea seems oversimplified, to say the least.

Another idea is by focusing on breathing, what the body is feeling, really chewing and tasting food, looking intently at your hands, “loving kindness” yada yada, you acknowledge inevitable distractions and release them hoping more important stuff will manifest.

It is neither.complete fluff, nor life-changing. Maybe you’ll have better results?

13

For me, it’s quiet contemplation. Sitting in a room without noise or distractions and letting my mind wander. My mind is very active, and forcing it to be quiet is challenging, even for a short period. It’s different for me than sleeping since I have very active dreams for the most part.

14

Since you welcomed anecdotes, I’ll give you mine. There is a practice that was broken down for me in four stages, and stage 1 is simply to sit motionless for a predetermined period of time. Get comfortable, perhaps with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on your thighs. Set a timer for just 5 minutes and close your eyes. Your only job is to remain absolutely motionless for 5 minutes. Ignore any urge to to shift your body or scratch an itch; except for breathing, you must be a statue. But that’s the only rule for this first stage; breathe however you feel like, and think about anything or nothing. Let your mind race or idle. Just remain perfectly still for the allotted period.

I found this was so freeing, it made me want to continue, increasing the time incrementally. You don’t have to scold yourself for having a thought, or for thinking the wrong thought, or for not “observing the thought and letting it pass by…” or whatever it is that Meditation, Inc. wants you to do with your thoughts. You just started; give yourself a break! It’s hard enough to keep still, and remaining still is a form of focusing your mind anyway without even trying.

15

My (admittedly very limited) understanding is that there are different varieties or styles or traditions of meditation; and that one of the differences is whether it involves focusing the mind on something or emptying the mind completely.

16

Fascinating, would like to hear stages 2-4.

17

This. It isn’t any one specific thing. It is the act of ceasing to try to do anything. Including meditating. Jeff Foster is my favorite person to read when trying to understand meditation.

YES YES YES!

You’re the only other person I know of who has come up with this. It’s definitely, “I am, therefore I think” not the other way around.

Aristotle, Thomas Acquinas, and Descartes all did a number on Western civilization when they promoted “duality,” and especially that spirit is good and matter is bad. Don’t get me started. :angry: Still undoing Catholic high school AND college.

The rest of your post is darned good, too:

18

Or so calm you can see the bottom.

Have you ever been away for a few days and come home to an empty house? It’s an odd thing when you’ve been surrounded by people, activity and distractions and you come home to… dead silence. I love my peace and quiet, but I also like being with people, and I’ve noticed that, when I return home after a few days of activity, after about 30 minutes, my thoughts become much clearer and I’m perceiving things differently. Hard to describe as I don’t really understand it myself, but I’ve always thought it’s something similar to meditation.

19

Concerning the ‘practice’ of meditation, there are many different traditions and ways one can engage in meditation. What they all have in common, however, is that one must maintain that experience of being present in the moment (ie. self aware) so long as they’re engaged in whatever it is one is trying to do, or alternatively not doing.

20

Meditation is a state of consciousness. To someone new to exploring meditation, its closest to the state when you are in deep sleep without dreams; when you just exist devoid of any thoughts or sensory inputs - when you wake up and say you slept like a baby. It is also similar to the state of consciousness described by flow https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Perennial-Classics/dp/0061339202 which is essentially the state you get when you are doing your favorite activity; marked by losing your sense of time (for someone it maybe running, for someone else it maybe quilting, etc etc)

Now, that we have some idea of what meditation is, it is important to note that it is not for everybody. Some will see meditation as profound some others will feel totally unimpressed, some may even see it is stupid and foolish, etc. They are all correct in their domain. I quote Niels Bohr " The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth."

What can Meditation do for you ? Many Celebrities like Tom Hanks, Mick Jagger, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Jerry Seinfeld, Howard Stern, and Oprah Winfrey (and others) have learned one form of meditation, popularized in the west by my hometown guy Mahesh Yogi. Here is Howard Stern talking to Jerry Seinfeld about it : Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld Discuss Transcendental Meditation - YouTube

There are other forms of meditations too. When Steve Jobs hit a rough patch in his early life, he found Neem Karoli Baba and later on, he will send Zuckerberg to the same place when Zuckerberg hit a bumpy road and was looking for guidance. Neeb Karori Baba: The baba who has been magnet for tech honchos like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs - The Economic Times

What I wrote above maybe erroneously termed as “Social Validation” in the west. Please note that I am not making a case to meditate because the above rich/famous did or are doing it. But because meditation is not just for monks - busy people can benefit as well. Or not. Its only you who will know for sure.

Is meditation a religious practice ? Yes and No. Hindu, Hindu Atheists and Agnostics have been meditating for thousands of years. Buddhist meditation also draws from Hindu meditation practices. In fact, if you are a westerner testing the waters, you may find Eckhart Tolle’s talks (on youtube) to be closest to “meditation for dummies” Eckhart Tolle - Wikipedia There have been Christian Mystics Christian mysticism - Wikipedia and Islamic Mystics Sufism - Wikipedia who have laid emphasis on Meditation. But both are controversial within their own religions. As highlighted you do not have to believe in any religion or continue to believe in your religion while you explore meditation.

So how do you get started ? You have ADHD and I do too. While you can learn meditation by yourself by reading or watch youtube videos, it is best to find your guru. Its like a coach, or a personal trainer if you’ll indulge me. It will be much easier, faster and you will avoid the common pitfalls. You can look into Transcendental Meditation Gurus here : Transcendental Meditation (TM) Course Fee (Cost) Most towns have gurus or teachers and their fees depend on your income. If you are interested in learning other paths : you may checkout these guys Branch Centres - Belur Math - Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Most Buddhist temples may also hook you up. My personal opinion is to avoid the Hare Krishna ISKCON guys or the many Hindu Temples. There are other places too if you want to know.

What are the common techniques : Meditation is not about controlling or shutting your mind. If you attempt that, your mind will revolt :smile: Like Eckhard Tolle says "If you tell your mind to not think about an elephant in a room - thats exactly what it will be thinking :smile: " Instead you quietly follow your mind - watch it do its thing : many do it while they watch their breathing, some repeat a phrase continuously, some visualize their favorite place, etc etc. Some do it with counting beads too.

If you find meditation to be your path, I wish you success and bliss. I wish you the same, if you don’t.