Meditation

[seekinghokmah]

What are your views on Christian meditation? How would you define Biblical versus non-Biblical forms and practices?

 

[seekinghokmah]

For a more specific example...Peter was on a roof (Acts 10:10) and fell into a trance.
Was he praying and then mentally tripped "whoops....whoah" or was more going on here

 

[Timuchin]

Bad forms of meditation:
1. Mind-blanking meditation. This lowers our natural barrier of integrity to invasion by a demon. It's like signing a blank check and tossing it out the window.
2. Endless repetition. This becomes mind-blanking after a while as your mind checks out. Using old familiar prayers for the 100th time is okay if you mentally invest your mind in what you are saying.
3. Breathing exercises can be bad. If you calm your mind and then "breathe in" power or peace or chi. You cannot receive something abstract; you can receive a demon, though.

If God gives us a prophetic vision, it is like a video clip. Your mind is still aware and in control. I'm familiar with those.

 

[InHisPeace]

I think meditation is great!
I don't know the difference between "Christian" meditation and "normal" meditation, but I'm guessing it's merely the title...

For me, meditation puts me in a positive and reflective state of mind, makes me feel at peace with the Universe and content right where I am.
I clear my mind of all things, and "be still and know who God really is", as it says in the Psalms.

Meditation gets rid of stress and silly little day-to-day problems, and just helps to relax and chill out, and reflect on the God I know in my heart.

That's just my opinion...

Love and blessings to all!

 

[seekinghokmah]

I would concur that emptying ones mind can be dangerous, it is also quite difficult; one usually ends up thinking about the fact that you are trying to think about nothing LOL.

I see some significant differences between Eastern meditation and Biblical meditation, but the latter surely exists. In fact I think it exists in a much more clearly and detailed form than most realize. Etymological research has demonstrated that the meditative references in Hebrew have been largely obscured since the time of the enlightenment but are now potentially being rediscovered. There are also interesting passages in the New Testament such as Acts 10:10 and Paul’s statements in 2cor 12:3.

2Co 12:3 And I know that such a man — whether in the body or apart from the body I don't know, God knows —
2Co 12:4 was snatched into Gan-`Eden and heard things that cannot be put into words, things unlawful for a human being to utter.

Eastern meditation generally focuses on emptying the mind by deliberately focusing away from conscious contemplation, whereas Biblical meditation IMO does the opposite, deliberately focusing ON something specific while filtering out possible distractions.
Seeing pictures in ones mind is generally referred to as the “reverie” and is largely comprised of random images generated by our subconscious – this is not the true prophetic state…rather these are some of the “distractions” one would need to filter out.

Many of the same devices used in Eastern systems such as mantras could be employed but again utilized in order to go the opposite direction; moving toward deeper contemplation of a specific concept. What Eastern systems call higher states of consciousness I would actually consider lower; a higher state is when one is either intensely focused on a specific concept or free of distraction in order to passively contemplate a concept in a way that facilitates freer associations of related thoughts. One is an intensely aggressive pursuit of a mental/spiritual goal, while the other is passive but free from internal and external distraction.

Scripture describes God as having a “still small voice”, but not because He is a wuss and can’t speak loudly ;-), rather it is a matter of Him not imposing Himself against our will. If we want to hear His voice, or at least open our minds in order to potentially hear Him, we have to tune out all the static. God can hardly get a word in given how busy our minds and our physical environments usually are…no wonder Jesus Himself sought time alone in the early mornings. Like a radio that is slightly off station we need to fine tune our receivers in order to focus in on His signal, while reducing the din within and without us.

Of course this does not mean we will hear anything, having a cell phone turned on and activated is no guarantee we’ll get a call.

Given the prevalence of Eastern and occult systems pervading our modern culture, it is only natural that Christians experience a little trepidation at some of these ideas. I would certainly encourage caution, and prefer to err on the side of safety myself, but these are interesting things to contemplate and research within the scriptures themselves. An open mind does not have to be an empty one marked “space for rent-demons park here”.

 

[LamorakDesGalis]

What are your views on Christian meditation?

I've always thought Christian meditation as cool. Christian meditation has both a wide variety of practices and long historical roots stretching back many centuries in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions.

How would you define Biblical versus non-Biblical forms and practices?

In the more active forms of meditation, the difference is in the object of focus. The object of focus for Christians are God, Jesus, Scripture or similarly related aspects. In more passive forms of meditation, the difference is in the goal of the meditation. For Buddhists, meditation is a necessary practice on the path to enlightenment. For Christians, meditation is a spiritual discipline such as prayer and reading the Bible.

There are a wide variety of Christian meditation practices that have historical support from the different Christian traditions. However there are also certain practices which are derived from a non-Christian point of view, such as transcendental meditation. IMO Christians should avoid those kinds of non-Christian techniques.


LDG

 

[LamorakDesGalis]

For a more specific example...Peter was on a roof (Acts 10:10) and fell into a trance.
Was he praying and then mentally tripped "whoops....whoah" or was more going on here

The trance that Peter had wasn't an isolated event based on meditation techniques, but one of a chain of important events that God specifically orchestrated in Acts 10-11. The sequence in the narrative is that he was in prayer on the roof around noon, became hungry, and then while the food was being prepared he went into a trance. God had already set in motion to have three men from Cornelius arrive at Peter's house just after the vision.


LDG

 

[seekinghokmah]

The trance that Peter had wasn't an isolated event based on meditation techniques, but one of a chain of important events that God specifically orchestrated in Acts 10-11. The sequence in the narrative is that he was in prayer on the roof around noon, became hungry, and then while the food was being prepared he went into a trance. God had already set in motion to have three men from Cornelius arrive at Peter's house just after the vision.


LDG

The question remains how the "trance" was achieved...was it forced on Peter by God or the natural consequence of a specific prayer disipline?
There is a long history of Jewish meditative practices relating specifcally to the practices of the prophets. A prophet was not just an average Joe who happened to start hearing voices in his head.

 

[jive4005]

I just pray... if more happens...GLORY!

His,
Rev J

 

[JPPT1974]

I just pray... if more happens...GLORY!

His,
Rev J

The more the better!

 

[Timuchin]

The question remains how the "trance" was achieved...was it forced on Peter by God or the natural consequence of a specific prayer disipline?
There is a long history of Jewish meditative practices relating specifcally to the practices of the prophets. A prophet was not just an average Joe who happened to start hearing voices in his head.

When David & Saul ran into that college of prophets, they were both 'slain in the spirit' & prophesied. Saul was laid out in a trance a longer time, so David could make a get away.

I've been among Christians who experience this overpowering presence of the Holy Spirit due to prayer & praise. They become too weak to remain standing. I have seen amazing healings of emotional troubles during that time God is giving them "carpet time."

 

[seekinghokmah]

It is my opinion that being "slain in the spirit" is a modern phenomenon and has noting to do with the genuine prophetic experience; it also has nothing to do with meditation per say.

 

[thepathofchrist]

This comes from my Path of Christ writing:

Chapter Six


Flowering through Meditation​

Meditation is not some new age fluffy mental programming practice that ensnares the mind and takes us away from GOD nor is it the invention of some oriental esoteric teaching or some yogic philosophy from the Himalayas. While meditation finds a place in each of these traditions, not one of them can claim it as their own.

When reading the bible we notice that meditation has been practiced alongside prayer from the time of Isaac on up to our present day. The technique used by the Hebrews and Christians was a form of contemplation upon the Laws of GOD and teachings of Jesus in order to sink them deep within the heart. That technique will be one of the meditational practices we will talk about in this text.

This small introduction to meditation is not meant to be an exhaustive treatment on the techniques, benefits, approaches, or paths of meditation. It is meant to give the reader enough information to practice and reap the benefits of their efforts. Below are some of the gifts we receive when we meditate with an open and sincere heart.

• Meditation stabilizes and calms the thought processes of the mind
• Meditation creates a peaceful space within our minds that helps us control our emotional reactions to life’s stimuli
• It creates mindfulness of everything we do, say, and think
• It enables us to see our intentions and motivations more clearly
• Through calming the thoughts it invites tranquility
• Helps rid us of greed, desire, hatred, and ignorance
• Opens us up to GOD
• Strengthens our faith in GOD
• Deepens our understandings of the teachings
• Creates equanimity and joy
• And overall makes us more compassionate and patient

There are hundreds of rules towards what are the right techniques and/or edicts of meditation. While some of them are legitimate practices, many of them are added on to either create a mystery around meditating or to impress others. In a nut shell, meditation is nothing more than sitting down – and staying there. What happens after that is the hard part.

It is possible that some of the techniques created were taught to help deal with the problems that arise when we just sit down and let the mind do what it may. If we were to label the different practices of meditation and bring them all under two categories they would fall under active or passive practices. The passive practices would be considered a formal type of meditation where we sit down in a stable and still position and work with the mind. The Active practices on the other hand can be done during any part of our day and primarily deals with simply being aware of whatever it is that we are doing. For the sake of this book, we will be focusing on some passive forms of meditations only.

Sitting meditation can be broken down into contemplation and concentration practices. Contemplation meditation takes on the characteristics of investigating a topic, recollecting holy verses, or working through issues in our lives through reflection. Concentration on the other hand deals with focusing on one thing in complete exclusion to all other things. Different things we can use for this is are simple visual references, sensations of the body, the sound, feeling and movement of the breath, a prayer or attribute of GOD, or any other single thing we can set awareness upon while the thoughts of the mind flow around our focus. The intent of concentrative meditation is to still the thinking mind and reach to that place within us where we connect with Christ.

So now the question is: How do we meditate? Below are eighteen things to take into consideration as we begin to meditate. One thing we should always keep in mind is that ultimately the only thing needed for meditation is an aware mind; all the other stuff simply makes it easier to keep focused.

External

1. Sit facing a direction that has a calming and non-distractive effect on the mind
2. One is not to be position in such a way that one is closed into a small space or in a limitless space
3. One is to feel comfortable and secure
4. The air is to be clear and free of stagnation
5. The space is to be balanced, free from distractions, and in harmony with ones meditation
6. The belly should not be filled with food nor completely empty

Internal

1. Setting an intention
2. Dedicating everything to GOD
3. Understanding what meditation is
4. Trusting and having faith in GOD
5. Having a resolve to stick with the practice
6. Being mindful of everything

Bodily Positions

1. As one sits, the body is to be firm and sure and the base should be stable and heavy
2. The back is to be strait, firm, and relaxed
3. The head is to be set firmly on the spine as if held up by a string in the middle of the crown
4. The arms are to be held off the ribs and the hands are to be positioned lightly upon the lap or knees
5. Eyelids are to be loose and relax and the eyes are to be pointed down at a thirty-degree angle.
6. The tongue is to be placed lightly on the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth. One thing this does is slow down the saliva glands.

Now it is time to sit down and get to work! We can read all we want, but unlike literary or scientific knowledge, you haven’t learned anything about meditation until you do it. What needs to be done is to set aside some time every day for meditation. At first setting aside fifteen minutes is enough. Once a time has been set, we need to consistently make an effort to sit down at that time and meditate. Beyond the fact that we are creatures of habit, the consistency of meditating will build our strength in concentration and empower us to gain more control over our minds. The most important thing with meditation is to do it. So do it!

The five degrees of meditation:

1. Applied thought: Directing or focusing the mind upon something
2. Sustained thought: Maintaining the focus of the mind
3. Joyfulness: A feeling that arises when the mind has stabilized
4. Bliss: A state of being when the mind has retained a continued focus
5. Rapture: State of union when the object and subject have become one

These five levels or degrees of meditation give us an idea of what to expect when we begin to meditate. So now let us get to it.

 

[thepathofchrist]

Continuation from Pt. 1:

Contemplation Meditation

This one is the easiest thing to do. Sit down and think. First bring to mind a verse. I will pick one randomly from the four gospels to use as an example:

“Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:24)

Now that we have the verse, next we need to consider what level of the verse we are to meditate upon. Traditionally there are five levels we can use to look into a sacred teaching.

1. Literal
2. Symbolic
3. Metaphorical
4. Numerological
5. Secretive

Literally this verse is telling us to leave our gift before the altar and deal with the troubles we have with others before giving our offering.

Symbolically we can look at this verse in a million different ways; this is one of the many signs and characteristics of Holy Writing. So many Christians get into conflict because there is an infinite amount of ways to read into a scripture. The very first thing we need to do when we are breaking something down symbolically is to understand our own symbolism. Taking this verse as a base to work from, the first thing we need to do is take the key words out. In this case we have leave, gift, altar, reconcile, and brother. What do these words mean to you? To me, leave represents a since of separation. It is often associated with running away or a situation that brings up feelings of relief or sadness. Altar brings to mind a since of the sacred, a place where all of our understandings of creation are symbolically represented. It is the foundation of our practices. It is where we place our sacred objects, images, and prayers upon. Gift on the other hand invokes an idea of giving something to another. There are superficial gifts and then there are gifts that come from the heart. In this case, the gift represents to me a giving of ourselves. The word reconcile means many things to me, one of which is finding a state of balance. Lastly, the word brother conjures up the idea of everyone and everything in my life. So symbolically this verse is telling me that i must find a balance within my life and seek peace with all my relations before my offering will be received.

Metaphorically we are shown that our gifts are empty until we have found peace within our life. The only real gift we can give to GOD, the only thing we really have to offer is ourselves. Not our bodies, for they will disintegrate and return to the earth and not our minds, because they were never ours in the first place. We cannot offer anything physical, because it is already GOD’S. The only things we can offer are our words, actions, and thoughts by dedicating them all to GOD. The only real way to do this is to walk as Jesus taught us and a part of that is to forgive others and to act through compassion.

Numerologically there is no logical way to decipher a holy verse unless it is in the original language; such as Hebrew or Greek. And the Secret understandings that lay hidden within sacred scriptures come only to those whom GOD wishes.

Breaking down scriptures is one way to use contemplation meditation. Another way is to simply meditate on our actions, our life, the things that we do that are helpful or harmful to our Christian path, the qualities of Christ, the good things we wish to invite into our lives, different understandings of the scripture, or anything else that we can think of. The idea behind contemplation is to find something that is wholesome and beneficial to our walk, and then simply meditate upon it until it has saturated our minds and entered into our hearts.

Concentration Meditation

In comparison to contemplation meditation, learning to concentrate and hold our focus upon one thing is very difficult to do in the beginning. One reason for this is that contemplation is an active practice that leads the mind while concentration merely seeks to rest the mind. By resting the mind we find that our thoughts, emotions, feelings, and visual impressions within the mind are constantly in motion and beyond our control to stop. In fact, the harder we try to stop them, the more powerful they become. The longer we sit motionless and focused, the harder it is to do so. This, above any other reason, is a good motivation for learning to concentrate. If we cannot control what thoughts, images, and emotions flow through us, then how can we ever hope to aspire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus?

There are as many things to concentrate upon as there are thoughts. The idea behind concentration meditation is not to focus upon a million things in one minute, but to focus on one thing for a million minutes. It does not matter what it is that we focus upon; the only stipulation might be to consider focusing on things that are positive and productive to compassion and wholesomeness. It would not serve us to be focusing on an image of a naked person, especially if we are trying to avoid lustfulness.

What needs to be emphasized is that whatever we choose to focus on it needs to remain that one thing until the benefits of concentrative meditation have born its fruits. There are many levels, degrees, gifts, and powers that come to us when we go deeper into concentrative meditation. While these gifts and powers can arise we are to keep our focus always on GOD. Our intention to meditate should seek to bring us closer to GOD, not gain some supernatural power that allow us to see through walls, leap tall buildings, or fly faster than the speed of sound. Meditation is a real practice that has real results when we apply ourselves to doing it. The potential of gaining powers should never be the focus of our efforts. Our focus should always be directed towards GOD and to the good of GOD’S creation.

The one example we are going to use to show the process of concentrative meditation is to use the image of the cross. We are not going to get crazy and start visualizing Jesus on the cross or some cross highlighted upon a mountain of skulls, blood dripping from it, or any other elaborate imagery. We are going to visualize a simple wooden cross. Nothing more and nothing less!

Having found a comfortable seat in a conducive place for meditation, we lightly close our eyes and begin to visualize. For some, this might be hard to do. One way to overcome this is to have a picture or actual cross to stare at before we close our eyes so as to help us retain the image. What we find when we close our eyes is that this simple image is not all that easy to visualize much less retain its image for any amount of time. We should remember as we go into this process that what we visualize is not going to be as concrete as what we see with our eyes. The reason for this is based upon the different way we are bringing this information into our consciousness. With that in mind, we needn’t worry about the image being the same as when we see it with our eyes. As our meditation grows what we see within our minds will be more real and intense then when looking at something through our eyes. For now do not be surprised if what we see has little tangibility.

So what do you have? Can you actually retain a ghost of its shape or can you see it as clear as day? Does the image fluctuate and seek to form into something else or might it be turning and floating as if seeking to go out of focus? Any and all of these things can happen. Other things that will most likely happen is that you will forget what you are doing. Thoughts might come and go and you might find yourself floating along with them. While this happens, what we are to do is gently bring our focus back to the cross. The point is not to judge ourselves, our thoughts, or anything at all for that matter. What we need to be doing is simply letting go of all thoughts, images, emotions, and feelings, and bring our focus back to the cross.

It is not easy – but it can be done. That is what we need to remember as we bring our attention away from some horrible thought for the thousandth time. It is amazing how scary and messed up the thoughts can be that float through our awareness. Most, if not all of them, are merely images we have acquired from movies and TV. Sometimes though, we can find ourselves rehearsing something that happened a long time in our past or daydreaming about some unknown future. We can be rehearsing our day or having amazing insights into the nature of the universe. Once again, all that we need to do is bring our focus back to the cross.

Concentration in principle is not that difficult. In practice, it is probably one of the more difficult things we will have to do in our lives. These minds are filled with so much information, that to even dream of stilling them is a dream within a dream. It is possible though.

So here we are again, bringing the focus back to the cross. It is not thoughts now that distract us; it is an excruciating pain in our leg, itch on the shoulder, lobbing head, or slouching back. It is the body that seeks to get up from this uncomfortable place and walk around. While it is natural for the body to seek relief, know that during a three hour movie when the mind is completely enraptured with the story, not once does the body get achy or seek to move around least the attention become broken and the movie losses a little of its escapists power. If the body gets so uncomfortable that it causes us to lose our focus, then by simply readjusting ourselves with the minimal effort to avoid bringing our minds out of the calm state is okay. Sometimes taking our attention from the cross and focusing it on the pain for a minute or two will often have the result of releasing the mind from the pain itself. Although this seems a little strange, in practice it works.

Another way the body can create distractions is to make the mind obsess over the saliva in the throat or challenge our meditation with bodily needs. One way to minimize this is to make sure you go to the bathroom right before meditation, avoiding eating or drinking things that create phlegm, and eating just enough to satiate the stomach but not fill it right before meditation.

The next thing that might come up is sensual distractions. Maybe it is a flash of light that strikes the eyelids, a loud sound down the street, or the temperature of the room. All these things and many more can come and rob us of our concentration. We can control only a few of these things. There are three ways to deal with these distractions. We can give up and allow our attention to waver and eventually stop the meditating. We can fight the distractions like a sergeant and hold to our chosen focus like a dog to a stick or we can temporarily shift our focus to the momentary distraction and try to be as aware and attentive to the sound, light, or whatever, as we were to our cross. We do this until the distraction has gone and we notice that our minds are clinging to the memory of the distraction rather than the actual event. When we notice our minds clinging to the memory we then shift our focus back to our chosen visualization. This last approach is the healthiest way to integrate life’s randomness into our practice.

 

[thepathofchrist]

Continuation from Pt. 2

Now let’s talk about some things that can happen that might scare us. Some of these things might or might not ever happen. The point in even mentioning them is to prepare you just in case they do. When we sit for a long time in one position the body can do a lot of odd things. Some of these consist of random temperature changes, profuse sweating, twitching, vibrating, or even hopping around like a body that is half asleep and then suddenly jerks awake. Other things that can happen are hearing strange things outside of the mind, the body might feel excruciating pain as if being pierced by thorns, the eyes might see phantoms or ghostly images, and the body might feel like it is levitating. All we need to do is bring our focus back to the cross. We can argue for or against these things being real. Their validity is not the point; bringing our focus back to the cross is all that matters. If on the other hand we find ourselves becoming overwhelmed with these things then taking the moment to focus on them is the proper thing to do. As we bring our attention to these ethereal sensations, we should also be taking the moment to have faith in GOD and allow ourselves to use that faith to let go and trust in knowing that GOD is watching over us. As this inner faith sinks deep within our heart, the fear and obsession that came because of these ethereal phantoms will dissipate. All that we need to do then is bring our focus back to the simple cross.


As our ability to retain this image within our mind grows, we find ourselves more at peace with the surroundings, in greater control over our thoughts, and having a clearer vision of life. On top of that, we begin to experience the joy, bliss, and rapture that was spoken of earlier in this chapter. The ability to stay focused and aware enables us to help others because we can see clearly into their situation. On top of that, the unwholesome emotions and thoughts that used to plague us incessantly before have dissolved and in their place is a mind which has only wholesome, loving, and compassionate thoughts for all of GOD’S creation. It is at this point that we really begin to understand the benefits of meditation. So meditate often.

 

[seekinghokmah]

Thanks for the interesting posts path...

I would consider numerological and secretive part of the same level. Traditional Hebrew practice specifies only four distinct levels of interpretation; gematria et al being part of the "sod" or hidden.
It is worth mentioning that these four levels do not amount to a free for all on interpretation; none of the four levels can be allowed to produce a contradiction for example, or you know you are off track.
It is also important to become familiar with the use of metaphor throughout scripture, as God is consistent in His use of allegory etc. We must be careful that we are accurately discerning the intended meaning in proper context rather than imposing an external interpretation based on our own modern views.
Free association is not for the beginner who hasn’t done their homework in terms of learning the simple interpretation in proper context FIRST…else we become a breeding ground for error.
It is also important to mention that some meditative practices can be dangerous, especially for individuals with mental anomalies or personality disorders.
The basic aspects of meditation are perfectly safe, but more advanced forms are best practiced with the aid of someone already expert in these techniques that can ground the individual and even provide a path back to the normal state of consciousness. There have been instances where a person becomes so enraptured with a particular advanced state that they do not whish to return.
Judaism tells the story of four rabbis who entered “the garden” (a reference to the advanced meditative states focused on the fourth level). Of the four rabbis; one died, one went insane and another became an apostate…only rabbi Akiva entered and left in peace (of sound mind).
We are neither forbidden nor encouraged to enter…walk first, then fly.

 

[EarthMomma]

Josh 1:8 defines meditation for me: keeping His Word in my heart and my mouth all the time.

Joshua 1:8 (KJV) This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.​

Under the New Covenant, we know that if we abide in Christ, and His Word abides in us, God will be glorified.
We will know what to ask and seek, and it will be given, according to the will of the Father.

John 15:7-8 (KJV) 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.​

For me, then, meditating on His Word and His Love (the royal law of the precious New Covenant) is abiding in His presence.

Paul encouraged Timothy to meditate upon his calling:

1 Timothy 4:15 (KJV) Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

​

The Amplified Bible explains on what was imparted: 1 Timothy 4:14-6 (AMP):

14 Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to you [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you [at your ordination].
15 Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody. 16 Look well to yourself [to your own personality] and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
​

We are so blessed to be called, and so blessed that we have The Word to meditate upon!

Your sister in Christ,
EarthMomma

Psalms 1:1-3 (KJV) 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.​