The Silenced Mind

The spirituality upsurge of the 1970s generated a huge interest in meditation. Books began to appear and teachers everywhere felt free to invent their own methods. Doing research to look for an underlying foundation for meditation practice, the author documented 400 practices from 40 books. Few of the books provided an understanding of what meditation is or guidance on how to have a meditation session. He recognized the need for a book with a broad view, providing that understanding and guidance.Since good understanding of meditation greatly enhances its practice, this book provides a broad organized view covering the missing elements of other books. Whether the meditator has needs that are worldly or spiritual, this book supports both beginners and those practicing at higher levels. It starts by stating universal characteristics of all meditation. First, the ability to meditate is a natural trait of our species, and only ours. Second, all meditation is about stilling mind activity. Third, a stilled mind brings the meditator to experience consciousness beyond everyday experience. That stillness of mind comes not just from suppression of thoughts; focused attention, freedom from sensory stimulation, and life style choices all contribute. In recognition that many books portray their preferred practices as the 'right' or 'only' approach, or just fail to provide a wider view, the author assures the meditator that there is no single 'right way, ' and that it is important to chose practices symbiotic with the personal life experience. Whether from karma, psychological situation, training, experience, or influence from environment, all meditators have different personalities, needs, and starting points. In the broad view of history, by establishing contact with the consciousness beyond material senses and the mind, mystics and shamans practiced meditation long before 5000 years ago. However, the book's discussion of the historical roots focuses on the ancient Samkhya philosophy, existing at least as early as 4000 years ago, as the prime organized source-underlying all meditation. Although it is not religious in its own right, its meditation has a long interrelationship with Eastern religions and movements, such as Vedism, Vedanta, Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism. It is also the source of the non-religious Yoga meditation as described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras about 2000 years ago. Since the highest three of the eight Yoga Sutras limbs are at the heart of Yoga meditation, understanding those limbs is important to good practice. The book provides an uncomplicated perspective leading to that understanding. Preparation for presenting meditative practices describes the existence of everyday material/sensory consciousness, mind consciousness, and several levels of higher consciousness. Further, it discusses the relationships to prayer, mantras, chants, and other religious or quasi-religious practices. Following that, it provides guidance for meditative sessions by discussing attitude, time, place, props, and body. The chapter presenting methods of practice assigns each to one of the three meditative Yoga Sutras limbs. 'Concentration' (Limb 6) practices include such practices as internal body focus, walking meditation, and sensory fixation on objects: they are perfect for the beginner and developing meditators. 'Meditation' (Limb 7) practices include such mental practices as emptiness, linked associations, and focus on prayer or quotations. They bring the experienced meditator to new levels of consciousness experience. 'Absorption' (Limb 8) practices include such cosmic or beyond cosmic experiencing of the Void, outward expansion of consciousness, oneness, and the Presence, yielding increasingly strong spirituality involvement.