Why do we meditate?

[Michael569]

I was talking to two of my buddies the other day and they started teasing me about meditation as we got to that topic somehow. They are both extremely hard orange guys so I found it really hard to explain it. But it made me realise that I could not properly put it in word for my own benefit either. I was tempted to say "to realise god" but at my current level of consciousness I still don't know what that really means so maybe "to raise my consciousness" would be a better response but that is hard to define by words. 

So I ended up giving an Orange explanation of "helps reduce cortisol, soothe the nervous system and helps sleep" which seemed a satisfying response but I know that is just the top of the iceberg. Thinking about this conversation later on, I realised I can't even pinpoint why I meditate in the first place by my own words

Is it that it's not meant to be explained same as you cannot really explain what consciousness is but has to be experienced? What would be your explanation (to yourself and to an Orange person) of why you meditate in the first place? 

[tsuki]

To trick the ego into doing something while it does nothing.

[mandyjw]

For an orange person (or for myself when I'm in an orange mood), I'd it's like weight lifting for the mind. Taking time to do it improves focus and mental willpower.

[mandyjw]

3 minutes ago, tsuki said:

To trick the ego into doing something while it does nothing.

That's not an explanation for stage orange though. 

[Gili Trawangan]

When I went on my first meditation retreat one of the instructors asked me on the first day, what do you think meditation is for? I said "to quiet the mind". He replied "that's part of it". Then he paused, as I was anticipating the answer, and he finally said "we meditate to understand all of life". And we both shared a laugh, but I think the joke was on me

[Zigzag Idiot]

It creates inner space. Exercises the muscle of objectivity helping one to be less reactive to life. Being less reactive allows a space for answers that have more emotional intelligence yet are also practical..

[mandyjw]

@Gili Trawangan The joke wasn't on you, the truth is in the paradox, in the joke, in the exchange itself. 

[Gili Trawangan]

@mandyjw oh I agree, but what I found funny about it at the time is not what I find funny about it now

[Inliytened1]

@Gili Trawangan that's a great reply.

@Mikael89 True meditation really can't be explained to a Materialist unless they have an extremely open mind and are willing to sit down and listen to an explanation of how reality works and how meditation can help you to actually become reality - not in the sense of becoming it literally because you already ARE it literally.  I mean in the sense of DISCOVERING you are it literally through a mystical experience in which you as consciousness shift from being the part to the whole.

The nature of reality is mystical.  Science and logic were imagined by reality and are within reality, just like you are

Don't let anyone tell you its not.   You can discover this for yourself.

So try explaining this to a close minded materialist?

I would say it quiets the mind - and can reveal the Truth of all of reality.  And if they laugh at you just laugh with them - because there is no helping 'em.

 

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by Inliytened1

[Ibn Sina]

Since they are hard orange, you should have showed them this wikipedia article- 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_on_meditation

Few points include

- Increase in ability of for emotional regulation.
- Increase in psychological well being
- Increase in grey matter.
- Reduced amygdala activation
- Stress reduction

And many more..

[Nahm]

Ask them if they’ve noticed they realize they were dreaming in the night, only upon awakening in the morning. 

Ask them if they have any awareness that they are asleep right now, dreaming. 

Ask them if they’d like to wake up and realize this is a dream, in which they can realize who they really are, and live the life they truly dream of. 

Ask them, if they bring to God the balance of their life, the culmination of their selflessness, how would they fair? 

Then of course, notice, this calling is for Michael. 

All this love, compassion, giving, your generosity, your genuine dedication to the well being of others. 

I suspect there is much Love calling you. Just to say thank you for being True. For being you. 

[Salvijus]

Next time show them this. 

 

[Michael569]

Thank you folks, amazing comments from all of you, I've got much to contemplate on tonight 

[Solace]

@Michael569 I would ask your friends some questions. Do you remember those moments in your life where you felt deeply connected to a friend (person or animal), when both of your hearts opened? Or the moment when a creative idea flowed through you and you jumped out your seat with joy? Do you remember the happiness you feel after a good sleep? Have you seen the eyes of a newborn child? 

I invite you to look back in your life and find the times when you were living as your radiant soul. A peaceful love is felt and it flows into the situation you were in, a presence is felt around you too. You feel whole. 

This is why we meditate. To feel the soft warmth of our heart in all of those experiences, but instead of just once every few years, we want to feel love (which we have proven does exist from our past) as ourself in each moment.

There can be another reason too for some people. You realize that without Love you are helpless. You realize that in the moments you stood up for yourself, God was flowing through you, that the compliment you gave to a friend was God being you, and all good things you experienced was when Love was there. You realize by reflecting on your past, that you can’t connect to people when your heart is closed, because you believed yourself to be seperate, other than existence, and since all is God, how can you connect deeply with anything? You find yourself yearning for love when you realize that everything you cherished about life, everything, was when Gods grace shined through you. You see how all suffering arose when you chose to trust a mere thought over the Father and Creator you are.

God is always with you, that is the key to realize. And you are always God. You cannot be otherwise, how can it be so? You are always love. But when you think you are a mere thought, it seems like God is not with you. This is the illusion. There is nothing besides God you can point to in all of existence. Try it. How can it be seperate from the source of all life? There is only one source, and so all is an expression of this even if it appears to be other than.

We meditate as well when we realize that we can’t convince the mind that we are love. Meditation is the art of transcending who we think we are such as that we were born as this physical body, by being aware of the qualities of Love (in your Heart) and consciousness (around your body), and knowing this is you. This knowingness or faith or yearning comes after realizing that the mind has never lead you to any experience of happiness (and never will) because even in those moments of happiness, your mind was transcended, and you embodied your soul. All happiness comes from the soul, the mind can only create more stress because it’s running on the deep deep program of separation. All you create goes through that filter of separation until you live as your soul which you are as you read this, but the filter makes it seem not so.

As the soul you are creatively empowered, and feel absolutely whole and complete. All of your desires change, because all of your desires are fulfilled. All you ever wanted was love, all you ever wanted was yourself the whole time.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Meditation makes us more and more ourself, our true self, it dissolves all things we have picked up that we "thought" were who we are and allows us to be more in tune with out true divine nature which is present and pure and infinitely intelligent.

[Michael569]

@Solace thank you. Your comment has been very eye-opening. I feel like I am not able to embody the wisdom you shared just yet without putting more work into consciousness work which I put aside often due to focusing too much on my life purpose. Nevertheless I am saving many of the amazing responses I've got here to return to again. 

@Curiousobserver thanks, that makes a lot of sense.  

[seeking_brilliance]

@Michael569 to explain to those who aren't into this work, or think its all "woo-woo", you just use the excuse that lots of people around the world meditate for. To quiet the mind. To help issues with overthinking. To train the mind to be still, quiet, and focused. You can tell them that your school work had improved ten fold, which probably wouldn't be far from the truth if you are taking classes.  Meditation doesn't have to be spiritual, to those that don't care for spirituality. 

[Truth Addict]

Better performance and better experience of life in general.

Without meditation my life would be hell.

[pluto]

Most people are very sick because they have forgotten who they are and how to be themselves. Meditation is arguably the most effective practice to remember and embody the true self once again. Meditation will cure the sickness most people unconsciously suffer from. It will defragment the system and remove layers and layers until you are completely naked and whole again.

Edited July 8, 2019 by pluto

[Cody_Atzori]

To have sex with reality