# Do you meditate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129 "2006-03-27T18:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129/1 "2006-03-27T18:54:26Z")
I’ve just started with it, a meditation plan designed for musicians. It deals with accepting oneself in order to become more creative. Do you meditate? Whats your experience with meditation? How often do you do it? ---
**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129/2 "2006-03-27T19:05:35Z")
There is some good meditation information at the[Internet Archives](http://www.archive.org/details/tse_chen_ling). I have tried meditation on and off for the past 3 or so years, but have only successfully meditated in my opinion, once. It was an exhilerating experience, but haven’t been able to return to it. It takes a lot of concentration, or lack of, I’m not sure which. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129/3 "2006-03-27T19:51:32Z")
Yeah, I like to do it for a while before bed. There is no set length of time, just as long as it takes for me to calm myself. I have a tendency to get wound pretty tight by the end of the day and meditating helps combat that. How do I do it? I have a spot in my house where I feel very comfortable and I sit there, close my eyes, think about nothing, and breath. Shutting your brain off is what takes practice (I find). For me, it’s sort of the mental equivalent to those magic eye things (if that makes any sense). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129/4 "2006-03-27T19:53:51Z")
I only have in the original sense–i.e. sit there and ponder stuff for several hours. Personally I found it rather enlightening, but I imagine that it is probably easy to feel enlightened when every conclusion is based on your own opinions. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129/5 "2006-03-27T20:01:32Z")
I do it as part of my weekly yoga class, and sometimes when I’m feeling extra stressed out. I tried to get into a regular practice, 15 minutes a day, but I dunno, I guess I didn’t feel a lot out of it—or perhaps I just didn’t stick with it long enough to start reaping the real benefits. **MessyPaint**. . . I had one (exactly _one_) really amazing meditation experience, also. I was lying in a darkened room, and suddenly it was as though a warm, comforting light shone on my eyelids. Then I was startled by an external noise, and it was over. I never knew this whole “enlightenment” thing was supposed to be so literal. 😉 Nothing like it has ever happened to me again. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-meditate/350129/6 "2006-03-28T04:01:27Z")
I’ve tried a few times. I can focus on nothing for a little while, but I always end up feeling like something is supposed to be happening… and that it isn’t. So it doesn’t work too well. I bought a book about Rinzai Zen recently, so perhaps I’ll try again soon.