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The Many Benefits of Meditation
by bcoe Tags: fear, Health and Wellness, Meditation, Personal Empowerment, Religion and SpiritualityThe deeper truths of the human spirit too often remain unrecognized within individuals because of the nature of a modern, busy life. Our lives are often too busy for us to ever take the time to get in touch with our deepest, heartfelt desires. But behind the constant stream of input coming into our five senses lies a stillness and persistent joy that is the core of our identity. Meditation is the valuable tool that will help us find that part in all of us.
The following is a list of the many benefits a regular meditation practice will enable:
- Easier learning;
- Increased self-confidence;
- Improved mental and physical health;
- Better awareness of one’s deepest desires;
- Better control over one’s actions;
- A reduction and elimination of fears;
- Increased compassion and empathy;
- A desire to seek out and create experiences of love and peace;
- Increased patience;
- Better personal organization;
- More consistent moods;
- Better control over habits such as drinking and smoking;
- A heightened interest in living one’s deepest desires;
- Better understanding of spiritual concepts;
- A natural desire for ethical behavior;
- Increased intelligence;
- A steadily increasing happiness;
- Easier forgiveness of others;
- A higher tolerance for heat and cold;
- A greater appreciation for simple things;
Meditation is any activity that calms the mind and brings the conscious attention into the present moment, away from past or future concerns. This can include walking in nature, doing yoga, or any number of similar, calming activities. Another type is seated meditation, which is probably the most recognized form of meditation. Seated meditation quickly brings great benefit; it entails sitting still, in silence, on a pillow or chair, while trying to calm the mind by focusing on the breath. Practiced regularly, seated meditation is enormously effective at bringing lasting happiness and relief from modern stresses.
The many modern distractions of technology, entertainment and professional sports, among other things, have become so enthralling that they have caused us to attach more value to these external phenomena than seeking to know the internal values that lie within us. Without quiet time, a mind never truly cleanses itself from this external sensory data, which leaves the mind buzzing with an almost steady stream of noise. These noises distract us because they block access to a true and deep state of peace, concentration and awareness.
Without full awareness of our actions we are likely to act out of habit, and can easily become influenced by others. In either case, we act in a less desirable way than if we had been more aware of what we were doing in that moment. Through meditation, we learn to become more aware of our own behaviors, or the reasons that motivate our behaviors, which enables us to have more control over what we want to create.
Also preventing us from creating what we truly and deeply desire is our fear of change and our fear of the unknown. By enabling greater awareness of the causes of these fears and by reducing the intensity of these fears, meditation is also useful as the quickest means to helping us move past any fears that are preventing us from seeking new experiences. A greater awareness allows us to step on the path to achieving our life’s purpose by enabling access to deeper truths that might otherwise remain unknown or blocked by our fears. We additionally gain more self-confidence by learning to step out of our comfort zone and take more chances.
By quieting the mind, meditation is an important tool to help us attain new levels of awareness so that we no longer let our habits or fears determine our actions. By starting with ten to fifteen minutes each day, in the morning or evening, we will begin to understand ourselves in new and deeper ways, and we will discover that balancing our busy lives with quiet time will lead us to ever increasing states of peace and happiness.
Another benefit of meditation:
Resilience in face of environmental change.
COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF SCIENCE OF RELIGION (THEOLOGY)
A Scientific Understanding of Meditation and Yoga
In Bhagavad-Gita Lord SriKrishna says to Arjun:
“I taught this immortal Yoga to Vivasvan (sun-god), Vivasvan conveyed it to Manu(his son), and Manu imparted it to (his son) Iksvaku. Thus transmitted to succession from father to son, Arjun, this Yoga remained known to the Rajarisis (royal sages). It has however long since disappeared from this earth. The same ancient Yoga has this day been imparted to you by Me, because you are My devotee and friend, and also because this is a supreme secret”.
Yoga (Application) which was based on the control of the body physically and implied that a perfect control over the body and the senses led to knowledge of the ultimate reality. A detailed anatomical knowledge of the human body was necessary to the advancement of yoga and therefore those practising yoga had to keep in touch with medical knowledge. (Romila Thapar, A History of India, volume one).
I suggest : Mind and brain are two distinct things. Brain is anatomical entity whereas mind is functional entity. Mind can be defined as the function of autonomic nervous system (ANS). It is claimed that mind can be brought under conscious control through the practice of meditation. But how? ANS is largely under hypothalamic control which is situated very close to optic chiasma (sixth chakra or ajna chakra). Protracted practice of concentration to meditate at this region brings functions of ANS say mind under one’s conscious control.
Although Danah Zohar has coined the term Spiritual Quotient for the first time but she did not establish any mathematical relationship for this. Without establishing mathematical relationship spiritual intelligence can not be termed as spiritual quotient.
Deepak Chopra has given a formula of spiritual quotient in terms of Deed (D) and Ego (E). According to Deepak Chopra S.Q.=D/E. According to him if E is ‘zero’ the S.Q. will be infinite. This appears to be very fascinating but it is highly abstract which can not be measured experimentally accurately and precisely. However, this formula has immense value to understand S.Q.
I have also discovered a mathematical relationship for S.Q about eight years back in 2001. I have used physiological parameters which can be measured accurately and precisely and can be tested and verified experimentally. According to this formula S.Q. can be expressed as the ratio of parasympathetic dominance (P.D.) to sympathetic dominance (S.D.). Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) are the two parts of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which is largely under hypothalamic control. Hypothalamus is situated very close to the Sixth Chakra. During practice of meditation at Sixth Chakra these centres are galvanized which has very positive effect on practitioners spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical well being.
According to this relationship spiritual quotient can be written as:
S.Q. = P.D./S.D.
If the value of S.Q. comes >1 (greater than one), it can be assumed that the person is moving towards self-realisation and if the value of S.Q. comes <1 (smaller than one) it can be predicted that the person is living under stress.
This formula can be tested and verified experimentally.
Yes. thank you. You are the man.
Anirudh Kumar Satsangi, thank you for your comments.
Conscious control is the ability to self-determine what sensory data, if any, one allows into one’s being. This is a skill learned in meditation. The way, therefore, to bring the mind under conscious control is through the experience of doing it. Understanding the physiological and mathematical relationship is not a prerequisite.