Meditation

FaithT · Nov 13, 2020

Is deep breathing and meditation ok to do for an LCMS congregant? I know it has health benefits, especially for people like me who have anxiety.

Akita Suggagaki · Nov 13, 2020

Hope1960 said:
Is deep breathing and meditation ok to do for an LCMS congregant? I know it has health benefits, especially for people like me who have anxiety.

It is true. Researches have shown that meditation can reduce anxiety and, in fact, also reduce depression and other maladaptive thinking processes. And can also be prayer depending on one's intention.

UnpopularOpinion · Nov 14, 2020

Hope1960 said:
Is deep breathing and meditation ok to do for an LCMS congregant? I know it has health benefits, especially for people like me who have anxiety.

Meditiation is of the Devil
basically used in most witchcraft / enchantings / sorcery

Akita Suggagaki · Nov 14, 2020

UnpopularOpinion said:
Meditiation is of the Devil
basically used in most witchcraft / enchantings / sorcery

That is absurd. It is time we come out of the superstitious dark ages on this. Meditation is a natural human capacity and there is plenty of documented evidence that it is healthy for body, mind and spirit depending on the intention and disposition of the practitioner. It is a tool that like anything else can be used or misused depending on the method.

FaithT · Nov 15, 2020

UnpopularOpinion said:
Meditiation is of the Devil
basically used in most witchcraft / enchantings / sorcery

I’ve never heard of such a thing.

FaithT · Nov 15, 2020

Akita Suggagaki said:
That is absurd. It is time we come out of the superstitious dark ages on this. Meditation is a natural human capacity and there is plenty of documented evidence that it is healthy for body, mind and spirit depending on the intention and disposition of the practitioner. It is a tool that like anything else can be used or misused depending on the method.

How could it even be misused?

GreekOrthodox · Nov 17, 2020

Dear Hope,
A lot of these accusations come from the meditation practices in eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. However, there are meditation practices within Christianity. Eastern Orthodox commonly practice with a prayer rope and focus on the Jesus prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". The Catholic rosary is another tool, but probably more objectionable to Lutherans due to the focus on Mary.

FaithT · Nov 17, 2020

What ways can Lutherans meditate that are acceptable to the LCMS church?

FaithT · Nov 18, 2020

Akita Suggagaki · Nov 18, 2020

Hope1960 said:
What ways can Lutherans meditate that are acceptable to the LCMS church?

Why not ask your pastor?

FaithT · Nov 18, 2020

Akita Suggagaki said:
Why not ask your pastor?

I ask him questions all the time. I’d prefer asking here.

FaithT · Nov 28, 2020

Anyone else want to chime in?

Tigger45 · Nov 28, 2020

Wolfmueller is one of my favorite LCMS pastors. Here’s a quick video of his you might enjoy.

Daniel9v9 · Nov 30, 2020

Hope1960 said:
Anyone else want to chime in?

Well, if we by meditating mean breathing exercise, then yes, it's OK. It's not a sin to exercise or to care for the body. It's good to care for God's creation, and we're certainly a part that. However, if we by meditation imply meditating on an object other than Christ, I would very much caution against it.

To meditate in the true and Biblical sense does not mean to empty one's mind, but rather, to fill it with the Word of God, contemplate and dwell on it.

What Tigger45 posted above is very good, and Wolfmueller is just fantastic! I'm very glad he's recovering from covid. God be praised!

Akita Suggagaki · Dec 1, 2020

Daniel9v9 said:
To meditate in the true and Biblical sense does not mean to empty one's mind, but rather, to fill it with the Word of God, contemplate and dwell on it.

I agree on the "Biblical" sense of meditation. But other forms also have value when it come to health.

The term "empty " ones' mind is usually misunderstood. The mind will always have a content even if it is simple open awareness. Biblical meditation is useful in that process because the mind needs a focus on that journey. But at some point, if only for a few brief moments, a "no-thought" or pure awareness can be found.

Psalm 131:2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me

It is also good for memory.

"The term consolidation describes the way memory traces soon pass beyond, then gradually become independent of, the first steps in this processing chain.. We consolidate memories mostly when we are either at rest or asleep, because these are the quieter times when we are not processing any new external events...

"Perhaps actual ‘‘no-thought’’ meditation periods do offer a meditator the chance to consolidate—spontaneously and subconsciously—what had just been learned during the course of some experience that had immediately preceded it. For example, such an event could be in the form of information heard during a lecture or encountered while reading. Spontaneous replaying tendencies at rest have a second set of implications. Both our ordinary leaps of creative intuition and extraordinary peak experiences usually occur during pauses." Zen Brain Reflections p. 103

https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Zen-Brain-Reflections.pdf

FaithT · Dec 2, 2020

Tigger45 said:
Wolfmueller is one of my favorite LCMS pastors. Here’s a quick video of his you might enjoy.

Thanks!

Daniel9v9 said:
Well, if we by meditating mean breathing exercise, then yes, it's OK. It's not a sin to exercise or to care for the body. It's good to care for God's creation, and we're certainly a part that. However, if we by meditation imply meditating on an object other than Christ, I would very much caution against it.

To meditate in the true and Biblical sense does not mean to empty one's mind, but rather, to fill it with the Word of God, contemplate and dwell on it.

What Tigger45 posted above is very good, and Wolfmueller is just fantastic! I'm very glad he's recovering from covid. God be praised!

thanks!

Akita Suggagaki said:
I agree on the "Biblical" sense of meditation. But other forms also have value when it come to health.

The term "empty " ones' mind is usually misunderstood. The mind will always have a content even if it is simple open awareness. Biblical meditation is useful in that process because the mind needs a focus on that journey. But at some point, if only for a few brief moments, a "no-thought" or pure awareness can be found.

Psalm 131:2 Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me

It is also good for memory.

"The term consolidation describes the way memory traces soon pass beyond, then gradually become independent of, the first steps in this processing chain.. We consolidate memories mostly when we are either at rest or asleep, because these are the quieter times when we are not processing any new external events...

"Perhaps actual ‘‘no-thought’’ meditation periods do offer a meditator the chance to consolidate—spontaneously and subconsciously—what had just been learned during the course of some experience that had immediately preceded it. For example, such an event could be in the form of information heard during a lecture or encountered while reading. Spontaneous replaying tendencies at rest have a second set of implications. Both our ordinary leaps of creative intuition and extraordinary peak experiences usually occur during pauses." Zen Brain Reflections p. 103

https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Zen-Brain-Reflections.pdf

I think that the whole practices of zen are to be avoided.

FaithT · Dec 2, 2020

Getting you guys to answer and post here is like pulling teeth are you on some other boards?

Daniel9v9 · Dec 2, 2020

Hope1960 said:
Getting you guys to answer and post here is like pulling teeth are you on some other boards?

Haha! Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I've just had a very busy month, so I actively tried not to log onto the forums so that I could focus a bit better.

Akita Suggagaki · Dec 2, 2020

Hope1960 said:
I think that the whole practices of zen are to be avoided.

Why?

FaithT · Dec 2, 2020

Akita Suggagaki said:
Why?

It has roots in Buddhism. At least it was frowned upon when I was Catholic. Not sure about LCMS. Anyone know?

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