Meaning

Meditation is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary to be “the act of giving your attention to only one thing, either as a religious activity or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed,” or “serious thought or study, or the product of this activity.” As such, many philosophical works are titled as Meditations. Notable examples include Rene Descartes’ “Meditations on the First Philosophy” and Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations”.

 

Meditation

The act of meditation can take many forms and utilize a multitude of techniques. Meditation can be personal, where the person in question carries out the process independently, or it can be guided, where one person leads others through the process. No matter the form or the intention, meditation attempts to foster relaxation, focus, and personal or spiritual awareness.

 

Origin and Spread

       Archaeologists have found walls in Indus Valley dig sites dating from 5000 BCE to 3500 BCE with decorations of people in traditional meditative poses (legs crossed, eyes slightly closed). Ancient Indian manuscripts from about 3000 years ago also mention meditation techniques. This evidence points to an origin in the Indian subcontinent, but the practice has long since spread beyond its place of origin.

       Alexander the Great’s campaigns into India around 325 BCE allowed for meditation to spread to the West, and many Greek philosophers were inspired by the Yogis and sages of India. The rise of Christianity in Europe limited the exchange of ideas between Europe and Asia, meditation in particular because of meditation’s perceived association with other religions. However, meditation persisted in the Christian tradition in other forms.

 

Religious

       Each of the world’s major religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) have incorporated meditation into their spiritual practices in one way or another.

       In Buddhism, adherents meditate in an attempt to attain enlightenment and escape the endless cycle of rebirth that is central to Buddhist philosophy. Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) was raised as a Hindu, so Buddhist meditation is closely related to Hindu meditation. Buddhist meditation centers on self-realization.

       In Hinduism, practitioners meditate in an attempt to have their spirit become one with Brahman, or the almighty. Hindu meditation is highly structured as compared to Buddhist meditation, with many highly specific techniques.

       In Judaism, meditation is centered on the Kabbalah tradition. Meditation is used to supplement one’s religious experience and heighten their connection with God as well as their understanding of the Torah, the Jewish holy text.

       Islamic tradition has two major meditative traditions. One, “Tafakkur,” is even mentioned in the Quran, the Muslim holy text. Tafakkur is a contemplative meditation in which the practitioner ruminates on the nature of the world and the universe. Sufism is a more mystically-oriented tradition within Islam.

       In Christianity, praying with the aid of a rosary is a form of guided meditation, using the rosary to focus prayer and attention. Furthermore, monastic contemplation is often considered to be a form of meditation as well.

       Several other religions also have significant meditative traditions. Jainism and Confucianism both place an emphasis on self-reflection and self-improvement, both of which are achieved in part through meditation. The Taoist tradition focuses on unity with nature, and utilizes meditation as a method for doing so.

 

Secular/Contemporary

       In contemporary society, meditation has transcended its religious affiliations to become a much more secular, mainstream practice. While many people still meditate for religious reasons, meditation is growing in popularity as a way for people to relieve stress. Yoga, another popular modern practice, is actually derived from ancient Indian meditative techniques. Both meditation and yoga are actively used by many Westerners as a non-religious way to relieve stress since the two grew in popularity in the 1960s. Additionally, meditation has been shown to have numerous health benefits, another reason for its growing popularity.

 

Health Benefits

       Primarily, meditation serves to reduce stress, which can have a domino effect on a person’s overall health. Chronic stress has been shown to disrupt normal functions of the body and immune system, increasing the chances of contracting other ailments. Stress has also been linked to leading causes of death, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and even accidents. Besides reducing stress (and therefore reducing the risk for chronic disease), meditation has also been shown to have a physiological effect upon the brain.

 

Psychology/The Brain

       In regular practitioners of meditation, brain imaging studies have shown a larger caudate nucleus in the brain, a structure responsible for retaining skills and allowing them to be repeated without much conscious thought. For example, athletes who frequently practice their sport or skill are said to carry out certain skills through “muscle memory,” but this is actually due to the caudate nucleus. Meditation therefore makes it much easier to hold onto skills, as well as react to unforeseen situations while carrying out those skills.

          Furthermore, meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety and strengthen concentration and attention. Older people who have meditated for longer periods of their life have also been shown to have less gray matter  degradation than people of similar age who do not meditate. As more research is conducted on meditation, more and of its effects upon thinking and cognition are being discovered.