# The what, why and how of meditation **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613 "2011-11-21T05:33:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/1 "2011-11-21T05:33:59Z")
So I’ve heard meditation being recommended a few times and I decided to research it. Unfortunately, most of what I’ve found tends to be on the woo side. I do not doubt that some benefit can be gained from it, but I do wish I had explanations concerning what meditation is and does, why it does it and how it does it that didn’t involve “merging your spirit with the great Ju-Ju”. So, what does meditation achieve if done correctly? What does one do when one meditates? How does it accomplish its effects? Why (what principles, dynamics, basic phenomena are at play) does it work? What do you do when you meditate? What steps do you go through? What have you learned that helped you meditate better? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/2 "2011-11-21T14:52:48Z")
Yeah, this thread is going to go well. (And I don’t mean that sarcastically!) The meditation that I’ve been doing lately is, in the strictest terms, not meditation, but quite the opposite. > [@](#): > > So, what does meditation achieve if done correctly? It brings about stillness, and opens the way to wisdom. > [@](#): > > What does one do when one meditates? See below. > [@](#): > > How does it accomplish its effects? That’s something that you have to discover for yourself. > [@](#): > > Why (what principles, dynamics, basic phenomena are at play) does it work? My personal belief is that all life naturally lives this way. We humans have higher thought functions, which are great, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in them that we forget to just be. And happiness is in just being. Think of violent waves on the ocean. We’re constantly breaking and crashing and causing turmoil. But just beneath the surface is stillness. And all waves must return to it. Here is my practice: Sit in a comfortable place. Feet on the floor, spine erect, arms relaxed and uncrossed. Take a few deep breaths. Become aware of the present moment. Empty out all thoughts of the past and future. Be aware that inner chatter will come up. That’s normal. Let those thoughts pass like leaves on the wind. Come back to the present. Become aware of where your feet are touching the floor. Become aware of your weight in the chair. Feel the touch of your clothes on your body. Feel the touch of the air on your bare skin. Become aware of the taste or moisture in your mouth. Notice whether you smell anything. Become aware of your breathing, without changing it. Become aware of the feel of air moving in and out of your lungs. If your eyes are open, let them receive color and form without comment or judgement. Become aware of sounds. They rise, and then fall back into silence. Become aware of the great space that sounds arise from. Extend your listening to the farthest reaches. Be still. Expand your awareness outward and smile. Do this twice a day, for at least two minutes at a time. A Brahman saw the Buddha resting under a tree in meditation. The Brahman was impressed with the Buddha’s way. He asked, “Are you a god?” “No, Brahman, I’m not a god.” “Are you an angel?” “No”, replied the Buddha. “You must be a spirit then?” “No, I’m not a spirit,” said the Buddha. “Then what are you?” “I’m awake.” ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/3 "2011-11-21T16:41:09Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > So, what does meditation achieve if done correctly? Being able to acheive a calm mental state and have control over unwanted thoughts, negative thoughts, racing thoughts. Stopping an overbusy brain and being “present” experiencing things in the “right now” not constantly thinking of the future or past. (This doesn’t mean you never think of the future or the past, it means you do so when you want to) > [@](#): > > What does one do when one meditates? There are various approaches - including sitting quietly, walking, music, gongs or other associative stimulus, engaging in art or sports, pretty much anything CAN be a form of meditation. It depends how you do it. > [@](#): > > How does it accomplish its effects? Practice and repitition, just like you learn to do anything > [@](#): > > Why (what principles, dynamics, basic phenomena are at play) does it work? Because the brain is a trainable thinking device that responds to positive and negative stimuli. > [@](#): > > What do you do when you meditate? I go to a meditation class at my karate school, which consists of 10 minutes stretching/physically limbering, 15 minutes seated meditation (traditional benches are used), followed by a short lecture. > [@](#): > > What steps do you go through? Sit and focus on the feeling of breathing. If thoughts intrude, acknowledge them and refocus on breathing. Repeat for a lifetime. 🙂 > [@](#): > > What have you learned that helped you meditate better? There no prize for meditating better than everyone else. Things come along at their own pace. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/4 "2011-11-21T16:56:57Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > There no prize for meditating better than everyone else. That made me smile. Thanks for that. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/5 "2011-11-22T16:56:26Z")
I’ll be interested in following this thread as I’ve been largely unsuccessful in past attempts at meditation. My brain just goes into a hyperactive frenzy and I get extremely fidgety and feel a strong compulsion to get up and do something. Far from being relaxing, meditation attempts thus far have caused me anxiety because inevitably I just start thinking of all the things I should be doing instead/things that need to be done and feeling like I am being irresponsible by just sitting there. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/6 "2011-11-22T17:16:38Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I’ll be interested in following this thread as I’ve been largely unsuccessful in past attempts at meditation. My brain just goes into a hyperactive frenzy and I get extremely fidgety and feel a strong compulsion to get up and do something. Far from being relaxing, meditation attempts thus far have caused me anxiety because inevitably I just start thinking of all the things I should be doing instead/things that need to be done and feeling like I am being irresponsible by just sitting there. I don’t know much about meditating for the purpose of relaxation. Meditation as I understand it isn’t about relaxing, it’s about mindfulness. That means sitting there and feeling fidgety and feeling the impulse to go do something else and feeling irresponsible and sitting there and being aware of all of it, watching the feelings, thoughts and sensations come and go. In my experience, the longer you watch, the less power those impulses and thoughts and feelings have over you. To answer the OP, one thing meditation does is raise one’s baseline mood and [protect the brain from stress](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/study-the-scientific-bene_n_123987.html). Another thing it likely does is cause the growth of new brain cells. There’s even evidence that it [improves the immune system.](http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/65/4/564.short) Meditation and mindfulness training also have practical applications for the treatment of depression and anxiety. There are a number of therapies that incorporate mindfulness principles and have been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of mental illness. There are a lot of different ways to meditate. The style I most practice is ‘‘just sitting’’ which basically means I sit down on a meditation cushion and don’t get up for a specified period of time… say ten or fifteen minutes. While I’m sitting, I pay attention to whatever’s going on. Sometimes it’s upsetting, sometimes it’s boring, sometimes it’s a completely blissful experience, but that’s basically how to do it. The point is to become more aware of the way things rise and fall away and ebb and flow and not to become so attached to any given thought, feeling or mental state. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/7 "2011-11-22T17:21:48Z")
**Opal** , for the longest time I worried about the same thing. And to be truthful, that still happens to me from time to time. But after a while you learn to treat those thoughts as what they are – fleeting. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/8 "2011-11-22T18:02:28Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I don’t know much about meditating for the purpose of relaxation. It’s been recommended to me as a way to deal with stress (which I do badly) but maybe “relaxing” isn’t the exact right word. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/9 "2011-11-22T18:12:01Z")
[This book](http://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Response-Herbert-Benson/dp/0380006766) might help you a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/10 "2011-11-22T18:25:20Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > It’s been recommended to me as a way to deal with stress (which I do badly) but maybe “relaxing” isn’t the exact right word. Yes, it’s great for coping with stress. I mean, sometimes it’s relaxing. I guess I was just trying to say that if you’re feeling anxiety or discomfort or whatever, you’re not failing. Some people get so focused on this idea that they should feel relaxed or calm in order for it to be ‘‘working,’’ and when they don’t feel utter bliss they conclude they aren’t doing it right. Meditation is more about learning to be accepting of those uncomfortable experiences than it is about making them go away. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/11 "2011-11-22T18:31:39Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > [This book](http://www.amazon.com/Relaxation-Response-Herbert-Benson/dp/0380006766) might help you a lot. Thanks, I ordered it for my Kindle and I will check it out. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/12 "2011-11-22T18:39:42Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Some people get so focused on this idea that they should feel relaxed or calm in order for it to be ‘‘working,’’ and when they don’t feel utter bliss they conclude they aren’t doing it right. Absolutely, there’s nothing that you’re supposed to feel. I did a presence meditation a few years ago, and it was absolutely mind-blowing. I’d describe it, but I know I’d come off sounded like a bit of a nut. Since then I was a little afraid to try it again because what if I couldn’t get to that place again? But that’s the point of presence meditation – it’s going to be different every time, and you don’t try to grab for a feeling, you let a feeling grab you. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/13 "2011-11-26T08:30:51Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > I’ll be interested in following this thread as I’ve been largely unsuccessful in past attempts at meditation. My brain just goes into a hyperactive frenzy and I get extremely fidgety and feel a strong compulsion to get up and do something. Far from being relaxing, meditation attempts thus far have caused me anxiety because inevitably I just start thinking of all the things I should be doing instead/things that need to be done and feeling like I am being irresponsible by just sitting there. This is why it is helpful to use a meditational focus. This could be a lot of different things. It could be something that you look at, like a candle flame or a [mandala](http://www.livingsacred.com/webviolet.jpg). It could be a sound or music. It could be a chant. It could be a word that you hear in your mind’s ear. By concentrating on that, you can clear away other thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/14 "2011-11-26T16:00:29Z")
Something visual never occurred to me. Thinking about a sound I’m not hearing wouldn’t work, because my mind would wander away from it. Music is a possibility, I guess, though I’m not sure that what I’d get would be any different from just “sitting around listening to music.” Having something visual to look at might occupy my mind enough to let me meditate without distracting me too much, but keeping me from getting distracted by other things. I’ll have to try it. Aside from that flower you posted do you have any other candidates for meditation images? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/15 "2011-11-26T16:57:00Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > My personal belief is that all life naturally lives this way. We humans have higher thought functions, which are great, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in them that we forget to just be. And happiness is in just being. I’ve never tried “proper” meditation, but I’ve recently taken up running, and I’ve had some experiences while doing that that have felt like how people sometimes describe meditating. It doesn’t happen every time, but on some runs, the thoughts just drain completely from my head, and I can run, sometimes for miles, with my head just… blank. That inner voice that seems to always be there in daily life just shuts up. Sometimes thoughts will come along, but in a hazy way, wash over me, and then just fade away. Sometimes it’s just the air, my footsteps, my breathing, maybe music if I’m wearing my ipod, and those things are just _there_, I don’t have to think about them or contemplate them at all. It’s a kind of inner peace that I’ve never experienced in any other context. It sounds weird, but it’s wonderful - I would like to call it spiritual. Is this anything like meditating, or am I barking up the wrong tree? (Disclaimer: This doesn’t stop running being a bitchy, sweaty, pain in the ass that ruins my knees and busts my hips.) ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/16 "2011-11-28T10:49:02Z")
> [@OpalCat](#): > > Aside from that flower you posted do you have any other candidates for meditation images? Do a GIS for mandala. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/17 "2011-11-28T11:53:57Z")
For free, here’s an excellent guide to a non-spiritual meditation from the Guardian: [How To Meditate](http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/22/how-to-meditate-mark-vernon). ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/18 "2011-11-28T13:29:03Z")
I found [this site](http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/) very helpful, both their guided meditation and their explanations about the why and how. As they are UK based I hope this one will work from the USA. My personal explanation/analogy to think of it as escaping from a Chinese finger trap. If you force yourself away from negative emotions, the trap only closes. Instead you go something like “hey yeah, I feel shit about this. Hello shitty feeling. This sucks. Oh well.” But you don’t let those negative emotions be drama queens and run your life - by accepting them calmly, you can take back the control (sometimes). Hmm, **tdn** ’s right, I do sound like a nut, now. Ah, here’s a quote I like: “Mindfulness is like navigating between two cliffs. On the one side is avoiding your emotions, on the other side is drowning in them. Being mindful is admitting the emotions without drowning in them.” Hmmm, still a bit nutty. I suppose you just have to give it a go and see what happens. Just because we struggle to completely put it into words doesn’t make it woo. It’s like describing how to walk to an alien without legs. Hard to describe, but this doesn’t mean something very strange and mysterious is happening when we do it. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/19 "2011-11-28T13:46:37Z")
There is a shitload of woo surrounding meditation. Most of it stems from the religious aspects people try to invoke (Buddhism, chakras, blah fucking blah). But I don’t meditate for religious reasons; in fact, I actively avoid meditation that involves religious overtones. I listen to guided meditation files and find them to be very helpful in reducing stress levels, relaxing, and lowering heart rate/blood pressure. You may have to go through a new audio file and vet it to make sure there’re no religious references–I know those will always take me right out of the moment–but the payoff is worth it. A good place to start is [with Andrew Johnson](http://www.withandrewjohnson.com/recordings/). Two of his recordings are free. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613/20 "2011-11-28T14:07:20Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > It sounds weird, but it’s wonderful - I would like to call it spiritual. Is this anything like meditating, or am I barking up the It sounds like you’re swinging from exactly the right tree. Stay with it! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-what-why-and-how-of-meditation/603613.md?page=2)